Promoting Inclusive Environments: In-group Organizational Endorsement as a Tool to Increase Feelings of Identity-Safety among Black Women

Black women face unique and harmful biases because of their intersecting and multiple marginalized identities, which are different from those experienced by Black men and White women (Crenshaw in s. Cal. l. Rev., 65, 1467., 1991). As organizations work to create more inclusive environments for minoritized employees, it is important to test effective messaging and identity-safe cues (i.e., cues that enhance feelings of identity acceptance) for Black women. In the current research, we investigate a new identity-safe cue — in-group organizational endorsement. This technique involves two components: (a) learning about the successful experiences of a former Black female employee and (b) a persuasive message asserting that out-group employees can be supportive role models and mentors within the organization. In a pilot experiment (N = 182) and Study 1 (N = 236), Black female participants were more likely to believe role models and mentors can have different identities, to anticipate more identity-safety, and to have higher attraction to an organization that was endorsed by a former Black female employee compared to a White woman employee. Study 2 (N = 214) further demonstrated that in-group organizational endorsement was effective among Black female students early in their college career. Relative to a control group, Black female students in their 1st – 3rd year who received the in-group endorsement intervention indicated higher identity-safety at their university and were more likely to pursue professional interactions with out-group members. For institutions that are actively working to promote inclusivity and pro-diversity norms among their employees, in-group organizational endorsement is one effective identity-safety signal for communicating such environments.