ABSTRACT

Intergroup relations at work become more complex with the cultural diversification of societies. A diverse workforce can be at the same time a competitive advantage and a source of internal organizational conflicts. Therefore, it is important to know the conditions that link intergroup contact to the emergence of an inclusive organizational culture. This case study proposes a model of intergroup contact that focuses on individual factors amenable to change. Therefore, we propose that ethnocultural empathy is the mediator that explains how contact leads to increased positive diversity-related attitudes and reduced negative diversity-related attitudes. Our case study focuses on the middle and higher management (147 respondents) of a Dutch organization which faces a problem with the promotion of ethnic minority employees. The data shows that ethnocultural empathy is a mediator in the relation between intergroup contact and positive attitudes towards diversity, but not negative ones. Hence, our findings suggest that while empathy can trigger more positive attitudes, it cannot prevent stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination.

KEYWORDS: intergroup relations at work, ethnocultural empathy, attitudes towards diversity, intergroup contact.

PAGES:243-260