My colleague, Lisa Whitten of SUNY Old Westbury, and I presented a workshop on the Collective Impact approach to creating change at the Academy of Management conference in August of 2014. Collective impact represents a disciplined and ambitious approach to making deep, societal change through collaboration of organizations across different sectors–such as government, education, and […]
In organizational development, it seems there is always a barrier between academically-inclined researchers and hands-on consultants. I notice in my own work with research colleagues that there is a desire to stay within one’s own comfort zone. As long as the Cronbach’s alpha for a scale is high enough, as long as batteries being used […]
An approach to diversity and inclusion based on an understanding of power dynamics among groups is important. Leaders need to be aware of who has a “voice” in the organization and who may be being silenced. In my work with groups – both inside and outside corporations — I’ve been struck by the surface and […]
In my research on women of color, I have noted that many African-American women appeared to embrace an “outsider within” perspective. That is, they brought the knowledge and experience gained from being an outsider (e.g., African-American woman) to the role of an insider (professional or managerial employee). I hypothesized that having this outsider perspective helped […]
Many business organizations provide training and resources intended to further the inclusion of diverse groups such as women, racial minorities, LGBT, and the differently abled. Yet, few organizations explicitly recognize an “ism” that is embedded in the structure of the organization itself: “levelism,” or the differential treatment accorded employees based on job level. In traditional, […]
At the outset of consulting engagements intended to take better advantage of diverse talent, I sometimes hear senior leaders state that their company “just wants to hire the best candidate.” On interrogating that comment, I have found that “best” is often conflated with characteristics of the senior leadership team. For example, most team members may […]
Posts have appeared on how to respond to negative performance reviews. These discussions have centered mainly on situations in which there are clearly performance gaps on the part of the subordinate. However, as many working people know, there is a political aspect to consider in a negative review. What if you have honestly reflected on […]
Years of research on women of color in business organizations have led me to believe that courage is crucial to combating bias. Yet, in my experience, I have encountered relatively few managers who have the courage required to buck organizational norms. If leaders truly want their companies to include women of color, they have to […]
While it is not often discussed in the context of organizational change efforts or diversity and Inclusion policies, political progressives are charging corporations with irresponsible practices that disadvantage workers and derail economic stability. For example, the Center for Popular Democracy has published a report quite critical of the financial services sector. http://populardemocracy.org/news/big-banks-and-dismantling-middle-class In your research […]
I get no respect at all. When I was a kid, I lost my parents at the beach. I asked a lifeguard to help me find them. He said, “I don’t know kid, there are so many places they could hide.” For those of us old enough to remember, Rodney Dangerfield’s comic routines were hilarious. […]