Diversity-oriented leadership (DOL) as a predictor of employee advocacy (EA) in select fortune Indian companies: mediating effects of symmetrical internal communication (SIC) and work engagement (WE)

Abstract

Rising globalization, changing labour-market demographics, and fast-paced continuous transitions have increased the necessity of diversity-oriented leadership in appreciating people of varied origins and traits and, to some extent, addressing these organizational difficulties. The study aims to investigate the impact of diversity-oriented leadership on the advocative behaviours of employees working in selected companies, using the social exchange theory framework. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate the mediation effects of symmetrical internal communication and work engagement, as well as covariates/control variables like age, gender, educational qualifications, and the chosen company, on the association between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy. The current study uses the Post-Positivism Philosophy to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship between selected constructs. A sample size of 413 individuals was drawn from the employee bases of the chosen Fortune Indian companies using proportionate random sampling method. A self- structured research instrument was used employing several scales, derived from the ‘Inclusion and Belonging Assessment Scale’, with items ranging from strongly- agree to strongly disagree. The study uses the Hayes Process Macro-Model Version 4.0 in SPSS 20.0 to examine the effect of diversity-oriented leadership on employee advocacy. It also takes into account the mediating roles of symmetrical internal communication and work engagement, as well as covariates like age, gender, educational background, and the chosen company. The results indicate that both symmetrical internal communication and work engagement partially mediate the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy, and the mediation is complementary. Additionally, the company was found to be a significant covariate affecting employee advocacy and work engagement but had an insignificant impact on symmetrical internal communication.

Keywords:

• Diversity-oriented leadership
• employee advocacy
• symmetrical internal communication
• work engagement
• Hayes process macro-model version 4.0
• mediation
• fortune Indian firms

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Pablo Ruiz, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

SUBJECTS:

• Leadership
• Organizational Communication
• Personnel Selection, Assessment, and Human Resource Management
• Work & Organizational Psychology

1. Introduction

The changing global landscape, demographic changes, and rapid transformations pose increasing diversity challenges for organizations, underscoring the need to develop organizational capacity to tackle this issue efficiently (Holck, 2016; Holck et al., 2016). Also, in recent years, the desire for social justice has made it imperative for corporate leaders to speak out for what is right and to foster diversity of individuals and viewpoints (Lyons, 2020). This understanding of workforce diversity is even more crucial in the case of cross-cultural settings (Green et al., n.d.). A leader’s capacity to manage diversity and carry out ever-more complicated company plans is essential to maintaining globalization’s competitive edge in the twenty-first century’s cutthroat economic environment (Kulik, 2014). Global leaders must adapt to cross-cultural trends, understand leadership significance, and develop effective strategies for long-term change for sustainability in leadership (Rahman, 2019). In light of this ambition, leadership is now seen as crucial to creating an organizational culture and a reaction to tackle these challenges, and has been quantitatively researched in several sectors and countries (Do & Mai, 2020). Diversity-oriented leadership has thereby evolved as a critical component of establishing a diverse and vibrant organization in today’s fast-changing corporate landscape and is regarded as an ‘aid to trade’ in employee performance in the corporate environment (Rahman, 2019). It involves more than just including different people on leadership teams like fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels appreciated, valued, and empowered to contribute their own viewpoints and thoughts. The Strategic Leadership Theory also suggests a framework for managing diverse people to provide performance gains, with a particular emphasis on senior leaders’ roles in diversity leadership inside their organizations (Martins, 2020).

Employee advocacy has been a popular issue in recent years, creating a lot of talk in business, public relations, and marketing circles today (Thelen, 2020). Public relations experts have stated that employee advocacy is the true test of a company’s connection with its employees (Thelen & Men, 2023) and is linked to better levels of brand recognition, popularity, growth, and revenue (Thomas, 2020). However, there isn’t yet a consensus on what exactly employee advocacy entails. Some scholars define advocacy as good word-of-mouth, while others say that it also entails defending an institution against criticism in addition to speaking favourably about it (Lee & Kim, 2020). It speaks of the voluntary extra-social behaviour of employees (De Kerpel & Van Kerckhove, 2023) which aids an organization in promoting its value among the stakeholders (Yeh, 2014). Volunteering, promoting the company as a place to work, spreading corporate information, supporting the welfare of the company, and making proposals to strengthen and protect the company are all examples of employee advocacy activity (De Kerpel & Van Kerckhove, 2023); Thelen, 2020). Present-day organizations are investing in identifying strategies to promote this conduct as they become more conscious of the significance of workers as brand ambassadors and the increasing importance of this behaviour (Thelen, 2020; Walden & Kingsley Westerman, 2018). Employee advocacy on behalf of the company can also aid in luring highly qualified personnel (Wilden et al., 2010), and according to statistics, may result in 48% bigger agreements and 16% higher win rates (Kunsman, 2021). Also, the employee advocacy market at the global level is anticipated to rise at an exceptional rate between 2023 and 2030 (LinkedIn, 2024).

Empirical research has demonstrated the effectiveness of internal communication in establishing company culture (Macmillan et al., 2021). It has been a key concept in the study of communication and public relations (Kang & Park, 2017) and is regarded as a crucial element for the success of any institution (Gomes et al., 2023). It focuses on formal communication in an organization, which is generally conveyed from management to employees via different mass communication methods (Lee & Yue, 2020). In particular, leadership-level motivating language usage and organizational-level symmetrical internal communication serve as antecedents of a healthy emotional culture (Yue et al., 2021). Symmetrical internal communication is an ethical perspective that organizations use while interacting with their stakeholders (Kang & Park, 2017) and the study of how this communication affects various employee outcomes has exploded in recent years (Lee & Yue, 2020). The SIC models, as described by the ideas of openness, reciprocity, negotiation, and tolerance for disagreement between organizations and their employees, are used by enterprises to give workers more authority in decision-making so they may arrive at solutions that are acceptable to both parties (Kang & Park, 2022; Lee & Yue, 2020).

