Why Intersectionality Matters at Work (Part 3/4)
Intersectionality affects every aspect of our lives both within and beyond the realm of work, but it’s not always considered as a framework for meaningful change within organizations. In this series, we’ll walk you through some of the basics of intersectionality: What is it? Why does it matter for organizations? What can we do with this information? In each issue we’ll leave you with questions to help you apply these concepts to your work; we’ll also share all of our sources so you can use this information as a gateway to further learning, questioning, and action. Ready? Let’s go!
Here is Part Three on Intersectionality. (Psst...if you missed Part One or Part Two).
So, what can we do with this information?
Employees and organizational leaders at all levels can take a variety of actions to promote intersectional awareness, identify specific challenges faced at the intersections of different marginalized identities, and address inequities like those introduced in the first two parts of this series. At first, it may feel overwhelming to think of all of the things you could change in your organization by applying the lens of intersectionality to your work. So, instead of thinking about taking action through a complete and immediate overhaul, it can be helpful to think of this work as an ongoing and iterative process that requires everyone to cultivate a deeper understanding of the complexity of human experiences and needs.
Source: @lizaandmollie
To help you consider some of those iterative pathways forward for your own organization, we’re going to break down some recommended actions from the intersectionality research into three groups: increasing awareness, finding and addressing inequities, and changing culture.
1) Increasing awareness
Dupreelle et al. argue that intersectionality should be central to all DEI efforts, including ERGs, which they believe can play a role in developing intersectional fluency in the workforce: "When crafting D&I strategy, organizations need to consider each of these identities and all the permutations of how they may overlap for an individual… [This approach] does not require creating countless subgroups for each possible intersection...Rather, D&I leaders and ERGs should equip their workforces with a fluency in intersectionality." That fluency can then be leveraged by ERG leaders to identify new opportunities for cross-ERG collaboration, new types of supportive programming to meet intersectional needs, and for using their influence to change policies and other practices that may be negatively impacting their members.
One way to begin building this kind of intersectional fluency is through learning & development programs. In their research into top companies’ current DEI training efforts, Steinfield et al. found very few examples of intersectional awareness included in organizational training. As a result, they recommend “stretching diversity training to include understandings of more nuanced intersectional identity categories, and having conversations about privilege." Existing DEI-related programs could be adapted to include this type of content, and/or new programming could be developed to introduce the concept of intersectionality and help individuals explore ways to apply an intersectional lens to their work.
Based on their research into employee mental health, Greenwood and Anas also recommend increasing awareness and prioritizing transparent communication around employees’ identities and related inequities. One way they suggest surfacing unseen inequities is by allowing employees to "discuss challenging social and political topics at work." An awareness of intersectionality can help organizations create safe spaces for these types of conversations, which could be facilitated by ERGs, incorporated into learning programs, or pursued through other channels depending on the ways employees commonly interact with one another in a given work environment.
2) Finding and addressing inequities
In a 2019 article focused on intersectionality and work-life balance, Ryan and Briggs demonstrate that "Unidentified needs of multiply-stigmatized groups can be brought to light with intersectional approaches to work-life research and practice." Basically, the researchers are proposing moving from an awareness of intersectionality as a concept to actually applying it as a framework in order to thoroughly investigate employee needs and experiences related to organizational policies, for instance.
If it seems intimidating to imagine creating policies that align with a nuanced understanding of employees’ intersectional identities, Ryan and Briggs point out the reality that "most organizations already have a recognition of differential needs based on social categorization, such as providing senior employees with more support for eldercare responsibilities or single parents greater levels of flexibility." By applying an intersectional lens to our thinking about how policies and processes may be serving (or failing to serve) employees at the intersection of multiple identities, organizations can surface previously unidentified needs and make tweaks to policies and programs that build on the existing types of support available.
Greenwood and Anas return to ERGs as a mechanism for addressing inequities, recommending that employers can address the disparities around mental wellness by, in part, empowering employees to build workplace communities around this issue: "At the grassroots level, employees should be empowered to form mental health employee resource groups (ERGs) and other affinity groups." This type of grassroots empowerment can happen in parallel with changes at higher levels of organizational leadership as part of a comprehensive (top-down and bottom-up) strategy for improving DEI outcomes.
3) Changing culture
Ryan and Briggs argue that applying an intersectional lens to our work isn’t only about calling greater attention to the needs of non-majority group members, but that "An intersectionality perspective highlights broader concerns about inclusive climates in organizations." The new perspective offered by intersectionality doesn’t only highlight cultural concerns; it also helps achieve cultural goals. For instance, one of the common aspirations organizations have for their work culture is “authenticity,” and the desire to create a more authentic culture is well-served by applying an understanding of intersectionality. According to Ryan and Briggs’ research, "For individuals who feel they are categorized in ways that fail to reflect their identity, recognizing the unique needs and experiences of intersected identity groups indicates a more authentic workplace."
A 2017 study by Carberry and Meyers analyzed organizations in the Forbes "best places to work" list, and similar to Ryan and Briggs, these researchers also call attention to intersectionality’s potential impact on culture. For example, they identify trust as the key metric that leads to companies being selected for the “best places to work” list and note that fairness and camaraderie are crucial components of trust-building. Based on that understanding, their article includes a call to action for managers: "Managers seeking to improve experiences of fairness and camaraderie should pay particular attention to how race/ethnicity and gender influence these experiences, and how they do so intersectionally.”
At an even higher level, Steinfield et al. suggest that organizations should walk the talk when it comes to their DEI goals, ensuring, for example, that their panels, boards, and c-suites "reflect the diversity they wish to achieve." This kind of leadership modeling at the highest levels sets a strong example of dedication to diversity and inclusion for the entire organization, which makes it more likely that the kinds of positive changes to organizational policies, training, and other aspects of culture we’ve discussed so far will be prioritized throughout the company.
Reflection questions:
💡 What spaces currently exist in your organization where people can discuss issues around inequities or other challenges they are facing in relation to one or more aspects of their identity? If there aren’t any, then how might your organization create safe spaces for these types of conversations?
💡 What are some ways you can imagine applying an intersectional lens to your own work in order to gain new perspective, connect with colleagues differently, or help to shift some aspect of organizational culture in order to address inequities that may be impacting you and/or your colleagues? Take a moment to jot down a few ideas.
💡 How are your managers and senior leaders “walking the talk” when it comes to DEI efforts in the organization? What are some ways they could role model their own willingness to apply intersectionality to surface and address inequities in the organization?
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