Abstract:
If an individual were to be asked whether they were racist, that individual would likely give an immediate, and explicit response to the negative. However, indirect measures have shown that most individuals also have a contradictory implicit response, whether it be toward race, gender, class or sexual orientation. This is the ubiquitous and sinister nature of unconscious bias. How does this translate into an organisational context? What would this mean for employee engagement and organisational culture, two attributes that most organisations value? These are the questions this research endeavoured to answer.
Using a quantitative research methodology, this study sought to understand the influence of unconscious bias on organisational culture and employee engagement. Sub-hypotheses were defined and tested based on the definitions of the organisational culture and employee engagement constructs. Data was collected from 199 individuals through online questionnaires. A reduced sample of 56 was used for hypotheses testing.
Correlation analyses showed no statistically significant relationships between the constructs. Literature indicated this may be attributed to the methodology employed to measure bias, the implications of historically strong organisational cultures, the importance of inclusive cultures, opportunities for the growth and development of employees in organisations, perceived organisational support and the influence of social exchange.