Coming to the concept of work engagement, although it has been around for a long time, there have sometimes been debates over what it truly means (Macey & Schneider, 2008). There have been several academic studies on the subject (Albrecht et al., 2018; Hakanen et al., 2019; Lee et al., 2019; Park & Ono, 2017; Salanova et al., 2005; Xanthopoulou et al., 2013), but no single accepted definition of what constitutes employee engagement in the academic community. Yet researchers believe that engagement is a distinct notion that contrasts with or is connected to other ideas (Mazzei, 2018). Some scholars evaluate work engagement as a multidimensional phenomenon (Schaufeli et al., 2002) while others treat it as a one-dimensional metric (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). The earliest definition of work engagement was the ‘harnessing of organizational members’ to perform their respective job duties (Kahn, 1990). Later, in 1997, Maslach and Leiter offered a strategy that saw WE as the ‘antipode’ of burnout, as determined by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (Maslach et al., 2001). Another definition of work engagement treated it as a two-dimensional concept that involves focus and concentration while working (Rothbard, 2001). Presently, engagement is regarded as a positive-motivational attitude of energy coupled with high levels of devotion and a strong concentration on the task (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2010). Employee engagement has been proven to be strongly correlated with high levels of innovation, task performance, organizational citizenship behaviour, and customer happiness, making it extremely desired for modern public and commercial businesses (Abdulrahman et al., 2022). Thus, with clear, understandable goals and increased responsibility, leaders and managers may inspire people’s confidence and provide them with decision-making authority, increasing their engagement levels (Sabekti & Setiawan, 2023).

The aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze the connections between diversity-focused leadership, symmetrical internal communication, work engagement, and employee advocacy. Additionally, the study seeks to validate the mediation model that explains how diversity-focused leadership influences employee advocacy, with the help of symmetrical internal communication and work engagement. This aspect of the study is expected to be groundbreaking. This study will aid managers and leaders in pinpointing and tackling issues that impact employee performance and morale, allowing them to implement positive changes that enhance employees’ overall commitment and success of the company.

2. Literature review and development of hypotheses

2.1. Theoretical support

The current study examines the impact of diversity-oriented leadership on employees’ advocative behaviours using the social exchange theory framework. Social Exchange Theory (SET) is one of the main theories of social interaction in the social sciences, an influential conceptual paradigm in organizational behaviour (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005), and its primary proponents were (Homans, 1958), (Blau, 1964), and (Emerson, 1976). In fact, it is regarded as one of the benchmarks for analyzing behaviour in the workplace (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). Rooted back in the 1920s by Malinowski and Mauss, the theory has been used in a variety of fields since its inception in the 1950s-1960s like management of communication and knowledge, sustainability, human resource management and governance, organizational citizenship behaviours, supervisory and organizational support, employee commitment and relationships in the workplace (Bishop et al., 2000; Chernyak-Hai & Rabenu, 2018; Ladd & Henry, 2000; Wang & Zhang, 2019). According to the theory, when one person does something for another that is of some value to them, they are expected to provide them with something similarly valued in return (Blau, 1968), and offers a conceptual framework for the results of inclusion (Shore et al., 2018). As per the theory, a manager’s use of energizing language and creating an atmosphere where staff members feel safe, meaningful, and available can serve as socioemotional resources that may motivate them to engage in voluntary behaviours like advocating for their organization in return (Blau, 1968; Gouldner, 1960; Kacmar et al., 2011). Thus, the way that subordinates are treated influences how they perceive social exchange when it occurs between employees and their immediate superiors (Carnevale et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2019; Hinkin & Schriesheim, 2015; Wayne et al., 1997). Numerous studies have shown how leadership affects employees’ work-related behaviours and outcomes (Belschak et al., 2018; Brown & Treviño, 2006; Garba et al., 2018; Zhu et al., 2016). Many academics of public relations have also used the theory to explain why organizational and internal communication methods, such as transparent, symmetrical, and employee-centered internal communication, are so important in motivating workers to engage in advocacy behaviour (Lee & Kim, 2020; Thelen, 2020; Walden & Kingsley Westerman, 2018). Furthermore, the theory has also been used on the subject of work engagement in several researches (Birtch et al., 2016; Cross & Dundon, 2019; Saks, 2006a).

2.2. Diversity oriented leadership (DOL) and symmetrical internal communication (SIC)

Internal communication may be seen as a part of leadership and governance geared at reaching a particular company’s purpose and objective (Dahlman & Heide, 2020). Employees are more likely to see their company’s commitment environment as open and symmetrical when leaders act and communicate in an inclusive, fair, and equitable manner to all workers, regardless of their identities, positions, and experiences. Diverse leaders promote group cooperation by giving feedback and explanations, enticing staff to participate in shared decision-making, and giving subordinates the power to make decisions (Nishii & Mayer, 2009). Using structural equation modelling on active workers during the COVID-19 epidemic period, it was discovered that diversity-oriented leadership had a substantial favourable impact on symmetrical internal communication (Martaningsih & Tjahjono, 2022). Similar results were obtained on full-time employees across various industry sectors in the United States (Tao et al., 2018) and on a purposive sample of respondents from different industries in Indonesia (Angawati & Kurniawati, 2022). In accordance with the results of the studies and previously laid theories, the following hypotheses can be laid down:

H1: There is a significant relationship between DOL and SIC in selected Fortune Indian Companies.

