MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Overcoming the Inclusion Facade

“Diversity is being invited to the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance.” This statement, commonly heard in DEI circles, unwittingly reveals a key shortcoming in how many companies understand inclusion. The party belongs to an “owner” who decides who’s on the guest list and who gets to dance. Even when a diverse group is invited, the power still rests within a certain group or individual. But there is an alternative: a company where all employees have a say in whether to throw a party and who can attend, and where everyone can show off their moves without having to wait for someone else’s extended hand to head to the dance floor.

Ensuring that different perspectives from members of different groups are truly leveraged in organizational decision-making is critical for any company that is serious about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and, by extension, driving innovation and organizational performance. Specifically, based on our consulting and research on DEI for organizations across a variety of industries around the world, we believe that companies need to look critically at how and by whom decisions are made and to investigate whether ideas generated and expressed by employees who are part of different demographic groups all have an equal chance to affect organizational decision-making.

About the Author

Seval Gündemir is an assistant professor of work and organizational psychology at the University of Amsterdam. Astrid C. Homan is a professor and chair of work and organizational psychology at the University of Amsterdam, where she also serves as chair of the diversity and inclusion committee. Lindred (Lindy) Greer is a professor of management and organizations and the Michael R. and Mary Kay Hallman Fellow at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where she also serves as faculty director of the Sanger Leadership Center.

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