Week 10 - Gender, Diversity and Leadership

Question 1

What is Schulz (1958) definition of inclusion?

Answer 1

Schulz identified inclusion as a fundamental human need in interpersonal relationships. He argued that inclusion reduces anxiety when individuals feel their need to belong is met appropriately without losing individuality.

Question 2

What is Mor Barak and Cherin (1998) definition of inclusion?

Answer 2

Mor Barak and Cherin described inclusion as individuals’ access to information, resources, and decision-making processes, emphasizing genuine involvement without assimilation.

Question 3

What is inclusive leadership? (2)

Answer 3

• is characterised by active consultation, participation, and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, distinguishing it from participative leadership (Uhl-Bien, 2006; Hollander, 2009).
• Is leadership that ensures all team members feel valued and promotes fairness, accountability, and attentiveness (Tyler & Lind, 1992).

Question 4

What are the two forms of diversity?

Answer 4

– Common: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
– Uncommon: education, physical appearance, socio-economical level, age, philosophical beliefs

Question 5

Positive and negative impact of diversity on an organisation (2)

Answer 5

• greater variety of perspective can increase
  creativity.
• can also create distrust that can increase conflict, lower
  satisfaction, and increases turnover

Question 6

Why does diversity matter? (Mckinsey and Co research) (3)

Answer 6

• Companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial
  returns above their national industry medians.
• Companies in the bottom quartile in these dimensions are statistically less likely to achieve above average returns.
• More diverse companies are able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee
  satisfaction, and decision making, and all that leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns.

Question 7

4 layers of diversity (Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998)

Answer 7

Question 8

What is the link between diversity and inclusion? (Northouse, 2022) (2)

Answer 8

• Inclusion views diversity as an organisational resource to focus on fostering individuals’ ability to contribute meaningfully without relinquishing their unique identities (Ferdman, 2014).
• Diversity addresses inequalities in accessing opportunities and information within organisations (Ibarra, 1993; Pettigrew & Martin, 1989).

Question 9

Shore et al (2011) Inclusion framework

Answer 9

Question 10

Characteristics of Exclusion in Shore et al (2011) Inclusion framework

Answer 10

• Defined by low belongingness and low uniqueness. Individuals feel neither valued nor part of the group or organisation.
• Exclusion arises when organisations fail to recognise or appreciate diversity, leaving individuals marginalised.
• Example: A young female vice president in banking whose contributions are overlooked and excluded from planning meetings.
• Represents a failure to address diversity comprehensively.

Question 11

Characteristics of Differentiation in Shore et al (2011) Inclusion framework

Answer 11

• Defined by low belongingness but high uniqueness. Individuals feel their differences are respected but remain outsiders.
• Example: Spanish-speaking employees in a customer service centre valued for their language skills but excluded from strategic discussions.
• Reflects partial recognition of diversity without full integration.

Question 12

Characteristics of Assimilation in Shore et al (2011) Inclusion framework (3)

Answer 12

• Defined by high belongingness but low uniqueness. Individuals feel included but their unique qualities are disregarded.
• Example: A Jewish student included in groups but criticised for observing religious holidays, pressured to conform to dominant norms.
• Illustrates efforts to include individuals without valuing their distinct perspectives.

Question 13

Characteristics of Inclusion in Shore et al (2011) Inclusion framework (3)

Answer 13

• Defined by high belongingness and high uniqueness. Individuals feel valued and connected while maintaining their individuality.
• Example: A professor adapting a course to accommodate a hearing-impaired student, incorporating the student’s needs into broader norms.
• Represents the optimal approach to diversity, where differences are embraced and integrated into organisational practices (Ferdman, 1992).

Question 14

According to Ferdman & Davidson, 2002 what is the role of leaders in inclusion?

Answer 14

Leaders play a vital role in fostering inclusion by shaping organisational values, policies, and practices (Ferdman & Davidson, 2002).

Question 15

What are the 3 primary goals of inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022)

Answer 15

1. Create a shared sense of belonging.
2. Minimise status differences and ensure respect for all.
3. Facilitate participation and equal input in decision-making (Ely & Thomas, 2001; Ferdman, 2014).

Question 16

What are the 3 major components of inclusive leadership?

Answer 16

Question 17

What are the main characteristics of leaders who promote inclusion? (3)

Answer 17

• Pro-diversity beliefs
• Cognitive complexity: see situations from multiple perspectives, recognising diverse approaches as valid (Randel et al, 2018)
• Personality traits: agreeableness and openness to experience influence a leader’s orientation toward diversity (Strauss & Connerley, 2003)

Question 18

Behaviours of inclusive leadership within an organisation (Northouse, 2022) (3)

Answer 18

• Psychological Safety: team members feel secure taking interpersonal risks, such as speaking up without fear of rejection or embarrassment (Edmondson’s research, 1996, 1999, 2003)
• Leader Inclusiveness: ensure the involvement of voices typically excluded due to status or power differences. diverse viewpoints and all contributions are valued
• Facilitation of Belongingness and Uniqueness:

Question 19

What are the outcomes that come from inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022)

Answer 19

• Support and Psychological Safety
• Creativity and Innovation
• Learning and Performance
• Comprehensive Framework

Question 20

How is ‘support and psychological safety’ an outcome of inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022)

Answer 20

• Inclusive leaders make team members, especially those with low status, feel valued and supported (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006).
• Teams with inclusive leaders report higher psychological safety and work engagement (Choi, Tran, & Park, 2015; Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006).
• Inclusive leadership also enhances employee well-being, fostering positive emotions and high-quality relationships (Choi, Tran, & Kang, 2017).

Question 21

How is ‘Creativity and innovation’ an outcome of inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022)

Answer 21

• Leader openness to new ideas and feedback fosters climates where followers feel encouraged to propose alternative perspectives and experiment, boosting creativity and innovative behaviour (Choi et al., 2015, 2017; Javed et al., 2017; Qi et al., 2019).
• This is amplified in organisations with strong diversity climates, where inclusiveness encourages helping behaviours towards both leaders and peers (Randel et al., 2016).

Question 22

How is ‘learning and performance’ an outcome of inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022)

Answer 22

• Inclusive leadership, by promoting psychological safety, supports error learning and experimentation, enabling followers to refine work processes (Hirak et al., 2012; Ye et al., 2018).
• These behaviours enhance team and unit performance (Mitchell et al., 2015).

Question 23

How is ‘comprehensive framework’ an outcome of inclusive leadership? (Northouse, 2022) (2)

Answer 23

• The model integrates leader, group, and organisational characteristics influencing inclusive behaviours.
• It shows how such behaviours contribute to follower outcomes like emotional well-being, improved group dynamics, and heightened individual and team performance.

Question 24

What are the strengths of inclusive leadership? (4)

Answer 24

• Emphasizes involvement and engagement
• Consistent with several other theories
• Leadership as a shared responsibility
• Socially constructed and shared – everyone creates, and everyone benefits

Question 25

What are the criticisms of inclusive leadership? (4)

Answer 25

• Conceptual similarity / lack of clarity
• Measurements and challenges
• Who reports, multi-raters, potential for bias
• Which leader behaviors matter most?