Translating HR practices to inclusion climate: the moderating role of inclusive leadership

Purpose Grounded in the Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT), the current study aims to examine the role of Diversity-focused HR Practices in promoting Inclusion Climate; simultaneously, it also investigates the role of Inclusive Leadership as a moderator in relationship explaining how it shapes inclusion at work. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional quantitative approach has been taken, and the survey data were collected from 232 professionals employed in Indian IT sector organizations. To perform the data analysis PLS-SEM was employed using SmartPLS4.1.0 software. Findings The findings reveal while diversity-focused HR practices contribute to fostering an inclusive climate, their impact depends significantly on leadership behavior. Inclusive leaders play a critical role in strengthening the effectiveness of these practices by shaping how employees experience inclusion in their teams. Practical implications The findings of the study imply the gravity that a leader holds in the workgroup. As exhibited by findings, leaders with their inclusive behavior act as a catalyst which transforms HR practices into an inclusive workplace. Therefore, investments in diversity policies must be accompanied by leadership development programs to convert formal initiatives into employees-lived workplace experience. Originality/value The study integrates HR practices and leadership perspectives by identifying inclusive leadership as a contextual boundary condition explaining variability in inclusion climate formation. This shifts scholarly attention from formal HR systems to the role of leaders as enablers of inclusion, demonstrating that leadership is a key mechanism through which diversity initiatives translate into meaningful workplace experiences, thereby providing a novel insight to the present literature.