2.3. Diversity oriented leadership (DOL) and work engagement (WE)

The relationship between leadership and engagement is a significant theme in the literature, and although research on the relationship between transformational leadership and engagement is fairly common (Breevaart et al., 2014; Yasin Ghadi et al., 2013), research on the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and work engagement is few. By being transparent, approachable, and accessible, diversity-oriented leadership delivers valuable resources to employees (Fang et al., 2019). Diversity leaders encourage employees to contribute more to their organization, leading to increased work engagement and a more dedicated work environment (Fang et al., 2019). Work engagement is greatly influenced by the work environment, leadership style, job features, and personality (de Mello e Souza Wildermuth & Pauken, 2008) as the leader’s diversity-focused approach fosters respect, appraisal, and enthusiasm among employees, resulting in a positive work environment and increased engagement (Amabile et al., 2005; Avery et al., 2007). A survey of employees and their managers from several manufacturing industries in Vietnam found a favourable correlation between employee job engagement and diversity-focused HR policies (Luu et al., 2019). Several other studies have also confirmed the relationship between the two constructs (Fang et al., 2019; Li et al., 2018). The following hypothesis can be developed in light of the vast majority of studies and the social exchange theory:

H2: There is a significant relationship between DOL and WE of employees in selected Fortune Indian Companies.

2.4. Diversity oriented leadership (DOL) and employee advocacy (EA)

Modern corporate leaders are becoming more and more aware of the value of flexible, agile, and responsive organizational cultures (Denning, 2013). As a result, scholars are starting to focus on the newest diversity-focused leadership styles rather than only defined, formal, and role-based forms of leadership (Caulfield & Senger, 2017; Yammarino et al., 2012). Many public relations researchers who have studied the causes of employee advocacy have discovered that corporate leadership has an impact on this behaviour (Lee & Kim, 2020; Thelen et al., 2022; Walden & Kingsley Westerman, 2018; Yeh, 2014; Yue, 2021). Studies on the association between various leadership behaviours (transactional, transformational, empowering, participatory, and shared leadership) and EA behaviours have been conducted (Sağnak, 2016; Vigoda-Gadot & Beeri, 2012). However, there is a scarcity of research on how diversity-oriented leadership affects employees’ behaviour. As DOL is a new requirement for leaders and managers to change the diversified environment (Deloitte University Press, 2015), it is also an important condition for the emergence of advocative behaviours in employees (Wang & Zhang, 2019). Still, some studies have been conducted on the association between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy (Downey et al., 2015). For example, in a study of racial minority employees in the United States, diversity-oriented leadership was found to indirectly improve employee advocative behaviour. Further, in an online poll of participants from the United States and India, the motivating language used by leaders was shown to be positively associated with employee advocacy (Thelen et al., 2022). Based on the conducted studies and adopted theory, the following hypothesis can be formulated:

H3: There is a significant relationship between DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies

2.5. Symmetrical internal communication (SIC) and employee advocacy (EA)

Employee advocacy is frequently regarded as a broader behavioural outcome of internal communication (Thelen & Men, 2023). Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between SIC and EA (Lee & Kim, 2020; Yue, 2021). For many firms, developing engaged frontline staff and subsequently creating a feeling of EA is crucial since higher levels of engagement result in happier, more productive frontline employees who later become brand ambassadors for the company (Wieman, 2021a) and symmetrical internal communication, in the opinion of Kang and Sung, may play a significant role in creating the right conditions to motivate employee advocacy behaviour (Kang & Sung, 2017). While increasing employee advocacy necessitates coordinated efforts from multiple organizational functions, balanced internal communication has a distinct function in encouraging communication openness, transparency, positivism, and a culture that not only recognizes and praises employee actions but also legitimizes workers’ demands and concerns, all of which can lead to increased employee advocacy (Thelen et al., 2022). Results of an online poll with full-time employees in the US also revealed that increased empowerment and open communication from direct supervisors were both beneficial for EA (Lee & Dong, 2023). Consistent with the majority of studies and the adopted theory, a significant relationship between symmetrical internal communication in organizations and employee advocacy is anticipated and adopted in the formulation of the following hypotheses:

H4: There is a significant relationship between SIC and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies

2.6. Work engagement (WE) and employee advocacy (EA)

The connection between work engagement and employee advocacy is clear through shared elements like contribution, transparency, recognition, and satisfaction (Segal, 2016). In order to implement the best employee advocacy program, organizations must first have a high level of employee engagement since effective employee advocacy depends on an engaged workforce that buys into a credible narrative about the company (Wieman, 2021b). Engaged employees willingly put in extra effort to improve their organization (Ahmad et al., 2022) and they do not consider the organization a place to provide them with paychecks and promotions, they are emotionally associated with the organization (Sabekti & Setiawan, 2023). Employee engagement is a crucial factor in promoting positive communication behaviour among employees. This behaviour can be compared to employee advocacy, as both involve employees actively promoting the goals and values of their organization. By fostering employee engagement, companies can create a culture of collaboration and mutual support, which can lead to increased productivity, innovation, and overall success (Kang & Sung, 2017). An engaged employee is committed to promoting their organization and acts as a defender of the external community (Men & Bowen, 2016). Inspired by this approach, a positive link between employee engagement and advocacy behaviour was observed in some studies (Lee, 2021; Tsarenko et al., 2018), and a positive link between work engagement and employee advocacy may be proposed:

H5: There is a significant relationship between WE and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies

