ESP-4325

Published

2025-12-29

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 12 (2025): Publishing

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Norzanah Mat Nor*, Hamidey Hamid, Shaliza Alwi*

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Norzanah Mat Nor, Hamidey Hamid, & Shaliza Alwi. (2025). Workforce diversity and employee performance: Examining the moderating role of organizational culture in Malaysian private universities. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(12), ESP-4325. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i12.4325

Workforce diversity and employee performance: Examining the moderating role of organizational culture in Malaysian private universities

Norzanah Mat Nor

AAGBS, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam 40450, Malaysia

Hamidey Hamid

AAGBS, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam 40450, Malaysia

Shaliza Alwi

AAGBS, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam 40450, Malaysia


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i12.4325


Keywords: workforce diversity; organizational culture; employee performance; higher education institutions; Malaysia

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of various dimensions of workforce diversity, including age, gender, ethnicity, and educational background, on employee performance, while also considering organisational culture as a moderating factor.  A quantitative research design was utilised to gather data from academic and administrative personnel at various private higher education institutions (PHEIs) in Malaysia. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to investigate the relationships among variables, offering empirical insights into the impact of diversity in higher education contexts.  The findings demonstrate that each of the four diversity dimensions has a positive impact on employee performance, suggesting that workplaces characterised by inclusivity and diversity promote innovation, collaboration, and overall institutional effectiveness.  Among the various factors influencing diversity, gender diversity exhibited the most significant impact on performance outcomes, highlighting the critical need for balanced representation in academic settings.  While organisational culture showed a positively correlated with performance, it did not significantly influence the relationship between diversity and performance. This indicates that culture plays a more direct role in enhancing organisational well-being instead of acting as a moderating factor.  The results enhance comprehension of diversity management in the Malaysian higher education landscape by merging Social Identity Theory with quantitative modelling techniques.  The study emphasises how leaders in higher education can utilise diversity to improve productivity, equity, and the competitiveness of their institutions.  This study adds to worldwide conversations regarding inclusive human resource strategies that are in harmony with social sustainability and the objectives of excellence in higher education.

References

[1]. 1.Krishnan T, Rahman N, & Sulaiman Z. Diversity and innovation in Malaysian organizations. Asian Academy of Management Journal. 2017;22(2):45–63.

[2]. 2.Roberson Q, Ryan A, & Ragins B. The evolution of diversity research. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2017;102(3):465–480.

[3]. 3.Maqsoom A, Khan F, & Imran M. Workforce diversity in the construction sector. Sustainability. 2023;15(8):6451.

[4]. 4.Harwani N, Ismail F, & Noor M. The pandemic impact on leadership and inclusion. Journal of Contemporary Management. 2020;11(3):23–37.

[5]. 5.Farooq M, Malik H, & Ahmad T. Leadership adaptability during COVID-19. Asian Journal of Business Management. 2021;13(1):87–101.

[6]. 6.Ghewari R, Naik M, & Khan P. COVID-19 and human resource resilience: A study on diversity inclusion. Global Business Review. 2021;22(4):1209–1224.

[7]. 7.Shifnas F, & Sutha P. Workforce diversity management practices in education. International Journal of Business and Management Invention. 2016;5(3):50–59.

[8]. 8.Yadav S, & Lenka U. Diversity management: A systematic review. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. 2020;39(2):149–172.

[9]. 9.Ramayah T, Cheah J, Chuah F, Ting H, Memon MA. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using SmartPLS 3.0: An Updated Guide and Practical Example. Kuala Lumpur (MY): Pearson Malaysia; 2018.

[10]. 10.Hanafi W, Alias M, Ramayah T. Quantitative Data Analysis with SmartPLS. Kuala Lumpur (MY): Pearson; 2017.

[11]. 11.Hair JF, Hult GTM, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M. A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications; 2014.

[12]. 12.Ong CH, Puteh F. The use of SEM techniques in business research: A review and recommendation. Asian J Econ Bus Account. 2017;5(3):1–13.

[13]. 13.Bekele A, Shigutu A, Tensay A. Employee Work Performance Questionnaire. 2007.

[14]. 14.Zhuwao S. The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement on the Relationship between Talent Management and Employee Retention in the South African Public Service [dissertation]. Johannesburg (ZA): University of the Witwatersrand; 2017.

[15]. 15.Mande B, Wanjiku S, & Chege P. Diversity and employee performance: Kenyan context. African Journal of Business Management. 2019;13(4):109–118.

[16]. 16.Sekaran U, Bougie R. Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach. 8th ed. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2019.

[17]. 17.Chyung SY, Roberts K, Swanson I, Hankinson A. Evidence-based survey design: The use of reverse-coded items in Likert scales. Perform Improv. 2018;57(3):38–45.

