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A change of perspective: evidence-based perspective integration intervention strategies aimed at making academic institutions more inclusive

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How does perspective integration relate to inclusion in academia – and how can it be effectively utilised to promote it? Addressing these questions is the main aim of the Change of Perspective project, involving a consortium led by Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM).

This project examines the key factors of effectively integrating perspectives in order to promote inclusion in academia.

An inclusive academic culture is crucial for attracting and retaining diverse talent and for offering everyone an environment in which they can flourish. Attaining such an inclusive cultures requires paying attention to differences in perspectives, and making sure these differences are properly and effectively considered in daily interactions and in decision making processes. This projects thus focuses on understanding effective perspective integration within academia. 

This project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), as part of the Advancing Equity in Academia through Innovation funding instrument.

Research

This project has three critical goals:

  • Understanding effective integration of perspectives among employees with different hierarchical positions, and/or memberships of social groups, for a more inclusive academic culture
  • Designing and empirically testing interventions that promote behaviours associated with effective integration of perspectives among academic leaders
  • Providing academic institutions with tools to incorporate the integration of perspectives long-term into their daily interactions and decision-making.

Main project team

Meet our main project team members. They are supported by a consortium of researchers, leaders, educators, and policy makers who have complementary expertise in topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

Dr Seval Gündemir

Assistant professor

Dr Seval Gündemir is an assistant professor in the Department of Organisation and Personnel Management at RSM, and has over a decade of research and teaching experience in DEI. Seval is the Principal Investigator and team leader of the project.   

Dr Inga Hoever

Associate professor

Dr Inga Hoever is an associate professor in the Department of Organisation and Personnel Management at RSM, and has long-standing research, teaching, and editorial experience on teams, diversity, perspectives, and creativity. Inga was the Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at RSM until she was appointed as RSM’s Dean of Research. Inga is a co-principal investigator on the project.  

Prof. Janneke Oostrom

Professor

Prof. Janneke Oostrom is a professor of Work and Organizational Psychology and chair of the Department of Social Psychology at Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University. Janneke has extensive research and teaching experience on inclusive HR practices and leadership. Janneke is a co-principal investigator on the project.

Mayssa Rishani

Postdoctoral researcher

Mayssa Rishani is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Organisation and Personnel Management at RSM. During her doctoral studies, Rishani focused her research and teaching on topics related to teams, creativity, and diversity. Mayssa is the postdoctoral researcher on the project.

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Scientific advisory board
Professional and impact advisory board
Collaborators