2.7. Mediating effects of symmetrical internal communication (SIC)

Diversity-oriented leaders welcome and value the contributions of team members from different backgrounds (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006) and can help employees and the firm communicate better (Pološki Vokić et al., 2020). When employers are open and considerate of their staff members’ needs, they will be more inclined to support the business over the course of time. When staff members feel valued, they become one of the organization’s most valuable resources and engage in advocative behaviours (Ruck & Welch, 2012; Saxena & Srivastava, 2015). Authentic communication about their organizations has been attributed to employees in the past (Smudde, 2013) and whether or not employees will defend their organization from criticism is influenced by the level of trust and satisfaction they have towards their organization (Wilcox, 2014). When the culture of an organization lacks ethics, its employees are unlikely to engage in voluntary advocacy behaviours (Thelen & Formanchuk, 2022). Also, the values, behaviours, and goals of a company and its leaders are described by culture and leadership, which are two interconnected terms that shape the entire organization (Herrity, 2022). The results of a survey involving workers across various Chilean organizations showed that having an ethical organizational culture is vital in fostering clear communication within the company, and this transparent communication then leads to an increase in employee advocacy behaviours (Thelen & Formanchuk, 2022). Some studies support the social exchange theory model, which claims that symmetrical internal communication impacted by diversity-oriented leadership may improve employee engagement levels and connections with the company (Lee, 2022; Lee et al., 2022). According to research on the multicultural workforce in the U.S. Justice Department, organizational justice is primarily influenced by DOL and SIC, which in turn affects employee engagement and advocative behaviours (Lee et al., 2022). Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H6: SIC significantly mediates the association between the DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies

2.8. Mediating effects of work engagement (WE)

Previous research has shown that work engagement can act as a mediator for corporate social responsibility (Ali et al., 2020; Chaudhary & Akhouri, 2018). However, this analysis delves into the untested area of work engagement’s role as a mediator between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy. A multivariate correlation study of data from workers in China’s high-tech sectors revealed that inclusive leadership encourages employees to engage in challenge-oriented organizational citizenship behaviours (COCB) and that this impact is partially mediated by work engagement (Chen et al., 2020). COCB takes on many forms, such as advocacy, responsibility, and activity that is focused on the future and frequently entails contesting the status quo and making challenges to power (Maynes & Podsakoff, 2014; Seppälä et al., 2012). Another study built on the conservation of resources theory, described the internal mechanisms of the influence of inclusive leadership on employees’ advocative behaviours, using work engagement as a mediating variable, and it showed that the desired behaviours in employees could be attained by giving them the necessary resources (Chen et al., 2020). For many firms, developing engaged frontline employees and, in turn, establishing a feeling of employee advocacy is crucial because as a result of a higher level of engagement become brand ambassadors for the company. Based on the aforementioned research, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H7: WE significantly mediate the association between the DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies

3. Methodology

3.1. Research objectives

The primary aim of the study is to examine the connections between diversity-oriented leadership, symmetrical internal communication, work engagement, and employee advocacy. Additionally, the study seeks to verify the mediation model of how diversity-focused leadership impacts employee advocacy, mediated through symmetrical internal communication and work engagement, as well as covariates like age, gender, educational qualifications, and the chosen company.

3.2. Research design

The current study uses the Post-Positivism Philosophy to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship between selected constructs. This strategy examines a specific issue to clarify the pattern of relationships between variables gathered from a population (Guba & Lincoln, 1994).

3.3. Participants and procedures

The study focuses on the workforce of ten selected Fortune Indian companies out of the first fifty top-performing companies on the Fortune 500 India list, based on their total revenue. This list has previously been used in many research studies (Bashir, 2022; Dana & Sharma, 2023; Jani et al., 2023; Kumar & Aggarwal, 2022; Patowary et al., 2021; Tiwari & Raman, 2022), and is a valuable resource for investors, analysts, and business executives seeking information on the Indian market.

To determine the appropriate sample size for the study, the Krejcie and Morgan table (Krejcie & Morgan, 1970) was utilized. Based on a population of approximately 16,000,000, the table recommended a sample size of at least 384 with a 95% level of confidence and a 5% margin of error. However, to ensure accuracy, a sample size of 400 was implemented. The sample was then divided into employees of specific companies through proportionate stratified random sampling, as detailed in Table 1. Additionally, the table includes a column with data collected from 413 questionnaires. The data for the study was gathered between the months of January and April, 2023 through a survey questionnaire circulated to the employees of the respective companies on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook.

Table 1. Distribution of the study sample.

S. no	Company	Population	Ratio distribution	Sample size	Collected data
1.	Company A	2,36,334	400*(2,36,334/16,45,244)	57	59
2.	Company B	4,88,649	400*(4,88,649/16,45,244)	119	120
3.	Company C	35,927	400*(35,927/ 16,45,244)	9	12
4.	Company D	2,59,619	400*(2,59,619/ 16,45,244)	63	64
5.	Company E	2,01,665	400*(2,01,665/16,45,244)	49	51
6.	Company F	1,68,977	400*(1,68,977/16,45,244)	41	41
7.	Company G	1,20,093	400*(1,20,093/16,45,244)	29	31
8.	Company H	85,815	400*(85,815/16,45,244)	21	18
9.	Company I	21,000	400*(21000/16,45,244)	5	7
10.	Company J	27,165	400*(27,165/16,45,244)	7	10
		16,45,244		400	413

3.4. Ethical considerations

Prior to any field engagements, the appropriate communications and approvals were obtained from relevant authorities and research communities. At the outset of our work, the corresponding author received a research support letter from the Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University, and funding support from the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi, with Award letter no. (F. No. 3-56/2021-22/PDF/GEN) dated 14.01.2022. Written consent in the form of conversation was obtained from the employees of the selected companies, as their input was sought on general questions related to diversity issues. The assessments involved structured interviews with multiple-choice questions and lasted for 30 minutes. The evaluations were conducted online through Google Forms, which were circulated to the employees of the selected companies on LinkedIn. Regarding ethical clearance for the manuscript, while an ethical board exists in Banaras Hindu University in the field of science, no member from the Commerce department is part of such a committee. Therefore, the primary author was unable to obtain such clearance. The study was of low risk in nature, and the corresponding author exercised due diligence wherever human participants were involved.

