The Effect of the Structural Integration of Minorities in Leadership Positions on the Organizational Commitment of Lower Ranked Employees

The increasing demographic representation of the U.S. workforce is creating more opportunities and greater expectations amongst minority employees in the workplace. Barriers facing minority employees are changing from challenges to job entry to barriers to higher organizational positions. The current study examines whether "structural integration" or the increased proportional representation of minority employees (racial minorities and women) in higher levels of management is associated with greater organizational commitment for employees in lower organizational ranks. The study also examines whether the reaction to this "structural integration" of non-traditional employees in management positions varies for minority and majority groups. The study found that lower ranked women had lower organizational commitment in response to increased structural integration of women. Lower ranked men had slightly more positive organizational commitment in response to increased structural integration of women in management positions, relative to lower ranked women (hypothesis two). Contrary to relational demography theory, all other study hypotheses were non-significant and were not in the hypothesized direction. Study results call for an expansion of relational demography research to consider multiple identities and organizational/societal norms.