DeZIM Talk: Getting to Diversity – What Works and What Doesn’t

We are pleased to invite you to a discussion on workplace diversity and organizational change with Frank Dobbin, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard University. The discussion will center on his latest book, Getting to Diversity: What Works and What Doesn’t (co-authored with Alexandra Kalev, Harvard University Press, 2022), which presents a rigorous, data-driven analysis of diversity interventions in organizations.

Drawing on more than three decades of empirical research, including quantitative data from 800 U.S. companies and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews, Dobbin and Kalev critically examine the effectiveness of conventional diversity policies. They challenge widely used approaches such as bias training and sanctions, demonstrating their limited impact when applied in isolation. Instead, they highlight structural and managerial approaches that foster meaningful and sustainable change.

Frank Dobbin’s keynote will be followed by a panel discussion with Frank Kalter (Professor of General Sociology at the University of Mannheim and Co-Director of the DeZIM Institute), Gregory Jackson (Professor of Human Resource Management and Labor Politics at Free University Berlin), and Seyran Bostanci (postdoctoral researcher on inclusion, racism and anti-discrimination at DeZIM and diversity trainer), who will bring interdisciplinary perspectives to the conversation.This event offers an opportunity for scholars, students, and professionals interested in sociology, organizational studies, and diversity research to engage with cutting-edge scholarship and reflect on its implications for policy and practice.