3.5. Variables and measurement

3.5.1. Diversity-oriented leadership

Employees were requested to give their input on four statements to assess diversity-oriented leadership. These statements included ‘My boss is dedicated to representing all sectors of society in the workforce,’ I believe my supervisor manages employees from diverse backgrounds effectively’, ‘My boss treats the views of employees from different backgrounds equally’, and ‘My boss seeks input from employees with various demographics and expertise groups’. These statements gauged employees’ perceptions of their manager’s commitment to representing all segments of society, ability to manage a diverse team, and value for the opinions of all employees. The inspiration for the statements came from the ‘Inclusion and Belonging Assessment Scale” used in a study titled ‘Improving Workplace Culture through Evidence-Based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices’ (Creary et al., 2021). Responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

3.5.2. Symmetrical internal communication

To evaluate symmetrical internal communication, a structured scale of two items from the ‘Inclusion and Belonging Assessment Scale’ was used (Creary et al., 2021). The scale included the following statements: ‘During meetings with supervisors and managers, employees feel comfortable expressing their views’ and ‘Employees are informed about significant policy changes that may affect their jobs before they occur.’ The respondents were asked to rate each item using a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

3.5.3. Work engagement

The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)-9S Scale (Schaufeli et al., 2006) was used to measure work engagement. It is a self-report scale consisting of nine items divided into three subscales - Vigor (VI), Dedication (DE), and Absorption (AB). Each subscale comprised three items. Four statements were taken for the study’s purpose out of the nine items such as ‘I feel energetic and capable when I am doing my work’, ‘When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work’, ‘I feel happy when I am working intensely’ and ‘I get carried away when I am doing my work’. Participants were asked to rate their responses using a five-point Likert scale that ranged from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

3.5.4. Employee advocacy

For the current study, a combination of four items from J. N. Kim and Rhee’s 2011 Employee Advocacy Scale (Lee & Kim, 2020) was used to form three statements. These statements include ‘I occasionally talk to people around me (family, and friends) about good things about my organization”, ‘I speak up when I encounter biased or ignorant criticism of my organization” and ‘I disagree and defend my organization when I meet people who speak of my organization or department negatively”. Employees had to assess their reactions utilizing a Likert scale of five points, which spanned from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

3.6. Analysis method and data

The statistical analyses were conducted using the IBM SPSS software version 20, and the copyright license of the same was obtained before using the software. The PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2013) was utilized to test the mediation model (Model 4). Control variables such as Age, Gender, Educational Qualifications, and Company were incorporated into the model. To test the indirect effects of the indices, bias-corrected bootstrapping (n = 5,000) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used. If the 95% bootstrapped CI does not encompass zero, it indicates that the parameter is statistically significant.

3.7. Results and discussion

3.7.1. Descriptive statistics

The group of participants consisted of 177 women, accounting for 42.9%, and 236 men, accounting for 57.1%. The majority of the participants were between the ages of 25 and 34, with 47.7%, followed by 35 to 44, with 25.4%. The remaining participants were 15.7%, 8.2%, and 2.9% in the age groups of 18 to 24, 45 to 54, and 55 to 64, respectively. Over half of the staff, at 51.3%, held a master’s degree or its equivalent, while only 22.3% had a bachelor’s degree. About 18.9% of the participants held a professional or doctorate degree. The duration of employment for the participants was less than a year for 22% of them, 1-3 years for 31%, 4-6 years for 23.2%, 7-9 years for 14%, and ten years or more for 9.7%. The largest group of respondents, at 39.7%, was middle management, followed by lower-level management at 22.5%, senior management at 16.2%, and experienced/non-management at 15%. The remaining 2.7%, 2.2%, and 1.7% of the total respondents came from executive/board members, entry-level employees, and other grade levels, respectively. The technology sector employed the most respondents, at 66.7%, followed by 14.3% in retail, 11.9% in finance, and only 4.6% and 2.4% in industrial/manufacturing and energy/utilities. Nearly 78% of the organizations surveyed had a workforce of 10,000 or more employees, while 13.1% had a workforce of 5000–9999 workers. The largest percentage of workers, at 29.1%, came from Company B, followed by 15.5% from Company D, 14.3% from Company A, 12.3% from Company E, 9.9% from Company F, 7.5% from Company G, 4.4% from Company H, 2.9% from Company C, 2.4% from Company J, and 1.7% from Company I.

3.7.2. Reliability and normality

Reliability refers to the consistency and absence of error in measurement, while validity assesses the extent to which instruments accurately measure the intended construct (Molina et al., 2013). Table 2 displays the independent, dependent, and mediating variables under consideration, along with their corresponding values. All items were considered to have high internal consistency based on Cronbach’s alpha values. Researchers have discovered that when the ranges for skewness and kurtosis are between -2 and +2 and -7 to +7, respectively, it is a typical benchmark for the confirmation that data is normal (Bryne, 2010; Hair et al., 2010). Based on the mentioned benchmark, the constructs present significant skewness and kurtosis values, indicating a normal distribution.

