Signals of Support: Exploring the Influence of Peer Information on Organizational Diversity Initiatives

As organizations increasingly invest in promoting diversity initiatives, understanding the factors that shape employees' support for these initiatives is essential. This research investigates the influence of peer support on individual attitudes toward diversity efforts. In a pilot study (N = 508), we assessed how providing information on peer support from White men versus women and racial minorities affects participants' support for a proposed diversity initiative, compared to a control condition. In a preregistered online experiment (N = 1,022), we analyzed the effect of providing consistent versus mixed peer signals on participants' support for the proposed diversity initiative. Results revealed that when faced with mixed peer signals, individuals prioritized the opinions of women and racial minorities over those of White men, challenging assumptions rooted in White men's traditional positions of authority. Furthermore, participants perceived diversity initiatives as more effective when they received consistent information regarding peer support from both groups, highlighting the need for congruent internal support in fostering effective diversity initiatives at an organization. These findings contribute to our understanding of organizational change strategies and point to an important mechanism through which diversity initiatives might achieve greater success.