THE EFFECTS OF RACIAL DIVERSITY CONGRUENCE BETWEEN UPPER MANAGEMENT AND LOWER MANAGEMENT ON FIRM PRODUCTIVITY

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Richard, Orlando C.; Triana, Maria del Carmen; Li, Mingxiang
• 署名单位: University of Massachusetts System; University of Massachusetts Amherst; Vanderbilt University; Vanderbilt University; State University System of Florida; Florida Atlantic University
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4273
• DOI: 10.5465/amj.2019.0468
• 发表日期: 2021
• 页码: 1355-1382
• 关键词: human-resource management; DEEP-LEVEL DIVERSITY; WORK GROUP DIVERSITY; MIDDLE MANAGERS; TOP MANAGEMENT; MODERATING ROLE; demographic diversity; POLYNOMIAL REGRESSION; absorptive-capacity; MEDIATING ROLE

摘要

We examine whether matching levels of racial diversity in upper management and lower management (i.e., racial diversity congruence) impact firm productivity. In a sample of high-tech firms, we found that congruence between upper-management racial diversity and lower-management racial diversity positively impacts firm productivity, supporting knowledge-based view perspectives. Furthermore, organizations with high levels of racial diversity in both upper and lower management (i.e., high-high racial diversity congruence) realized superior productivity compared to organizations with low levels of racial diversity in both upper and lower management (i.e., low-low racial diversity congruence). Results also revealed differences across levels of racial diversity incongruence between upper management and lower management (i.e., asymmetry effects) whereby firms with a more racially diverse upper management than lower management outproduced firms with a more racially diverse lower management than upper management. A supplemental sample of Fortune 500 firms enhanced generalizability, as the pattern of findings was very similar to that of the high-tech sample. We discuss the study's implications and make a call for future research that simultaneously considers the upper echelons and the lower echelons.