8. St. Galler Diversity & Inclusion Week
Moving Forward: Overcoming DE&I Fatigue and Resistance
Online-Sessions: Videos und Slides
Beyond the Numbers: The Future of Equal Pay
Prof. Dr. Lucia M. Lanfranconi, Dr. Thomas Bauer and Raphael Summermatter
The panel examines the achievements of the Federal Act on Gender Equality in relation to equal pay and takes a glimpse into the future. How can companies and organisations respond effectively to society’s expectations regarding fair pay? What challenges do they face? What relevance will the topic of equal pay have in the future and how should it be addressed? Join our discussion to gain excitinginsights from experts.
→ Video (DE)
Neurodiversity and Entrepreneurial Work: Adopting a Strength-Based Approach to Mental Health Issues
Building on person-environment fit considerations that individuals can flourish in the appropriate environments, what is the link between mental health issues and entrepreneurship? How can entrepreneurship offer unique opportunities for work re-design to accomplish environmental fit for people with mental health issues (e.g., ADHD)?
→ Video and presentation slides on request: karin.kupka@unisg.ch
Long-Term Goals - Short-Term Requirements: Thoughts for Sustainable DE&I
How can long-term organizational goals be introduced in an organization? (How) can long-term organizational goals be maintained in everyday life characterized by short-term requirements?
In the presentation, findings from a project on the sustainable implementation of sustainability goals will be presented, interpreted, and discussed against the background of the question of sustainable implementation of diversity and inclusion goals. Organizational routines and the interests and goals of actors in the discussion and implementation of long-term strategic goals are problematized. A particular focus is on the institutionalization of measures that are intended to achieve the set goals and their coordination with organizational routines as well as with short-term requirements of everyday organizational life.
→ Video (DE) | Slides
Ambitious. Qualified. Overlooked! How to Overcome Resistance to Empowering Women 40+
Dr. Nora Keller and Margrit Vunder
Although time and resources have been invested into initiatives aimed to strengthen the female leadership pipeline, there has been little progress. Many CEOs who prioritize gender diversity by establishing targets for the representation of women in leadership positions, advocating for diverse pools of candidates in senior roles, find themselves disappointed. The DE&I fatigue is kicking in. Together with the authors of the recently published whitepaper “Ambitious. Qualified. Overlooked!” we use this session to embark a journey of shifting perspectives, shining a light on a significant pool of qualified and ambitious female professionals: Women over 40. The experts will discuss how companies get out of this particular DE&I fatigue related to gender equality, enlarging the talent lens to include non-conventional career path cohorts: those having reduced paid work due to family duties between 31-40 and are ready to ramp up. We provide ideas and examples of dismantling potential stereotypes and fully harnessing the potential of this often-overlooked talent pool.
→ Video (EN)
Inclusive Leadership: A Dynamic Dialogue on DE&I Resistance in Research and Practice
Dr. Huong Pham and Tamara Kern
→ Video (EN) | Slides
Gender Intelligence Report
Dr. Ines Hartmann and Alkistis Petropaki
As we know from our previous reports, there is a considerable gap between women and men in roles with decision making power and high influence. But how big is the power gap really? Are there different types of power? How does it translate to other gaps? What are the reasons for the discrepancies and why is it imperative to consciously drive change in the current power dynamics? Find out at the launch event!
This is the eighth edition of the annual report. It is the result of a collaboration between Advance, the business association for gender equality, and the Competence Centre for Diversity & Inclusion (CCDI-HSG) at the University of St. Gallen, co-directed by Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander and Dr. Ines Hartmann.
→ Video (EN) | Report
Work Survive Balance - Why the Future of Work Is Working on the Future
Hans Rusinek, Moderation: Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich
Today, work has a bad reputation: we dream of early retirement through sudden Bitcoin wealth, fight unconditionally for an unconditional basic income, or practice Quiet Quitting, where we do not put in any more effort, interest or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. This is fatal, because we cannot avoid the world of work if we want to tackle the climate crisis in a collaborative, tangible and non-traumatizing way – we would only be left with compulsion.
