Inclusive Leadership Research Articles

Fostering educational equity through leadership and policy innovations for sustainable development in higher education

This paper explores leadership strategies and policy innovations aimed at fostering educational equity in higher education, particularly for underserved and marginalized communities. It emphasizes the crucial role of institutional leadership in aligning strategic goals with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), to ensure inclusivity, access, retention, and long-term success for disadvantaged students. The analysis includes a discussion of key leadership approaches, such as inclusive leadership and mentorship programs, and policy innovations that address financial, academic, and social barriers to equity. The integration of specific SDGs into educational policies is also examined, highlighting the importance of comprehensive support services, diverse curricula, and community partnerships. Recommendations for higher education leaders and policymakers focus on expanding financial aid, promoting inclusive campus environments, and strengthening collaborative efforts with government and community stakeholders. Ultimately, this paper advocates for a proactive and strategic approach to embedding equity within the core functions of higher education institutions, ensuring that they contribute to sustainable development and social justice.

Cultivating inclusive leadership: a catalyst for enhanced organizational citizenship

Purpose The present manuscript aims to develop and validate a theoretical model capable of explaining that organizational citizenship behavior is influenced by the extent to which employees feel valued, accepted and considered integral to the organizational fabric. To do this, the authors draw on social identity theory, according to which the level of identification of a person with a group or organization is not fixed but situational and context-dependent. Design/methodology/approach To validate the theoretical model, the authors surveyed the employees of eight large-scale distribution companies operating in Italy. Overall, the authors received completed data from 2,010 employees. Findings The authors theorize and demonstrate that the presence of an inclusive corporate climate positively influences employees’ perceptions of work inclusion and that this latter, in turn, positively affects organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, they show that the indirect effect of an inclusive corporate climate on organizational citizenship behavior becomes stronger when inclusive leadership is promoted within an organization. Originality/value Overall, this paper confirms social identity theory in a novel way. Social identity theory suggests that the context can impact an employee’s identification with the organization they work for, without specifying the characteristics that the context must possess. The authors’ contribution reaffirms this theory by proposing that it is specifically the inclusiveness of the context that positively influences the employee’s identification within the organization. By focusing on this aspect of inclusion, this research introduces a novel perspective that enriches the current discourse on OCB and underscores the importance of cultivating inclusive workplace environments. Also, the authors add theoretical nuance to previous literature by suggesting that the way top management exercises leadership over employees can amplify the strength of corporate climate influence on worker inclusion perception.

Can Inclusive Leadership Foster Flexible Workplaces? A Comprehensive Review and Analysis

Can Inclusive Leadership Foster Flexible Workplaces? A Comprehensive Review and Analysis

Women's Leadership And Banking Productivity: Mediating Role Of Artificial Intelligence

This study aims to analyze the influence of women's leadership on banking productivity with artificial intelligence (AI) as a mediator. This study involved 90 employees of Bank SulSelBar Makassar, where the entire population was sampled (saturated sample). The method used is quantitative, using primary data collected through questionnaires. The data analysis technique used structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the relationship between variables with the help of SmartPLS software version 3.0. The study results indicate that women's leadership positively affects banking productivity and the implementation of AI. However, the implementation of AI itself does not affect banking productivity. AI cannot mediate the influence of women's leadership on banking productivity. This study advises banks to continue supporting inclusive women's leadership and adopt advanced technology to increase productivity. Theoretically, this study does not support the assumption that technology such as AI will automatically increase productivity without considering the context of leadership. The application of AI needs to be carried out optimally by considering the technology's suitability for banking needs.

Inclusive Leadership

The aim of this review paper is to explore the crucial role of inclusive leadership in enhancing organisational culture, innovation, and improving performance in the context of digital industrial revolution. The style of inclusive leadership which emphasises on the value of equity, diversity, and inclusion promotes decision-making processes that involve different perspectives. Key practices are highlighted in this review paper such as diverse recruitment, bias training, and inclusive decision-making, while examining their impact on organisational success. To illustrate the benefits of inclusive leadership, three case studies from diverse industries are used including higher employee engagement, innovation, and sustainable growth. Also practical strategies are offered for leaders with the aim to foster inclusivity and tackle challenges related to technological disparities and unconscious bias.

