Inclusive Leadership and Follower Job Performance: Evaluating the Relative Influence of Workgroup Versus Social Identity Group Agreement on Employee Outcomes

Date
2022-04-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract

This research integrates inclusive leadership theory, climate theory, and social identity theory to quantitatively assess the impact of inclusive leadership from the follower perspective in a multilevel examination. I evaluate how inclusive leadership (i.e., inclusive leader behaviors assessed from the follower perspective) fosters inclusion and reduces burnout, which I identify as mediating mechanisms underlying the direct relationship between inclusive leadership and follower job performance at the individual-level. I further examine the moderating influence of group-level agreement in followers’ inclusive leadership perceptions (i.e., climate strength) on the individual-level relationships between inclusive leadership and performance, inclusion, and burnout. By comparing the moderating effects of group-level agreement for departments (i.e., departmental climate strength as a level two moderator) versus group-level agreement for majority and minority racial/ethnic social identity groups (i.e., racioethnic climate strength as a level two moderator), I seek to understand how follower beliefs about their leader’s inclusiveness at both the individual- and group-levels interactively influence follower outcomes in an externally generalizable organizational context with a large, demographically diverse employee sample (n = 6,440 healthcare employees). The findings suggest that inclusive leadership has a significant and positive impact on performance. Climate strength for workgroups and social identity groups moderates this relationship in the anticipated direction. This research underscores the importance of developing and encouraging inclusive leadership behaviors in an organizational context. This work contributes to scholarly understanding and practical applications of the inclusive leader’s role in maintaining inclusive, productive workplaces that are conducive to employee well-being.

Description
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Type
Thesis
Keywords
diversity and inclusion, inclusive leadership, job performance, climate theory
Citation

Bilotta, Isabel Maria. "Inclusive Leadership and Follower Job Performance: Evaluating the Relative Influence of Workgroup Versus Social Identity Group Agreement on Employee Outcomes." (2022) Diss., Rice University. https://hdl.handle.net/1911/113530.

Has part(s)
Forms part of
Published Version
Rights
Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
Link to license
Citable link to this page