Research: Why Managers Deny Inequity in Their Own Organizations

July 17, 2023 | 7:21 pm

When someone strongly identifies with their workplace, they’re less likely to recognize its failures.

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All too often, managers deny the existence of inequities at their organizations and, as a result, resist implementing diversity initiatives there. There are two standard explanations for this behavior: Managers resist because they’re part of privileged demographic groups whose power is threatened by the initiatives, or because they’re ideologically opposed to them. The authors of this article, however, have uncovered evidence of an even more powerful factor: Managers resist because they identify with their organizations and therefore are prone to “motivated reasoning,” a phenomenon that makes it hard for them to view their organization in a negative light. The authors explain this phenomenon and provide readers with some tactics for combatting it.

The success of diversity initiatives — which are designed to address social inequities and ensure that all employees are treated equally — depends on the support of those in positions of structural power: which is to say, managers. But even those managers who generally support diversity initiatives often deny the existence of problems at their own organizations and therefore resist such initiatives. Consider the response of Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, when two of his executives, both women, told him that the company was paying men and women unequally. Benioff later recalled his response during a 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl:

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Christopher To is an assistant professor of human-resource management at the School of Management and Labor Relations, at Rutgers University. His research explores the management of workplace hierarchies, gender and racial inequalities, and interpersonal competition.

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Elad N. Sherf is an associate professor of organizational behavior at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His research explores why employees frequently remain silent (versus speak up) about issues, ideas, and concerns, and how managerial attitudes and behaviors contribute to such tendencies.

Maryam Kouchaki is a professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School of Management. Her research explores ethics, morality, and the complexity and challenges of managing ethnic and gender diversity for organizations.