Doing the work: The role of inclusive leadership in promoting psychological safety and openness to diversity through diversity, equity, and inclusion practices.

Abstract

Strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is paramount to effectively meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce. In health care, this is compounded with the need for providers to deliver patient-centered care that respects a diversity of backgrounds, values, and beliefs. In this article, we examine the effect of leader inclusiveness on team outcomes including psychological safety (PS) and openness to diversity in health care. Furthermore, we use social identity theory to examine team engagement in DEI practices as a key mediator of the relationship between leader inclusiveness and these team outcomes. In doing so, we advance the literature in two ways. First, despite growing research that links leadership to psychological safety, we know little about the underlying mechanisms that translate leadership behaviors into a comfort speaking up. Additionally, while openness to diversity is recognized as critical in an increasingly diverse workforce, how to cultivate this openness in teams remains largely unexplored. Consistent with past research, we found that inclusive leadership was associated with greater psychological safety and openness to experience among employees. Drawing from social identity theory, we find evidence to support that one's identification with and This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Leadership in health care: What are some novel insights?

“…Leveraging social identity theory, Woods et al (2024) examined team engagement in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as a key mediator of the relationship between leader inclusiveness and team outcomes (psychological safety and openness to diversity) in a large U.S. health care institution.…”

“…Leveraging social identity theory, Woods et al (2024) examined team engagement in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as a key mediator of the relationship between leader inclusiveness and team outcomes (psychological safety and openness to diversity) in a large U.S. health care institution. Based on analysis of two surveys from 400 employees, the authors found that the relationship between employees’ perceptions of inclusive leadership was associated with greater psychological safety and greater openness to diversity among team members and that this relationship was mediated by team engagement in DEI practices.…”