Table 2. Reliability and validity.

Constructs	No. of items	Cronbach alpha	Minimum	Maximum	Skewness	Kurtosis
DOL	4	0.925	1	5	−1.4	1.969
EA	3	0.906	1	5	−1.54	2.328
SIC	2	0.909	1	5	−1.454	1.931
WE	4	0.895	1	5	−1.251	1.564

3.7.3. Linearity

The linearity assumption is the idea that a dependent variable’s mean or anticipated value should fluctuate linearly throughout the range of values of an independent variable (Silver, n.d.). Testing for linearity is essential for finding the link between variables and assessing whether or not the correlation coefficients accurately and effectively represent those relationships (Hair et al., 2010). The linearity value was found to be significant (p < 0.05) in the case of relationships between different variables.

3.7.4. Common method bias

A potential issue known as common method bias may arise when the same response method is used to measure the constructs of the study (Kock et al., 2021; Podsakoff et al., 2003). It may impact the reliability of the study items and the validity of the results (Podsakoff et al., 2012) and is frequently recognized as a threat to the integrity of study results. Harman’s single-factor test (EFA) was used with the requirement that only one factor emerges to check the bias. In output summary, common method bias is defined as the proportion of variation explained by a single component that is greater than 50%. The dataset for this study showed that the variance explained by a single factor is 44.975. The findings indicate that there is no significant issue with common method bias in the data.

3.7.5. Results of the Hayes process macro

In order to examine the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy, and how symmetrical internal communication and work engagement mediate the relationship between the two, a mediation regression analysis was conducted through the fourth Hayes’ Process Macro Model. In Table 3, there is a detailed explanation of the model and its various variables. The dependent variable is denoted by Y, while X represents the independent variable. Additionally, there are two mediating variables, M1 and M2. Age, gender, educational qualifications, and company are regarded as covariates or control variables.

Table 3. Description of the model.

Model	4
Y	EA
X	DOL
M1	SIC
M2	WE
Covariates	Age, Gender, Educational Qualifications, Company
Sample Size	413

The model summary for the impact of DOL on SIC, while taking into account factors such as age, gender, educational qualifications, and company, is presented in Table 4. The overall model’s R, R-squared, F statistics, and P values are provided. The coefficients show the impact of both DOL and the covariates on SIC. The findings indicate that Diversity-oriented leadership has a significant effect on symmetrical internal communication (b = 0.8463, t = 28.2362, p < 0.001), as demonstrated by path a1. However, none of the covariates had a significant impact on SIC. Thus, hypothesis H1 ‘There is a significant relationship between DOL and SIC in selected Fortune Indian Companies’ is accepted. The former literature shows various studies in consonance with the result (Angawati & Kurniawati, 2022; Lee et al., 2021; Martaningsih & Tjahjono, 2022; Nishii & Mayer, 2009; Tao et al., 2018), confirming the positive and significant relationship between the constructs.

Table 4. Model summary (outcome variable: SIC).

P	R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2
0.0000	0.8222	0.6760	0.3396	169.8433	5	407
Model
	coeff	Se	t	p	LLCI	ULCI
constant	0.8441	0.2296	3.6761	0.0003	0.3927	1.2955
DOL	0.8463	0.0300	28.2362	0.0000	0.7874	0.9053
Age	0.0247	0.0311	0.7920	0.4288	−0.0366	0.0859
Gender	−0.0103	0.0590	−0.1746	0.8615	−0.1262	0.1056
EduQual	−0.0508	0.0336	−1.5115	0.1314	−0.1168	0.0153
Company	−0.0045	0.0126	−0.3596	0.7193	−0.0292	0.0202

The summary of the model for the work engagement outcome variable is presented in Table 5, along with the corresponding coefficients. The analysis reveals that DOL has a substantial impact on WE, as evidenced by the significant coefficient (b = 0.7612, t = 25.5169, p < 0.001), which corresponds to path a2. Furthermore, the company was also shown to have a significant effect on employees’ work engagement, acting as a covariate (b=-0.0476, t=-3.8096, p < 0.001). However, age, gender, and educational qualifications were found to have an insignificant effect on WE. Therefore, hypothesis H2 ‘There is a significant relationship between DOL and WE of employees in selected Fortune Indian Companies’ is accepted. The results of the study support the findings of (Amabile et al., 2005; Avery et al., 2007; Fang et al., 2019; Li et al., 2018; and Luu et al., 2019), depicting the positive relationship that exists between diversity-oriented leadership and work engagement.

Table 5. Model summary (outcome variable: WE).

P	R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2
0.0000	0.8083	0.6534	0.3363	153.4509	5	407
Model
	Coeff	Se	t	P	LLCI	ULCI
Constant	0.9040	0.2285	3.9557	0.0001	0.4548	1.3533
DOL	0.7612	0.0298	25.5169	0.0000	0.7025	0.8198
Age	0.0570	0.0310	1.8389	0.0667	−0.0039	0.1179
Gender	−0.0651	0.0587	−1.1091	0.2681	−0.1805	0.0503
EduQual	0.0146	0.0334	0.4369	0.6624	−0.0511	0.0803
Company	−0.0476	0.0125	−3.8096	0.0002	−0.0722	−0.0231

