African Americans' Reactions to Diversity Programs: Does Procedural Justice Matter?

This experiment used an organizational justice approach to examine workforce diversity programs and their potential effects on attitudes of African American beneficiaries. Data were collected from 66 African American undergraduate students. Results reveal that the decision to hire beneficiaries through a diversity program justified using Cox andBlake 's marketing argumentyields more positive effects than nonjustified diversity programs, regardless of favorable outcomes produced. Beneficiaries are more concerned about adequate procedural justification for the decision to hire them under a workforce diversity program than the potential positive outcomes produced by such programs.