Prof. Copeland’s New Study Evaluates Anti-Racism & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training in the Workplace
Workplaces around the country have implemented training sessions focused on anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion, (DEI) especially in response to the 2020 racial reckoning. However, evaluating the outcomes for workers and communities is difficult when these initiatives vary in goals, methods, and impact. Prof. Phillipe Copeland from BU School of Social Work and colleagues recently published a study analyzing research on anti-racism and DEI training to understand its effects and areas that need improvement.
The Positive Short-Term Effects of Anti-Racism & DEI Workplace Training
The study found that generally, DEI training led to significant changes in awareness of cultural differences, self-awareness, and perceived importance of recognizing biases. Some research reported that participants had a change in attitude and felt more confident in implementing, amplifying, and teaching DEI principles. Others also showed participants learned skills needed to work in culturally and racially diverse teams, foster inclusive environments, and improve conflict resolution.
Anti-racist training showed similar positive results. Participants reported more open attitudes about racial issues, privilege, and institutional discrimination. The participants also felt more confident applying anti-racism skills in the workplace, teaching others, and serving diverse communities.
How to Improve Long-Term Effects
The researchers proposed several recommendations to improve training outcomes going forward:
- Develop and deliver long-term training beyond one-time sessions so that participants can build concepts and skills over time
- Include skill building and organizational development which supports individual, interpersonal, and organizational change
- Prioritize skills and behavioral and organizational change to advance equity in the workplace beyond improvements in personal knowledge, awareness, and attitude
- Use validated measures to evaluate the effectiveness of a program, like the Reaction-to-Diversity Inventory, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, the Race Implicit Association Test, and the Modern Racism Scale
- Integrate community-centered approaches to DEI and anti-racist workplace training
Future Research
The authors highlighted key areas that could be further researched to understand the impact of DEI and anti-racism training and make them more effective in building equity. For example, including marginalized communities and experts in the research process will help those most impacted by inequity to advocate for themselves. The researchers also highlight that long-term follow-ups can measure change over time to better evaluate the effectiveness of training.
Learn More About Prof. Copeland’s Research
“A Systematic Review of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Antiracism Training Studies: Findings and Future Directions” was co-written by Prof. Philippe Copeland, Prof. Monica L. Wang from BU School of Public Health, Alexis Gomes and Marielis Rosa from the BU Center for Anti-Racist Research, and Victor Jose Santana from VJS Consulting.