Welcome to the latest in a series of brief interviews with guest experts from KnowledgeBrief’s Innovation Programme, providing a window into the experts’ latest ideas and new advice for executives.
Following the Innovation Day in August, Dr Ricardo Twumasi (RT), Lecturer in Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology at King’s College London, gave us an interview to discuss his latest insights on how organisations can actively move from conversation to action in Diversity & Inclusion.
KB: What’s the key business challenge that organisations need to address, that your research tackles?
RT: Discrimination costs the UK economy billions in renumeration, legal costs, reduced mental health and lost human capital. Adapting to societal and legal changes in relation to discrimination is a slow process for most businesses. We have had equal pay legislation since 1970, however, the gender pay gap still stands at around 18%. Movements like #MeToo, Pride and Black Lives Matter have shifted the recognition and public acceptability of discrimination. Nevertheless, practice tends to lag behind policy and public opinion change.
KB: What advice would you give to executives, based on your findings?
RT: I propose a four-step process to moving from talking about equality issues to actively encouraging change:
- Equality auditing. Exploring your organisation’s history and understanding how discriminatory forces such as colonialism or patriarchal bias may have formed, guided and influenced your company and its practices. I propose this audit goes beyond reporting of pay equality and surveys and tests the attitudes and behaviours and values of your organisation.
- Embrace a culture of anti-discrimination. The Black Lives Matter movement has popularised the idea that it is not ok to simply not be racist and that we must strive to be anti-racist. In order to overcome systemic discrimination, we must pledge to change culture and practices that benefit the privileged.
- Embrace Allyship. Marginalised groups benefit from allies who stand with us against exclusion and inequality. Also, those in leadership positions should challenge and change the processes that our business engages in when hiring, mentoring, promoting and retaining diverse talent in the workplace.
- Look ahead through the Overton window. The range of policies that are acceptable to mainstream society are constantly changing. Therefore, businesses must embrace continual change and look ahead to understand the next change, responding quickly, and pre-emptively to these changes.
KB: How does your latest research approach this? What do the results indicate?
RT: My latest research proposes novel ways to measure discrimination in the workplace, to change attitudes and behaviours, and to identify ways to support diverse job seekers. My work also looks ahead to understand how policy and practice may shift in future in response to changes in public opinion.
Favouring ‘in-groups’ over ‘out-groups’ is a trait that appears to be innately wired into human behaviour, which is then reinforced through experience. Therefore, reducing unfair discrimination requires us to overcome human nature. This is a mammoth task. However, it can be achieved through contact with the out-group, tapping into motivation to change and, most importantly, identifying strongly with a larger group that includes the previous out-group.
KB: What did you learn or take away from meeting with the executives at the KnowledgeBrief Innovation Day?
RT: There is real passion out there to make a difference. The executives who attended were really passionate about finding out how they can do more. Some delegates may have not considered how pervasive systemic discrimination is to human nature, and how pernicious systemic discrimination can be. I was enthused that more business leaders are now standing up to be anti-discriminatory.
With thanks to Dr Ricardo Twumasi, Lecturer in Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology at King’s College London.