Beyond Diversity Training: A Social Infusion for Cultural Inclusion
Introduction Chavez and Weisinger introduce an alternative approach to traditional diversity programs and aim to stimulate new interventions among human resources scholars and practitioners. Their study responds to extant academic literature highlighting the shortcomings and failures of traditional diversity programs, which are widely and consistently implemented across the vast majority of large American companies. Despite…
Read MoreTitle VII Sex and Race Discrimination Litigation Settlements as Opportunities for Organizational Change
Introduction In the four decades since the passage of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, many changes have occured in the American workplace. Yet, gender and racial segregation in companies persists along with professional environments that are hostile to women,…
Read MoreFighting Backlash to Racial Equity Efforts: Understanding the Real Reasons Why Diversity Initiatives Provoke Opposition Can Help You Lead Employees Through Cultural Transformation
Introduction A byproduct of the global viewing of the ruthless killing of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin was the proliferation of new racial equity/anti-racism statements, plans, and initiatives by businesses and organizations. Witnessing the public recording of police brutality/police violence forced many individuals and corporations to confront the fact that systemic racism exists…
Read MoreBoard Diversity and Organizational Valuation: Unravelling the Effects of Ethnicity and Gender
Introduction A board of directors is a crucial aspect of an organization’s leadership. Members are instrumental in shaping a company’s mission, goals, and financial success. Historically in Western culture, seats on boards of directors have been largely homogeneously dominated by those who have held political and economic power in those societies – white men. This…
Read MoreEstablishing a Diversity Program is Not Enough: Exploring the Determinants of Diversity Climate
INTRODUCTION Since 2020 we have seen more employers establish diversity programs to promote values of diversity within an organization. Yet, few have acknowledged existing research that has challenged the implementation and efficacy of diversity programs at the managerial and staff levels. This summary examines this earlier research by focusing on one study to show that…
Read MoreThe Mixed Effects of Online Diversity Training
Introduction One-time diversity training is a common tool deployed by more than half of mid-size and large organizations seeking to promote equality in the workplace. However, the existing body of research on the effectiveness of diversity training is limited by a lack of field experiments and the difficulty of identifying and measuring objective behavioral outcomes.…
Read MoreDiversity Thresholds: How social norms, visibility, and scrutiny relate to group composition
Introduction As institutional Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) efforts have become increasingly prevalent, public scrutiny (critical attention paid to particular behaviors) has increasingly been recognized as an effective tool to encourage such efforts. The #OscarSoWhite critique of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is one such example. Although previous scholarship has shown…
Read MoreHow to Lead Your Company as a True Ally
Introduction When Carter G. Woodson, the Black historian refered to as the Father of Black History, launched Negro History Week in 1926, he understood that the celebration of African American history and scholarship could not just be a one-week act. Instead, he insisted that the goal should be “studying the Negro throughout the school year,…
Read MoreThe Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards
Introduction In the midst of widescale evidence of natural-hair discrimination in the workplace and in schools, some states, in 2019, began to outlaw this form of discrimination. There is the story of the Black student who was told to cut his hair or he would not be allowed to graduate, and another of a Black woman who had her…
Read MoreBest Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of Corporate Affirmative Action and Diversity Policies
Introduction Over the past several decades, there has been an increase in efforts to diversify the American corporate workforce. In 2018, the employment search engine Indeed saw an 18% increase in diversity and inclusion job postings from the previous year, and a 2017 report indicated that about $8 billion is spent annually on diversity training.…
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