→ Video (DE) | Slides
Navigating Racial Battle Fatigue: Antiracism Strategies for Business
What practical steps can organizations take to alleviate workplace racial battle fatigue? How do effective antiracist policies empower all employees?
Discover the importance of addressing racial battle fatigue within the workplace and learn practical strategies to combat this pervasive issue. This talk will outline how businesses can support racialized employees and build resilient, inclusive environments. Together, we will trace the roots of racial battle fatigue, discuss practical steps for implementing antiracist policies that negate fatigue, and focus on encouraging a culture of empowerment among all staff members.
→ Video (EN) | Slides
Overcoming Boundaries: Diversity and Inclusion at a Cantonal Level - Strategies for Impact and Resistance to Fatigue
Dr. Susanne Nef and Michel Rudin
In a cantonal environment, the successful implementation of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is crucial for equitable and representative governance. However, while the potential of D&I is well known, the constant emphasis on these issues carries the risk of D&I fatigue, which can reduce the effectiveness of efforts and lead to resistance.
→ Video (DE) | Slides
Breaking Barriers: How Can We Actively Shape the Inclusion of People with Disabilities
Dr. Louisa Riess and Prof. Dr. Stephan Böhm
Why is the inclusion of people with disabilities important for companies? Why does inclusion fail and what are the key success factors for inclusion to succeed? How can managers and employees actively shape inclusion in the company?
In Switzerland, more than 20% of the population live with a disability. The topic of inclusion has become a buzzword in many places. Nevertheless, many managers and companies are often faced with the question of “how” and what is actually needed for an inclusive work environment. In our presentation, we will shed light on the opportunities and key challenges for the inclusion of people with disabilities in companies. We will look at success factors for inclusion and what managers and employees with and without disabilities can do to actively shape inclusion in the company. We present the latest findings from two recent studies and derive recommendations for practice.
→ Video (DE) | Slides
Equal Opportunities Reloaded: A Dialogue About Fragility, Transformation & Hegemonic Masculinity
Robert Franken and Dr. Gabriele Schambach
D&I crisis. Masculinity crisis. Leadership crisis. How do we get out of the vale of tears and how can we shape the future of the world of work together?
In times of a polycrisis, supposedly lower-ranking topics are often pushed out of focus: “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion? We’ve got more important things to do,” we hear here and there – especially from male managers. Or – often mentioned by them: “This has nothing to do with me!”
- How can we involve male managers in particular to make the issue of equal opportunities more relevant (again)?
- How can we take a holistic view to emphasize that the existing conditions in companies are also a reason for men to reflect and change them critically?
- How can we work together to restore our self-efficacy in shaping the present and the future?
Dr. Gabriele Schambach and Robert Franken dare to take a few courageous and interested looks at the individual and the system, from which they draw hope and potential for a redesign of our corporate cultures and structures – and look forward to your ideas, impulses, visions and an inspiring exchange about them.
→ Video (DE) | Slides
Speakers D&I Week 2024
Dr. Thomas Bauer
Thomas Bauer is Head of Economic Policy at Travail.Suisse, the independent umbrella organisation for employees. In this role, he focuses on issues relating to employees’ wages and working conditions. Thomas Bauer is also a member of various extra-parliamentary committees and the Suva Council. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Fribourg.
Prof. Dr. Stephan Alexander Böhm
Stephan Böhm is Professor of Diversity Management and Leadership and Director of the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St. Gallen. His research focuses on leadership, human resources and diversity management. He is particularly interested in occupational inclusion and the health effects of digitalization and flexibilization of work. Stephan Böhm has published numerous articles in leading scientific journals and has won a number of important research awards. He works as a consultant for organizations in all sectors, advising them on topics such as the development of agile, inclusive and healthy leadership.
