Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Reader/Committee Chair

Agars, Mark

Abstract

Regarding organizational literature, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been a topic of considerable interest due to an abundance of minority groups in the workforce, who are typically targeted by DEI policies. Within minority groups are migrant populations which make up a great deal of the working population, with Hispanic workers also accounting for a significant portion of that workforce. Organizational literature has had a great underrepresentation of the Hispanic working population who are an imperative group to study to better understand their attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, and outcomes, based on organizational DEI approaches. This can help promote researchers and organizations to focus on refining policies and practices to be more equitable and inclusive towards Hispanic workers. Using semi-structured interviews with 10 total participants, this study focused on the importance of common Hispanic values, significance of organizational values, equitable experiences at work, perceptions of diversity approaches, impacts on job outcomes from organizational decisions, and organizational and social shifts due to the current political climate. Using social identity theory as a lens, generational subgroups compared first- and second-generation Hispanic workers on their experiences and outcomes related to DEI initiatives. The findings of this study do not reflect significant differences across generational groups, but do show that social, familial, and cultural values and practices can shape perceptions of DEI initiatives. The aspects of early experiences had an effect on the social and organizational expectations of participants’ workplaces, specifically in regards to diversity, implying an impact on certain job outcomes for both groups.

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