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The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and analyze the academic literature on integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into knowledge mobilization (KMb).

This systematic literature review of the body of scholarly literature published on integrating EDI with KMb follows established methods and protocols proposed by Popay et al. (2006) and Page et al. (2021). Using a relevant keyword string, a search was conducted in ProQuest and SCOPUS to find peer-reviewed articles, which were then screened using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, inductive and deductive analyses were conducted on the selected articles.

The findings suggest that most of the authors are based in the Global North, the majority of literature was published in the last two years, and that it is conceptual. This synthesis highlights five solution-oriented themes: acknowledging inherent bias, centering marginalized groups, promoting responsible knowledge mobilization, establishing partnerships, and advocating for transformational and systemic change. This study also identifies four broad barriers: inherent, unconscious, and implicit biases, a lack of evidence-based best practices, siloing of research and information, and a lack of institutional support and resources. Findings also highlight the value of further research into barriers, gaps and opportunities.

By studying the intersection of EDI and KMb, this contemporary synthesis of the state of the field presents opportunities for future research into gaps, barriers and potential solutions.

Internationalisation in higher education (HE) has always been romanticised and idealised but there has been limited focus on the internationalisation of gender equality and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) certification and the role of international partnerships. Certification and Award Schemes (CAS), such as the Athena Swan Charter, can promote gender equality, best practices exchanges and foster institutional changes. Nevertheless, simply transferring strategies or frameworks without careful consideration of the nuances of the destination context can inadvertently lead to the perpetuation or exacerbation of gender inequalities and reproduce hierarchical relations between the Global South and North. Brazil's cultural and political context highlights the need for adapting the CAS framework to align with the unique conditions of the country, as well as institutional transformations in order to accommodate such a framework. This study aims to critically explore how gender equality and EDI certification can be internationalised in the Global South and how international partnerships can play a role in this process.

Building on a collaborative UK–Brazil funded project on advancing gender equality in Brazilian academia, we critically reflect on the assumptions of the funding call for operationalising international collaborations, and how we built solidarity – informed by our positionalities – against underlying colonial patterns. As part of our partnership, we were consulted to provide feedback on the introduction of an Athena SWAN framework in Brazil. We reflect on how the Athena Swan framework was “internationalised” in Brazil, especially in relation to its focus, the challenges of implementing gender equality and EDI efforts and the conditions required for such efforts to be meaningful in the Brazilian context. Thus, we assess and critically reflect on the current situation in Brazil, the role that certification can play for EDI and which conditions are required to enact change. In addition, we reflect on our positionalities and working practices as part of this collaboration as feminist researchers from different disciplinary and geographical backgrounds.

We trace colonial logics in the operationalisation of the funding scheme on setting international collaborations valorising the UK system and reinforcing geopolitical production of knowledge hierarchies between the Global North and Global South. Furthermore, reflecting on the Brazilian political, cultural context with a focus on HE we find similar challenges – to the UK – in implementing gender and EDI efforts. However, there are particular nuances in the Brazilian context that exacerbate these obstacles and make the implementation of an EDI certification framework in Brazil particularly challenging. Overcoming these barriers requires a collective effort from government, funding bodies, scientific associations and HE institutions, for the implementation of impactful and sustainable initiatives beyond mere rhetoric. Finally, while we had a positive collaboration, we felt ambivalent towards certain dimensions of the way the partnerships and the EDI internationalisation were operationalised.

We provide insights and practical recommendations that enhance the understanding of the issues surrounding the implementation of EDI efforts internationally such as CAS in the Brazilian context.

Reflecting on the internationalisation of EDI can lead to more tailored context-sensitive frameworks and activities that have the potential to influence societal attitudes and expectations towards gender roles and inclusivity, contributing to a more equitable and just society at large. It also touches upon the dynamics of international partnerships and collaborations across different contexts that can have implications for how such partnerships should be developed and funded beyond a mainstream colonial approach of “mentoring less advanced institutions”.

We reflect and critically discuss the internationalisation of EDI certification in HE and the role of international collaborations towards this process, a topic that has not been often examined within the literature on the internationalisation of HE as a romanticised and positive discourse. From our experience, we explore how such efforts can bring up ambivalence in the way they are operationalised and have the potential to both reinforce and disrupt colonial hierarchies.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the incorporation, prioritization and depth of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives in tourism industry restart policies of Canadian provinces and territories. This study investigates how the detailing of EDI in policies determine the priority in emancipating tourism workers from the inequities exacerbated during the pandemic. Such investigation enables a better understanding of the complexities, tendencies and rationale of involving EDI in the tourism industry’s recovery.