Dr. Anna Brzykcy
Dr. Anna Brzykcy is Senior Project Manager DE&I at the CCDI and a systemic therapist. She previously worked as a Learning & Development Expert at the Institute for LifeLong Learning at the Technical University of Munich. There she led trainings on the role of leadership in active diversity management. This was also a core topic of her dissertation, which she completed at the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St. Gallen. Her research on stigmatization and mental health at work appeared in top-tier journals (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology, Human Relations).
Robert Franken
As a freelance consultant, Robert Franken works on the transformation of organisational cultures with a special focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) and a systemic perspective on privilege. Previously, he was CEO of urbia.de and Chefkoch.de, among others. He co-founded the Male Feminists Europe platform and is an honorary ambassador for HeForShe Germany.
Prof. Dr. Jamie Gloor
With 2 decades of experience across 4 continents, Prof. Dr. Jamie Gloor (SOM-HSG) is an award-winning speaker, teacher, and scholar, recently honored with the HSG Latsis Prize and a TEDxZurich talk. Her work has been featured in top academic (e.g., Journal of Applied Psychology) and popular outlets (e.g., Harvard Business Review and Forbes). Currently funded by a 1.2-million CHF grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation, she and her team craft sought-after courses, research, workshops, and keynotes spanning psychology and management on the topics of DEI, leadership, humor, and (social) sustainability.
Prof. Dr. Isabella Hatak
Isabella Hatak is a full professor of SME management at the University of St. Gallen and director of the Swiss Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (KMU-HSG). Furthermore, she acts as academic director of the Intensivstudium KMU. In her research, teaching and community engagement, she focuses on the value-creating behaviour of the individual entrepreneur and the psychological influences upon that entrepreneurial success including wellbeing. Her research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Business Venturing, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, the Journal of Management Studies, and the Journal of Business Ethics, among others, and is regularly featured in the media.
Sybille Hug
Sibylle has held management positions in HR at SBB for 15 years. She was responsible for HR consulting and HR personnel policy at the Group and is now Head of HR for the Infrastructure Division with over 10,000 employees. Sibylle holds an EMBA in International Management from the University of Zurich, an MAS in General Management from the University of Rochester Bern and is a qualified Human Resources Manager.
Dr. Nora Keller
Nora Keller, PhD, is a senior researcher at the Competence Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. She is responsible for qualitative research design and analysis. Nora Keller received a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, where she also completed her Master’s degree. In her dissertation, she used insights from business scholarship to understand organizational development and strategic innovation in non-state organizations during civil wars.
Tamara Kern
Tamara Kern is an external PhD candidate at the Competence Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), focusing on research areas related to diversity and inclusive leadership. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing her PhD in Management. She serves as the Director of Talent Management, Total Rewards & HR in a Fortune Global 500 corporation, and brings substantial practical experience to her academic pursuits, particularly in executing significant corporate D&I initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Lucia M. Lanfranconi
My passion is inspiring individuals, organizations, and policymakers towards greater gender and social equity. I do this as a group leader and professor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Berne University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and beyond.
Dr. Ines Hartmann
Ines Hartmann is Co-Director of the Competence Centre for Diversity and Inclusion and is responsible for the HSG Diversity Benchmarking together with Nicole Niedermann. She leads other company-specific projects on inclusive leadership and D&I, such as in-depth D&I analyses (quantitative and qualitative) or the development of D&I strategies. She gives workshops, holds lectures and teaches at universities and other schools on the topic of D&I as well as Strategic Management. She publishes on topics such as diversity management and inclusive organizational culture. She holds a PhD in Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in Strategy and International Management from the University of St. Gallen.
Dr. Florian Krause
Florian Krause is senior research fellow and lecturer at the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St.Gallen and at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Work and Employment Studies at Leibniz Universität Hanover. With philosophical and economic perspectives, he is particularly concerned with ethical challenges of digital transformation processes, sustainability, and questions of diversity and identity.
