Home

Our Mission:

To generate and disseminate knowledge about gender and diversity within and outside of organizations, to embrace diverse perspectives in organizational research and education, and to support social justice through the inclusion of marginalized voices in members’ research and practice.

Letter from Incoming Chair  

Hello GDO Colleagues and Friends,

I am thrilled to write to you as the Incoming Chair as we embark on a new chapter of our division. We have received approval from the Board of Governors to change our division name to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) with a corresponding revision to our domain statement. 2023 is also a momentous year as we celebrate the 50th anniversary since the founding of our division as the Status of Women Interest Group (SWIG). To mark this significant milestone, we are working to make the 2023 annual meeting in Boston the best one yet.

I encourage all of you to engage and participate in many of the division’s activities from the Global Ambassador’s Program to the Virtual Writing Workshops. We will continue with several important initiatives such as globalizing our division and the creation of an award for Best DEI Practices in B-Schools. In addition, I invite you to help plan and celebrate our division’s anticipated name change and mark the momentous occasion of our 50th anniversary. Please sign up for to be involved with a GDO Committee here.

GDO has always been a welcoming division and home for AOM members. Words and actions matter. As we evolve with our new division name and expand our domain of work, we reaffirm our commitment to social justice through the inclusion of equity-deserving groups in our research, teaching, and practice.

I invite all of us to come together to celebrate each other and showcase the excellence of our division. Please do not hesitate to write me if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or want to be involved.


Warmly,

Eddy Ng

August 15, 2022




Quick Links

DEI Statements

Statement on Reversal of Affirmative Action Decision

 Updated: June 30, 2023

We are disappointed with the US Supreme Court decision on affirmative action in university admissions and share the concerns of diversity advocates regarding the effects that will come to higher education. The decision has far reaching consequences that extend into employment and society. There will be a smaller pool of diverse talent, and employer DEI efforts may be curtailed. College degrees are an important path to help all students pursue their goals and dreams, regardless of skin color and background. Further, this Supreme Court decision may have a chilling effect on corporate DEI programs, which poses a setback for diversity in organizations.  We believe workplace inequities will likely persist.

 

As DEI scholars, we have to find innovative ways to continue to bring and foster diversity on campus. There is much work for us to do, and our research can cast light on best practices for effective DEI.

DEI Division Leadership

______________________________________________________

Divisional Statement regarding Political Climate and Attack on DEI

There are legislative threats to DEI efforts happening across many countries that attack DEI as a field of research and practice. These laws seek to limit the speech and actions of minority groups. The term “woke” has been weaponized and grossly mischaracterized for political reasons, which has resulted in rising hostilities in the culture wars. We in the leadership of the DEI division condemn legislative actions that limit the rights of specific identity groups. We advocate for the relevance and importance of DEI research and recognize the value DEI education and research makes to improve society.

In a few examples, in the US there has been a sustained effort to eliminate funding for university DEI initiatives, to review diversity course syllabi, to restrict academic freedom and weaken the protection of tenure, and to eliminate DEI statements in the hiring process. Gender studies departments and programs are being shut down. Drag shows on public property have recently been outlawed in Tennessee, and Uganda has made homosexuality illegal. Abortion access in the US has also become a hot issue, with restrictive laws enacted. DEI researchers are being harassed on social media. These kinds of incidents are occurring outside the US as well, with too many examples to list.

Our call to action is twofold.

  • First, we encourage our membership to continue doing robust evidence-based research showing the effects of DEI practices.

    Our research can improve DEI programs and practices and can contribute to a positive dialogue about the issues. Conducting research is consistent with our mission in the Academy of Management and allows us to play to our strengths. We encourage our members to write papers highlighting the importance of DEI. We also suggest grey literature such as policy statements, research reports, statistics, survey results, white papers, which can be effective because they can be published quickly in response to ongoing social and political developments. Similarly, posting on social media outlets and writing blog posts is a way to share arguments and evidence - including both positive and critical narratives.

  • Second, we encourage our membership to share initiatives and activities that allow DEI scholars and researchers to participate and showcase the benefits of DEI research.