The research investigated the presence and prioritization of equity, diversity, and inclusion using systematic text analytics of 38 publicly available restart plans and statements from 52 government and non-government agencies. Using web-based software Voyant Tools to assist in text analytics, a hybrid deductive-inductive coding approach was conducted.

Key outcomes from the analysis revealed scarce to no full and dedicated content on EDI as a holistic initiative necessary for tourism industry relaunch. This lack of EDI content was a result of the greater impetus to prioritize economic generation and limited data due to practical and ideological issues. Results also suggested the tokenizing of EDI in some policies.

Difficulties in data used for research include the lack and availability of restart policies specifically for tourism; most policies were generalized and referred to economic recovery as a whole. Studies of tourism-specific EDI issues were also limited.

The research is revelatory for investigating EDI prioritizations in restart policies even among well-developed and worker-diverse tourism industries such as in Canada, where inequities and injustices to women, Black, Indigenous, gender-diverse, and newcomer tourism workers among others have been withstanding.

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the connection between creativity and innovation in the context of public healthcare. This is achieved by applying the theoretical concept of employee-driven innovation (EDI) to explore employees’ perceptions of their creative engagement in innovation processes, as well as to capture the managerial implications of setting up such processes in the sector.

A critical discourse analysis (CDA) is applied as a methodological lens to capture the interaction between the macro-level production and meso-level distribution of innovation discourse (top-down), and the micro-level perception of, and response to, the same (bottom-up). This study is based on a qualitative approach and is set in the public healthcare system of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Northeast Italy. In total, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 healthcare professionals. For triangulation purposes, observation and document analysis were also performed.

The findings of this study reveal that tensions are present between the macro-level discourses and the meso-level strategies around innovation, and the micro-level perceptions of employees’ creative engagement in innovation processes. Healthcare professionals’ creative efforts are not easily recognized and supported by top management, which in turn does not receive a framework of reference in policies acknowledging the importance of human skills and creativity in innovation processes.

That this is a single case study implies a limitation on the generalizability of its results, but the results may nevertheless be transferable to similar empirical contexts. Therefore, a multiple case study design would be preferable in future studies in order to study EDI strategies and policies across various types of organizations in the public sector. Moreover, apart from CDA, other theoretical and methodological lenses can be applied to investigate the interaction between top-down organizing and bottom-up responses to innovation.

This study contributes to the EDI literature by providing a more integrative understanding of EDI in the public sector, demonstrating the importance of scrutinizing the interactions between employees and top-level management.

Deposit insurance activities aimed at achieving financial stability and depositor protection often align with financial inclusion programmes of other financial safety-net participants. However, there is limited empirical evidence in the literature on the role of deposit insurance (DIS) in financial inclusion. This study bridges this gap by analysing data from 143 countries to assess the impact of DIS on financial inclusion along the dimensions of access and usage.

This study uses the random effect and the generalized methods of moments (GMM) regression models to estimate the effects of deposit insurance on financial inclusion.

Our results show that, in addition to positive impacts from other policy drivers such as income per capita, economic growth and banking and financial sector development, the practice of an explicit deposit insurance system (EDIS) significantly promotes financial inclusion. However, merely having any form of DIS, as proxied by IADI membership, shows limited potential. Based on the data-informed reliability of our findings, we recommend that countries aiming to deepen financial inclusion should consider adopting or intensifying the practice of EDIS alongside existing programmes.

There is limited or scanty empirical evidence in the literature, if there exists any, that indicates that financial inclusion progress actually benefits from deposit insurance. This study therefore contributes to the literature by providing an empircal evidence on the positive impact of deposit insurance on financial inclusion.

COVID-19 has profoundly shaped human interactions, and, within public healthcare systems, care relations. Through the lens of social suffering, this study explores how employee innovation is shaped by the pandemic crisis and different managerial approaches in the context of public geriatric care in Northeast Italy.

This study adopts a qualitative methodology. A total of 29 semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 23 healthcare professionals involved in geriatric care, with managerial and without managerial positions. Observation was integrated as auxiliary research to further capture on an operational level the interactions among the actors involved.

