Introduction to the Special Topic Forum: Critical Discourse: Envisioning the Place and Future of Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations

Abstract

Management research has illustrated the critical importance of diversity and inclusion for organizational effectiveness. Although progress is evident towards building diverse and inclusive workplaces, challenges remain in both practical relevance and theoretical advancements. In this Special Topic Forum on the place and future of diversity and inclusion in organizations, we describe three important but often neglected areas of leadership and organizational studies: the multifaceted expressions of diversity, work relationships in diversity and inclusion, and diversity and inclusion at the organizational apex. In this introduction, we summarize the articles included in this Forum, and note that throughout the articles, the authors embark on an in-depth exploration of diversity and inclusion with a focus on these three under-developed areas of scholarship. To catalyze a critical discourse on the place and future of diversity and inclusion in contemporary organizations, here we review the important insights that the Forum’s authors provide. We then suggest opportunities for future theoretical and empirical work in the diversity and inclusion domain.