Time pressure, coping strategies and work engagement: moderation of inclusive-leadership

PurposeThis study aims to unravel the effects of time pressure on work engagement within Chinese organizational settings, considering the moderating effect of inclusive leadership and the mediating role of coping strategies. It seeks to apply and extend theories such as the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, Lazarus’s stress and coping (LSC) framework and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory on stress and coping to understand these dynamics comprehensively.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected responses from 211 Chinese professionals in the manufacturing sector through a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsResults reveal that problem-focused coping strategies positively correlate with work engagement, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies do not show a significant association. Both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies mediate the relationship between time pressure and work engagement. Additionally, inclusive leadership positively moderates the relationship between time pressure and both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.Practical implicationsOrganizational leaders and HR practitioners of companies can devise interventions to enhance employee engagement by leveraging the findings of this study, which advances our understanding of the critical role of coping strategies and the influence of inclusive leadership, particularly under time pressure, which is prevalent in fast-paced work environments.Originality/valueThe research integrates the JD-R model, LMX theory and LSC framework to explore workplace dynamics in China, presenting new insights into coping mechanisms and leadership roles in high-pressure environments.

Mapping leadership, communication and collaboration in short-term distributed teams across various contexts: a scoping review

IntroductionIncreased globalisation and technological advancements have led to the emergence of distributed teams in various sectors, including healthcare. However, our understanding of how leadership, communication and collaboration influence distributed healthcare...

From assimilation to alienation: exploring the career trajectories of women of color leaders and the coping strategies used

PurposeThis qualitative study explores the career trajectories of women of color (WOC) leaders through the “From Assimilation to Alienation” framework, building upon Thomas et al.’s (2013) “Pet to Threat” work and incorporating intersectionality and the Stereotype Content Model. By examining 71 WOC leaders across various industries and racial groups (Black, East Asian, Latina and South Asian), this study aims to uncover the challenges, coping strategies they employ and the nuanced variations in their career experiences. The findings seek to inform organizational practices and DEI interventions in workplaces and leadership positions by considering the complex interplay of race, gender and stereotypes in corporate environments.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study employs an interpretivist paradigm, featuring semi-structured interviews with 71 WOC leaders (18 Black, 18 East Asian, 17 Latina and 18 South Asian) from various industries, including Fortune 10 to 500 companies. Participants were purposively sampled based on leadership roles and racial backgrounds. Virtual interviews lasted approximately 60 min each. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, focusing on predefined themes from the “From Assimilation to Alienation” framework while allowing for new themes to emerge. This approach enabled the exploration of participants' experiences, challenges and coping strategies within their corporate environments.FindingsThe findings reveal that WOC leaders experience a trajectory “From Assimilation to Alienation,” with nuanced variations across racial groups. Initially, they face tokenism, overlooked competencies and patronization. As they challenge the status quo, they encounter alienation, professional legitimacy challenges and insufficient recognition. Black women leaders face the most adverse experiences, followed by South Asian, Latina and East Asian leaders. Isolation emerges as a persistent theme across racial groups and career tenures. WOC leaders employ coping strategies such as demonstrating high work proficiency, relying on merit, utilizing diplomacy and setting boundaries when facing adversity.Research limitations/implicationsThis study’s limitations include a focus on specific racial groups (Black, East Asian, Latina and South Asian), excluding white women and other diverse groups. It also does not explore intersectionalities such as religion, sexual orientation and age. However, the “From Assimilation to Alienation” framework developed in this study provides a foundation for future research to examine how multiple intersectionalities impact work and leadership experiences across a broader range of diverse groups.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by WOC leaders, highlighting the need for organizations to develop targeted interventions that address the “From Assimilation to Alienation” trajectory. Leadership training programs should incorporate modules that raise awareness about the experiences of WOC leaders and provide tools to assess and mitigate the adverse effects of tokenism, isolation and professional legitimacy challenges. These modules should also emphasize the importance of recognizing and rewarding the contributions of WOC leaders. By fostering a deeper understanding of the experiences of this group and providing practical strategies for support and inclusion, organizations can create a more equitable and inclusive leadership landscape that harnesses the full potential of diverse talent.Originality/valueThis study extends the Pet to Threat theory (Thomas et al., 2013) by exploring the “From Assimilation to Alienation” experiences of women of color leaders in corporate environments, integrating intersectionality and the Stereotype Content Model. Examining leaders from four racial groups (Black, East Asian, Latina and South Asian) provides a nuanced understanding of their challenges and coping strategies. The findings offer insights for organizations promoting DEI in leadership, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. This research contributes to the limited literature on career trajectories of this underrepresented group and lays the foundation for future studies on intersectionality of race, gender and leadership in the workplace.

