BUS603: Managing People

Although the benefits of inclusive leadership are clear, smarter teams, better decision making, effective problem solving, better financial gains, and customer satisfaction, to name a few, there are common barriers that can hinder an organization's ability/efforts to implement inclusive leadership practices. These barriers can influence companies away from becoming inclusive and prevent them from making the most of any diversity within their organization. According to Gully and Phillips, some of the common obstacles are the "like me" bias, stereotypes, the perceived threat of loss, and ethnocentrism. Described below, these exist in many organizations and can get in the way of organizations' efforts to maximize their diversity. These barriers can arise from decision making, psychological factors and employees' lack of awareness, the authors noted. Therefore, it is important for organizations to understand and proactively address these barriers to minimize their impact and enhance inclusion.

Although it is human nature to associate with those like ourselves, the "like me" bias tendencies can negatively impact recruitment by focusing solely on people who look like the existing staff. This can contribute to the unwillingness to employ people of different backgrounds, creating a culture of ingroup and outgroup dynamics in an organizational setting. The result is a homogeneous work environment. This can be a disservice to efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.

According to Gully and Phillips, stereotypes, "beliefs about individual or group based on the idea that everyone in that group will behave the same", have the power to diminish inclusion opportunities for minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and older workers. Stereotypes are extremely harmful due to the judgemental tendencies implied and the lack of consideration of individual uniqueness. In some cases, the results can be subtle racism, sexism, prejudice, and discomfort. These beliefs can determine what makes good/poor employees, can control the distribution of employment opportunities, and can undermine diversity efforts.

Another common setback can come from those who perceive inclusive efforts as a threat to their career opportunities. The authors further noted that this perceived threat of loss can lead members of groups who are traditionally the predominant employees of a particular workforce or occupation to grow anxious or angry. The need to protect their own prospects can impede those of others. The authors also noted that the perceived threat of loss "influences employees' willingness to help mentor minority employees, recruit diverse candidates for positions and support diversity initiatives".

Ethnocentrism, a belief of one's language, native country and cultural rules/norms being superior to all others, is similarly impactful in a negative way to an inclusiveness attitude. Every organization is susceptible to these challenges, especially when advocating for inclusive leadership practices. However, the extent to which an organization will succeed in its inclusive efforts is due to consistent efforts to be vigilant about these challenges.