Project R-14661

Organizational space and inclusion (Research)

This PhD aims to contribute to the literature on inclusion in organizations by further examining the underexplored role of organizational spaces. Academic debates on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have traditionally drawn on psychological theories to understand diversity, mainly focusing on inclusionary and exclusionary interpersonal dynamics. Challenging the individualist stance of these traditional approaches, critical perspectives to inclusion have emphasized the need to consider and unveil unequal power relations and structural dynamics reproducing them. While arguing for a more structural focus, studies that adopt a critical approach have mainly privileged the role of discourse, thereby mirroring traditional approaches in their disregard for the role of organizational space. This study aims to contribute to these debates by addressing the gap in the literature concerning the role of organizational space in inclusion and in efforts to promote organizational inclusion. The term organizational space refers to the built environment that arises from the activities, objects, configurations, and social practices within an organization (Stephenson et al., 2020). Rejecting the view of space as fixed and neutral, a spatial approach recognizes it as a dynamic and performative entity. Spaces are thereby recognized to have an impact on identity constructions, power relations, and the experiences of marginalized individuals and to traditionally reflect white, middle-class, able-bodied, male norms. As a result, they can have important implications for organizational inclusion. The research goal of this PhD is to investigate how organizational spaces designed to promote inclusion (e.g. quiet spaces for neuro-diverse individuals) are organized, managed, experienced, resisted, and appropriated. This study will thereby explore between top-down, formal modifications of spaces to make workplaces more inclusive and bottom-up, informal processes of space appropriation by individuals themselves. Moreover, it will explore how these processes of spacing relate to the broader DEI policies of organizations to create inclusive organizations. To attain this goal, an ethnographic multiple case study approach based on observations, interviews, and document analysis will be used. Ultimately, the study seeks to contribute valuable insights into the intersection of organizational spaces and inclusion practices, offering a comprehensive understanding of their role in shaping inclusive workplace environments.

01 November 2023 - 31 October 2027