Unraveling role of accountants’ professional identity toward sustainable development: Does inclusive leadership make a difference?

Unraveling role of accountants’ professional identity toward sustainable development: Does inclusive leadership make a difference?

Enhancing student critical thinking and learning outcomes through innovative pedagogical approaches in higher education: the mediating role of inclusive leadership

This quantitative study examines the influence of innovative pedagogical approaches (IPA) on enhancing student critical thinking (SCT) and student learning outcomes (SLO) in higher education, with an emphasis on the mediating role of inclusive leadership(IL). Using a sample of 321 students from public and private universities in Pakistan, the research reveals that methods such as problem-based learning, flipped classrooms, and interactive teaching significantly boost academic performance and cultivate critical thinking skills. The findings indicate that innovative pedagogical approaches positively and significantly impact student critical thinking (β = 0.536, t = 6.539, p < 0.001) and learning outcomes (β = 0.551, t = 12.725, p < 0.001). Additionally, inclusive leadership mediates the relationship between innovative teaching methods and both student critical thinking (β = 0.331, t = 3.833, p < 0.001) and learning outcomes (β = 0.405, t = 8.662, p < 0.001). Data were collected using survey questionnaires adapted from established studies on inclusive leadership, innovative pedagogical approaches, student critical thinking, and learning outcomes. These results highlight the essential role of inclusive leadership in enhancing the efficacy of innovative pedagogies by creating a supportive and diverse learning environment. The study suggests that implementing active learning strategies and integrating technology in the classroom, along with inclusive leadership practices, can significantly improve student engagement, critical thinking, and overall academic performance. This research offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance teaching and learning experiences in higher education.

The Effect of Inclusive Leadership on Organizational Agility: An analytical study in the General Company of Battery Industry

Purpose: Explaining the impact of comprehensive leadership in achieving organizational agility that contributes to achieving the desired goals and retaining competent cadres. Theoretical framework: Achieving the primary goal, which is by defining the effect of inclusive leadership with its dimensions on organizational agility. The research investigated the extent to which comprehensive leadership contributes to enhancing organizational agility through employees’ ownership of the two concepts. Design/methodology/approach: The descriptive-analytical method was adopted, and the data were analyzed to reach the results using SPSS V.26 software. The company registration department, a subsidiary of the General Company for Battery Industries, was chosen to represent the study population. Data was collected from 111 employees, including managers and employees, using a a questionnaire. It was analyzed using statistical methods such as arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and simple linear regression. Findings: The higher level of managers adopting inclusive leadership, and organizational flexibility. Research, practical &amp; social implications: Promoting a culture within the organization that encourages proactiveness and interest in innovation. This can be achieved by encouraging the manager and employees to share new ideas and suggestions. Originality/value: Describing contemporary administrative concepts that play a major role in improving the level of public services provided to citizens.

