Dei Climate And Organisational Commitment: Empirical Evidence from IT Professionals in Bengaluru, India

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) climate on organisational commitment among employees in information technology (IT) firms in Bengaluru, India - a context underserved by existing DEI research.Design/Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Primary data were collected from 173 full-time IT professionals in Bengaluru using a structured, validated questionnaire. DEI climate was assessed across three dimensions - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - using adapted scales from Mor Barak et al. (1998), Nishii (2013), and Colquitt et al. (2001). Organisational commitment was measured using the Allen and Meyer (1990) three-component scale. Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) were applied for data analysis. Findings: DEI climate demonstrated a significant positive relationship with organisational commitment (r = 0.496, p < 0.001). PLS-SEM revealed that the model explains 74.5% of variance in organisational commitment (R² = 0.745). Equity climate emerged as the dominant predictor (β = 0.757, p < 0.001), followed by diversity climate (β = 0.203, p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in DEI perceptions or commitment were found across demographic groups. Practical Implications: Organisations should embed equity-driven practices - transparent performance appraisals, merit-based promotions, and unbiased HR policies - as the foundation of their DEI strategy. Symbolic diversity initiatives, without substantive fairness, are insufficient to drive employee commitment. Originality/Value: This is among the first studies to operationalise DEI as a unified organisational climate construct and examine its predictive power on commitment using PLS-SEM within the Indian IT sector, directly addressing conceptual, empirical, and sectoral gaps in the DEI literature.