Gender and Diversity Management: Explicit Cultural Values Help to Attract Target Group Members

The present research aimed to examine the effects of explicit cultural values on employer attractiveness. In Exp.1, male and female participants saw a recruitment brochure promoting either a predominantly feminine or a predominantly masculine corporate culture (Cameron & Freeman, 1991; Hofstede, 1980). Adjective ratings indicate that company image was perceived as intended. As expected, female participants showed higher general attractiveness ratings as well as application intentions for the prototypical feminine as compared to the masculine culture, male participants exhibited the opposite pattern. Participants’ career-status (student vs. employee) did not affect perceptions of employer attractiveness. In Exp.2, participants either belonging to a minority group (physical disability, migrant family, or other than heterosexual orientation), or not, were presented a vacancy notice promoting a diversity-oriented vs. an achievement-oriented corporate culture. Again, image ratings indicate that the announcements were perceived as intended. Although general attractiveness ratings remained unaffected here, participants belonging to a minority group showed higher application intentions for the diversity-oriented than for the achievement-oriented company,and vice versa for participants not belonging to a minority group. Beyond manipulation check, image ratings show a significantly morepositive pattern for the diversity-oriented company regardless of participants’ group membership. Implications for value establishment and communication in times of organisational and societal change are discussed.