Gender, diversity management perceptions, workplace happiness and organisational citizenship behaviour

TLDR

Employees’ workplace happiness does not automatically translate into organisational citizenship behaviour unless they perceive diversity management practices positively. The study examines gender differences in perceptions of diversity management and workplace happiness and tests whether these perceptions mediate the link between happiness and organisational citizenship behaviour. Data from 260 Egyptian hospital physicians were analysed with t‑tests and structural equation modelling. Female physicians view diversity management more positively, gender has little effect on happiness, workplace happiness increases organisational citizenship behaviour, and diversity management perceptions mediate the happiness–OCB relationship, suggesting managers can boost happiness through personal relationships, work‑life balance, and informal gatherings.

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether females have different perceptions of diversity management and workplace happiness compared to their male colleagues. Furthermore, the paper explores whether diversity management perceptions mediate the relationship between workplace happiness and organisational citizenship behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A total of 260 questionnaires from a number of public hospitals in Egypt were analysed using both t -test and Structural Equation Modelling. Findings We found that female physicians perceive diversity management policies/protocols more positively than their male colleagues. Moreover, gender has no or little effect on physicians’ perceptions of workplace happiness. We also found that workplace happiness positively affects physicians’ organisational citizenship behaviour, and finally, diversity management practices can mediate the relationship between workplace happiness and physicians’ organisational citizenship behaviour. Practical implications We believe that managers can raise the feeling of workplace happiness among their staff if they maintain some personal relationships with physicians, care about the physicians’ work/life balance, promote after work gatherings, initiate coffee time talks, encourage open communication practices and more. Originality/value The paper is based on the argument that although employees might be happy in the workplace through (engagement, job satisfaction, affective commitment), their happiness, however,will unlikely be reflected into a positive organisational citizenship behaviour towards their organisation, except (social exchange theory) they feel or perceive (equity theory) the overall practices of diversity management in that organisation positively. Thus, studying the mediating effect of perceptions towards diversity management is mainly our contribution.