Diversity Trainer Preconceptions: The Effects of Trainer Race and Gender on Perceptions of Diversity Trainer Effectiveness

An important issue in designing diversity training programs is deciding who should conduct the training because the demographics of the diversity trainer may affect perceived training effectiveness. A total of 224 subjects participated in 2 experimental studies investigating the effects of diversity trainer race and gender on perceptions of diversity trainer effectiveness. The findings reveal that the race of the trainer, but not gender, influences trainer effectiveness perceptions and that the trainer's personal experience with discrimination and knowledge of institutional discrimination moderate the relationship between trainer race and effectiveness perceptions.