Ethnic Dissimilarity, Ethnic Status, and Organizational Embeddedness: Climate for Inclusion as Double-Edged Sword

Authors

• Debjani Ghosh, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Jorge A. Gonzalez, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
• Daan van Knippenberg, Rice University
• Richard A. Rodriguez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2026

Abstract

Ethnic dissimilarity to coworkers puts individuals’ social embeddedness at work under pressure. We consider this issue from the perspective of a moderating influence of climate for inclusion in the relationship between ethnic dissimilarity and organizational embeddedness. We argue that, whereas it may seem straightforward that climate for inclusion would be associated with a weaker negative influence between ethnic dissimilarity and organizational embeddedness, team climate for inclusion is a double-edged sword. Taking the status associated with ethnic groups into account, we propose that the status equality implied by climate for inclusion has differential effects for members of high ethnic status and low ethnic status groups, such that team climate for inclusion attenuates the negative relationship of ethnic dissimilarity and organizational embeddedness for low ethnic status members but enhances it for high ethnic status members. We test this idea in Malaysia, a national context where ethnic group status is not conflated with numerical representation in both work and in society, unlike in the West. Multilevel survey data from 280 members in 82 teams largely supported our prediction.

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Recommended Citation

Ghosh, D. et al. (2026) “Ethnic Dissimilarity, Ethnic Status, and Organizational Embeddedness: Climate for Inclusion as Double-Edged Sword,” Journal of Business and Psychology, 41(1), pp. 165–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-025-10038-3.

Publication Title

Journal of Business and Psychology

DOI

10.1007/s10869-025-10038-3