Dr. Sherry M. B. Thatcher
AMR Editor-in-Chief
University of Tennessee - Knoxville

October 14, 2022, JSOM 2.902, 10:30 am - 12 pm

Pushing back against power: Using a multilevel power lens to understand intersectionality in the workplace

Abstract:  Intersectionality, defined as the intertwined and multiplicative effects of multiple identity groups (Smith et al., 2019), considers how various combinations of individuals’ social identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, age) and their embedded meanings, impacts their lives, their employment, and the organizations where they work (Crenshaw, 1989; Rosette, Koval, Ma, & Livingston, 2016). Despite the value of understanding employees’ intersectional experiences for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the management field lacks a comprehensive review of intersectionality research. By examining how different levels of power perpetuate, amplify, or attenuate experiences associated with intersectionality, we synthesize findings from 153 articles to provide insight into the identity combinations that have been studied, the associated outcomes of experienced intersectionality, and the variety of individual and organizational responses that occur when intersectionality is experienced. Our multilevel power lens highlights intersectionality trends relevant for DEI research and practice alike. We also delineate avenues for future intersectionality research, including the need to investigate understudied identities and their intersections with other identities, consideration of intersectionality as highly contextualized, and the integration of new theories within intersectionality research.