Learning from DEI Exceptions: Emerging Sectors, Atypical Employees and Innovative Practices.

Progress toward workplace diversity and inclusion has been slow and there is a pressing need to identify innovative organizational practices that can support attraction and engagement of diverse employees. In this symposium, we investigate how exceptional organizations might 'think outside the box' to find innovative ways to support employee diversity. We focus on organizations in emerging sectors like space startups, space simulation missions. With less pressure to conform to industry norms, these organizations have the latitude to push boundaries and incubate creative ways to attract and engage a diverse workforce. We also highlight organizations in more mature sectors that recruit atypical employees and adopt innovative benefits. By focusing on the exceptions who break the usual rules, our symposium offers inspiring examples of organizations finding innovative ways to address diversity and inclusion at work. But our symposium also delivers cautionary lessons, by highlighting some unanticipated consequences of organizational diversity and inclusion practices. Two presentations (Maslikowska et al. and Perera et al.) examine diversity and inclusion practices in the emerging space sector. Two presentations investigate how high-tech organizations are attracting and engaging women (Srinivasan et al.) and racial minority employees (Fugere & Lempiälä) in a sector traditionally dominated by White men. The final two presentations (Bertola et al. and Gruda et al.) examine the complex consequences of diversity and inclusion activities across sectors (e.g., fertility treatment services, biotech, retail, healthcare, IT, finance, business services). Diversity in Space Sector: What we Learn from Including Parastronauts in Analog Space Mission Crews Author: Monika Maslikowska; U. of Zurich Author: Jan B. Schmutz; U. of Zurich Author: Leszek Orzechowski; Lunares Research Station Author: Agata Mintus; Lunares Research Station Rally the Troops First: Startup Action on Gender Equality Author: Sanjeewa Samanmali Perera; U. of South Australia Author: Carol T. Kulik; U. of South Australia Author: Sukhbir Kaur Sandhu; U. of South Australia Growing Women Leaders in Indian Electronics Manufacturing Author: Vasanthi Srinivasan; Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Author: Debolina Dutta; Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Author: Sohini Sinha; Electronics Manufacturing Corp A Author: Prakriti Jha; Electronics Manufacturing Corp B Promoting Belonging while Constraining Agency: Practices of an Inclusive Technology Start-up Author: Taylor Fugere; U. of California, Merced Author: Tea Lempiala; U. of California, Merced Navigating Fertility and Work: Trends in an Evolving Landscape Author: Lara Bertola; Rennes School of Business Author: Esra Paca; Rennes School of Business Author: Ozlem Ozkok; Rennes School of Business Author: Tunyaporn Vichiengior; Rennes School of Business Decoding Gender Dynamics: Machine Learning Insights into Organizational Culture & Employee Wellbeing Author: Dritjon Gruda; Catolica Porto, Portugal/ Maynooth U., Ireland Author: Marian Crowley-Henry; Maynooth U. Author: Adegboyega Ojo; National U. of Ireland, Maynooth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]