The non-White standard: Racial bias in perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders.

In response to calls for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, many organizations have implemented a leadership role dedicated to advancing DEI. Although prior research has found that the traditional leader is associated with being White, anecdotal evidence suggests DEI leader roles are predominantly held by non-White individuals. To examine this contradiction, we draw on social role and role congruity theories to conduct three preregistered experimental studies (N = 1,913) and explore whether the DEI leader role diverges from the traditional leader role such that observers expect a DEI leader to be non-White (i.e., Black, Hispanic, or Asian). Our findings indicate that DEI leaders are generally presumed to be non-White (Study 1) and that observers perceive traits associated with non-White, rather than White, groups correspond more strongly with traits required for the DEI leader role (Study 2). We also explore the effects of congruity and find non-White candidates receive stronger leader evaluations for a DEI leader role and that this relationship is mediated by nontraditional, role-specific traits (i.e., commitment to social justice and suffered discrimination; Study 3). We conclude by discussing the implications of our work for DEI and leadership research as well as for work drawing on role theories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Hot, cold, or both? A person-centered perspective on death awareness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic-as an omnipresent mortality cue-heightens employees' awareness of their mortality and vulnerability. Extant research has identified two distinct forms of death awareness: death anxiety and death reflection. Because researchers have exclusively examined death anxiety and death reflection as independent and unique variables across individuals while overlooking their interplay and co-existence within individuals, we know little about whether and why employees can have different combined experiences of two forms of death awareness over a certain period of time (e.g., during the pandemic), and how these different employee experiences relate to theoretically and practically important work-relevant consequences. To address this gap in our knowledge, we adopted a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis to consider death anxiety and death reflection conjointly within employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across two studies, we identified three distinct death awareness profiles-the disengaged, calm reflectors, and anxious reflectors-and found membership in these profiles systematically varied according to health- (e.g., risk of severe illness from COVID-19), work- (e.g., job-required human contact), and community-related (e.g., the number of regional infections) factors influencing the self-relevance of COVID-19 as a mortality cue. In addition, we found that these death awareness profiles differentially predicted important employee outcomes, including well-being (i.e., depression and emotional exhaustion) and prosocial behaviors at work (i.e., organizational citizenship behaviors and pro-diversity behavior). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).