Agota Lavoyer
Agota Lavoyer is a social worker specialising in gender-based and sexual violence. As a counsellor and head of the victim support services in Bern and Olten, she has supported and accompanied countless victims of sexual violence and their families. Today, she works as a freelance counsellor and speaker and is committed to raising awareness of sexual violence and removing the taboo surrounding it. She is also the author of the bestselling children’s book “Ist das okay?” (“Is this okay?”) on the prevention of sexual abuse against children. Her new book “Jede_ Frau” (“Every Woman”) about a society in which sexual violence is trivialised and normalised will be published in May 2024.
Dr. Susanne Nef
I focus on issues of social participation. I pay particular attention to the topics of equality, equality from an intersectional perspective, violence in gender relations, social change and the associated wider social issues.
Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich
Prof. Dr Julia Nentwich is an associate professor for psychology. In her research she is interested in questions of inclusion, identity and change. Together with Dr. Gaby Schambach, she supports companies in the inclusion of male managers with “Leaders for Equality”. At the Research Institute for Organisational Psychology she leads the research area on gender and diversity. She has many years of experience in interdisciplinary research in organizational research and especially with qualitative research methods.
Nicole Niedermann
Nicole Niedermann works at the Competence Center for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of St.Gallen. She is part of the management team and is responsible for corporate projects, diversity benchmarking and human resources.Since 2019, she has been advising and supporting organizations in various industries in the implementation of their DE&I measures, giving trainings and workshops for managers, HR and employees. In particular, she deals with the topics of DE&I strategy development and analysis, inclusive leadership, intersectionality and unconscious bias. Nicole Niedermann holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Business Administration from the University of Fribourg and has been working in the field of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for more than ten years, including several years in the private sector, where she was responsible for DE&I in a global function.
Dr. Huong Pham
Huong Pham is a postdoctoral researcher at the Competence Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) working with Prof. Jamie Gloor. Her research interests include topics on diversity, cognition and leadership. Prior to joining the CCDI, she completed her Ph.D. in Psychology at LMU Munich in Germany where she also worked as a trainer and facilitated workshops on leadership and collaboration in the workplace.
Alkistis Petropaki
Alkistis Petropaki has been the Managing Director of Advance Gender Equality in Business since 2015. She has more than 20 years of management experience with international consumer goods companies such as L’Oréal, Nestlé, Mövenpick and Lindt. Before joining Advance, she was Country Manager Switzerland at Yves Rocher. With her involvement at Advance, she wants to support women in becoming the architects of their own careers. Alkistis holds a Master’s degree in Management from ESCP-Europe and a degree in German and Psychology from the University of Athens.
Christian Pierce
Christian Pierce is Senior Researcher at the CCDI. At the same time, he is doing his PhD in organisational studies and cultural theory at the University of St. Gallen. His research focuses on anti-racism in multinational companies from a human rights perspective. He graduated from the United States Military Academy with a degree in Economics and holds an M.Sc. in Business from the COPPEAD Graduate School of Business at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with a qualitative thesis on cultural diversity. He has consulted to several organisations in the US, Latin America and Europe on D&I, specialising in ethnic equality.
Dr. Louisa Riess
Dr. Louisa Riess (neé Bloedorn) is a researcher at the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St. Gallen. Her work revolves around the question “Inclusion – but how?”. In particular, she is investigating which success factors are necessary to enable the inclusion of people with disabilities in companies and what managers and employees can specifically do to create an inclusive work environment.
Dr. Ella Roininen
Dr. Ella Roininen is the Head of DEI at the University of St. Gallen. She has educated on Gender, Diversity and Inclusion since 20 years globally, and held leadership roles both in academia and business. Ella holds a BBA from Schiller International University, MSc in International Management from the University of St. Gallen and Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a Doctorate from the University of St. Gallen and the Nordic Research School of Interdisciplinary Gender Studies. Ella works with the concepts of voice and awareness. She wants to create spaces free of structures and practices of discrimination, and show how we can include ourselves and others through transferring feminist, intersectional and postcolonial concepts into strategy and policies, attitudes and practices of inclusion.
Michel Rudin
Michel Rudin is a communicative, versatile person with experience as a managing director, public affairs manager, lecturer and politician. Michel Rudin studied and graduated in history, philosophy, business administration and law. Michel Rudin likes to get things done, make progress and achieve goals, but also in hectic at times – Michel Rudin is not easily flustered.
