Why Intersectionality Matters at Work (Part 2/4)
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 Two on Intersectionality. (Psst...missed Part One? You can find that here).
Why does intersectionality matter for organizations?
"Society" isn't something that only exists in our time off, so the challenges, barriers, and social injustices people face at work are a reflection of those that exist in other parts of our lives. The difference is, while the systems that contribute to discrimination, invisibility, and other injustices in our lives may be more opaque and sprawling, the systems of our workplaces are microcosms with more defined boundaries and identifiable decision-makers at the controls.
With that higher level of power on the part of organizational leaders comes a greater responsibility for tackling the sources of oppression at work and creating organizational cultures where all employees are safe, welcome, connected, and able to advance. This is part of the reason why researchers in business, organizational development, and leadership have brought the conversation about intersectionality to bear on issues of power, privilege, and oppression at work in several ways. From increasing Employee Resource Group (ERG) engagement to analyzing upstream blockers for diverse talent pipelines, the lens of intersectionality can bring insights that leaders need in order to tackle the most critical issues impacting employee wellbeing, performance, and experience.
Avoid the perils of neglecting intersectionality
Neglecting intersectionality often leads to "unidentified needs, ignored values, unresolved conflicts, and unhelpful advice.”
- Ryan and Briggs, 2019
Some of the research in this space has identified problems caused by the lack of an intersectional focus, including a 2019 study by Ryan and Briggs, who argue that neglecting intersectionality often leads to "unidentified needs, ignored values, unresolved conflicts, and unhelpful advice." Ryan and Briggs note that when organizational leaders talk about intersectionality in tandem with work-life balance, it leads to greater awareness, influencing the creation and implementation of more effective work-life balance policies.
In their 2019 analysis of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training at organizations including Google, Facebook, and Starbucks, researchers Steinfield et al. find that in cases where intersectionality is not considered, common DEI solutions often fail to create real change in the objective realities of workplace diversity. In one example, the researchers discuss the nearly ubiquitous expectation that minoritized employees (especially women) "lean in" to address workplace biases that impact them. Women are frequently presented with training around this expectation in order to adapt their behavior in response to the disproportionate challenges they face at work.
One of the problematic aspects of this approach to DEI training is that those challenges (in US corporations) are most often perpetuated by privileged white males who are not simultaneously trained to give up any of their inherent power. An additional problem the researchers discuss brings us back to intersectionality: since the idea of advising women to "lean in" is premised on the experiences of white women at work, the advice itself fails to grapple with the intersecting racial and cultural stereotypes applied to women of color. This ultimately leads to limited, if any, benefit of these DEI efforts for women who experience intersectional oppressions (Steinfield et al., 2019).
This example is just one illustration of how even good-faith DEI efforts can neglect the unique challenges and experiences of those at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression.
Recognize disparities in mental health (and countless other issues) at work
In addition to many organizations' desire to achieve goals like increasing diversity in the workforce or reducing workplace bias, many have also become aware of the importance of employees' mental health and the connections between mental health and diversity. In a recent HBR article, Greenwood and Anas share that their workplace mental health studies from both 2019 and 2021 showed that mental health challenges are "now the norm among employees across all organizational levels." One of the most significant business impacts they identify is increased attrition, especially among younger workers and historically underrepresented groups. An astonishing half of all respondents in their study have left work for mental health reasons, including issues caused by overwhelming and unsustainable work.
Examples of disproportionate impacts across multiple intersections of age, race, and sexuality abound in Greenwood and Anas’ findings. Millennials, Gen Zers, caregivers, LGBTQ+, Black, and Latinx respondents were all significantly more likely to leave roles due to mental health issues. They also note that the pandemic has exacerbated many of these issues for employees at all levels, but especially for those who are multiply-oppressed. For example, Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) caregivers (often mothers) "have been hit especially hard by the trauma of systemic racism and violence" and "have faced school closures and the associated burnout" in addition to the overall mental health stresses of the past 19+ months (Greenwood & Anas, 2021).
Note: See part 1 for an example of disparities in bullying experiences for those who face multiple intersections of oppression.
Modernize ERG strategies
Young LGBTQ employees today are more diverse and are mobilizing for shared accountability and culture change. They are less likely to join an ERG to affirm their increasingly intersectional identities.
