Psychology Behind DEI Resistance

Some resists DEI because it is a “Status Threat” These people are in the majority and see DEI as a threat to their majority status. They think in zero sum terms. Any gains by minorities equal losses by the majority.

Merit Threat resistors see DEI explains away their own success. Here we see people who are “strongly committed to value systems that prize hard work and individual merit.”

Moral Threat resistors see acknowledging privilege means you are tarnishing your own moral image.

Recommendations to counter these threats include (1) reduce status threats before offering evidence of inequity; (2) focus on “win-win” aspects of DEI; (3) self-affirmation to foster positive self esteem to accept what otherwise might seem threatening.

Harvard Business Review | To Overcome Resistance to DEI, Understand What’s Driving It