Effects of Gender Diversity, Inclusive Leadership, and Psychological Safety on Contextual Performance: Exploring Moderating Role of Cultural and Social Norms
Authors: Sheriff Y. Ahmed1, Muhammad Sadiq2
Corresponding author: Sheriff Y. Ahmed <syhahmed@kfu.edu.sa>
Abstract
The research examines the impact of gender diversity on contextual performance, its mediating factors of inclusive leadership and psychological safety, and its moderating factor of social and cultural norms. The study aims to search for empirical evidence to understand how gender diversity impacts behavior in the workplace and how working climate and leadership affect such a relationship in the business world. Quantitative design was utilized, and data were gathered from 214 corporate industry employees. A structured format questionnaire was applied to capture the key variables, and the data were examined through ADANCO software in order to allow partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and path analysis were employed to set variable relationships. The results demonstrate that gender diversity is positively linked to contextual performance. Inclusive leadership and psychological safety mediate the relationship and highlight their value in creating employee engagement and discretionary effort. Social and cultural norms also moderate the impact of gender diversity on contextual performance, thus implying that programs for diversity have to be adapted to different organizational and cultural environments. This study contributes to diversity management and leadership literature by providing empirical evidence on the mechanisms through which gender diversity enhances contextual performance. The findings offer practical insights for organizations to develop inclusive leadership practices and foster psychologically safe workplaces to maximize the benefits of workforce diversity.
Keywords: Gender Diversity, Contextual Performance, Inclusive Leadership, Psychological Safety, Social and Cultural Norms.
