Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts have been around for a while, but their impact can sometimes be underwhelming. A pair of papers co-authored by ILR Assistant Professor Merrick R. Osborne examines why some DEI initiatives succeed while others fall short. The papers also suggest how to design more effective efforts.
The first paper presents a novel "leaky roof" framework. The researchers found that DEI programs in an organization work best when they are created with an understanding that external social inequities do impact the organization, just like rain dripping through a leaky roof impacts a building.
The research team found that acknowledging social hierarchies outside the workplace is important to the success of a DEI program. Otherwise, Osborne said, "it's not like putting a Band-Aid on a wound, it's saying that the wound is healed when it's still openly bleeding or possibly even getting infected."
The second paper discusses how specific identities - such as "Black women" - are important to keep in mind when shaping a diversity initiative, instead of just broad identities, such as "women" or "Black person."
"This paper is about articulating interventions and recommendations for how to manage the reality that … all employees have some form of intersecting identities," Osborne said.
The team reviewed research on DEI initiatives that often work well and suggested how to make them even more successful by shaping them with a close look at identity.
One recommendation from the team is that when an organization shares demographic data to highlight gaps in diversity, it should include enough detail to show which specific groups are benefiting or being left out.
Read the full story on the ILR website.
Tonya Engst is a writer for the ILR School.
