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Psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Mor Barak et al. diversity climate scale

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Abstract

The Diversity Climate Scale is a questionnaire developed in the U.S. for the investigation of employees’ shared perceptions about their organizational context related to women and minorities. The measure was not used in the European context yet. The psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Mor Barak, Cherin and Berkman Diversity Climate Scale were investigated in this work by using a sample of Italian (n = 395) white-collar and blue-collar employees. A pilot study to make the scale suitable for the Italian context was conducted using the cognitive interview technique. Then a series of multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses was performed. The results showed that a three-factor solution best fit the data, using only 12 items of the original scale. The analyses supported factor variance and factor covariance equivalence in addition to metric equivalence. Internal consistency of the scale was good. Discriminant validity between latent factors and Criterion validity were supported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology, University of Verona, Lungadige Porta Vittoria 17, 37129, Verona, Italy

    Anna Paolillo & Margherita Pasini

  2. Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), BRU-IUL, Lisbon, Portugal

    Anna Paolillo & Silvia A. Silva

  3. Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Kore University, Enna, Italy

    Paola Magnano

Authors
  1. Anna Paolillo
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  2. Margherita Pasini
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  3. Silvia A. Silva
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  4. Paola Magnano
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Paolillo.

Appendix

Appendix

The English short version of the Diversity Climate Scale (Mor Barak et al. 1998) used for the present study.

1.1 Organizational fairness

  1. 1.

    Managers here have a track record of hiring and promoting employees objectively, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or age.

  2. 2.

    Managers here give feedback and evaluate employees fairly, regardless of employees’ race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or social background.

  3. 3.

    Managers here make layoff decisions fairly, regardless of factors such as employees’ race, gender, age, or social background.

1.2 Organizational inclusion

  1. 4.

    Management here encourages the formation of employee network support groups.

  2. 5.

    There is a mentoring program in use here that identifies and prepares all minority and female employees for promotion.

  3. 6.

    The company spends enough money and time on diversity awareness and related training.

1.3 Personal diversity value

  1. 7.

    Knowing more about cultural norms of diverse groups would help me be more effective in my job.

  2. 8.

    I think that diverse viewpoints add value.

  3. 9.

    I believe diversity is a strategic business issue.

The Italian short version of the Diversity Climate Scale (Mor Barak et al. 1998) used for the present study.

1.4 Equità organizzativa

  1. 1.

    In azienda le assunzioni e le promozioni dei dipendenti seguono procedure obiettive, a prescindere da fattori legati alla diversità (di etnia, provenienza geografica e sociale, religione, genere, orientamento sessuale, età, …).

  2. 2.

    In azienda la valutazione del personale si svolge equamente a prescindere da fattori legati alla diversità (di etnia, provenienza geografica e sociale, religione, genere, orientamento sessuale, età, …).

  3. 3.

    In azienda le procedure di riduzione del personale sono gestite in maniera equa a prescindere da motivi legati alla diversità (di etnia, provenienza geografica e sociale, religione, genere, orientamento sessuale, età, …) dei dipendenti.

1.5 Inclusione organizzativa

  1. 4.

    L’ azienda incoraggia la formazione di gruppi di supporto e collaborazione tra i dipendenti.

  2. 5.

    Esistono programmi specifici per lo sviluppo di carriera per i dipendenti che fanno parte di minoranze (etniche, di genere, …).

  3. 6.

    L’ azienda investe tempo e denaro in programmi di formazione per sensibilizzare i dipendenti sul tema della diversità.

1.6 Valore personale attribuito alla diversità

  1. 7.

    Conoscere meglio gli usi e la cultura di gruppi diversi dal mio mi aiuterebbe ad essere più efficiente nel mio lavoro.

  2. 8.

    Penso che punti di vista diversi siano un valore in più per l’ azienda.

  3. 9.

    Penso che la diversità sia una risorsa strategica per l’ azienda.

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Paolillo, A., Pasini, M., Silva, S.A. et al. Psychometric properties of the Italian adaptation of the Mor Barak et al. diversity climate scale. Qual Quant 51, 873–890 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-016-0316-3

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