647: Learning from DEI Exceptions: Emerging Sectors, Atypical Employees and Innovative Practices (12874)

Organizer(s)

• SP

  Sanjeewa Perera

  U. of South Australia, Australia

Participant(s)

• SS

  Sohini Sinha

  Electronics Manufacturing Corp A
• PJ

  Prakriti Jha

  Electronics Manufacturing Corp B

Presenter(s)

• TF

  Taylor Fugere

  U. of California, Merced

Participant(s)

• TL

  Tea Lempiala

  U. of California, Merced, United States

Presenter(s)

• LB

  Lara Bertola

  Rennes School of Business, France

Participant(s)

• EP

  Esra Paca

  Rennes School of Business, France
• OO

  Ozlem Ozkok

  Rennes School of Business, France
• TV

  Tunyaporn Vichiengior

  Rennes School of Business

Presenter(s)

• DG

  Dritjon Gruda

  Catolica Porto, Portugal/ Maynooth U., Ireland, Ireland

Participant(s)

• MC

  Marian Crowley-Henry

  Maynooth U., Ireland

Organizer(s)

• CK

  Carol Kulik

  U. of South Australia, Australia

Participant(s)

• AO

  Adegboyega Ojo

  National U. of Ireland, Maynooth

Presenter(s)

• MM

  Monika Maslikowska

  U. of Zurich, Switzerland

Participant(s)

• JS

  Jan Schmutz

  U. of Zurich, Switzerland
• LO

  Leszek Orzechowski

  Lunares Research Station
• AM

  Agata Mintus

  Lunares Research Station
• SS

  Sukhbir Sandhu

  U. of South Australia, Australia

Presenter(s)

• VS

  Vasanthi Srinivasan

  Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India

Participant(s)

• DD

  Debolina Dutta

  Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India

Progress toward workplace diversity and inclusion has been slow and there is a pressing need to identify innovative organizational practices that can support attraction and engagement of diverse employees. In this symposium, we investigate how exceptional organizations might ‘think outside the box’ to find innovative ways to support employee diversity. We focus on organizations in emerging sectors like space startups, space simulation missions. With less pressure to conform to industry norms, these organizations have the latitude to push boundaries and incubate creative ways to attract and engage a diverse workforce. We also highlight organizations in more mature sectors that recruit atypical employees and adopt innovative benefits. By focusing on the exceptions who break the usual rules, our symposium offers inspiring examples of organizations finding innovative ways to address diversity and inclusion at work. But our symposium also delivers cautionary lessons, by highlighting some unanticipated consequences of organizational diversity and inclusion practices. Two presentations (Maslikowska et al. and Perera et al.) examine diversity and inclusion practices in the emerging space sector. Two presentations investigate how high-tech organizations are attracting and engaging women (Srinivasan et al.) and racial minority employees (Fugere & Lempiälä) in a sector traditionally dominated by White men. The final two presentations (Bertola et al. and Gruda et al.) examine the complex consequences of diversity and inclusion activities across sectors (e.g., fertility treatment services, biotech, retail, healthcare, IT, finance, business services).

Presentations:

• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Diversity in Space Sector: What we Learn from Including Parastronauts in Analog Space Mission Crews (12874)
  

  Author: Monika Maslikowska – U. of Zurich

  Author: Jan B. Schmutz – U. of Zurich

  Author: Leszek Orzechowski – Lunares Research Station

  Author: Agata Mintus – Lunares Research Station
• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Rally the Troops First: Startup Action on Gender Equality (12874)
  

  Author: Sanjeewa Samanmali Perera – U. of South Australia

  Author: Carol T. Kulik – U. of South Australia

  Author: Sukhbir Kaur Sandhu – U. of South Australia
• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Growing Women Leaders in Indian Electronics Manufacturing (12874)
  

  Author: Vasanthi Srinivasan – Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

  Author: Debolina Dutta – Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

  Author: Sohini Sinha – Electronics Manufacturing Corp A

  Author: Prakriti Jha – Electronics Manufacturing Corp B
• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Promoting Belonging while Constraining Agency: Practices of an Inclusive Technology Start-up (12874)
  

  Author: Taylor Fugere – U. of California, Merced

  Author: Tea Lempiala – U. of California, Merced
• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Navigating Fertility and Work: Trends in an Evolving Landscape (12874)
  

  Author: Lara Bertola – Rennes School of Business

  Author: Esra Paca – Rennes School of Business

  Author: Ozlem Ozkok – Rennes School of Business

  Author: Tunyaporn Vichiengior – Rennes School of Business
• 09:45 – 11:15 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

  647: Decoding Gender Dynamics: Machine Learning Insights into Organizational Culture & Employee Wellbeing (12874)
  

  Author: Dritjon Gruda – Catolica Porto, Portugal/ Maynooth U., Ireland

  Author: Marian Crowley-Henry – Maynooth U.

  Author: Adegboyega Ojo – National U. of Ireland, Maynooth