Undoing Inequalities within Organizations: A Study of the Individual Experiences

(Lead Researcher: Shaista E. Khilji)

Inequality is endemic to organizations. It is at core of daily individual experiences - in how we live, the way we think and organize work (Acker, 2006; Dorling, 2015; Payne, 2017; Weir, Grady, & Dunne, 2017). Although a majority of recent organizational research focuses on studying income inequalities, we all know that, individuals also experience social inequalities (Amis, Munir & Lawrence, 2018; Dorling, 2015). We are continually affected by inequality within organizations, yet we know very little about this phenomenon (Sernau, 2017), particularly in terms of how individuals describe and make sense of inequalities they face, and how their experiences with inequalities influence the way they interact within organizations. A lack of awareness may make inequalities invisible and more legitimate within organizations (Acker, 2006). Hence the present study asks: How do individuals make sense of their experiences with inequalities within organizations; and how do these experiences impact them, and their workplace interactions? Scholars argue that individuals, through continuous retrospection, assumptions, stories from the past, actions, and ideas establish an acceptable understanding of their experiences, that they then live with (Weick, 1995). Participants’ description of their experiences with inequalities allows the study to examine and highlight these ideas, actions and stories for the purpose of this research. By exploring individual experiences, we are also able to examine how organizations (and societies) perpetuate and (even) create various forms of inequalities.

Refer to the following papers/ blogs for a description of some important findings:

Khilji, S.E. (2021). Lived experiences of inequalities in the US: a sensemaking perspective. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, Aug 3, 2021.

Khilji, S.E. (2020). The many dimensions of inequality within organization: A study of individual experiences. European Group for Organizational Studies, 36th EGOS Colloquium, Hamburg, Germany. July 2, 2020.

Khilji, S.E. (2020). “I can’t breathe”- Floyd’s last words should haunt but also propel America. Medium, May 30, 2020. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/i-cant-breathe-floyd-s-last-words-should-haunt-but-also-propel-america-1288937b391e

Khilji, S.E. (2020). Understanding inequality: beyond numbers and as a human experience. Medium, Feb 4, 2020. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/understanding-inequality-beyond-the-numbers-as-a-human-experience-50d355a9b61a

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Practice within Organizations: Seeing through Eyes of the Practitioners

(Lead Researcher: Shaista E. Khilji)

The concept of diversity is contextual in nature, and shaped by the political, cultural, and organizational environments within which organizations operate (Unzueta, Knowles, & Ho, 2018). Nkomo & Hoobler (2014), in their review of diversity ideologies in the United States, present four distinct eras of diversity practice, including the White supremacy and the sanctioned exclusion of racio-ethnic minorities' before the 1960s, the equal opportunity–Civil Rights of the 1960s, the diversity management and multiculturalism of the 1980s and 1990s, and contemporary inclusion/ post-race era. As we have progressed through these eras, our understanding of diversity has also evolved. Since Nkomo & Hoobler (2014) published their work, much has changed in the United States. A CBS poll found 6 in every 10 Americans believe that race relations are generally bad (Salvanto, De Pinto, Backus, & Khanna, 2019). This compares to an earlier poll (from 2009), in which 66% Americans expressed that race relations were good (Fingerhut, 2019). Social statistics and research also indicate that structural and institutional racism continues to persist within the United States amidst un-resolved racial tensions. Goldberg (2015), who is skeptical of the idea of post-raciality, argues that racial expression has in fact become more virile in recent years. The murders of George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor (to name a few) have also thrust racial issues and #Blacklivesmatter to the forefront. At the same time, we have also witnessed the rise of #Metoo movement. Some studies claim that male employees are self-policing (out of fear), and avoiding hiring female workers in the aftermath of the #Metoo movement (Brantley and Tompkins, 2020)- thus contributing to sexual discrimination. These are two examples of how the context has continued to evolve over the past few years to impact diversity efforts within organizations.

Within this charged environment, it is important to take stock of the diversity debate and practice within organizations. Since diversity is also a malleable concept that we approach through our personal lens (Unzueta, Knowles, & Ho, 2012), we ask: What are the experiences of diversity practitioners in today’s organizations? Being beholders of diversity, their narratives and accounts are valuable to understanding the current state of diversity (Unzueta, & Binning, 2012).

Refer to the following blogs for a description of some important findings:

Khilji, S.E. (2021). The paradoxes of diversity practice. European Group for Organizational Studies, 37th EGOS Colloquium, Online. July 8-10, 2021.

