Attitudes towards DEI initiatives: Current trends and future directions

Description

This two-day thematic group meeting is the conclusion of our NWO-funded research project, “It’s All in the Frame: Framing Diversity Policies to Reduce Attitudinal Resistance Toward Gender Quotas and Their Beneficiaries”. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been evolving globally, shaped by social movements, policy changes, and corporate strategies. Organizations are
expanding their DEI efforts by incorporating transparency in hiring, promoting pay equity, and fostering leadership diversity. However, DEI initiatives also face challenges due to political shifts and economic pressures. Governments and organizations worldwide are implementing or revising DEI-related
policies, while some have scaled back these efforts, citing political and financial concerns. Increased academic interest in understanding employee reactions to DEI initiatives has led to insightful recent findings. However, there are also gaps in theoretical development, as well as challenges in effectively implementing these insights in practice. Understanding psychological reactions, particularly
employee attitudes toward DEI initiatives, is crucial, as broad support is a key factor in policy development and effectiveness. With this meeting we bring together a diverse international group of scholars from different career
stages and scientific fields. Interdisciplinary collaboration fosters novel ideas by integrating diverse methodologies and theories. We aim to encourage collaboration among researchers from various disciplines, enabling them to exchange perspectives and build strong professional networks.
We will discuss current trends and future directions in studying attitudes toward DEI policies. Our primary goals are to provide ample opportunities for researchers to (1) present their latest findings;
(2) network, and (3) provide a platform for initiating collaborative research activities. We facilitate participants to team up with existing and new collaborators and plan future lines of research, which
will be collected and documented at the end of the meeting for further realization.

Period	22 Jan 2026 → 23 Jan 2026
Event type	Conference
Location	Utrecht, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International