Facets of Team Equity: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a scoping review looking at conceptualizations of team equity in academic literature between 2017 and 2021. A search and filter process produced a set of 42 publications containing discussion of equity or equality at the team level. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out on the data resulting in a set of seven themes characterized as facets of team equity: alignment, dialogism, heterophily, participation, power, ownership, and risk. Each facet is presented and illustrated with excerpts from the scoping review data followed by implications for the operationalization of equity at the team level. This analysis sheds light on the multi-dimensionality of equity in a team space, providing context for discussions about the difficulty of using simple quantitative measures for such a complex phenomenon. We hope the facets help researchers and practitioners use and operationalize the concept in ongoing efforts to combat historically-grounded injustices.