- Dupreelle et al., 2020
Research on intersectionality is also relevant to organizations that have embraced ERGs as DEI tools. For example, in a 2020 report on ERGs for LGBTQ employees, researchers Dupreelle et al. found that "young LGBTQ employees today are more diverse and are mobilizing for shared accountability and culture change. They are less likely to join an ERG to affirm their increasingly intersectional identities." They go on to describe a wide variety of meaningful intersections in the populations they studied, including: "their generation, caretaker status, and 'religiousness' (how important religion is to them). Other important identities are their managerial level, income, employment tenure, location, and immigration status" (Dupreelle et al., 2020). Without an awareness of intersectionality or an effort to build bridges between unidimensional identity groups, the trend of decreasing engagement with ERGs is likely to continue, to the detriment of organizations who have successfully empowered ERGs to impact both employees and the business.
Find new tools for discussing & addressing bias
Being exposed to the concept of intersectionality can also give employees new language and tools for sharing their own experiences and addressing issues of bias at work. Speaking about her experience leading a discussion for AAPI Heritage Month with her colleagues, Liza Boardman reflected on the value of intersectionality as a discussion tool: "By interrogating our own identities and recognizing places we hold or lack power, I feel that it began to introduce us to a new lens through which we can view our work holistically and inclusively" (Chen, 2021).
There is no question that effective DEI efforts are critical for organizations to be successful in a world of increasingly diverse workforces, changing social norms between generations, and large-scale, often unexpected, challenges to the status quo (pandemic, anyone?). It is also clear that most DEI solutions that have failed to account for intersectionality have not been particularly effective for achieving meaningful change in organizations. In fact, according to a 2017 McKinsey report, while "more than 75 percent of CEOs include gender equality in their top ten business priorities...gender outcomes across the largest companies are not changing."
Achieving the full potential of intersectionality to improve these outcomes in our organizations will require more than just awareness. Remember the Venn diagram we asked you to reflect on in Intersectionality: Part One? Take a moment to visualize one of those diagrams for each person who works inside of your organization. Whether you’re visualizing seven sets of overlapping identities or 10,000 – the image in your mind’s eye just got a lot more complex! So, it’s no wonder that a single, blanket DEI approach can’t quite hit the mark when it comes to effectively supporting each individual within an organization. It takes a much more dimensional approach, one that keeps the concept of intersectionality at the forefront.
Stay tuned for Intersectionality: Part Three, where we talk about what we can do with this information. In the meantime, consider the following reflection questions.
Reflection questions:
💡 Think of your own work experiences (past and current). What initiatives have been implemented in the attempt to improve equity? What results and challenges have you observed in those attempts?
💡 In your current organization, what types of support exist for people with one or more marginalized identities? Can you identify any supports that seem to address needs related to specific intersections of identity?
💡 How might an intersectional lens be useful for improving some aspect of your own work? Take a moment to write down at least one potential benefit of applying intersectionality to a workplace challenge or potential need that you are personally familiar with.
Share your ideas. Solve problems. Make a difference.
We’re building a community where your voice is heard, solutions are shared, and changemakers around the world can mobilize for change. If you are passionate about change, culture, and innovation, this is the place for you.
Sources & Related Reading
Advancing African-American Women in the Workplace: What Managers Need to Know. (2004). Catalyst. https://www.catalyst.org/research/advancing-african-american-women-in-the-workplace-what-managers-need-to-know/
Anti-oppression. (n.d.). Canadian Council for Refugees. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://ccrweb.ca/en/anti-oppression
Barton, D., & Yee, L. (2017). Time for a new gender-equality playbook. McKinsey. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/time-for-a-new-gender-equality-playbook
Bourabain, D. (2021). Everyday sexism and racism in the ivory tower: The experiences of early career researchers on the intersection of gender and ethnicity in the academic workplace. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(1), 248–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12549
Carberry, E. J., & Meyers, J. S. M. (2017). Are the “best” better for everyone? Demographic variation in employee perceptions of Fortune’s “Best Companies to Work For.” Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 36(7), 647–669. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-01-2017-0017
Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies. (n.d.). Columbia Law School. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://intersectionality.law.columbia.edu/
Chen, W. (2021, May 28). Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month at ECOSS. ECOSS. https://ecoss.org/aapi-heritage-month-intersectionality/
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8
Crenshaw, K. (2016). The Urgency of Intersectionality. https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality
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Greenwood, K., & Anas, J. (2021, October 4). It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/10/its-a-new-era-for-mental-health-at-work
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