The Impact of Diversity Climate for Women on Female Employees’ Intentions to Stay: A Cross-Cultural Study on South Korea and Norway

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine what factors influence female workers’ intentions to stay with their employer. The effect of diversity climate for women on female employees’ intentions to stay was investigated. Also, based on compensation theory, this study hypothesized the moderation effect of a societal culture, especially Hofstede’s masculinity-femininity dimension, on the association between diversity climate for women and female employees’ intentions to stay. An experiment was conducted to test the hypotheses of this research using South Korea and Norway as study venues. The results revealed that there was a positive association between diversity climate for women and female employees’ intentions to stay. Moreover, in the investigation of societal masculinity’s moderating role, it was shown that diversity climate for women was highly influential in strengthening the intent to stay for female employees from a masculine society. On the other hand, for those from a feminine society, the impact of diversity climate for women was not as strong as for those from a masculine society. By clarifying the role that a societal culture played in female workers’ intentions to stay with their employing organization, the results of this study emphasized the importance of supportive contexts not only at work, but also within a society.