Prelims

Half Title Page

Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace

Editorial Page

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Series Editor: Mustafa F. Özbilgin

Recent Volumes:

• Volume 1: Practical and Theoretical Implications of Successfully Doing Difference in Organizations, edited by Donnalyn Pompper

• Volume 2: Gender, Careers and Inequalities in Medicine and Medical Education: International Perspectives, edited by Maria Tsouroufli

• Volume 3: Management and Diversity: Perspectives from Different National Contexts, edited by Mustafa F. Özbilgin and Jean-François Chanlat

• Volume 4: Management and Diversity: Thematic Approaches, edited by Mustafa F. Özbilgin and Jean-François Chanlat

• Volume 5: The Strength of Difference: Itineraries of Atypical Bosses, edited by Norbert Alter

• Volume 6: Race Discrimination and Management of Ethnic Diversity and Migration at Work: European Countries’ Perspectives, edited by Joana Vassilopoulou, Julienne Brabet and Victoria Showunmi

Endorsement Page

They say that the first step in making a dream come true is to wake up. If we are ever to realise the dream of true inclusion, we must first be honest about the range of levels of exclusion that exist today. Reading this book is a starting point. With both science and stories, it thoughtfully opened my eyes to the challenges to inclusion, made me feel seen and heard in my own exclusion experiences and provided useful approaches for leaders to be more ‘human’ at work. It’s an inspiring read.

Lisa Bodell – USA – CEO of FutureThink, and Best-selling Author of ‘Kill The Company and Why Simple Wins’

It is a practical and a ‘must read’ book for everyone in the workplace. It can help individuals, especially current and aspiring leaders, to understand, recognise, and stop exclusion, in order to create diverse and inclusive organisations, strengthen interpersonal relationships and enhance leadership competencies.

Dr Ying Zhou – China – Lecturer, Jiangsu Open University

Experiences of inclusion are key to enhancing the productivity and wellbeing of individuals and organisations. This book captures the many experiences of inclusion and exclusion among individuals with different identities. The critical research undertaken by April, Dharani and April advances our understanding of how organisational policies, legislation and everyday manager and coworker interactions can promote a sense of inclusion among different individuals.

Prof. Eddy Ng – Canada – Smith Professor of Equity and Inclusion in Business, Queen’s University, and Editor-in-Chief of ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal’

Kurt April, Babar Dharani and Amanda April’s new book, Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace: Psychological & Behavioural Effects, is expansive and honest, grounded both in extensive scholarship as well as the recognisable and personal voices of employee interviews across levels and organisations. By defining diversity so inclusively – going beyond explicitly protected classes – they help us not only recognise, but also truly feel, the costs of exclusion and the values of inclusion – both personally and organisationally. And most usefully, they offer actionable remedies and pathways to inclusive leadership, and by doing so, inspire us to use them.

Prof. Mary C. Gentile – USA – Creator/Director of Giving Voice To Values, and Author of ‘Giving Voice To Values: How To Speak Your Mind When you Know What’s Right’

An important exploration into the factors and sub-factors that lead to exclusion, and all that it entails on the people that it impacts the most.

Simone Pound – UK – Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA)

This book provides a unique, holistic and at times confronting insight into the effects of exclusion through the lived experiences of respondents. The research is timely and provides a practical framework for courageous leaders, employees and organisations committed to fundamental and systemic change in the modern world of work.

Lawrence Cupido – Australia – Director Talent & Inclusion Solutions, ADP Global

This is an important book that highlights not only the greater need for inclusion due to the growing diversity in organisations, but also […] that the responsibility for inclusion lies with us all. Inclusion cannot be achieved by legislation alone but requires institutions, organisations, leaders and managers, as well as employees, to take responsibility.

Dr Joana Vassilopoulou – UK – Associate Professor in HRM and Director of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and UN PRME, Brunel Business School, Brunel University

Well done, Kurt, Barbar and Amanda, on your must-read book. At a time where [there is a] need to make working environments more inclusive and conscious, your book’s findings help inform that goal.

Dr Abdelraheem Abualbasal – Jordan – Associate Professor, King Talal School of Business Technology

Inclusion wins and exclusion loses. Having worked myself in five different sectors and global companies, I value this book as an excellent and very realistic analysis of how exclusion can lead to dramatic underperformance in organisations. I also strongly believe that it is the role of senior organisational leaders to create a culture of inclusivity to yield gains in the four critical areas of innovation, productivity, profitability and talent. Written by authors with high credibility and based on personal experiences, I recommend it to everybody who is still doubtful about the negative consequences of exclusion at the workplace, or wants to improve their organisational culture.

