Dr. Vic Marsh, a graduate of the University of Leeds, talks about how his research is providing new ways for minority leaders in the workplace to act as allies in DEI initiatives.
As organizations around the world work to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, organizational behavior expert Vic Marsh (PhD '21) says, I am. “Most DEI efforts are aimed at correcting inequitable workplace processes that require the help of strong managers to achieve their fundamental goals.” A recently published paper titled “Organizational Behavior and Human Decision-Making Processes” entitled “Ally by Any Other Name: Understanding the Effectiveness of Racial Minority Leaders as Allies for Promoting Racial Justice” This was verified through a survey.
In his first year as a doctoral student at Leeds School of Management, Marsh was inspired by his professors to discover that perceptions of effective leadership were biased by the race of diversity advocates. He said the journey had begun. This inspired him to research solutions to this bias, focusing on his two key questions: “Why are there differences in the perceptions of white and non-white leaders who claim the same diversity commitments, and how can this backlash against non-white leaders be mitigated?” “What about white leaders?”
Marsh explains that he and his co-authors “built on existing research with the goal of creating practical solutions to these complex problems.” This study found that when racial minority leaders form alliances that support members of the same race, they appear to be showing favoritism and are therefore perceived as less effective allies. It has been found. The paper also finds that this lowers employees' evaluations of the leader and reduces the amount of support for his DEI efforts in the organization.
“Leaders should listen to ideas from the bottom up, not just impose ideas from the top down.”
Vic Marsh (PhD'21)
Most importantly, this paper also proposes a solution to these problems: “audio amplification framing.” This framework asks racial minority leaders to share the voices and ideas of subordinate employees of the same race with whom they are allies. By focusing on the voices of those with less power in the workplace, voice amplification framing reduces the negative effects of same-racial alliances.
“Our findings provide valuable insights for all leaders, especially those from minority backgrounds,” says Marsh. “Leaders can navigate the complexities of diversity advocacy by amplifying the voices of junior employees, thereby promoting a more inclusive workplace without risking backlash. Instead of just imposing ideas from the top down, we should listen to ideas from the bottom up.”
Marsh said he was surprised to learn what misconceptions exist regarding the role of minority leaders as allies in the workplace. “Employees assume that minority leaders want to talk about DEI and EEO. Minority leaders are discouraged from volunteering or doing the work because the stakes are so high. ” Research supports this. Leaders may receive more negative feedback and less engagement if they appear to support their ingroup.
Organizations that want to support minority leaders and DEI efforts should incorporate audio amplification into their training. “Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly from minority leaders who have found new approaches to championing diversity without much backlash, highlighting the practical impact,” Marsh said. To tell. “Incorporating case studies on effective audio amplification in training helps leaders recognize and enhance valuable ideas from all team members.”
However, the research does not end here. Marsh plans to continue exploring how moments of conflict within organizations can be used to create change, saying, “Managing a crisis proactively provides an opportunity to change the conversation. is here now with DEI, if we all get a hold of it.”
This is important to support the continued discussion and implementation of DEI in the workplace. Landscapes “can feel very negative,” Marsh says. “What we lack is sociologist Libert Merton’s way of thinking about unintended consequences. We cannot think that the anti-DEI backlash is wise to achieve its own ends. It is possible, and in this study we provide a roadmap for how to do that.”
