Some subtleties of whiteness in the workplace: Steps for shifting the paradigm

Abstract

This paper asserts that whiteness is a major ideological framework that is subtlety interwoven into our institutional structures and is a major organizing principle in the workplace. Efforts to increase racial equity, inclusion, and belongingness within the workplace and throughout society at large are ineffectual and virtually impossible without addressing the deleterious effects of whiteness. Addressing these pervasive subtleties in the workplace requires more than changing the complexion of an organization; instead, it also involves devoting ample attention to promoting widespread cultural change by being intentional about dismantling whiteness. An illustrative list of four preliminary steps for shifting the racial paradigm by attending to the ideology of whiteness in the workplace is provided.

Keywords: leadership and organizations; race; racial sensitivity; whiteness.