Do social enterprises discriminate less than for-profit organizations? Influence of sector and diversity policies on managers’ prejudice towards Immigrants

During the past 15 years, discrimination in work settings has become an increasing problem. The social enterprise (SE) and non-profit literature suggests that these organizations discriminate against workers less frequently than for-profit organizations (FPOs). In the field of social psychology, it has been assumed that a multicultural approach to managing diversity would improve relationships among workers with different ethnic or cultural origins. This study examines the relationships between managers’ attitudes towards immigrants and the organization’s characteristics, namely organizational multiculturalism, the organization’s sector (FPO or SE) and mission (i.e., work integration, home care services, and profit-making). The survey was conducted among managers of organizations involved in the Belgian service voucher system. The results indicate that managers in work integration social enterprises are less prejudiced than managers in FPOs and home care services organizations, and that the more the workforce diversity is managed through a multicultural approach, the less prejudiced managers are.