Big Store

We used a balanced mixed methods approach to collect data from members of three organizations Big Bank, Big Store, and Big School. Two studies were strictly quaUtative (Big Bank and Big School). One study was both quaUtative and quantitative (Big Store). Two studies used a strictly appreciative frame (Big Store and Big School). Two studies inquiry focus was on individual experience (Big Bank and Big Store) the inquiry focus for Big School was the organization. Big Store also allowed an organizational focus. Consequently, the types of data (qualitative or quantitative), inquiry frames (traditional and appreciative), interview foci (the individual or the organization), and industries allowed us to develop a robust model of how inclusion is experienced in the workplace from the organizational member s perspective (Table 3.2). 

When we interacted with Big Store, they were doing very well in terms of corporate financial performance. However, there was low morale in some parts of the organization. Some felt that the celebrated financial gains were gotten at the cost of overworking and undervaluing employees. Like Big Bank, lack of work-life balance was a major factor that contributed to employee exhaustion. Big Store s culture was top-down in terms of decision making. 

When we launched the online survey for the employees of Big Store, our approach was purely appreciative. After collecting demographic information, we asked them to answer an open-ended question. We asked them to share their memories of a time when they felt a peak moment of inclusion, when they truly belonged. We then followed up that question by asking what made the moment memorable for them. 

Unlike Big Bank, in which we used a balanced inquiry approach to understand the dynamics facing employees, in Big Store, we used a strictly appreciative approach. Like Big Bank, our inquiry focus was twofold we inquired about employees experiences with a variety of organizational-and individual-level phenomena. Though our primary focus at Big Store was organizational members peak moments of inclusion, we also asked them what suggestions they had for making Big Store more inclusive. 

While many employees stuck to the script and expressed when they felt most included at Big Store, others took the opposite approach they decided to tell us what needed to change for them to feel included or what made them feel excluded. So, though Appreciative Inquiry pulls for the life-giving forces in an organization, it rarely prevents the expression lifedraining ones experienced by respondents. 

As with Big Bank, we performed aThematic Analysis on the responses that we received from Big Store s employees. We found that employees felt most included when they were able to interact with leadership, when they were trusted, when they were rewarded for hard work, when they had access to information, when they were appreciated, and when people (particularly leaders) cared about what they had to say. Though not emphasized here, many Big Store employees most inclusive moments came closely after they were hired. 

Big School is a medium-sized public xmiversity in the United States. While we engaged in other interventions, the data we analyzed in this book came from an Internet-based survey. It was sent to most of Big School s employees and all respondents shared their answers in English. Similar to Big Store, we used a purely appreciative focus. Our goal in doing this survey was to determine university stakeholders vision for the University as it pertained to diversity and inclusion. We received responses from Big School s community members, undergraduate and graduate students, full-and part-time faculty, and full- and part-time staff. 

The data analyzed in this book come from our work with Big School on developing a vision for diversity and inclusion. We collected data in two ways for this project. Like Big Bank, we facilitated focus groups in which we collected oral and written responses to our question. We took this approach because some employees were not computer literate or didn t have access to a computer and we wanted to include their voices. We interacted with hundreds of people in this manner. However, the bulk of our responses came from the thousands of stakeholders (mostly internal) who completed an online survey, which we launched. In addition to posing the same questions as the focus group, the online survey allowed us to collect demographic and institutional data from respondents. Like Big Bank and Big Store, this enabled us to analyze patterns by various identity group memberships. 

However, the Big School project differed from the Big Bank and Big Store projects in a few ways. First, our inquiry focus was strictly organizational. Because our role in Big School was to get organizational stakeholders thinking about the university s future with respect to diversity and inclusion, we necessarily inquired about Big School as an entity. However, as is the case with inquiry frame, we find that if respondents have pressing day-to-day needs, they find a way to express them, regardless of our inquiry focus. While this was certainly the case at Big School, the majority of participants shared positive visions. Also, unlike the employees in Big Bank and Big Store with whom we interacted, many of the Big School stakeholders were unionized. 

When we emailed the survey link to its thousands of employees and selected community members, we only expected about 200 of them to respond. We were amazed when over 500 faculty, staff, and students respondedtothesurveyONTi/ f ijjSTDAr BigSchoolstakeholdersclearlyhad input that they wanted to share with us. Like Big Bank and Big Store survey respondents. Big School stakeholders invested the time to craft long, heartfelt, and extremely valuable responses. They clearly cared a great deal about making Big School an exemplar of diversity and inclusion in higher education. 

We collected thousands of responses from organizational stakeholders on multiple continents at Big Bank, Big Store, and Big School. At Big Bank, we queried stakeholders via focus groups and interviews on how they could be better optimized within the organization. At Big School, we asked stakeholders via online survey to share their visions for the school as an exemplar of inclusion. At Big Store, we used an online survey to query stakeholders on their peak moments of inclusion. 

Consider this profound quote from a Big Store employee, which provides the context for the quote that opens this chapter ... 