Severin Ruoff
Severin is the co-founder of folx global, a company that uses virtual reality to raise awareness of unconscious biases. With a background in cyber security consulting and a passion for diversity, Severin brings a global perspective, having lived in multiple countries and speaking six languages.
Hans Rusinek
Hans Rusinek is writing his doctoral thesis (IWE-HSG) on the meaning of work and its role in modern organizations. He also lectures on the future of work at Fresenius University in Hamburg and is a Fellow of the Club of Rome’s Think Tank 30. Until 2020, he was Associate Strategy Director and first employee of the purpose consultancy of the Boston Consulting Group, BrightHouse. As a journalist, he also contributes to the debate between business and society, for example in brand eins, Capital, DIE ZEIT and Deutschlandfunk, for which he was awarded the Ludwig Erhard Foundation’s 2020 Prize for Business Journalism. His book “Work-Survive-Balance” about the future of work for our grandchildren will be published by Herder in October 2023.
Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander
Gudrun Sander is a titular professor of business administration with a special focus on diversity management, co-director of the Forschungsstelle für Internationales Management and co-director of the Competence Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. She researches diversity and inclusion from a strategy, leadership and corporate culture perspective, leads the national diversity benchmarking and is an academic expert in various international and national committees.
Dr. Gabriele Schambach
Dr Gabriele Schambach is co-leader of the project “Leadership for Equality” at the University of St. Gallen. She works as a consultant, trainer and speaker at Genderworks. For more than twenty years she has been working on gender and diversity for more equal opportunities in companies. As a trained industrial clerk and political scientist with a doctorate, she combines her knowledge of systemic organisational development and transactional analysis with scientific findings and corporate practice.
Sophie Schepp
Sophie Schepp is a psychologist and research associate at the Center for Disability and Integration at the University of St. Gallen. Her research interests lie in the area of proactive work design for different employee groups and contexts, e.g. flexible and hybrid working as well as diversity and disability in the workplace.
Raphael Summermatter
Raphael Summermatter is Project Manager at the Competence Centre for Diversity & Inclusion. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of St. Gallen. During his studies, he was able to acquire valuable software skills, which he can now apply to various company projects. His work at CCDI focuses on projects concerning equal pay between women and men.
Margit Vunder
Margit is known for her expertise in shaping and driving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion agenda. She has a proven track record in leading large-scale cultural transformations and has extensive experience in leadership and talent development. Her personal purpose is to help people make better choices, so that everyone can live, lead, and love authentically. Margit lives in Zurich with her two sons, loves theater and can be often seen jogging along the Limmat.
Dr. Verena Witzig
Verena Witzig works as an expert for the Diversity & Inclusion team at the University of St.Gallen. Her areas of expertise are implicit bias trainings in academic recruitment processes and how to combine studies, career and family. Both her degree in International Relations and her doctorate on the division of labor between separated parents come in handy here, as her job requires a sound understanding of diversity management as well as a large dose of diplomacy. She teaches bias training courses at various universities in Switzerland and Germany.
Workshop: The Game Can Begin: Facing Resistance with Equality Poker
Dr. Gabriele Schambach and Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich
Resistance can stifle change. However, resistance can also indicate where there is energy rather than fatigue. Tapping into this energy in a productive way is therefore an important and beneficial task for change processes. This is where the Equality Poker developed by Leaders for Equality comes in.
It focuses on gender-inclusive leadership practices that managers can concretely implement to promote gender equality in the company. By assigning each individual leadership practice to one of the three colours of the card game, players can see at a glance how accepted and widespread it already is in Swiss companies. While the practices in the blue row are already widely used by male managers, there is great potential for the green cards to be used even more frequently with a little “coaching”. The red cards represent the gender-inclusive leadership practices that our research has shown are (still) difficult for the majority of male managers.
In the workshop we will introduce the card game and experiment with different ways of playing “gender equality poker”.
