Inclusion and unconscious bias do not go well together. They are like magnetic poles that repel each other. Why? Simple social psychology: if biases are not actively challenged, teams are formed primarily on similarities. An effective Diversity & Inclusion strategy helps to act in a more bias-conscious way.
But why do people often unconsciously act in an exclusionary way?
This is explained quite simply in terms of social psychology. People prefer to come together based on similarities: for example, the same age, the same social background or the same hobby. These are the so-called in-groups. We even feel more empathy for these in-groups. We share common values and norms with the group and it is relatively clear how we should behave. In-groups are very flexible entities: an in-group can be a sports club, but also a social group affiliation, such as being white-German, a cis woman or non-disabled.
Out-groups are therefore those groups to which people either do not feel they belong and/or are read by others as not belonging. When it comes to the sports club, this is not very dramatic. However, when group membership is linked to social power, it does have consequences. For example, a black person, a trans woman, or a Muslim person are classified as "the others" even though, for example, the black person also sees herself as German and a trans woman simply as a woman. Out-groups, however, do not have institutional power: they do not hold the majority of posts and offices in politics, business and society.
Inclusion means challenging the norm
Belonging to an in- or out-group is oriented towards norms. The closer I as a person in Germany conform to the norm - "white, cis male, non-disabled, straight, from a West German academic household and socialised as a Christian" - the more social advantages it has. Conversely, it is associated with social exclusion. So: in order to achieve inclusion, unconscious bias must be constantly questioned in decision-making processes. Because otherwise it has far-reaching consequences for equal opportunities: for example, people often have a harder time finding a job or a place to live. They are much more exposed to conscious and unconscious individual and structural discrimination. Inclusion means questioning norms and actively doing something different.
A "cultural fit" can be based on this unconscious bias, which ensures exclusion
The privileges of in-groups naturally continue to have an effect in companies. Those who are or become employees of a company share certain values and norms and "just fit in". On the one hand, this is good because shared values have a bonding effect and thus provide motivation to work on the common vision of the company. On the other hand, it is problematic. On the other hand, it is problematic because "just fits in" is usually associated with unconscious prejudices - which in turn are linked to the social norm and the attribution of competence. For example, a person called Sandra Bauer is invited to a job interview much more often than Meryem Öztürk - with identical application documents and photo. This is shown in a study by the Institute for the Future of Work in Bonn.
There are two ways for your Diversity & Inclusion strategy to work best in combination:
- Recognising, questioning and consciously changing one's own stereotypical thought patterns and unconscious bias. This works through individual further education in the form of trainings, e-learnings or Nudges (Nudges are small routines that encourage people to change their behaviour).
- Making processes in companies more unprejudiced: this begins with the composition of project teams, continues with the questioning of HR processes with regard to new hires and promotions, and ends with the more conscious purchasing of goods and services, the so-called supplier diversity.
Inclusion & Unconscious Bias using the example of Mini-Me Bias:
Why not explore the Mini-Me Bias in your own behaviour? The mini-me bias means that we find people in whom we recognise something of ourselves more likeable than others. This can be characteristics, a shared past, outward appearances or a shared in-group. In relation to the application process, this can lead to you finding the person much more likeable and therefore even more competent. Perhaps this has happened to you before: You meet a person and realise that you come from the same village near Aachen. Suddenly you have a completely different emotional closeness to each other and perhaps more sympathy for each other. In the application process, this fact says nothing about the talents and skills of the person applying for the job. But it can influence you to unconsciously perceive the person's talents more positively.
Where have you already encountered the Mini Me Bias?
Recommended reading and sources:
- Choudhoury, Shakil (2017): Deep Diversity. Münster
- M. Billig, H. Tajfel: Social Categorization and similarity in intergroup behaviour. In: European Journal of Social Psychology. 3, 1973, S. 27-52, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ejsp.2420030103
- Piorkovski, Christoph David: Critical Whiteness. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/critical-whiteness-die-unsichtbare-weisse-norm/13600832.html
- Weichselbaumer, Doris (2016): Discrimination Against Female Migrants Wearing Headscarves. https://www. iza.org/publications/dp/10217/discrimination-against-female-migrants-wearing-headscarves