    We have created a resource page on our divisional website to share our members’ expertise, and we invite for your contributions and submissions that will help mobilize DEI knowledge on the benefits of DEI research and education. To the extent you are comfortable, we also encourage members to advocate for the relevance and importance of DEI to make the world a better place.  

DEI Division Leadership

______________________________________________________
DEI Domain Statement Amendment Vote Announcement

Hello again DEI members

Thank you for taking the time to vote on the amendment to our new domain statement. I am pleased to report that 464 members (25%) voted, with 436 members (94%) voted in favor of the amendment. The approved amendment takes effect immediately. The updated domain statement is now posted on our division domain page. We look forward to submissions under our new division name and domain statement.

Eddy Ng

Queen’s University
DEI Division Chair

______________________________________________________

Statement on the Dobbs Decision from the GDO Division Leadership
The Dobbs decision (Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization) is sending ripples through the political, social, and cultural domains in the United States and beyond. We express solidarity with those voicing concerns about the implications of the Dobbs decision for women's rights.
Topics in our research domain are relevant for informing dialogue and public policy. We urge the GDO community to apply our expertise to support an evidence-based dialogue. More specifically, we encourage consideration of future research borne out of this situation that may support women's rights for health, safety, wellbeing, and careers.
While we recognize a diversity of perspectives on this sensitive issue, we reaffirm the importance of respecting individual decisions, ensuring equity, and protecting fundamental human rights.
- From the GDO division executive leadership team
______________________________________________________

Statement on the Iran Movement from the DEI Division Leadership 

In light of the recent protests for women’s rights in Iran, we stand with the women and girls, who have risen to reclaim their basic human rights and put an end to 44 years of oppression by the Iranian government. The death of #MahsaAmini, a 22-year-old woman who was arrested and fatally beaten by the “morality police” (Guidance Patrols) on September 16, 2022, has triggered unprecedented nation-wide protests with the chant of “women, life, freedom.” The Iranian regime has brutally cracked down on these protests, leading to countless people dead, including many children.

 

Many of us at DEI have devoted our careers to creating a more just world and advancing marginalized voices. Events like these are unfortunate reminders that our work is far from being done. We support the rights of women in Iran to freedom in the workplace and in society. We express our solidarity with the Iranian people and members of our community who have ties with Iran. 


- Initiated by Golshan Javadian (Morgan State University) and supported by the DEI division executive leadership team

______________________________________________________

 

Resources and Documents

Upcoming Events List

Log in to see this information

Either the content you're seeking doesn't exist or it requires proper authentication before viewing.

All Content List

Announcements

  • VOTING OPEN: GDO Proposed Domain Name Change

    VOTING OPEN: GDO Proposed Domain Name Change

    Dear GDO Members

    As your current division chair, I invite you to take a few seconds to ratify the GDO Division’s proposed name change. You will receive an invitation to coast your vote from gdo@aom.org. The vote will take place between October 10 to 24, 2022.

    Our proposed new division name is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

    This strategic initiative is derived from our most recent five-year review, completed in 2020. The division is proposing a new name and updated domain statement (which was last revised in 2007) in an effort to reflect our members’ evolving scholarship and interests, and to grow our membership. 

    In our revised domain statement, we embrace diverse perspectives in organizational research and education to enable equal treatment and equitable outcomes, and we support social justice through the inclusion of marginalized voices in our members’ research, teaching, and practice. A full revised statement is provided below.

    After a thorough review process, our proposal received unanimous support from the other divisions and the Board of Governors. It is now your turn to provide a final endorsement. The bylaws require the approval of changes by a simple majority of those who cast a vote. 

    The deadline to vote is October 24, 2022. Please cast your vote now; it takes less than a minute. The committee tasked with this change has worked hard on this, with input and feedback from the division members. I hope you will acknowledge their efforts by taking a few moments to vote right now; we need your vote to conform with the AoM bylaws.

    Thank you for your participation and ongoing support of our Division.

    I hope to see you all at the Boston Annual Meeting as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of our founding as the Women in Management Interest Group.

     Eddy Ng
    Queen’s University
    Chair, GDO Division