DEI learner’s archetypes in Adobe Xd. Refer to the blog with their description below.

Khilji, S.E. (2021). Learners’ archetypes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Medium, Dec 20, 2020.

Khilji, S.E. (2020). Doing DEI work: the experiences of DEI practitioners. Medium. Feb 2, 2020 https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/doing-dei-work-the-experiences-of-dei-practitioners-1df710dd8e4b

Humanistic Leadership & Public Narratives during Crisis

(Lead Researcher: Shaista E. Khilji)

Leadership practice has entered a new phase. It is marked by heightened expectations and widespread dissatisfaction with contemporary leaders. The Edelman Trust Barometer, an instrument used for measuring global confidence in businesses and governments since 2012, has indicated high levels of public distrust with leaders around the world (Edelman, 2019). Many scholars have therefore called for developing humanistic leaders, who act with responsibility and focus upon promoting human dignity and well-being (Khilji, 2019). Despite the emerging popularity of humanistic leadership as a concept, it is argued that humanistic leadership is challenging to establish within organizations- that (more often than not) focus on shareholder value. According to the humanistic view, “the key reason for human survival is their relational nature, for which dignity and morality are crucial. The highest aspiration is to achieve well-being” (Pirson, 2018, p. 62). Although the humanistic view directly contradicts the well-established economistic view with its emphasis on maximization of wants (Nelsen, 2006), there is evidence that some leaders are beginning to experiment with a humanistic approach. Humanistic leadership is an appealing but nascent concept. In order to advance it, we need to understand what humanistic leadership means in daily interactions. More importantly, we need to scope out a wide range of leaders to find examples of humanistic leaders globally. Who are these humanistic leaders? What values do they promote? What kind of discourse do they engage in?

With these questions in mind, the purpose of this research is to study business and political leaders globally, focusing on the values they promote and the discourse they engage in. In order to fulfill the study objective, we begin by exploring the public narrative leaders construct on their social media. A majority of business and political leaders have become active creators of public narratives on social media (Baker, 2017). Some have even received celebrity status. Through their public narratives, these leaders push their agenda, increase public engagement and enhance brand affinity. The narratives they construct (if executed effectively) speak to their values and the conversation they engage with. In particular, we focus on their public narrative as a response to a global or an organizational crisis (such as COVID-19) for at least two reasons. First, crises test true leadership capacity of any leader (Khilji, 2020). Oftentimes, crises present tough choices between human and/or the economic well-being (The Economist, 2020). Second, in addressing the crisis leader face, they are most likely to construct narratives (i.e. a story or representation) that offer explanatory or justificatory account of their response, thereby highlighting their values (Shiller, 2019). Such a methodology allows us to focus on leaders and their public narrative, while assessing if humanistic approach/ values are being used.

Refer to the following papers/ blogs for a background of this research:

Khilji, S.E. (2021). The persistent malpractice of power. Medium, Aug 20, 2021.

Khilji, S.E. (2021). Leadership at crossroads: to dehumanize or humanize leadership. Social Science Space. Aug 20, 2021. Also available on Medium.

Khilji, S.E. (2021). An approach for humanizing leadership education: building learning community and stakeholder engagement. Journal of Management Education, Aug 19, 2021.

Khilji, S.E. (2021). An open letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States, Medium, Jan 20, 2021.

Khilji, S.E. (2020). How do we move from dehumanizing to humanizing organizations. Medium, Nov 23, 2020.

Khilji, S.E. (2020). In this ‘hare’ culture, let’s be tortoise. Medium, May 27, 2020.https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/in-this-hare-culture-let-s-be-tortoise-53d3afc7add9

Khilji, S.E. (2020). Using COVID-19 to harness the power of heart and the soul. Medium, April 14, 2020. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/using-covid-19-to-harness-the-power-of-heart-the-soul-a0cb81c107ed

Khilji, S.E. (2020). COVID-19: Could this be the wake-up call that we need? Medium, March 25, 2020. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/covid-19-could-this-be-the-wake-up-call-that-we-all-need-5413592ba8d3

Khilji, S.E. (2019). Jacinda Ardern emerging as the picture of a humanistic leader. Medium, March 20, 2019. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/jacinda-arden-emerging-as-the-picture-of-a-humanisticleader-75c64c84ea23

Khilji, S.E. (2019). From “leading effectively” to “leading humanistically”. Medium, March 29, 2019. https://medium.com/@shaistakhilji/from-effective-leadership-to-leading-humanistically-1b6def7c518b