Understanding Resistance And Resentment Towards DEI Policies: Evidence from Employees Working in the Netherlands

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have gained increased popularity across organizational settings, aiming to foster more inclusive workplaces. Even though these strategies are made with positive intentions, they have also caused growing resistance and resentment among certain employee groups, particularly in Western societies where DEI has become a more controversial and debated topic. This thesis aimed to better understand the possible factors that cause these negative attitudes, with a specific focus on employees that work in the Netherlands. In this country, where the workforce is highly diverse, examining how employees respond to DEI initiatives provides valuable insight into how such efforts are perceived in a European context, where social, cultural, and political conditions differ from the ones in USA. The main research question that guided this study was: How and to what extent do employees in Netherlands-based companies experience resistance or resentment toward DEI policies? To address this question, a quantitative study was conducted with an online survey which was distributed to employees working in the Netherlands (N=226). The study examined how perceived threat, perceived procedural injustice, and DEI fatigue predict negative responses toward DEI. The differences in resistance and resentment between Dutch and non-Dutch employees was also tested, aiming to identify whether ethnic background influences perceptions of DEI. Furthermore, the thesis investigated whether empathy and intergroup contact moderate these relationships. The findings reveal that all three predictors are significantly associated with higher levels of resistance and resentment toward DEI initiatives. The analysis also demonstrated that no significant differences were found between the Dutch and non-Dutch employees and their resistance/resentment levels. Empathy showed some moderating potential in weakening these relationships, but the effect was only partially supported. Intergroup contact, on the other hand, did not moderate the relationships between the negative perceptions and attitudes. Theoretically, the thesis contributes to DEI literature by offering a more nuanced understanding of resistance and resentment, and by showing that such responses are shaped more by individual perceptions and experiences than by cultural background. It also calls for future research to examine how different organizational, sectoral, and other demographical contexts shape employee engagement with DEI efforts. Practically, the study underscores the need for organizations to pay closer attention to how DEI policies are perceived internally, particularly in terms of fairness, transparency, and emotional impact. It highlights the importance of reducing performative actions and embedding DEI into everyday organizational processes that build trust and inclusive workplaces.