Impact of green inclusive leadership on employee green creativity: mediating roles of green passion and green absorptive capacity

PurposeOrganizations encourage green creativity among their employees to reduce environmental pollution and attain sustainable development. Green, inclusive leadership can produce positive outcomes and influence employees' green innovation. However, green inclusive leadership and green creativity are empirically less examined in the sustainability literature. Therefore, this study theorized a conceptual model based on the organizational creativity theory to explore the influence of green inclusive leadership on employees’ green creativity. It also aimed to explore the intermediating effect of green passion and green absorptive capacity on the relationship between green inclusive leadership and green creativity.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire-based survey from 540 employees of a manufacturing enterprise in China. The hypotheses were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique.FindingsThe findings reveal that green inclusive leadership positively and significantly influences employees' green creativity. Moreover, the results show that green passion and green absorptive capacity play positive mediating roles in the relationship between green inclusive leadership and green creativity.Practical implicationsThis study offers practical implications for Chinese manufacturing enterprises, where green inclusive leadership is essential to enhance green passion, green absorptive capacity and green creativity among employees.Originality/valueDrawing upon the organizational creativity theory, this research study is novel because it is one of the few empirical research studies to explore green inclusive leadership and green creativity in Chinese manufacturing enterprises. It further establishes the positive mediating role of green passion and green absorptive capacity in the relationship between green inclusive leadership and green creativity.

Inclusive leadership, service innovation, and knowledge sharing: the roles of intrinsic motivation and sleep quality

ABSTRACT This research aims to study the associations between inclusive leadership, employee service innovation, and knowledge-sharing behaviours in the hospitality industry. We further examined the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of employee sleep quality. Applying a convenience sampling technique, we conducted an online research survey in three phases to collect data from 329 respondents. Our findings showed that managers’ inclusive leadership style is positively associated with workers’ intrinsic motivation, which in turn leads to employee service innovation behaviour and knowledge-sharing behaviour. Moreover, intrinsic motivation has been found as the mediating mechanism in the association between inclusive leadership and employee work outcomes. We further found that workers’ sleep quality moderates the association between inclusive leadership and employee outcomes such that poor sleep quality weakens this association. Our study offers substantial implications for the practitioners and scholars in the areas of sleep, leadership, and innovation and knowledge sharing behaviours in organizations.

A critical race feminist research-informed agenda that centres African American girls in school principal research and practice

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to present five areas for research and school leadership practice that centre African American girls. An analysis of critical race feminist research published in peer-reviewed articles yielded five themes for inclusive and affirming leadership research and practices: (1) Centring African American girls’ and their families’ voices, identities and lived experiences in school visioning and decision-making; (2) Enacting a school culture to ensure access to rigorous curriculum that centers African American girls’ lived experiences; (3) Cultivating emotionally safe school environments; (4) Dismantling inequitable discipline policies and practices and creating physically safe school environments and (5) Ensuring professional learning that centers critical race feminisms and builds educator capacity to affirm African American girls. To underscore the importance of centring African American girls in principal practice, these areas are aligned with culturally responsive school leader behaviours.

Inclusive leadership and employee workplace well-being: the role of vigor and supervisor developmental feedback

PurposeEmployees within organizations actively pursue and maintain their workplace well-being. Although there are current studies that have examined the linking inclusive leadership to employee workplace well-being, the underlying intrinsic link between the two remains unclear. On the basis of self-determination theory, this research examined the relationship between inclusive leadership, vigor, supervisor developmental feedback, and workplace well-being.Patients and methodsData were collected from 61 teams that totaled 342 full-time employees through a 3-stage questionnaire. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling and Monte Carlo simulations were conducted on data for hypothesis testing.ResultsInclusive leadership positively correlated with employee workplace well-being. Employee vigor mediates the link between inclusive leadership and employee workplace well-being. Supervisor developmental feedback moderated the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee vigor.ConclusionsInclusive leadership can improve employees’ workplace well-being by stimulating their vigor. Therefore, managers need to be able to effectively meet employees’ basic needs to stimulate their vigor. Based on meeting employees’ basic needs, managers can also provide targeted developmental feedback to meet employees’ growth needs, which can more effectively promote employees’ vigor and workplace well-being.

