Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Organizations

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated social inequality within the U.S. As a result, many organizations have attempted to increase the gender and racial/ethnicity diversity of their organizations to potentially help reduce social inequality. The papers in this symposium test assumptions regarding various diversity efforts to examine the effects of these efforts on organizational perceptions and on people’s feelings of inclusion and belonging. The first paper investigates the effectiveness of asking applicants to provide diversity statements to see whether asking for these statements increases the diversity of applicants/hires and signals to applicants that the organization values equity, diversity, and inclusion. The second paper explores how disclosure of employee diversity data influences impressions of organizations. The third paper investigates concerns that dominant group members may have towards organizational diversity efforts and explores ways to garner support from dominant group members for diversity efforts. Finally, the fourth paper explores how structured evaluation processes may increase employees’ perceptions of inclusion and belonging within organizations. Together, the papers in this symposium provide insights into how managers can potentially increase diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations. Exploring the Effects of “Personal EDI Statements” on Applicants and Organizations Presenter: Joyce He; U. of California, Los Angeles Presenter: Grusha Agarwal; U. of Toronto, Rotman School of Management Presenter: Sonia Kang; U. of Toronto Disclosing Workforce Diversity Data Increases Perceptions of Progress (Even When There Isn’t Any) Presenter: Evan P. Apfelbaum; MIT Sloan School of Management Presenter: Eileen Y. Suh; Boston U. Questrom School of Business We Need You! Diversity Messages That Enlist Dominant Group Members in Diversity Efforts Presenter: Kaylene McClanahan; U. of California, Los Angeles Presenter: Hannah Birnbaum; Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Presenter: Margaret Shih; U. of California, Los Angeles Structured Evaluations Processes Increase Employees’ Perceptions of Inclusion and Belonging Presenter: Aeroelay Chyei Vinluan; Harvard Business School Presenter: Erika Kirgios; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Presenter: Edward Chang; Harvard Business School