Understanding Inclusive Organizations Through Ecological Systems Theory

Understanding Inclusive Organizations through Ecological Systems TheoryMicrosystem. In a work setting, the Exosystemmight include upper management, recruitmentagencies, productivity demand, and otherdeterminants of general workplace culture.While the Microsystem is the most visible andmeaningful; in an employee‘s day-to-day workexperience, in many ways it is the actions ofthose in the Exosystem that create a workplaceculture that makes a supportive Microsystempossible. This can be seen in the creation ofpolicies, support staff, and overall corporateculture. For example, when employingindividuals with diverse needs, many companiesfind that their training protocols and guidelinesmay need to be adjusted. At Sephora andWalgreens, this meant the creation of a specialhands-on training room, greater supervision ofon-the-floor training, and an expanded trainingperiod (45 days instead of the standard 2weeks). Corporate support and funds wereneeded to accommodate these additional needs(time, space, training personnel), but theseefforts have been pivotal in fostering the successof employees with special needs. One employeeexplains the support received from corporateheadquarters: ―Support from upper managementto help overcome issues is key. I have a deafemployee— I write notes. We have now havesubtitles for films, which provides him with afeeling [of] inclusion. We need their support toget the tools we need.‖(Moore, Doughty, &Hankins, 2020).In addition to upper management, theExosystem also includes individuals who workless directly with employees, such as those inHuman Resources. Sephora departments in thedistribution center recognize that the HRinclusion staff are essential to theirsuccess. They have three key roles. First, theyhelp the disabled employee "have the righttechnical fit" in the workplace station. Second,they function as coaches to managers anddisabled employees to develop a positivepartnership with each other through opencommunication and resolution of operationalissues. In our work, we have seen howimportant HR staff can be when dealing withissues that arise between employees withdisabilities and their immediate supervisors.Rather than allowing the performance-relateddismissal of special needs employees, HR canurge/require managers to instead developperformance improvement plans (PIP) foremployees not meeting production standards.Managers having difficulty coping with the10special needs of their employees are then giventhe resources and coaching necessary to create awork environment in which the employee can besuccessful. This often ends up creating a better,more inclusive work environment for allemployees, rather than benefitting just thetargeted employee. Thirdly, they act asrecruiters in the community, knowing whichpartner agencies to work with in order to attractskilled disabled candidates (T. Gustafson,personal communication, July 22nd 2020).MACROSYSTEMContinuing to expand the circle of stem. This encompasses the broadestinfluences on an individual—government,culture, economics and society. Theseinfluences are not felt directly but work to shapethe contexts and situations that an individualmust navigate. In an inclusive work setting, thismight include relevant public policies, theeconomic wellbeing of the company at large, thepolitical climate, and societal beliefs andsupport. Individuals may not be aware of themyriad ways in which their experiences areshaped by these large-scale forces, but thatdoesn‘t diminish their ultimate importance. Forexample, in many states there are economicincentives for companies to hire individualswith disabilities (United States Department ofLabor, 2020). Public support and funding is alsocritical in operating a variety of non-profitorganizations that work with people withdisabilities. These programs and individuals canpartner with inclusive organizations to helpidentify good candidates, provide ―soft skills‖training, supply specially trained job coachesand consultants, as well as create an effectiveonboarding system (Maxey, Moore, & Hanson,2017). Most employees are unaware of the waysin which state or federal policy enables diverseemployment, but its support in creating aninclusive workplace can be invaluable.The Macrosystem also encompasses forces likesocial and cultural norms. Here, companies‘increasing desire for inclusion and diversity ismirrored in increasing calls for social justice andrepresentation worldwide. By raising awarenessof their inclusion efforts, Sephora has madediversity and inclusion part of its brand identity,both internally and in the public eye. TomGustafson of Sephora, said: "Sephora marketingdepartment was very excited about our inclusionprogram and filmed some of our associates forthe national campaign. They included ourInternational Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management V8 I1 2021

