Employment Equity and Organizational Diversity Performance: The Role of CEOs' Characteristics and Commitment

Abstract

<p>This thesis investigated how Chief Executive Officers' (CEOs) commitment to managing diversity and perceptions of that commitment affect actual diversity practices and outcomes in organizations. Data were collected in a field survey from 196 Canadian organizations covered under the federal employment equity programs. The results indicate that CEOs' personal attributes such as individual values, cognition about diversity, and leadership styles affect their commitment to managing diversity. Moreover, subordinates' perceptions ofCEOs' commitment were more important than CEOs' self-reported commitment in predicting actual diversity practices and outcomes. CEOs' commitment to diversity also accounted for more explained variance in the adoption of diversity management than environmental factors, suggesting that the environment is limited in determining organizational diversity practices. This thesis concluded that although there are strong institutional pressures to implement employment equity, organizational decision makers exercise strategic choice in the way they respond to these pressures.</p>