Prelims

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Insights in Practice

A volume in Research in Social Issues in Management Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl, Series Editors

Research in Social Issues in Management

Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, Mikki R. Hebl, Series Editors

Perspectives on Race in Organizations (2023)

Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl

The Future of Scholarship on Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations (2023)

Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl

The Future of Scholarship on Race in Organizations (2022)

Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl

Perspectives on Gender and Work (2020)

Eden B. King, Quinetta M. Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl

Pushing our Understanding of Diversity in Organizations (2020)

Eden B. King, Quinetta Roberson, and Mikki R. Hebl

The Social Dynamics of Organizational Justice (2015)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Emerging Perspectives on Organizational Justice and Ethics (2011)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Justice, Morality, and Social Responsibility (2008)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Managing Social and Ethical Issues in Organizations (2007)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

What Motivates Fairness in Organizations? (2005)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, Daniel P. Skarlicki, and Kees van den Bos

Emerging Perspectives on Values in Organizations (2003)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Emerging Perspectives on Managing Organizational Justice (2002)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Theoretical and Cultural Perspectives on Organizational Justice (2001)

Stephen W. Gilliland, Dirk D. Steiner, and Daniel P. Skarlicki

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Insights in Practice

edited by

Eden B. King

Rice University

Quinetta M. Roberson

Michigan State University

Mikki R. Hebl

Rice University

INFORMATION AGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Charlotte, NC • www.infoagepub.com

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ISBN: 979-8-88730-610-0 (Paperback)

979-8-88730-611-7 (Hardcover)

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Printed in the United States of America

In May of 2023, Florida Governor and U.S. presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that states, “A Florida College System institution, state university, Florida College System institution direct-support organization, or state university direct-support organization may not expend any state or federal funds to promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that … Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion” (Florida Senate Bill 266). A similar bill was shortly thereafter signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Texas Senate Bill 17), thereby prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, practices, and policies in public educational institutions in two of the country’s most populous states.

These laws, and the “anti-woke” rhetoric that fuels them, stand in stark contrast to common public declarations in 2020 by company leaders in response to the #metoo and #blm movements (Corrington et al., 2022). For example, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and in the midst of public protests against racialized police violence, mega-company Amazon tweeted, “The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop. Together we stand in solidarity with the Black community- our employees, customers, and partners- in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.” Similarly, Netflix tweeted “To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter. We have a platform, and we have a duty to our Black members, employees, creators and talent to speak up.” Twitter’s own banner changed to black and its bio read: #blm. Two years later, Twitter (now “X”) CEO Elon Musk publicly mocked the Black Lives Matter movement.

For DEI scholars and practitioners, this ongoing turbulence is destabilizing at best and disastrous at worst. It calls into question both the necessity and impact of their work, and attacks an already devalued area of scientific inquiry and practice. In the midst of these swings in the pendulum of social justice, we feel compelled to build bridges between the science and practice of DEI. It is more crucial than ever before that we reinforce our shared goals with collaborative efforts to understand the needs and experiences of diverse people in organizations and how to improve them. In addition, it is imperative that we amplify evidence-based strategies and actions to drive real (rather than performative) change in organizations. To that end, this volume brings together the valuable perspectives of DEI professionals—experts on the practice of DEI in organizations.

The authors’ voices (presented alphabetically) begin with Barron’s lessons learned—such as the importance of disaggregating data, paying attention to logistics, and empowering leaders—in the context of DEI considerations in the U.S. Air Force. Dragotta, Merlini, and Alonso then directly confront the question of whether DEI has met an “unjust demise” with data from the Society for Human Resource Management suggesting that many companies are still investing in DEI. They further contend that, to do so more effectively, bold actions to overturn the status quo, allyship incentives, and cultural alignments may be needed. Green and Anderson report on the insights of 8 of their colleagues, leveraging their collective experiences and perspectives to bring forward four key points of guidance: (a) establish accountability and discover root causes, (b) focus on actions that change organizational culture, (c) understand DEI as a change management practice, and (d) leverage peer-to-peer learning and influence. Holcombe, Singh, and Worthy address a broad, unsettling, and important question of whether any organizations are doing genuine, rather than performative, DEI work that makes real progress? They offer critical wisdom and also inspiration by noting that everyone reading this chapter should know that “you can and likely are already doing effective DEI work.” Johnson blends personal and professional experiences in describing his views on DEI. Mattingly focuses on measurement, construct clarity, and allyship as aspects of her work that address the “wild West” of DEI practice. McCleary-Gaddy rallies DEI scholars and practitioners through vivid stories and practical recommendations from her experiences in a medical education context. As an academic who thoughtfully chose to pursue a new path in practice, Miller describes the opportunity she sees in bridging the gap of DEI theory and practice. Trump-Steele and colleagues detail their own work in creating an internal Inclusion Collaborative that incorporates DEI throughout all organizational efforts. Similarly, Valerio offers valuable insights from her work at the intersection of coaching and DEI. Welle and Oki articulate a data-driven lens on DEI representation metrics to survey design and interpretation. They further reinforce the potential for scientists and practitioners to work together toward mapping the entire employee experience and addressing methodological constraints. Lastly, Wilson identifies some of the emerging challenges and addresses some of the root cause concerns that she sees with diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. She describes four firstperson case studies in which she demonstrates how leadership behaviors can impact DEI-related outcomes, and then she provides successful strategies to consider.

Together, these contributions represent the potential for clarity in the fog of the politicization of DEI in organizations. Each chapter identifies not only challenges that must be addressed but also hopes that DEI professionals- both scholars and practitioners– are equipped to meet these challenges. It presents the voices and experiences of “on-the-ground” experts with valuable insights into where the field of DEI has been and where it can go given the proper attention, resourcing and support. Our hope is that this volume moves beyond the rhetoric and gets to the heart of DEI in practice.

—Eden King

Mikki Hebl

Quinetta Roberson