Designing inclusive organizational identities

Organizational identity can be a key instrument in designers’ pursuit to build organizations that employ individuals from diverse social groups and create inclusive workplace cultures that support all members’ belonging, regardless of their status in society. We define an inclusive organizational identity as the belief (held by internal or external stakeholders) that inclusivity is one of the defining characteristics of an organization; that the organization intentionally incorporates diverse individuals—including those with historically marginalized social identities—into its governance, operations, and outputs. Building on studies in different literatures—ranging from micro-level research in psychology of belonging, meso-level research on sensegiving, and macro-level research on how organizations are perceived by their audiences—we develop a design-based approach to organizational identity. In order to create inclusive identities, designers will need to address trade-offs around whether to make identity claims, claim inclusivity as an identity feature, and affiliate with ideologies of inclusion (assimilation versus multiculturalism). If they choose to make identity claims, designers can bolster those claims by developing managers as stewards of the organization’s identity, facilitating employee participation to define inclusivity, and being transparent about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts.