Embedding the rich conceptual tapestry of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the business school context

The Chartered ABS is pleased to publish the third and final report under the series of projects funded by our scholarships programme. The programme offers funding opportunities for Chartered ABS members to undertake research on topics that are relevant to our strategic priorities and of benefit to our members.

This latest report by the Universities of Bedfordshire and Greenwich explores the challenges and barriers in embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) into the business school curriculum and student facing services. The research used an innovative methodology, LEGO® Serious Play® (LSP), to explore EDI as a systemic issue that is inextricably interconnected within the wider contexts of institution and society.

EDI remains a key concern across the UK Higher Education sector and research carried out by Perriton and Elliot (2018) suggested that as little as 8.5% of business schools include core diversity modules/units in their curriculum. This highlights the need for research into why academic staff and those managing student-facing services seem unable to address EDI in a prominent and systematic way. The project aimed to explore these issues by using LSP workshops in which participants told their EDI stories within their localised contexts as expressed via the LEGO models they built. It also aimed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and brainstorming amongst business school practitioners on this important topic.

The report presents insights from the workshops and follow-up interviews and offers recommendations for policy and practice. It will prove a useful resource for those overseeing EDI-related issues in the learning and teaching context.

To view the full report please click here.

If you have any questions about the report please email Ramin Bokaian ramin.bokaian@charteredabs.org