Diversity and inclusion

What the publications show

1. Several publications describe how US pressure on diversity policy is reaching Europe. Companies drop terms or pause programmes, and in interviews NEOMA identifies five responses, from retreat to swimming against the tide, which occur about equally often.

   HRD New Zealand (HCAMag), 2026 (opens in a new window) · NEOMA Business School, 2026 (opens in a new window) · HR Grapevine, 2025 (opens in a new window)

2. Organisations respond to the headwinds in different ways. Research from Baruch College distinguishes approaches ranging from resistance to going along, and a Danish study argues for anchoring the policy in European rules on sustainability and human rights.

   Baruch College, 2026 (opens in a new window) · Aalborg University, 2026 (opens in a new window) · NEOMA Business School, 2026 (opens in a new window)

3. One experimental study from Clemson University finds that renaming diversity policy does not reduce resistance and, among progressive participants, even provokes it. That sits awkwardly with what other publications describe: companies dropping the terms altogether.

   Clemson University, 2026 (opens in a new window) · NEOMA Business School, 2026 (opens in a new window) · HRD New Zealand (HCAMag), 2026 (opens in a new window)

4. Studies of neurodivergent employees find that working conditions affect each person differently. Meetings, deadlines and openness about ADHD are not inherently a burden or a support, and employment among autistic people remains low despite talents that could be put to use.

   Lakehead University, 2026 (opens in a new window) · UniNettuno University, 2025 (opens in a new window) · Stanford University, 2026 (opens in a new window)

5. Research on Black employees focuses mainly on barriers, such as discrimination in recruitment, prejudice and limited networks. What helps them grow and stay, such as psychological safety, mentoring and flexibility, has been studied less.

   University of Houston, 2026 (opens in a new window) · Fayetteville State University, 2026 (opens in a new window)

Topics within diversity and inclusion

This list shows what the publications on this theme are about, with the number for each topic. Open a topic to see its publications; if a topic has a briefing, the link is underneath.

• Pressure on diversity policy7 publications

  • How Do Organizations Address Anti‐ DEI Pressure? Problematization and Perspectivization · Baruch College, 2026
  • Resisting the anti-DEI backlash: non-discrimination and social sustainability in Danish organizations · Aalborg University, 2026
  • Trump's anti-DEI push is reshaping workplaces far beyond the US · HRD New Zealand (HCAMag), 2026
  • Diversity, equity, inclusion: the temptation to pull back · NEOMA Business School, 2026
  • Understanding reactions to alternative labels for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives · Clemson University, 2026
  • GSK loses diversity leader status as staff rue DEI U-turn · HR Grapevine, 2025
  • Europe's Diversity Leaders 2026 · Statista and Financial Times, 2025
  Briefing: European companies' diversity policies under US pressure →
• Neurodiversity3 publications

  • Implementing a Co-produced Curriculum for Neurodivergent Individuals in the Workplace · Stanford University, 2026
  • What makes work sustainable for adults with ADHD? Interpreting workplace strain and support through Reddit data · Lakehead University, 2026
  • Breaking barriers, building futures: Inclusive workplaces for autistic people · UniNettuno University, 2025
• Black employees2 publications

  • Thriving while Black: A systematic review of Black employee workplace experiences across the career life cycle · University of Houston, 2026
  • How Can the Attrition of Black Women in the Workplace Be Explained Through Perceptions of Unmet Psychological Needs? · Fayetteville State University, 2026
• Gender3 publications

  • Navigating Gendered Interactions Online: Tactics and Strategies in the Digital Meeting · University of Iceland, 2026
  • How Can the Attrition of Black Women in the Workplace Be Explained Through Perceptions of Unmet Psychological Needs? · Fayetteville State University, 2026
  • Towards new labour equity: A bibliometric study of women’s happiness and well-being at work · Universidad de Málaga, 2026
• Inclusion in meetings2 publications

  • Navigating Gendered Interactions Online: Tactics and Strategies in the Digital Meeting · University of Iceland, 2026
  • Towards shared language work and belonging in a Finnish academic workplace · University of Jyväskylä, 2026
• Recruitment and access3 publications

  • Thriving while Black: A systematic review of Black employee workplace experiences across the career life cycle · University of Houston, 2026
  • Advies over het voorstel Wet toezicht gelijke kansen bij werving en selectie · Raad van State, 2026
  • Breaking barriers, building futures: Inclusive workplaces for autistic people · UniNettuno University, 2025

Briefings on this theme

Where several organisations publish roughly the same thing on a topic, we have used AI to compile a briefing. Click a card for the key point, the figures with their sources and what it means for the leadership team.