The shifting DEI landscape: how political context and leadership support shape institutional inclusivity orientation

Abstract

We began this effort of identifying business schools' innovative, inclusive practices at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was supported. We sought to establish a better understanding of universities' DEI climate, strategies and innovative programs. However, anti-DEI legislation challenging and defunding DEI offices began to shift the U.S. higher education climate. We discovered that the shifting landscape created different institutional inclusivity orientations representing how institutions responded to multiple threats to DEI, and we present a framework of Institutional Inclusivity Orientation. We selected forty AACSB-accredited business schools across five U.S. regions for a comprehensive website review and conducted virtual interviews with nineteen DEI professionals. Thus, we explored institutional and college-level support, the impact of sociopolitical dynamics, climate, leadership, resources, priorities, programming and strategy. Thematic analysis was used to analyze website and interview data. An overarching theme of Institutional Inclusivity Orientation emerged from the data indicating in many cases a values-driven commitment toward inclusivity. The framework includes five categories representing the institutions' established DEI strategies, objectives, funding and resources, practices and programs at the time of data collection. Emerging patterns of how political climate, anti-DEI legislation and leadership support shape their inclusivity orientation are reported. The five categories are: inclusive, proactive, superficial, reactive and restrictive. We gained insight into U.S. business schools' responses to multiple threats to DEI, and we present a framework of Institutional Inclusivity Orientation which may provide guidance to other institutions facing similar threats.