Around nine years ago, I was working at a store that just had a milestone, (the store achieved 2 mdlion in sales). I was a lower level employee at the time and even though that was the case the store manager bought everyone on the team jackets with the Big Store logo to say thank you for all of... 

A Big Store employee recalled his participation in a large-scale corporate-wide community service project performed at the international sales meeting ... 

Similarly, a senior Big Store manager felt most included when we [renovated] a low income housing project as a group. All the sales reps and store managers pitched in on a Saturday to help someone in need. ... 

Other times, it was feeling coimected to achieving the organization s larger purpose. A Big Store District Manager felt most included... 

Another Big Store employee felt the same way when he shared why his peak inclusive moment was so memorable ... 

These Big Store respondents were able to discern and feel connected to a bigger purpose (e.g., helping the company s footprint get larger). Employees felt a strong sense of inclusion and a sense of ownership in the fulfilled purpose. They clearly saw their roles in fulfilling Big Store s purpose. 

The desire to unite people across identity group memberships was shared by Big School respondents. One staff member wanted Big School to Encourage studts not to stick to their coxmtry backgrnd but to get to know studts from somewhere else. Another Big School respondent wished that There are more activities that help peo Irn abt each other so they don t isolate themselves just b/cause there are many other peo that they identify w/. While Big School was more diverse than Big Store, many students typically congregated with those with whom they shared salient identity-group memberships. In Big School s case, the need for such grouping behavior may have been reinforced by the chilly organizational climate that some stakeholders mentioned. 

The sense of collective pmpose also extended to the store level. I felt my highest sense of inclusion when I first started working for Big Store] and the store I was at shared a camaraderie where everyone worked together to better the pmpose of the store. ... 

A sense of camaraderie was further emphasized by the leader s attitude. One Big Store employee felt that When management never looks down on the other employees it makes you feel Uke you have a purpose as well not just a shelf stocker or warehouser. Each member of the team has significance. In other words, evertone should feel a sense ofpmpose because they are each important—despite their role. 

Said one Big Store employee when asked about when he felt most included, From my first day with Big Store], I was made to feel included in the business and social community of the store. A Big Store manager from another location felt the same way ... 

One female employee recalled a time during her first year of employment at Big Store when co-workers invited me to share lunch, it was nice to be included and not excluded from the boys network. Similarly, a male Big Store employee felt most included on a Saturday afternoon several years ago I had to work on a Saturday and my co-worker bought me lunch and I felt included [because] It felt good that he thought about me and bought me lunch, it was special because I offered to pay and he insisted on paying for it. Individuals feel most included when invited to share a meal with others, either onsite or offsite. 

Sharing the basic intimate function of eating together was particularly impactful for many stakeholders when their meal mates were leaders. When an employee like the next speaker vividly describes such an event that occurred 24 years ago, the event s impact is clear. Said, one Big Store upper level manager, I felt most included ... 

Upper management at Big Store visited the store and fed the staff, remembers one employee who felt most included ... 

Sometimes meals were more personal. Big Store purchased Little Store several years ago. The following former Little Store employee said ... 

I started at [location and my 25th anniversary came a year after joining IBig Store. The [District Manager at the time had a lunch for me with colleagues family... [This made me feel included because I didn t know him for a full year but he made sure that I felt like a part of the [Big Store team. 

This incident had such an impact because the leader was essentially saying that it didn t matter how long this employee had been with Big Store technically. Regardless of his temu-e, he was a part of the team and he was valued. This was important because at Big Store, seniority was a salient aspect of organizational identity. In fact, when employees and managers introduced themselves in meetings, they routinely recited their names, roles, locations, and years of service with Big Store. 

Meals also motivated employees during peak performance times and celebrated exceptional performance. One Big Store employee recalls that his training store manager bought the staff lunch a few times. He did this as we were completing some big projects at the store... I felt included because] It made me feel that my efforts were recognized. Another Big Store employee shared a similar peak moment of inclusion. He felt most included during... 

Inventory. In the past it was a common practice for Big Store managers to buy lunch for the employees on inventory day. A long work day with a purpose and a company provided meal break were instrumental in creating a feeling of being needed and appreciated. 

They were all working long hours at the store trying to complete projects. Lunch in these cases positively reinforced the hard work this and other Big Store employees were doing in service of meeting Big Store s goals. 

Sharing food with leaders also made employees feel included when it was a reward for exceptionally strong performance. This Big Store employee felt his highest sense of inclusion at a... 

Another Big Store employee mentioned a dinner with the branch manager as the moment when he felt the most included at Big Store ... 

Like Big Bank and Big Store respondents who felt connected to the reputation of their organizations. Big School stakeholders felt the same. One Big School staff member envisions having a national presence great professors that are nationally recognized in academic field concentrate on state presence first. ... 

Recalling apeak moment of feeling included a Big Store manager shared the following ... 

Employees felt a strong sense of inclusion when they were able to connect and build relationships with other employees in the company. Sometimes these relationships helped create support groups of employees with various commonalities. One female Big Store employee said that at a women s conference, All the women together, were able to network, mentor, and motivate. ... 

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