[18]. 18.Iliyasu Z, Etikan I. Comparison of stratified and simple random sampling in quantitative research. Int J Appl Res. 2021;7(4):8–15.

[19]. 19.Hair JF, Hult GTM, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M. A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications; 2019.

[20]. 20.Sarstedt M, Hair JF, Cheah JH, Becker JM, Ringle CM. How to specify, estimate, and validate higher-order constructs in PLS-SEM. Aust Mark J. 2021;29(2):144–56.

[21]. 21.Hair JF, Ringle CM, Sarstedt M. PLS-SEM: Indeed, a silver bullet. J Mark Theory Pract. 2011;19(2):139–52.

[22]. 22.Pallant J. SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis Using IBM SPSS. 6th ed. Maidenhead (UK): McGraw-Hill Education; 2016.

[23]. 23.Fornell C, Larcker DF. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J Mark Res. 1981;18(1):39–50.

[24]. 24.Said D, Youssef D, El-Bayaa N, Alzoubi YI, Zaim H. The impact of diversity on job performance: evidence from private universities in Egypt. Acta Innovations. 2023.

[25]. 25.Andoh JS, Ghansah B, Okogun-Odompley JN, Benuwa BB. Impact of workplace diversity on employee performance: A case of some selected private universities in Ghana. InResearch Anthology on Changing Dynamics of Diversity and Safety in the Workforce 2022 (pp. 1088-1102). IGI Global.

[26]. 26.Lama PB, Budhathoki PB, Ojha HP. Fostering an Inclusive Academic Workforce: Assessing the Impact of Age, Ethnic and Educational Diversity on Employee Performance. Business Ethics and Leadership. 2025 Mar 31;9(1):167-79.

[27]. 27.Mushtaque I, Khan MI, Ahmed R. The impact of gender diversity on group performance in organizations. J Manag Res. 2021;8(2):99–115. doi:10.29145/jmr/82/080204

[28]. 28.Khan M, & Jahan F. Ethnic diversity and performance outcomes. Journal of Human Resource Management. 2021;9(1):55–68.

[29]. 29.Parajuli D. Managing workforce diversity in Nepalese organizations. Journal of Management Studies. 2021;14(2):90–101.

[30]. 30.Setati M, Mokwena S, Phiri T. Workforce diversity and organizational performance: A study of gender inclusivity. Afr J Bus Manag. 2019;13(6):210–20. doi:10.5897/AJBM2019.8805

[31]. 31.Zhuwao, S. (2017). Workforce Diversity and Its Effects on Employee Performance In a Higher Education Institution In South Africa: A Case of the University of Venda.

[32]. 32.Krishnan T. Gender diversity and its effects on team creativity and innovation. Int J Organ Behav. 2020;25(2):112–27. doi:10.1108/IJOB-2020-0105

[33]. 33.Stephen, J. K., Mathuva, E., & Mwenda, P. (2018). Influence of Workforce Diversity Recruitment on Productivity of Selected Public Organizations in Mombasa County. Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 5(1), 428–457

[34]. 34.Muvinya Muange, R., & Willy Kiptoo, etich. (2020). Effect of Workforce Ethnic Diversity and Education Backgrounddiversity on Employee Performancein Selected Universities in Kenya. In International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (Vol. 5, Issue 7).

[35]. 35.Savita Pal, & Jain, M. K. (2021). Impact of Workforce Diversity on Employee Performance: An Empirical Assessment of Sugar Mill, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. International Journal of Trade & Commerce-IIARTC, 10(1), 210–219

[36]. 36.Khan M, Rehman S, & Malik N. Moderating role of culture in diversity–performance link. International Journal of Organizational Leadership. 2019;8(3):231–243.

[37]. 37.Khaskheli A. Workforce diversity and employee performance: A study of universities in Pakistan. Journal of Management Research. 2021;13(1):87–96.

[38]. 38.Guillaume YR, Dawson JF, Priola V, Sacramento CA, West MA. Managing diversity in organizations: An integrative model and research agenda. J Manage. 2017;43(1):89–116.

[39]. 39.Hartnell CA, Kinicki AJ, Schneier CE, Waldman DA. How organizational culture influences organizational effectiveness: A meta-analytic investigation. J Appl Psychol. 2019;104(6):761–80.

[40]. 40.Schein EH. Organizational Culture and Leadership. 5th ed. Hoboken (NJ): Wiley; 2017.

[41]. 41.Shen J, Chanda A, D’Netto B, Monga M. Managing diversity through human resource management: An international perspective and conceptual framework. Int J Hum Resour Manag. 2009;20(2):235–51.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com