DEI backlash – Implications for organizational DEI alignment and employee belongingness

Purpose This paper presents a theoretical model outlining how alignment between organizational diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) framing and DEI practice functions as an important signal to employees that impacts their experience of belongingness. Societal backlash against DEI efforts can impact both organizational framing of DEI efforts and organizational decisions regarding DEI practice. As a result, DEI backlash can disrupt alignment between framing and practice, sending a signal that may negatively impact employee belongingness. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model links backlash to organizational alignment and/or misalignment between DEI framings and practice. Alignment, in turn, is theorized as a signal of organizational commitment to DEI issues and impacts employee perceptions of belongingness. Findings The model proposes a novel definition of DEI backlash and argues that DEI backlash can lead to organizational misalignment, which serves as a negative signal of organizational commitment to DEI, supplanting employees’ sense of belongingness with a sense of alienation and isolation. Practical implications Alignment and misalignment are powerful signals to employees seeking to interpret their organization’s commitment to DEI. When misalignment emerges, employees’ sense of belonging is disrupted. Organizational leaders have a responsibility to align framings and practices with respect to DEI. Social implications A more complete understanding of how backlash impacts individual-level experiences of belongingness can help organizations respond to backlash, mitigate its negative impacts, and prioritize employee well-being, particularly for targeted social identity groups. Originality/value This paper draws on theoretical and empirical work to present a multi-level definition and conceptual model of DEI backlash. The conceptual model links backlash, a societal-level phenomenon with sociohistorical roots, to individual-level experiences of belongingness within organizations through the lens of alignment and signaling theory.