How broadening diversity impacts White Americans’ organizational perceptions

Abstract Over time, organizational definitions of diversity have broadened to include more groups and a range of characteristics—a phenomenon that increases identity threat for people of color. However, these broadened definitions may instead serve as identity safety cues for dominant group members. White, straight, cisgender Americans who read a broad definition of diversity (focused on non‐demographic groups) reported stronger inclusion in diversity (Study 1 and 2) compared to those who read a demographic definition of diversity (focused on demographic groups). However, reading a broad definition did not consistently affect outcomes such as organizational interest, suggesting a more ambivalent response to broad definitions than expected. In an exploratory moderation analysis, White Americans who strongly endorsed anti‐egalitarian beliefs responded more positively to the organization and reported greater feelings of inclusion when it had a broad definition of diversity compared to those who less strongly endorsed anti‐egalitarian beliefs in both Study 1 and 2. Need to belong showed weaker and less consistent moderation in Study 1. These findings suggest that broadened definitions of diversity may elicit only minor identity safety effects, but that hierarchy‐maintaining motives may amplify these reactions to a greater extent than belonging motivations.