Understanding Inclusive Organizations through Ecological Systems Theoryassociates with a disability and told their storyof belonging. These employees have a sense ofbelonging at Sephora that is very powerful."This sentiment is echoed in a recent campaign:choosing as their company slogan ―we belong tosomething beautiful‖ (T. Gustafson, personalcommunication, July 22nd 2020).CHRONOSYSTEMA later addition to Bronfenbrenner‘s model, theChronosystem is depicted as surrounding thesystem in its entirety and symbolizes thedynamic nature of an individual‘s EcologicalSystem over time. An individual‘s relationships,environments, and social networks are bound tochange over time—an inevitability also faced inthe workplace. Much like humans grow anddevelop over time, companies, workplaces, andprograms also experience cycles of growth andchange. In the Chronosystem of the workplace,we must consider factors such as turnover inmanagement, the productivity cycles found inmany industries, changes in employees‘ skills,shifts in job requirements, changes in socialpolicy, and society‘s increasing acceptance ofPWD and diversity in the workplace. Forexample, younger employees who are used tomain streamed classrooms may be morecomfortable working with PWD.Another such example is the way Sephora‘sdisability inclusion initiative has become, afterjust 4 years, an integral part of their corporateculture. Tom Gustafson, a Vice President ofHuman Resources at Sephora, explained that theinclusion initiative is not a secondary project forthe company but is central to their identity. In2019, Sephora's goal was to employ 30% of itsdistribution center workforce with people withdisabilities. In two of their distribution centersthey have hired 119 people with disabilities withnine being promoted. This inclusive culture ispart of the recruitment process for individualsinterested in joining as supervisors andmanagers(T.Gustafson,personalcommunication, July 22nd 2020). He stated:"Our recruiting department sends the inclusionvideo to all the applicants, letting them knowabout the inclusion initiative. Interestingly,while [other] companies tend to shy away fromhiring people with a disability, people who wantto come work with us see it differently. Irepeatedly hear candidates saying that they wantto be part of something great. They want tochange people‘s lives by participating in theinclusion culture of Sephora".MESOSYSTEMA final component of Bronfenbrenner‘s model,the Mesosystem, represents the relationshipsand interactions that occur between elements indifferent systems. In our model, this is depictedusing arrows, which we feel best captures theconnective nature of this system. Here,Bronfenbrenner placed collaborations betweenschool and home, but we might also n between management andemployees, and collaboration or competitionbetween individuals or departments. Otherpossible forces in the Mesosystem areindividuals and philosophies that function tocreate connection between different systems. Acorporate executive champion of the inclusioninitiative, points to the corporate leadershipphilosophy needing to be flexible, adaptive, anddecentralized in order to ensure the effectiveimplementation of inclusion in the distributioncenters‘ culture. For example, executives‘decision to empower management provides anexample of the kind of openness and flexibilitythat the managers themselves often need tocreatively engage employees with special needs.Corporate empowerment allows managers tofocus on working with the specificities of eachemployee, regardless of the existence of adisability, looking to build relationships andinnovative solutions by engaging the team indecision making and problem solving.Furthermore, corporate empowerment creates anHR department that focuses on employee andmanager development instead of being theenforcers and punishers of compliance. Activeengagement with goals, positive, empoweringrelationships, and clear communication in theMesosystem can help ensure that challenges areidentified and resolved early.DISCUSSIONIt is our hope that by using Bronfenbrenner‘sEcological Systems theory to frame the issue ofinclusivity in the workplace, the complexity ofsuch a venture will be better appreciated. It isimportant to have a multi-faceted approach toinclusion, targeting key players at every level ofthe company‘s Ecological System. At theMacrosystem level, a combination of economicfactors, governmental policies, and social normscreate support and demand for increasedattention to diverse hiring practices. For suchprograms to be pursued, engagement andinvestment from corporate leaders and uppermanagement (in the Exosystem) is needed toInternational Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management V8 I1 202111