Workshop: Resistance Is Fruitful - Navigating Institutional Resistance to DE&I Initiatives
Do you know the feeling, when the greatest obstacle to doing your job is your employer? DE&I officers often face backlash for simply doing what they have been hired for. You neither want to cover systemic problems with a bandage nor make people angry? Welcome to the club. In this session, we will explore how to deal with institutional resistance, to deliver results for your organization while preserving your mental health and keeping your sense of humor.
Workshop: InclusiVRT - Immersive Training for Inclusivity
Edgar Emilio Llamoca, Emily Telami, David Candlish, Severin Ruoff and Jacqueline Tossoukpe
We are delighted to present our project – inclusiVRT – Immersive training for inclusivity – to the St. Gallen audience, offering a fresh take on DE&I. Join us for an insightful session where we discuss the project’s inception, roadmap, and valuable learnings from interviews with LGBTQ+ clients and UBS client advisors. This promises to be an engaging event, paving the way for future innovative DE&I endeavours. We look forward to sparkling inspiration and fostering a community of change-makers together.
Input: With Power Comes Responsibility: Preventing Sexual Harassment at the Workplace
In the wake of the “Me Too” movement, which has raised awareness of sexual harassment around the world, there is a sense of fatigue around these issues. However, despite these signs of fatigue, the problem remains and is still highly relevant. Also in Switzerland, sexual harassment in the workplace is widespread. It can happen to anyone. Women are most often affected, as well as people who are in a weaker position in the company: new employees, part-time employees, apprentices or marginalised people. This is not random, but systematic.
Managers are responsible for ensuring a working environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. A healthy company culture makes it more difficult for employees to be sexually harassing and easier for those affected to denounce sexual harassment and seek support. Managers are also responsible for providing appropriate support to those affected by sexual harassment and for holding the harassers accountable.
If They Don't Change, I'll Change It Myself! Proactively Leveraging Diversity Through Job Crafting
Prof. Dr. Stephan Böhm and Sophie Schepp
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How can you proactively and independently craft your own work so that it better meets your own needs?
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What strategies are available to make more effective use of individual strengths and skills in the workplace?
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What impact do such adaptations have on leveraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace?
Job Crafting is a proactive approach to work design where individual strengths are recognized and purposefully applied in daily tasks. Particularly in the realm of diversity and inclusion, Job Crafting offers the opportunity to tailor one’s tasks and responsibilities to personal needs and strengths, thus experiencing them as more successful and meaningful. In this interactive workshop, you will learn about the Job Crafting method and discover practical approaches on how Job Crafting can be trained and successfully applied.
Workshop: Why Are We Still in the Margins? From Resistance to Inclusive Culture
Why and how cultural change is a necessary driver for inclusive organisations?
Despite the topic moving closer to the foreground, it’s still not unusual to think of DE&I as a marginal activity in an organisation, something to be added to the its functioning and management system in the spirit of fairness and sustainability. However, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are foundational competencies to today’s organisations, relevant individually, competitively and societally.
In this session we talk about the premises of how organisational members may find themselves not being included or not including, resisting to the ‘old’ ways of doing things or feeling the resistance to their need for updating the organisational practices. We will brainstorm about the mindset for DE&I, and how a lasting change really comes by not only updating the policies and structures of an organisation, but learning how to challenge the norms and deep structures underlying it’s every day life.
Workshop: Dealing with Leaders' Resistance: How to Successfully Manage Controversial DE&I Discussions
Dr. Anna Brzykcy and Nicole Niedermann
- How can HR professionals effectively manage controversial discussions about DE&I with leaders and executive teams?
- What are practical strategies for dealing with different forms of resistance from managers?
- What techniques can be used to promote understanding, open dialogue, and build empathy around DE&I issues?
The workshop includes insights from research on different types of resistance to DE&I efforts, such as skepticism, defensiveness, or lack of ownership. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the underlying factors such as unconscious bias, fear of change and perceived threats from power structures that contribute to resistance.