Workplace Inclusivity: A Literature Review From a Strategy-As-Practice Perspective

Abstract

Inclusive work environments are more likely to attract and retain a diverse talent pool, improving business outcomes and competitive advantage. However, inclusivity has been treated as a sum of organizational behaviour norms elaborated by savvy organizations. In line with real-world practices, we advance that inclusivity is a strategic practice that emerges as an inter-related and co-evolving pool of influences from the individual, firm, and environment, elevating it as a strategic management topic. We implemented a systematic literature review (SLR) of selected contributions dealing with the role of workplace inclusivity. Collected papers have been analysed by considering the so-called strategy-as-practice (s-as-p) perspective (i.e., the doing of strategy, who does it, what they do, how they do it, what they use, and what implications this has for shaping strategy), hence, enriching strategy theory, empirical research, and real-world practice. We offer a typology of strategic inclusivity practices that scholars and practitioners can use to study workplace inclusivity strategically. The proposed typology identifies the different domains of inclusivity by considering the level of praxis and practitioners. This article is the first to provide an in-depth and broad review of inclusivity in the workplace via a strategic management lens.