Leadership Diversity Through Relational Intersectionality in Australia is a project that investigates the relationships between people in organisations and how they are affected by different forms of workplace diversity.
This project is examining the relationships between those who are defined as leaders (either by themselves or by the organizations in which they work) and those individuals with whom they work. The project develops a politically relevant and theoretically informed approach to leadership as it is practised at the intersection of the racial, gender and class differences that characterise the relationships between leaders and followers.
Much of the research and thinking that informs leadership training, education and practice arises from North America and focuses on narrow leadership stereotypes. These stereotypes come from research focusing on male leaders, and or examine women leaders as a ‘special case’. This is too simple and shows a lack of real appreciation for the range of leadership practices that exist in real life.
The project is based on the premise that leadership that reflects Australia’s diversity is vital for social justice and effective people management in Australian workplaces. We are investigating what diversity of leadership means in practice in Australian organizations. With this knowledge, we can improve leadership performance, create more inclusive workplaces, and strengthen social cohesion in Australia’s multicultural society.
Our project is conducted in partnership with select Australian organisations.
For more information about project activities, read our blogposts written by Alison Pullen, Carl Rhodes and Celina McEwen.
This research is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme (project DP180100360). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or Australian Research Council.
Recent blogposts
Boosting economic recovery with quotas
Alison Pullen was invited by Richard Aedy from the ABC program The Money to talk about the power of quotas and why Australia needs them. In this interview broadcast on 6 May 2021, Alison argued that in addition to tackling inequality, quotas could also have an economic benefit. Listen to Alison or read a summary … Continue reading Boosting economic recovery with quotas
Workplaces need quotas to increase women’s representation and curb toxic hyper-masculinity
In a recent The Lighthouse article, Alison Pullen discusses the power of quotas and why Australia needs them. Prof Pullen said that quotas are the only way to introduce change quickly and should be applied not just to politics but in every profession, institution and organisation in Australia. The interview also responded to NSW Premier … Continue reading Workplaces need quotas to increase women’s representation and curb toxic hyper-masculinity
Enough is enough: Sexual harassment at work is a leadership problem
Parliament and politicians are in the well-deserved spotlight at the moment around allegations of sexual harassment, but the problem does not end there. Change is needed in all organisations, whether they are big and small businesses, government, political parties, universities or not-for-profits.
Blogpost topics
- Diversity
- Field work
- Gender
- Intersectionality
- Leadership
- Participants
- Qualitative research
- Sexual harassment
Banner photo by Sergei Akulich on Unsplash
