The effects of diversity training on specific and general attitudes toward diversity

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effects of watching a video providing knowledge about either a Sikh student or an older student on participants' knowledge about each particular group, their attitudes towards that group.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a pre‐post experimental design and examined the effects of diversity awareness training using a short web‐based video.FindingsResults indicated that watching a Sikh video significantly increased knowledge of Sikhs and had a marginally significant effect on improving attitudes toward that target group. Additionally, White participants experienced a greater positive attitude change towards Sikhs than non‐White participants. There were no significant effects on knowledge or attitude change for older individuals. However, watching either video was associated with a decline in participants' multiculturalism attitudes.Research limitations/implicationsThe results suggest that further work is needed on the effects of specifically focused diversity training as well as more general multicultural training. The study only examined short‐term change in participants' knowledge and attitudes: more research is needed to examine the long‐term effects of diversity training.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that organizations should perform some type of need assessment prior to conducting diversity training because narrowly focused diversity training is not likely to have generalized effects.Originality/valueThe paper should interest academics and practitioners since there is very little research that has examined how diversity training works and whether it is effective.