Weakness in Numbers: Towards an Understanding of Employees of Color’s Responses to Organizational Research Efforts

Abstract

Employees of color have been reluctant to respond or to give candid responses when participating in organizational research, putting its validity at risk. In this literature review, we examine how employees of color’s assessment of and satisfaction with an organization‘s commitment to diversity affect their willingness to participate in organizational research efforts in multicultural organizations. Two general propositions are explored but not tested: (1) responding openly is of little or no utility to employees of color, and thus responding is of no genuine value, and (2) responding candidly could lead to adverse consequences for them.