Reinforcing spirals of communication and ethnic identity among minority employees

This study investigates the reciprocal relationship between ethnicity-based communication and ethnic identity among minority employees over time. A week-long diary study was conducted with 261 full-time ethnic minority employees in the United States. Multilevel model results showed that both intra- and inter-ethnic communications were associated with increased social support, which, in turn, contributed to more positive ethnic regard, a key element of ethnic identity. Furthermore, positive ethnic regard led to more intra-ethnic communication, but not inter-ethnic communication, in subsequent interactions. These findings advance our understanding of the dynamics of communication and social identity in the workplace.