Leaders can break down ’benevolent marginalization’

Study shows how leaders can break down "benevolent marginalization" Western professor co-authors paper on how firms' EDI initiatives often affect disadvantaged groups negatively There has been significant growth in the implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in the workplace - but that doesn't mean businesses are getting it right. In their efforts to break down barriers, firms often end up marginalizing disadvantaged groups, resulting in more harm than good. Patricia Hein , professor of sustainability at the Ivey Business School at Western University and Shaz Ansari, professor of strategy and innovation at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, U.K., gained insights from a decade of research on benevolent marginalization experienced by women and individuals with disabilities in the workplace. This phenomenon manifests as subtle discrimination that impacts various groups and makes them unlikely to intervene or dissent, thereby hindering their advancement and perpetuating organizational inequality. Hein first witnessed benevolent marginalization while pursuing her PhD in Berlin, Germany, where she attended a protest rally organized by disability activists fighting against inequality in the workplace. "[The activists] told me they feel invisible and like they don't have a voice," said Hein. "I was wondering, how can that be the case when we focus so much on diversity in organizations? When I started interviewing them, I soon realized there are more subtle forms of marginalization that are often not addressed in diversity programs." Perpetuating inequality among workers with disabilities .