Inclusive Leadership, Diversity, and Innovation with Social Impact

Background:  Research suggests that diverse work teams have a higher potential for creativity and innovation, yet this potential is often not fulfilled due to faulty processes such as mis-trust, misconceptions about the “other” and mis-communication (Mor Barak, 2013).  Promising studies point to the potential of climate of inclusion in facilitating effective diversity management. More specifically, inclusive leadership holds the promise of creating a climate of inclusion in organizations and unleashing the potential for innovation that is embedded in a more diverse workforce.  

Theory and conceptual underpinnings:  Innovation can be defined as the introduction of new and improved ways of doing things in the work environment (Anderson & West, 1998). According to social identity theory and optimal distinctiveness theory, individuals desire to belong to social groups that enjoy distinct and positive identities. At the same time, individuals desire to be recognized for their personal uniqueness. Theoretical development by Shore et al (2011) proposes that inclusion is composed of two main elements:  uniqueness – individuals’ desire to be recognized for their distinctive attributes, and belonging – individuals’ need to belong to the group and organization.  Mor Barak and colleagues proposed three important dimensions to inclusion: (a) in the decision making process; (b) in information networks; and (c) in level of participation/involvement in workgroups and in the organization (Mor Barak, Cherin and Berkman, 1998; Mor Barak, 2006; 2014). Leadership that recognizes and celebrates both uniqueness and belonging along those three dimensions can be defined as inclusive leadership.

Transformational leadership theory posits that a leader’s ability to motivate and inspire others is dependent on four main domains: (a) Individualized consideration; (b) intellectual stimulation; (c) inspirational motivation; and (d) idealized influence.

Proposed conceptual framework:  To generate innovation, leaders need to apply transformational leadership that would foster inclusion within the organization. Applying social identity and optimal distinctiveness theory as well as transformational leadership, our proposed conceptual framework suggests that inclusive leadership holds the promise of unleashing the innovative potential of a diverse workforce while overcoming the potential faulty processes such as mis-communication and mis-trust.  More specifically, the identified four domains of transformational leadership (a) recognize and appreciate individual needs (uniqueness dimension of inclusion), (b) encourage different perspectives (essential for innovation), (c) inspire participants to contribute their best work (essential for innovation), and (d) instill values beliefs and a shared sense of mission and increase commonality (belonging dimension of inclusion).   Thus, leaders’ ability to recognize individual needs and foster commonality among members (uniqueness and belonging), is the theoretical path between leadership and organizational climate for inclusion and is essential for fostering innovation.  

Discussion/implications: 

The greatest challenge facing the social work profession is that of generating innovative approaches for solving society’s ills and supporting those innovations with research that documents their effectiveness.  This paper suggests the theoretical path and a conceptual framework that could provide the foundation for inclusive leadership training programs in human service organizations to foster a climate of inclusion and unleash the organization's potential for innovation.