Does Increasing Racial Minority Representation Contribute to Overall Organizational Performance? The Role of Organizational Mission and Diversity Climate

• DOI: 10.1177/0275074019831101
• Published date: 01 May 2019
• Date: 01 May 2019
• Author: Hongseok Lee
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074019831101

American Review of Public Administration

2019, Vol. 49(4) 454 –468

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0275074019831101

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Article

Introduction

Although many representative bureaucracy studies have

focused on the implications of bureaucratic representa-

tion for equity and fairness in policy making and imple-

mentation, performance-oriented reforms have led

scholars and practitioners alike to grapple with whether

public organizations that reflect the demographic makeup

of their clients see any overall improvement in organiza-

tional performance (Andrews, Ashworth, & Meier, 2014;

Andrews, Groeneveld, Meier, & Schröter, 2015). This

performance claim of representative bureaucracy can be

related to the question of zero-sum games: whether

greater representation by a certain group in a public orga-

nization benefits that client group at the expense of other

client groups (Hindera, 1993; Meier, Wrinkle, & Polinard,

1999; Mosher, 1968). A few studies have examined the

relationship between demographic representation by a

certain group and overall organizational performance by

analyzing outcomes aggregated at the organizational

level (Andrews, Boyne, Meier, O’Toole, & Walker, 2005;

Fernandez, Koma, & Lee, 2018; Hong, 2016) or the out-

comes of separate group analyses (Meier et al., 1999;

Rocha & Hawes, 2009).

Scholars have called for more studies considering the role

of contextual factors in the relationship between bureaucratic

representation and overall organizational performance

(Andrews et al., 2014; Andrews et al., 2015). They argue that

the more appropriate question is when representative bureau-

cracy improves overall organizational performance, rather

than whether it does, given “the larger institutional features

that shape the circumstances in which bureaucrats exercise

discretion and act to affect policy outcomes” (Keiser,

Wilkins, Meier, & Holland, 2002, p. 554). Studies of whether

increased representation by a certain group benefits an

831101ARPXXX10.1177/0275074019831101The American Review of Public AdministrationLee

research-article2019

1University at Albany, SUNY, NY, USA

Corresponding Author:

Hongseok Lee, Department of Public Administration and Policy,

University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), Milne Hall

135 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203, USA.

Email: hlee5@albany.edu

Does Increasing Racial Minority Representation

Contribute to Overall Organizational

Performance? The Role of Organizational

Mission and Diversity Climate

Hongseok Lee1

Abstract

One underexplored question in the representative bureaucracy literature is whether public employees advocate for their

demographic groups at the expense of other groups or their organizational roles. Many studies have focused on the link

between passive representation, or the extent to which the public workforce reflects the demographic characteristics of

its clients, and active representation, or the extent to which policies advance the interests of those people. However, little

research has been done on whether and when increased representation by a certain group enhances overall organizational

performance. This study examines the relationship between racial minority representation in U.S. federal agencies and

the agencies’ goal achievement while considering the moderating role of organizational mission and diversity climate. The

panel data analysis shows that increased minority representation lowers agencies’ goal achievement. However, a positive

relationship exists between the two in agencies that mainly work to promote social equity for disadvantaged populations

and foster a positive diversity climate in the workplace. These findings suggest that racial minority employees can better

contribute to organizational success in agencies where they balance advocacy and organizational roles well and they are

treated fairly and respectfully.

Keywords

racial minority representation, overall organizational performance, organizational mission, diversity climate, agency goal

achievement