Dr Frank Waltman – Switzerland – Senior Executive, Glencore

This is a comprehensive book that promotes inclusive workplaces from the lens of exclusion and discrimination, with potential solutions for practitioners on leadership for inclusivity. I highly recommend this book to scholars, learners, and practitioners who aspire to create a more inclusive business and society.

Prof. Yuka Fujimoto – Malaysia – Professor of Management, Sunway Business School, Sunway University

One of the most important books of our time for employers and employees, and those interested in advancing true inclusion in the workplace. This publication examines the roots and modern day causes of exclusion, with the objective of helping advance diversity, equality and inclusive leadership.

Jyoti Chopra – USA – Chief People, Inclusion & Sustainability Officer, MGM Resorts International

Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace: Psychological & Behavioural Effects by Kurt April, Babar Dharani and Amanda April is a tour de force. Its analysis of what causes exclusion – and its impacts – is unflinching. It draws on rigorous research and provides gripping examples. It then presents a new framework to address the many ways we exclude and are excluded. The inclusive leadership framework, based on seven constructs, provides practical and aspirational guidance for us to become more inclusive at work and beyond.

Dr Ann Armstrong – Canada – Director, ICUBE, Lecturer, and Academic Director of the Intercultural Skills Lab, University of Toronto

Understanding that the need to belong is at the heart of human existence enhances our ability to consider the high cost of exclusion, both in personal and professional life. Yet, the manner in which these experiences are manifested in the workplace and the ways of dealing with them have yet to be fully explored. The book Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace: Psychological & Behavioural Effects analyses the various ways in which exclusionary and discriminatory experiences are manifested within the workplace based on race, ethnicity, appearance, gender, age, sexuality, language, dialect, political views and education. It explores the stories of research respondents who share their experiences of feeling excluded, alienated, marginalized and discriminated against, and probes into the psychological, behavioural and organisational effects of these experiences. It also discusses the means of addressing exclusion and discrimination in organisational environments through affirmative action, empowerment and leadership skills. The book’s strength and merit lie in its capacity to encompass a pressing social phenomenon in workplaces and to offer both a conceptual and a practical means of establishing working relationships based on human dignity and respect, while also demonstrating how historical and legal changes are manifested in the contemporary business environment.

Dr Shlomit Aharoni Lir – Israel – CEO Women Activists Online, and Gender & Media Researcher, Bar-Ilan University

There can never be enough books concerning exclusion at the workplace. We are experiencing a leadership crisis when it comes to meaningfully connecting to the workforce to understand its real needs, expectations and frustrations. This book comes in at a timely moment and will undoubtedly provide the work environment the missing link of sustainability.

Eddy M. Jolicoeur – Mauritius – Strategic Human Resources Consultant, and former Executive Vice President Human Resources at Air Mauritius

This critical research has deftly provided a voice and agency to employees who feel adversely excluded and discriminated against in the workplace, encouraging leaders and organisations to actively facilitate dialogue, and intentionally respond to their recommendations for inclusionary practices. The study highlights that there is a compelling leadership and organisational mandate to cultivate workplaces characterised by inclusive cultures, in which all employees thrive and flourish.

Nkulu Madonko – South Africa – Life, Executive and Team Coach, Quintus Coaching

This book brings deep insights and a thorough approach – based on rigorous research – that will help better remove obstacles to exclusion and provide opportunities to further promote inclusion from all levels of the organisation.

Antoine Tirard – France – Founder of NexTalent, and former Head of Talent Management of Novartis and LVMH

The book provides a platform for timely discussion on the ‘lived experiences of exclusion’ in the workplace. Each of the chapters takes you through a journey that is rich with information and ways to move your thinking forward. It is evident that this book has been written with compassion, energy and drive, which permits the reader to be active and reflective with the content. The work is compelling and makes a significant contribution to our insights into the psychological and behavioural effects when excluded from the workplace. The book, therefore, has the potential to improve efforts to encourage more inclusive approaches to supporting the recruitment and advancement of those from less traditional backgrounds. April et al.’s book should be acquired by scholars who work in the area of social justice.