Understanding Inclusive Organizations through Ecological Systems Theoryensure that key resources and policies aresecured and implemented within the company—creating a corporate culture of inclusivity. Thisshould then provide the support and incentiveneeded for supervisors, coworkers, and mentorsto provide an inclusive workplace environmentwhere all employees can thrive. Helping toensure alignment of goals is the Mesosystem—the relationships and dynamics that createcommunication and consistency across allsystems.support from all levels, the application ofBronfenbrenner‘s Ecological Systems theory tothe workplace can facilitate a broad range ofinclusion and diversity efforts in the workplace.[1]Alper, J., &Domnitz, S. (2017). Strengtheningthe workforce to support community living andparticipation for older adults and individualswith disabilities. Forum on Aging, Disabilityand Independence Meeting Proceedings.Washington, DC: National Academies Press.While companies often recognize therecruitment and retention challenges involved indiverse employment, less attention is given tothe ongoing challenges of maintaininginvestment in the program over time—especially with turnover in management. In ourwork with inclusive organizations, we have seenhow rapidly a successful inclusion program cansuffer as one or more elements in a system fallout of alignment with the company‘s inclusiongoals and values. For example, one site waseager to begin their inclusive hiring program,and had achieved enthusiastic buy-in fromemployees, management, and corporate.Policies had been written, and new trainingprotocols developed. The only problem wastheir recruitment agency, which failed to recruitenough individuals with disability. Only oneelement of the system was out of alignment withthe goal of inclusion, but it was enough todiminish the overall effect considerably. Thesame could happen if any one of the systems fellout of alignment—so it is important to bemindful and strategic when planning andimplementinginclusivepractices.Thesuccessful, long-term inclusion of persons withdisability requires communication, involvement,and buy-in from individuals and groups at alllevels of the system.[2]Barnes, C., & Mercer, G. (2005). Disability,work, and welfare: Challenging the socialexclusionofdisabledpeople. Work,Employment and Society, 19(3), 527-545.[3]Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology ofHuman Development. Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press.[4]Bronfenbrenner, U. (1992). Ecological Systemstheory. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.[5]Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological modelsof human development In M. Gauvain& M.Cole (Eds.). Readings on the development ofchildren (2nd ed., 37–43. New York, NY:Freeman.[6]Bronfenbrenner, U. (1999). Environments indevelopmental perspective: Theoretical andoperational models. In S. L. Friedman, & T. D.Wachs (Ed.), Measuring environment acrossthe lifespan (pp. 3–28). Washington, DC:American Psychological Association.[7]Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. (2006). Thebioecological model of human development. InR. Lerner (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology,Vol. 1, theoretical models of humandevelopment (pp. 793–828) Hoboken, NJ: JohnWiley & Sons[8]Bruyère, S. M. (2016). Disability and employerpractices: Research across the disciplines.Ithaca: ILR Press.[9]Bushe, G. R., & Nagaishi, M. (2018).Imagining the future through the past:Organization development isn‘t (just) aboutchange. Organization Development Journal,36(3), 23-36.REFERENCESCONCLUSIONThe push for greater diversity and inclusion inthe workplace is exciting and long-awaited. Amore diverse workforce has the potential tobenefit individuals and corporations across theboard. Care must be taken, however, to ensurethat inclusion initiatives are given the thought,resources, and care needed to succeed.Regardless of the facet of diversity ic background, gender, etc), thesuccess of individuals depends on so much morethan just an individual‘s characteristics—butrather the smooth interactions of a complexsystem. By encouraging a broader look at thecomplex ways in which inclusivity involves12[10] Dwertmann, D., & Boehm, S. (2014). Themoderating effect of culture for inclusion onsupervisor-subordinate disability dissimilarityoutcomes. Academy of Management AnnualMeeting Proceedings, 313-318.[11] Gomez, J. L., Langdon, P. M., Bichard, J. A., &Clarkson, P. J. (2014). Designing accessibleworkplaces for visually impaired people.In Inclusive Designing (pp. 269-279). Springer,Cham.International Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management V8 I1 2021

