Building a toolkit for an inclusive culture in a remote work environment

Abstract

The scope of this thesis is that of researching Diversity and Inclusion at company x, a small company that operates in the IT industry, the research has a particular focus on inclusion and belonging. Through the research work the author’s intention is that of creating a case study of the current situation of Diversity and Inclusion at company x by clarifying the level of understanding of the topic among leaders and employees at company x and what concrete actions company x has put into practice so far to make sure the workplace has an inclusive culture where employees feel like they belong.

The thesis has a concrete outcome which is a toolkit for inclusion in a remote work environment. This toolkit is created on the basis of the answers to the research questions and on the basis of the best practices on Diversity and Inclusion described by the literature.

This thesis uses a qualitative method approach, through a self-administered questionnaire and a series of semi-structured interviews, the data is collected and then analyzed through the thematic analysis methodology. The thematic analysis leads to the finding of themes that are most mentioned by company x during the data collection phase and that will serve to understand what the situation of company x in relation to Diversity and Inclusion is. The absence of specific themes in the thematic analysis results, themes which are described in the theoretical framework, will suggest the need of covering those themes in the toolkit for inclusion to provide the essentials of Diversity and Inclusion to all company x’s employees.

The theoretical framework includes the most common and essential information described in the Diversity, and Inclusion literature and the basic concepts that companies who are interested in building a culture of inclusion and belonging should be familiar with. The theoretical framework outlines the basics of Diversity and Inclusion and the benefits of having a diverse workforce, it highlights the importance of managing diversity and being aware of biases, microaggressions, stereotypes and prejudices which can be an obstacle to an inclusive culture. The theoretical framework also touches upon the several types of diversity, and describes concepts as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, mindfulness, and inclusive leadership, which are essential concepts that need to be well-understood and put into practice to support an inclusive culture.

The outcome of the thesis, the toolkit for inclusion in a remote work environment, includes a description of what diversity and inclusion are and an introduction to biases, stereotypes, prejudices and microaggressions with concrete examples to provide clarity on these concepts which are not always easy to understand. The toolkit also gives guidelines to leaders, employees, and recruiters on how to contribute to building an inclusive culture and workplace, and it outlines the importance of speaking up if unfairness or discrimination has been experienced or witnessed. Overall, the toolkit gives the foundations for an inclusive culture, and it can be used now by company x and also in the future when the company will grow.