Report Resources

Over 1,000 studies have found that mandatory trainings have little or no impact on reducing bias in the workplace. In fact, mandatory trainings are negatively associated with the advancement of people of color and have no effect on the advancement of White women. Many trainings inspire a “backlash effect” that can exacerbate biases in the workplace (Dobbin & Kalev 2019).

Despite widespread assumptions that women are poor negotiators, lacking in confidence in the workplace, risk-averse, more caring or cooperative or less committed to their careers, empirical evidence simply does not support these conclusions.”

A recent study electronically monitored men and women professionals in a large workplace over a significant period of time. The study found no perceptible differences in the behavior of men and women at work – including in terms of their contacts, their time allocation and their work patterns. Yet within that workplace, men advanced and women did not (Turban, Freeman & Waber 2017).

Dobbin & Kalev 2019.

Beshears & Gino 2014.

Taskforce efforts such as the one proposed here increase the representation of women and men and women of color in leadership by promoting accountability, engaging members across units in a positive way and increasing intergroup contact (Dobbin & Kalev 2016).

Tinsley & Ely 2018.

Research finds that including stereotypically masculine language in job ads has a significant negative effect on women’s representation among new hires in law firms (Gorman 2005).

Madera, Hebl & Martin 2009; Trix & Psenka 2003.

Dobbin & Kalev 2016.

Dobin & Kalev 2016.

Bertrand, Chugh & Mullainathan 2005.

Holgersson 2012.

Gutierrez y Muhs 2012.

In Lauren Rivera’s study (2016) on access to elite professions, she found that non-elite Black and Hispanic men were seen as lacking “polish” and “fit” while non-elite White men were deemed “coachable”. Non-White men who were shy or reserved were viewed as “unassertive” whereas White men were viewed as “modest” and “humble.”