Understanding Inclusive Organizations through Ecological Systems Theory[12] Green, K. A., López, M., Wysocki, A., &Kepner, K. (2002). Diversity in the workplace:Benefits, challenges, and the requiredmanagerial tools. University of Florida, 1(4), 13.[13] Hartnett, H. P., Stuart, H., Thurman, H., Loy,B., & Batiste, L. C. (2011). Employers'perceptions of the benefits of workplaceaccommodations: Reasons to hire, retain andpromote people with disabilities. Journal ofVocational Rehabilitation, 34(1), 17-23.[14] Jamieson, D. W., & Marshak, R. J. (2018).Reasserting what OD needs to be. OrganizationDevelopment Journal, 36(3), 91-103.[15] Kalargyrou, V. (2014). Gaining a ives. Journal of Human Resources inHospitality & Tourism, 13(2), 120-145.[16] Kaye, S., Jans, L., & Jones, E. (2011). Whydon‘t employers hire and retain workers on, 21, 526-536.[17] Khalifa, G., Sharif, Z., Sultan, M., & Di Rezze,B. (2020). Workplace accommodations foradults with autism spectrum disorder: Ascopingreview.Disabilityandrehabilitation, 42(9), 1316-1331.[18] Lindsay, S., Cagliostro, E., Albarico, M.,Mortaji, N., & Karon, L. (2018). A systematicreview of the benefits of hiring people withdisabilities. Journalofoccupationalrehabilitation, 28(4), 634-655.[19] Maciver, D., Rutherford, M., Arakelyan, S.,Kramer, J., Richmond, J., Todorova, L.,Romero-Ayuso, D., Nakamura-Thomas, H., tenVelden, M., Finlayson, I., O‘Hare, A., &Forsyth, K. (2019). Participation of childrenwith disabilities in school: A realist systematicreview of psychosocial and environmentalfactors. PloS One, 14(1), 210511[20] Maxey, E., Moore, J., Hanson, W. (2017).Handbook of Research on Training Evaluationin the Modern Workforce. ―Impetus for CultureTransformation: Disabled Employee Pre-HireTraining‖. IGI Global, Hershey PA.[21] McCary, K. (2005). The disability twist indiversity: Best practices for integrating peoplewith disabilities into the workforce. DiversityFactor, 13(3), 16-22.[22] Moore, J., Doughty, S.E., &Hankins, S. (2020).Successful employees with disabilities throughthe lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological system:a case study at Sephora. Paper accepted forpresentation at Consortium Global EducatorsResearch Institute.[23] Moore, J., Hanson, W., & Maxey, E. (2020).Disability inclusion: Catalyst to adaptiveorganizations. Organizational DevelopmentJournal, Vol. 38, No. 1.[24] Moore, J., Maxey, E., Waite, A., & ntal reciprocity through authenticleader-employee relationships. Under reviewJournal of Management Development.[25] Odom, S. L., Peck, C. A., Hanson, M.,Beckman, P. J., Kaiser, A. P., Lieber, J., &Schwartz, I. S. (1996). Inclusion at thepreschool level: An Ecological Systemsanalysis. Social Policy Report: Society forResearch in Child Development, 10(2), 18-30.[26] Olivier‐Pijpers, V., Cramm, J., &Nieboer, A.(2018). Influence of the organizationalenvironment on challenging behaviour ‘ views. Journal of AppliedResearch in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(3),610–621. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12555[27] Panopoulos, N., & Drossinou-Korea, M.(2020). Bronfenbrenner‘s theory and teachingintervention: The case of student withintellectual disability. The Journal of Languageand Linguistic Studies. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.759243[28] Society for Human Resource Management.(2018). Recruiting workers with disabilities:What are some common myths about hiringpeople with disabilities that impede disabilityrecruiting initiatives? Retrieved October 10,2018, from https://www.shrm.org/resources yeeswithdisabilities.aspx[29] Sontag,J.C.(1996).―TowardaComprehensive Theoretical Framework forDisabilityResearch:BronfenbrennerRevisited.‖ TheJournalofSpecialEducation 30.3: 319–344.[30] Stone, D.L. & Colella, A. (1996). A model offactors affecting the treatment of disabledindividuals in organizations. Academy ofManagement Review, 21(2), 352-401.[31] United States Department of Labor (2020, July29). Work Opportunity Tax Credit, c/pdfs/WOTC Fact Sheet.pdf[32] Värlander, S. (2012). Management practice anddisability:Anembodiedperspective. Scandinavian Journal of DisabilityResearch, 14(2), 148-164.[33] Wells, S. J. (2008). Counting on workers withdisabilities. HR Magazine, 53(4), 45-49.[34] Zhang, H., Boyle, C., & Chan, P. (2014).Equality in Education: Fairness and Inclusion.International Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management V8 I1 202113

Understanding Inclusive Organizations through Ecological Systems TheorySense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/97894-6209-692-9.[35] Zolna, J. S., Sanford, J., Sabata, D., &Goldthwaite,J.(2007).Reviewofaccommodation strategies in the workplace forpersons withmobility and dexterityimpairments: Application to criteria foruniversaldesign. TechnologyandDisability, 19(

employment for all of its citizens. For over 6 years, our team has worked in Walgreens and Sephora USA to understand the transformational dynamic of these inclusive teams. Previous research has looked into developing models of requisite inclusive management style, dynamics of inclusive teams, as well as