A REVIEW ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION POLICIES: THEIR INFLUENCE ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.23205642Published:
2026-10-07Downloads
Abstract
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have transitioned from peripheral compliance measures to core strategic drivers of workforce sustainability. This systematic critical review examines the impact of multi-dimensional DEI policy bundles on employee organizational commitment, differentiating across affective, normative, and continuance commitment dimensions. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 protocol, a synthesis of 16 peer-reviewed empirical and conceptual studies published between 2021 and 2026 was conducted. The findings demonstrate that comprehensive DEI policies exert a strong, statistically significant positive effect on affective commitment, primarily mediated through psychological safety, perceived organizational support, and organizational justice. Equity-focused initiatives, such as pay transparency audits and fair promotional pathways, strongly drive normative commitment by fostering perceived reciprocity and social justice alignment. Conversely, symbolic or superficial DEI practices ('DEI washing') generate cynical psychological contract breaches, elevating continuance commitment while deteriorating trust and voluntary retention. A multi-level implementation matrix highlights the moderating role of managerial authenticity and inclusive leadership behaviors. Strategic recommendations emphasize aligning macro-level governance with meso-level leadership behaviors to optimize sustainable organizational commitment.
Keywords:
Affective Commitment Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Inclusion Climate Organizational Justice Psychological SafetyReferences
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