Diverging impacts of organizational DEI practices: the role of objective and subjective group status

Purpose While DEI practices aim to enhance the outcomes of disadvantaged groups, their impact remains uncertain, with disparities often persisting. This paper examines whether the accumulation of DEI practices helps reduce psychological and work disparities between employees, considering both their objective (e.g. gender and race) and subjective (or perceived) (dis)advantage. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 surveyed 602 employees to assess the impact of perceiving their organization as having many or few DEI practices on their sense of inclusion and job satisfaction. Study 2 used an experimental design (N = 739) to extend the findings of Study 1 by manipulating the number of DEI practices. Findings Study 1 showed that the effects of DEI practices on work experiences depended on gender and subjective disadvantage: more practices increased inclusion and job satisfaction for subjectively disadvantaged women but decreased them for subjectively disadvantaged men. Study 2, in which the number of DEI practices was manipulated again found that more DEI practices predicted worse anticipated outcomes for subjectively disadvantaged men. Study 2 also found that White participants, regardless of subjective disadvantage, had worse anticipated outcomes when there were more DEI practices. Originality/value These studies emphasize the importance of both objective and subjective (dis)advantage in understanding the signaling effect of DEI practices, offering insights into designing policies that address group disparities in light of status dynamics.