The impact of campus diversity initiatives, leadership support, and institutional structures on university work climate: A study of human resource professionals

Many colleges and universities have begun to take a proactive approach to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce of faculty, staff and administrators. While the reasons for this in some cases is to comply with federal affirmative action guidelines, a significant and growing body of literature supporting the positive impact of diversity on student learning suggests pedagogical benefits for increasing diversity. A culturally diverse faculty has been identified as an important element in recruiting and retaining diverse students, suggesting an operational rationale for enhancing workforce diversity. The literature contains examples of various diversity initiatives implemented by colleges and universities and also suggests the critical role of leadership support and institutional structures in creating a positive climate for diversity. This study evaluated the impact of workplace diversity initiatives, leadership support, and institutional structures on the campus climate for diversity. A stratified, proportional random sample of human resource professionals employed in colleges and universities across the United States provided data via a survey created for this research. Analysis of the data showed significant differences between public and private institutions and large, mid-sized, and small institutions. There were relatively few significant differences between female and male participants and minority and White participants. Campus climate for diversity was reported to be very positive at almost all institutions. A multiple linear regression analysis reflected a strong overall relationship between diversity initiatives, leadership support, institutional structures, and campus climate, with leadership support having the greatest impact, followed by institutional structures, and diversity initiatives. The author provides recommendations for practice and further research.