Dr Victoria Showunmi – UK – Associate Professor, University College London

Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace: Psychological & Behavioural Effects is a well referenced guide for leaders, managers, and stakeholders of organisations to implement an inclusive leadership. Thanks to many examples from research respondents, the reader will have a greater understanding of various DEI notions, such as stereotypes, biases, exclusion, discrimination, emotional maturity, credibility, mental models, diversity policies, affirmative action, to name a few. This book is simply an eye-opener to consider diversity, equity and inclusion as an integral part of nowadays business and organisational life.

Stéphanie Simpson – Switzerland – Strategic Partnerships Manager, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

Progress towards diversity and inclusiveness, to uphold the very principles of an individual basic (psychological) right of dignity, of equality, of respect and well-being is still being fought around the globe. This book is both timely and essential to help leaders, who have an outsized ability to influence their employees’ perceptions and experiences to truly make a difference in their organisation.

Ruslan Islahudin – Malaysia – CEO of PETRONAS Leadership Center, and former General Manager for Strategy, Transformation and Communication, ENGEN

Societal discourse on discrimination, exclusion or non-inclusiveness is shifting greatly over the past years, especially with a new generation of young people demanding more of leaders and institutions, communities and systems. Yet, true knowledge, true understanding and a non-institutional, but human-centred understanding of the experiences is still vague. The workplace is where people spend more time than anywhere else besides their homes, and identifying the dynamics that cut deep inside team and organisational structures are critical to either enable those who want to support change or respond with more precision to situations where change is opposed. In their book Lived Experiences of Exclusion in the Workplace, April, Dharani and April dive under the surface of the challenge and merge science with practical experience and application to paint an important outline of interpersonal and systematic threats to inclusive and safe workplaces. For organisational leaders, policymakers or activists, this provides an important perspective to shape their actions.

Jonas Baer-Hoffman – The Netherlands – General Secretary, The Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPRO)

A clarion call – using powerful lived experiences to chart a much-needed path for greater inclusion in the world.

Paul Norman – South Africa – Group Chief Human Resources Officer, MTN

This book is a must read for anyone interested in addressing exclusion in the workplace. The authors were very wise to address such a range of topics, ranging from sexuality to disabilities in the workplace as well. The book also points out the glaring inequities that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted for many marginalised communities. This book is especially useful for undergraduate and graduate students studying Policy, Human Resources Management and Human Rights.

Prof. Richard Greggory Johnson III – USA – Professor & Department Chair, Public & Non Profit Administration, University of San Francisco

This book is a must read for leaders who have a real desire to drive inclusion within organisations. It offers some incredibly powerful insights, supported by practical solutions and ideas to effect lasting change. An important work from real thought leaders.

Anthony Burnett – UK – CEO, Kick It Out

The ability to address our greatest, most urgent challenges, from the climate crisis to the threat of new pandemics, is undercut by the growing polarisation of people. If we are to address the faultlines in society, we must start by examining structural exclusion and its impacts in our communities. Lived Experiences of Exclusion in The Workplace is necessary reading for those working at environmental and social development organisations.

Jyot Chadha – USA – Deputy Director, New Urban Mobility Alliance

Title Page

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION VOLUME 7

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF EXCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE: PSYCHOLOGICAL & BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS

BY

KURT APRIL

University of Cape Town, SA

BABAR DHARANI

University of Cape Town, SA

AMANDA APRIL

LICM Consulting

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2023

Copyright © 2023 Emerald Publishing Limited

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No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80043-309-0 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80043-308-3 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80043-310-6 (Epub)

ISSN: 2051-2333 (Series)

Contents

About the Authors

PROF. KURT APRIL is the Allan Gray Chair, an Endowed Professorship, specialising in Leadership, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Director of the Allan Gray Centre (AGC) for Values-Based Leadership at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town (South Africa), is a Faculty Member of Duke Corporate Education, Duke University (USA), and is Adjunct Faculty of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford (UK). Previously, he was a Research Fellow of Ashridge Business School (UK), Visiting Professor at London Metropolitan University (UK), Visiting Professor at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (Netherlands), and Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Economics & Econometrics, University of Amsterdam (Netherlands). He is also a Series Editorial Board Member of Palgrave (Springer) on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization in Business (Switzerland), an Associate Editor for Design Science (UK), an Editorial Board Member of the European Management Review (UK), an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Tropical Futures, and Editorial Review Board Member of the Africa Journal of Management (UK).