In Table 6, the model summary table shows the results for the employee advocacy outcome variable. The findings indicate that there was a significant impact of DOL on EA, with a coefficient of b = 0.3184, a t-value of t = 7.2678, and a p-value of p < 0.001. Therefore, hypothesis H3, stating that there is a significant relationship between DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies, is accepted. Several studies portray similar results (Lee, 2021; Ruck & Welch, 2012; Saxena & Srivastava, 2015; Thelen & Formanchuk, 2022). Additionally, SIC was found to have a significant impact on EA with a coefficient of b = 0.2405, a t-value of t = 5.6068, and a p-value of p < 0.001, as shown by path b1. As a result, hypothesis H4, which claims that there is a significant relationship between SIC and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies, is accepted. The results are in consonance with studies by (Lee & Dong, 2023; Lee & Kim, 2020; Thelen et al., 2022; Yue, 2021). Similarly, WE had a significant impact on EA with a coefficient of b = 0.3732, a t-value of t = 8.6583, and a p-value of p < 0.001, which confirms hypothesis H5, that there is a significant relationship between WE and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies. Previous research works have also proved this relationship (Lee, 2021; Men & Bowen, 2016; Tsarenko et al., 2018; Wieman, 2021b). The same result is represented by path b2. However, all the covariates were found to be insignificant in relation to EA.

Table 6. Model summary (outcome variable: EA).

P	R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2
0.0000	0.8886	0.7897	0.2073	217.1987	7	405
Model
	coeff	Se	t	p	LLCI	ULCI
constant	0.3462	0.1839	1.8827	0.0605	−0.0153	0.7076
DOL	0.3184	0.0438	7.2678	0.0000	0.2323	0.4045
SIC	0.2405	0.0429	5.6068	0.0000	0.1562	0.3248
WE	0.3732	0.0431	8.6583	0.0000	0.2884	0.4579
Age	−0.0032	0.0244	−0.1312	0.8957	−0.0512	0.0448
Gender	−0.0148	0.0462	−0.3197	0.7493	−0.1055	0.0760
EduQual	0.0085	0.0264	0.3235	0.7465	−0.0433	0.0604
Company	−0.0190	0.0100	−1.8991	0.0583	−0.0387	0.0007

In Table 7, the total effect model is presented, which shows the impact of several factors on EA, including DOL, Age, Gender, Educational Qualifications, and Company. The results reveal that these variables are strongly correlated with EA, with an R-value of 0.8338. The model further suggests that a significant portion of the change in EA, estimated at 69.53 per cent, can be attributed to DOL, age, gender, educational qualifications, and company. Notably, only DOL and the covariate Company were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Table 7. Total effect model (outcome variable: EA).

P	R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2
0.0000	0.8338	0.6953	0.2988	185.7486	5	407
Model
	coeff	Se	T	P	LLCI	ULCI
Constant	0.8865	0.2154	4.1154	0.0000	0.4631	1.3100
DOL	0.8060	0.0281	28.6630	0.0000	0.7507	0.8612
Age	0.0240	0.0292	0.8213	0.4120	−0.0334	0.0814
Gender	−0.0415	0.0553	−0.7506	0.4533	−0.1503	0.0672
EduQual	0.0018	0.0315	0.0562	0.9552	−0.0602	0.0637
Company	−0.0379	0.0118	−3.2139	0.0014	−0.0611	−0.0147

After conducting the analysis, it was found that age, gender, and educational qualifications did not have any significant impact on the dependent variables. Therefore, they were excluded from the final analysis. The results of the total, direct, and indirect effects of diversity-oriented leadership on employee advocacy have been displayed in Table 8, followed by the mediation analysis summary.

Table 8. Total, direct, and indirect effects of X on Y.

Total effect of X on Y
Effect	Se	T	P	LLCI	ULCI
0.8098	0.0279	29.0473	0.0000	0.7550	0.8646
Direct effect of X on Y
Effect	Se	T	P	LLCI	ULCI
0.3191	0.0436	7.3178	0.0000	0.2334	0.4048
Indirect effect (s) of X on Y
	Effect	BootSE	BootLLCI	BootULCI
Total	0.4907	0.0452	0.4035	0.5815
MeanSIC	0.2026	0.0526	0.0974	0.3037
MeanWE	0.2881	0.0503	0.1878	0.3851

3.7.6. Summary of the mediation analysis

The study assessed the mediating role of symmetrical internal communication and work engagement on the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy. The results revealed a significant indirect impact of diversity-oriented leadership on employee advocacy through symmetrical internal communication (b = 0.2026, t = 3.8517), supporting H6. Earlier studies also portrayed similar findings (Lee, 2022; Lee et al., 2022; Thelen & Formanchuk, 2022), accepting hypothesis H6 that ‘SIC significantly mediates the association between the DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies’. The study also found a significant indirect effect of the impact of diversity-oriented leadership on employee advocacy through work engagement (b = 0.2881, t = 5.7276), supporting H7. The same has been documented in previous research works (Chen et al., 2020; Maynes & Podsakoff, 2014; Seppälä et al., 2012), proving hypothesis H7 that ‘WE significantly mediate the association between the DOL and EA in selected Fortune Indian Companies’. Furthermore, the direct effect of diversity-oriented leadership on employee advocacy in the presence of the mediators was also found significant (b = 0.3191, p < 0.001). Hence, both symmetrical internal communication and work engagement partially mediated the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy. Moreover, the mediation is complimentary in nature, as the sign of both direct and indirect effects is the same. Additionally, company was found a significant covariate affecting employee advocacy and work engagement but had an insignificant impact on symmetrical internal communication. The mediation summary is presented in Table 9.

Table 9. Mediation analysis summary.

