Please excuse cross-listing.
Dear OB Colleagues,
We warmly invite you to a timely and interactive PDW in Copenhagen: "Turning Pushback into Progress: Exploring DEI Pushbacks, Solutions, and Paths Forward".
As resistance to DEI continues to grow-through legislation, corporate rollback, and political backlash-scholars and practitioners face new challenges and urgent questions. This PDW brings together four experts to explore the causes and driving forces of DEI pushbacks, their impacts on individuals and organizations, and strategies that can address these pushbacks and deepen inclusion in organizations.
Who are the Panelists?
1. Dr. Lisa Nishii – Professor of Human Resource Studies & Vice Provost, Cornell University, https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/people/lisa-h-nishii
2. Dr. Traci Sitzmann – Professor of Management, University of Colorado Denver, https://business.ucdenver.edu/about/our-people/traci-sitzmann
3. Dr. Camellia Bryan – Assistant Professor of OB/HR, University of British Columbia, https://www.sauder.ubc.ca/people/camellia-bryan
4. Dr. John Lynch – Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Leadership Excellence and Development (iLEAD) at the University of Illinois Chicago, https://business.uic.edu/profiles/john-lynch/
What Will the Panelists Talk About?
1. Do we still want the label "DEI"? Should we double down on the effort to educate people about what DEI is really about or adopt alternative framings that may gain broader support?
2. What do we know and not know about DEI pushbacks and organizational responses?
3. How can organizations choose effective strategies to overcome DEI resistance?
4. What oversights or blind spots in current DEI research should we revisit?
5. What is the scholar's role in advancing DEI in a hostile climate?
What Will You Talk About with the Panelists and Other Participants?
Participants will join rotating small-group breakouts to engage directly with panelists, share their own experiences and perspectives, and exchange insights with other participants. Discussion topics will include:
1. (Re)framing language and narratives around DEI
2. Mapping the landscape of DEI pushback
3. Strategizing effective organizational responses
4. Uncovering missed opportunities and research gaps
5. Other emerging topics
PDW Details:
Friday, July 25, 2025
1:00–3:00 PM CEST (GMT+2)
Bella Center | Hall C – C1-m3
Please contact Wei if you have any questions or suggestions, at wei.zheng@stevens.edu.
We hope to see you there!
Warm regards,
Wei Zheng & Haoying (Howie) Xu
Stevens Institute of Technology
PDW Organizers
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Wei Zheng (she/her), Ph.D.
Richard R. Roscitt Endowed Chair Professor in Leadership
Co-Director of Stevens Inclusive Leadership Certificate Program
School of Business
Stevens Institute of Technology
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