DR. BABAR DHARANI is a Senior Lecturer in the Allan Gray Centre (AGC) for Values-Based Leadership at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town (South Africa). He is a Business Finance Professional (BFP) and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA). His career started at Deloitte in London (UK) and KPMG in Port Louis (Mauritius) & Nairobi (Kenya). He moved from consulting to industry with FedEx in Dubai (UAE). Babar’s career largely excelled in the diamond industry, working in the position of Chief Financial Officer for one of the largest global diamond manufacturing businesses in Amsterdam (Netherlands) to subsequently managing the entire group in Luxembourg, and the sponsor’s family office in Singapore. His research ranges from academic books in the field of self-leadership to diversity and inclusion, peer-reviewed journal articles on leadership traits and work experiences ranging from burnout and boredom, toxic masculinity and exclusion, to vigour and absorption at work, as well as book chapters about inclusive leadership, mental models and happiness versus contentment at work.

AMANDA APRIL is a Director of LICM Consulting – a company specialising in Leadership, Inclusion, Coaching and Mentoring, an Academic Supervisor in the Department of Social Work and Social Development at the University of Cape Town (South Africa), a Regional Committee Member of Girls & Boys Town (South Africa), and a Trustee of the Bursary Trust at the International School of Cape Town (South Africa). She has worked both locally and internationally, in a coaching capacity as well as a Social Worker. Since 1988, and throughout her professional career, she has worked and advocated for marginalised individuals and communities. She worked as the Chief Social Worker in the Department of Social Services, where she was responsible for providing expert testimony and case histories to Courts throughout the Western Cape. Previously, she played roles as Coordinator of Victim-Support Services, Victim-Support Counsellor, Probation Officer, and Intermediary for survivors of abuse, and also trained professional and para-professionals as Intermediaries for court work. Additionally, she worked as a Researcher at Ashridge Leadership Centre in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire (UK), worked as a Senior Social Worker for Oxfordshire Children and Families Unit in Witney (UK), as well as taught at Oxford College for Further Education in Oxford, England (UK).

Foreword

Inclusion and exclusion are two polarised feelings and experiences that touch us deeply. All aspects of human psychology and social, economic, and political life are imbued with experiences of inclusion and exclusion. The positive impact of inclusion on individuals, teams, organisations, and societies, and multilevel policy interventions are now widely recognised. There is an exponential increase in organisational level interventions to foster inclusion, particularly in global organisations. However, what we know about how exclusion operates and manifests in teams, organisations, and societies remains disparate and siloed across disciplinary boundaries.

This volume transcends disciplinary silos and offers a rigorous and transdisciplinary exposition of exclusion in generic and local guises. The book draws on self-reported insights with key informants to provide examples of lived experiences of exclusion. Throughout the book, the authors are committed to ending exclusion and discrimination. This commitment also makes this book an exciting read, full of suggestions for change, and alternative means for speaking truth to power and standing up against exclusion.

The book straddles different analyses across micro-, meso-, and macro-levels and locates individual experiences of exclusion and inclusion in its nested context. This approach makes the book an excellent read for scholars who study unique settings and those who explore generic aspects of exclusion.

Notably, the three authors of this volume are engaged scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds, and explore exclusion as a multifaceted and complex problem that could be addressed through multilevel organisational interventions and individual acts. If you are a scholar or a practitioner in equality, diversity, and inclusion, the book will offer you inspiration, insights, and new perspectives.

Prof. Mustafa Özbilgin, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Brunel Business School, Brunel University, London, UK; Co-Chaire Management et Diversité at Université Paris Dauphine, France; and Visiting Professor of Management at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge all of the research respondents who willingly and courageously shared their lived experiences, challenges, perspectives, and insights in our preparation in writing this book – we are indeed grateful for your help in enriching our understanding of the psychological and behavioural effects that exclusion engenders for individuals, groups of people, workplace teams, and for organisations in general. We are grateful to the professional and supportive team at Emerald Publishing for being willing to take on our book project, and thereby benefitting the world with the (often silenced and marginalised) voices and stories of all who feel alienated and excluded at work. We would like to thank our loved ones for allowing us the space and time to explore the ways in which we can help to make the world more inclusive and bring more dignity and respect to the many who are consciously and unconsciously side-lined. Thank you.

Kurt, Babar & Amanda