Integrating Social Justice into Organizational Change
An innovative digital anthology project led by Northwestern University’s Kimberly Scott examines how social justice principles can be integrated into organizational change.
An expansive, open, online resource, Social Justice and Organizational Change, is described by Scott as “an experiment with intellectual activism.” To date, more than 40 people have contributed.
Edited by Scott, director of the Master’s and Executive Programs in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy, it features work from several alumni, faculty, and coaches affiliated with the Master’s program, including Dorie Blesoff, Nichole Dessai, Sonya Kaleel, and Ngoc Nguyen. Scott and Kaleel are also gathering data for a related project.
Research partners Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, Susan Guest, Ranjani Iyengar, and Samantha Soloway have also contributed.
The project, whichreceived seed funding from Northwestern’s Race & Justice Collaborative, is designed to build community around promoting equity and social justice in organizational change. Another goal is to transform practices in the field, according to Scott.
In the introduction, the authors provide context and outline the project’s purpose. The subsequent chapters offer diverse perspectives, addressing questions such as:
• How can we rethink and challenge organizational change to better promote social justice?
• Are racism and other forms of oppression embedded in conventional ideas about organizational change?
• How can we ensure that fairness, inclusion, belonging, and justice are integral to all aspects of organizational change?
• How do our experiences shape how we study and implement changes in organizations?
The book is structured to let readers dive into the chapters they find most relevant. Additional content will be added as it becomes available, and new contributors are welcome.
Scott, assistant professor and associate dean for innovation and program development, is incorporating some content into a new graduate course she designed and co-teaches, titled “Exploring Sustainable Development for Organizations.”
“We should challenge ourselves to think critically about our approach to organizational change research, practice, and pedagogy,” Scott said. “It’s a collective effort to learn together, and we’re trying to be transparent and make sense of it along the way.”