Inclusive organizations: developmental reciprocity through authentic leader-employee relationships

Abstract

PurposeBuilding on previous research that focused on Walgreens inclusive managers in South Carolina and Georgia, we studied leadership practices in Connecticut where effective and inclusive teams are developed.Design/methodology/approachUsing the case study approach, interviews with over 90% of the managers in a Walgreens distribution center where over a third of its workforce of 500 employees has a disability were conducted.FindingsCreating an inclusive workplace dramatically altered the culture of the distribution center. Our findings highlighted how managers transitioned from a telling and demanding autocratic style with a focus on production numbers to an inclusive management leadership style with a focus on investing in people and balancing teams. Additional discoveries include the role of complexity leadership concepts as essential to inclusive management attributes. Our findings point to a new driver in inclusive organizations: resolving employee performance and attitude issues.Originality/valueWith 200 disabled employees in the distribution center, managers and employees applied complexity leadership, enabling adaptive behaviors that helped form relationships focused on shared decision-making and problem solving. Managers showed mindfulness and empathy in building authentic relationships. Employee openness and the creation of safe attachments allowed leaders to gain greater engagement with employees, higher adaptability, innovation and resiliency. Inclusion was perceived as a benefit to managers as well as to employees, changing the organizational culture toward authentic relationships while exceeding performance metrics.