Date of Conferral

12-17-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Hamid Kazeroony

Abstract

Despite growing organizational attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion, some workplaces continued to struggle with embedding equitable practices. The research problem addressed in this study focused on understanding how employees perceived leaders’ diversity training and its effectiveness in supporting organizational equity. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore employees’ perspectives of leadership diversity training and its role in supporting organizational equity. Behavioral leadership theory and critical race theory grounded this study. The participants consisted of 10 employees with experience in leadership diversity training in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Seven most common themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) training methods; (b) diversity, equity, and inclusion; (c) communication; (d) personal experience; (e) leadership; (f) onboarding; (g) equity; and (h) inclusion. Findings indicated that employees viewed diversity training as vital for building empathy, respect, and cultural awareness among leaders. Employees expressed concerns about inconsistency in implementation, accountability, consistency, and follow-through. The results suggest that diversity training needs to extend beyond compliance to become an integrated and ongoing component of leadership development. Recommendations included designing practical, context-based training programs with measurable outcomes and opportunities for reflection and dialogue. The implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to implement policies and processes that promote equitable leadership practices, improve organizational culture, and gain mutual respect.

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