Total effect	Direct effect			Confidence interval
(DOL ->EA	(DOL -> EA	Relationship	Indirect effect	Lower bound	Upper bound	t- statistics	Conclusion
0.8098 (0.000)	0.3191 (0.000)	H6: DOL->SIC->EA	0.2026	0.0974	0.3037	3.8517	Partial Mediation
		H7: DOL->WE->EA	0.2881	0.1878	0.3851	5.7276	Partial Mediation

3.7.7. Results and discussion

Table 10 and Table 11 provides a snapshot of the descriptive statistics of the sampled population and the final results of the conceptual model respectively.

Table 10. Descriptive statistics.

Demographic factors	Percentage
Gender
Male	57.1
Female	42.9
Age
18-24	15.7
25-34	47.7
35-44	25.4
45-54	8.2
55-64	2.9
Education
Bachelors’ degree	22.3
Masters’ degree or equivalent	51.3
Professional or doctorate degree	18.9
Job Tenure
Less than a year	22
1-3 years	31
4-6 years	23.2
7-9 years	14
10 years or more	9.7
Position in the Organisation
Executive/ Board members	2.7
Senior management	16.2
Middle management	39.7
Lower- level management	22.5
Entry- level employee	2.2
Experienced/ non-management	15
Other grades	1.7
Nature of the Company
Technology	66.7
Retail	14.3
Finance	11.9
Industrial/ Manufacturing	4.6
Energy/ Utilities	2.4
Number of Employees
5000-9999	13.1
10000 or more	78
Sample Size from Selected Companies
Company A	14.3
Company B	29.1
Company C	2.9
Company D	15.5
Company E	12.3
Company F	9.9
Company G	4.4
Company H	2.4
Company I	1.7

Table 11. Results of the mediation model.

Model	Result of mediation analysis
Diversity- Oriented Leadership > Symmetrical Internal Communication > Employee Advocacy	Symmetrical Internal Communication partially mediates the relationship of Diversity- Oriented Leadership and Employee Advocacy
Diversity- Oriented Leadership > Work Engagement > Employee Advocacy	Work Engagement partially mediates the relationship of Diversity- Oriented Leadership and Employee Advocacy

3.8. Conclusion

The research findings demonstrate that leadership that prioritizes diversity has a significant impact on both internal communication and employee engagement. Moreover, the study confirms that the relationship between diversity-oriented leadership and employee advocacy is partially mediated by symmetrical internal communication and work engagement. In addition, the company is the only significant factor that affects employee advocacy and work engagement, while having no significant impact on symmetrical internal communication. The Indian workforce has yet to fully realize the potential of diversity, making it crucial to conduct research that explores how public relations can assist organizations in creating a diverse and inclusive workplace while simultaneously improving their organizational outcomes. Fostering a supportive environment for employees from different backgrounds is essential to achieving this goal. The study’s findings emphasize the importance of effective leadership, internal communication, and work engagement in driving employee advocacy and organizational outcomes, per the integrative social exchange theory framework. Leaders who prioritize diversity value team members’ input from various backgrounds, leading to improved communication within the organization. Employers can earn long-term support by being mindful of employees’ needs and showing appreciation for their contributions. Treating staff members as valuable assets can motivate them to become advocates for the company. Ultimately, the culture and values of a company can also play a significant role in how employees view and promote the company to others.

3.8.1. Limitations, future directions and implications of the study

Advancements in technology, globalization, and the emergence of social movements have made diversity in the workplace a necessity. As a result, it is essential to establish fair and inclusive work environments. As we prepare for the future of work, business and talent leaders must cultivate a work environment where all employees feel respected and empowered to do their jobs. The present study has certain limitations. It only focuses on employees from ten selected companies and ignores others on the list. To gain a more complete understanding of leadership styles that promote diversity, other companies or different indexes could be considered. Future research could also gather the perspectives of employers. Researchers could choose a longitudinal research design to understand better how diversity-focused leadership, communication patterns, and employee work engagement levels influence employee advocacy. Additionally, researchers could compare across countries, including India and other developing nations. One innovative aspect of the study is the tool to evaluate the diversity- leadership techniques implemented by the selected companies. Future researchers can utilize this tool to conduct studies in various other sectors. In addition, employers and managers can utilize this tool to gauge how their employees view their leadership behaviours which can help determine whether they have an influence on the workplace outcomes of its employees. The findings of this study will be helpful for professionals in the areas of diversity aspects as well as talent and analytics. They will better understand the challenges faced by different companies and how to encourage middle-level managers to foster a positive work environment that supports the success of all employees.

Authors’ contributions

Conceptualisation, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of the data, drafting of the paper: S Khanna; critical revision for intellectual content, final approval of the version to be published: T Prusty.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The scholar (Sanaya Khanna) is the awardee of the ICSSR Post-Doctoral Fellowship. This paper is largely an outcome of the Post-Doctoral Fellowship sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). However, the responsibility for the facts stated, opinions expressed, and the conclusions drawn is entirely of the author.

Notes on contributors

Sanaya Khanna

Sanaya Khanna (Assistant Professor, Sunbeam College for Women, Bhagwanpur) earned her B.Com., M. Com (Gold-medallist) and PhD in commerce from the Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University in 2007, 2010 and 2018, respectively. She is currently working as a post-doctoral research fellow from the same department in the DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) field, supported by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. She has cleared the NET- JRF exam in labour welfare and human resource management, as well as NET in Commerce and Management, respectively. Her current research interests include human resource management, organizational behaviour, management and business studies. Her work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals of repute listed in the UGC-Care journal list and edited books.

Twinkle Prusty

Twinkle Prusty is currently working as a Professor in Finance (D.Litt) at Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University. She has published various Articles and Research Papers in the areas of Accounting and Finance. Her areas of interest are Corporate Governance; Microfinance; and International Finance.