Effectiveness of sustainability communication on stakeholder engagement: A multi‐method qualitative assessment of sustainable development

AbstractThe present era is witnessing a growing importance of sustainability communication. There is a need to understand stakeholders' perspectives regarding sustainability communication by different corporates. Additionally, it is also important to understand the positive (happiness and surprise) and negative (anger, fear, and sadness) aspects that affect the effectiveness of sustainability communication. The present research used a multi‐method multi‐study qualitative approach. In Study 1, the perspectives of 29 mid‐level managers and 16 top‐level senior managers involved in the sustainability domain in their organizations from India were captured via qualitative semi‐structured interviews. In Study 2, sustainability reports of 50 leading companies involved in sustainability activities were analyzed using textual analysis, emotional analysis, and topic modeling. Results indicate that corporate sustainability communications can have varying impacts on the stakeholders. The results of the qualitative analysis showed positive impact of sustainability communications on employee engagement, employee involvement, transformational and inclusive leadership and training and development opportunities. Positive emotions, like happiness or surprise, indicate positive brand image and engagement related to sustainability activities. Negative emotions like fear, anger, and sadness, show stakeholders' concern regarding the environmental damages. Thus, organizations need to target the positive aspects in their sustainability communication for improved results and must avoid the negative aspects while planning to develop effective sustainability communication. Subsequently, the present study contributes to the existing literature by proposing a conceptual framework based on signaling theory and stakeholder theory. This study fills the gap in terms of examining the stakeholders' and end‐users' perspectives regarding sustainability communication, the major emotional aspects that are revealed from the sustainability reports and an overall view on individual's pro‐environmental behavior.

Implications of inclusive leadership for individual employee outcomes: A meta-analytic investigation of the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions

Implications of inclusive leadership for individual employee outcomes: A meta-analytic investigation of the mediating mechanisms and boundary conditions

Inclusive leadership toward reshaping corporate purpose for sustainable development

This paper delves into the complex relationship between business leadership, sustainability, and inclusivity, representing a step toward developing a more inclusive leadership approach to sustainable development that fosters shared power relations between business leaders and marginalized members of society. With environmental and social conditions worsening, it is urgent for corporations to move away from the neoliberal profit-maximization models advocated by Milton Friedman and instead prioritize humanity and the environment. This shift requires a fundamental restructuring of businesses to move beyond profit maximization and address societal power imbalances by including all stakeholders. Our inclusive leadership for sustainable development framework, rooted in symbolic interactionism, offers a holistic lens for including marginalized groups. At the microlevel, it focuses on business leaders’ personas, characterized by pro-demographic diversity and biodiversity, cognitive complexity for sustainable development, and social empathy, which can potentially create a macro-level impact. These characteristics, accompanied by macro perspectives toward repurposing corporations away from neoliberalism, would be a step forward in cultivating shared power dynamics between business leaders and marginalized communities for the betterment of society.

Inclusive leadership enhancing employees’ Creativity Through Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) quality

Inclusive leadership enhancing employees’ Creativity Through Leader-Member-Exchange (LMX) quality

(In)Credibly Inclusive? A Panel Study on Inclusive Leadership, Leader Credibility, and Inclusive Climate

Cultivating an inclusive climate is an important concern for many public organizations, and it can be approached through various means. Research suggests that by exercising inclusive leadership, public managers may be able to support an inclusive climate. However, we still know little about the extent to which and under what conditions inclusive leadership is effective in promoting an inclusive climate. This study contributes to the existing research by examining the importance of inclusive leadership on inclusive climate utilizing a representative panel of 705 Danish high school teachers. Additionally, the study argues that leader credibility may be an important moderator. Testing the preregistered hypotheses, the study finds support for a statistically significant effect of changes in inclusive leadership on changes in inclusive climate. Contrary to expectations, leader credibility does not appear to moderate the relationship. The study suggests that inclusive leadership is relevant to promote inclusive climates across different contexts.