"In my new research on Intuitions-at-Work Theory (IWT), I propose the problem is not that all diversity strategies are doomed to fail, but rather that business decisions involving diversity are strongly driven by intuition, and that managers have flawed intuitions about diversity -especially regarding which diversity strategies will fail and which diversity strategies will succeed. IWT, which integrates and synthesizes prior empirical findings"
"by myself and hundreds of other researchers, suggests that "managers often choose diversity strategies that fail for the same reason they often choose motivational strategies that fail: their ... intuitions are systematically biased toward strategies that feel 'salient' (rather than 'subtle'), strategies that feel 'positive' (rather than 'negative'), and strategies that feel 'certain' (rather than 'uncertain')-even when those strategies are suboptimal" (Daniels 2025)."
Most organizational diversity initiatives have failed or backfired. Business decisions about diversity are heavily driven by managers' intuitions. Managers hold flawed intuitions that cause them to overvalue strategies that feel salient, positive, and certain even when those strategies are suboptimal. Intuitions-at-Work Theory (IWT) synthesizes empirical evidence showing that these cognitive biases explain persistent reliance on ineffective approaches. Diversity training is commonly overvalued because it is highly salient and intuitively appealing despite links to poorer ethnic and gender diversity outcomes. Executives must consider counterintuitive and uncomfortable strategies to improve diversity outcomes.
Read at Psychology Today
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