The COVID-19 crisis significantly shaped employee innovation for healthcare professionals, as the suffering it provoked in the system motivated and urged them to engage in innovative initiatives. Where employees’ engagement in innovation was recognized by the management, it was found that the suffering was mitigated, and creativity and solidarity emerged in the innovation process. Where top-down approaches did not recognize employees’ efforts and innovative initiatives, need-driven innovation and greater tensions came forward, enhancing the overall suffering in care relations and resulting in some employees considering leaving their profession.

This study is based on a single case study.

This study further highlights the employee participation in innovation as a crucial practical implication for sustaining the quality of public care and assistance. A practical implication emerging from this study suggests that “ordinary” healthcare professionals’ engagement in innovative initiatives and in their operationalization should be encouraged by the organization. In a system as complex as the public healthcare one, valuing the bottom-up, clinical inputs appears fundamental if innovation is to move away from mere technological adaptation to embrace a more comprehensive process, involving the professionals who are engaging in innovative endeavors. From a managerial point of view, adopting an approach that recognizes, supports and provides coordination to employee innovation seems instrumental to nurture an environment where employee voices feel heard, and creativity, solidarity and overall positive collaboration can occur. Thus, another significant practical implication includes the retention of healthcare professionals in the public sector in times of crisis.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity to explore the “human side” of innovation and its connection to emerging human needs during a crisis is growing. This study focuses on employee participation in innovation processes due to COVID-19, thus contributing to the employee-driven innovation (EDI) literature. Through the lens of social suffering, it scrutinizes the interactions between bottom-up perceptions and responses and top-down strategies in a public healthcare setting. Hence, this study addresses two major gaps present in EDI literature, for the most part focused on the private sector and on the managerial structures, tools and interventions.

High-stakes decision-makers, including human resource (HR) professionals, often exhibit accent biases against second language speakers in professional evaluations. We extend this work by investigating how HR students evaluate simulated job interview performances in English by first and second language speakers of English.

Eighty HR students from Calgary and Montreal evaluated the employability of first language (L1) Arabic, English, and Tagalog candidates applying for two positions (nurse, teacher) at four points in the interview (after reading the applicant’s resume, hearing their self-introduction, and listening to each of two responses to interview questions). Candidates’ responses additionally varied in the extent to which they meaningfully answered the interview questions.

Students from both cities provided similar evaluations, employability ratings were similar for both advertised positions, and high-quality responses elicited consistently high ratings while evaluations for low-quality responses declined over time. All speakers were evaluated similarly based on their resumes and self-introductions, regardless of their language background. However, evaluations diverged for interview responses, where L1 Arabic and Tagalog speakers were considered more employable than L1 English speakers. Importantly, students’ preference for L1 Arabic and Tagalog candidates over L1 English candidates was magnified when those candidates provided low-quality interview responses.

Results suggest that even in the absence of dedicated equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) training focusing on language and accent bias, HR students may be aware of second language speakers’ potential disadvantages in the workplace, rewarding them in the current evaluations. Findings also highlight the potential influence of contextual factors on HR students’ decision-making.

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of health cadres in Indonesia to take perinatal depression screening in the community using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Whooley.

The field study involved 11 health cadres (community volunteers who assist in maternal and child health) who were trained to administrate EPDS and Whooley towards 36 pregnant and postpartum mothers in a low resource urban setting for a month. A comparison of scores from both tools, the number and type of mistakes made by the cadres, and cadres perception about the tools were combined to determine the most feasible tool for cadres in identifying depression symptoms.

The results show both tools are comparable for screening depression symptoms in mothers; however, EPDS was better at differentiating the level of symptoms. Whooley, with two case-finding questions, is simpler for cadres, whereas the EPDS is more difficult to be computed by cadres. Cadres support the implementation of such a screening, as it provides a channel for mothers to express their negative feelings.

The findings indicate Whooley is sufficient for first-level screening in the community by cadres, whereas the EPDS should be used by qualified health-care workers for further evaluation at primary health clinics.

Health cadres could potentially be trained to use standardized yet simple psychological tools. Involving trained health cadres in integrated maternal mental health services in primary health care in Surabaya, Indonesia is promising.

The use of the EPDS and the Whooley questions has not been applied in Indonesia particularly among health cadres despite their long-lasting role in primary health-care system.

The paper reviews Fox’s frames of reference against subsequent changes in the composition of the labour force, shifts in social values and the arrival of the politics of identity.

A close reading of the frames of reference is placed in the context of Fox’s writing on the search for managerial legitimacy. That search is then considered in relation to the subsequent revolution in equal opportunities and contemporary efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

At the core of Fox’s frames lies the fundamental question of whether employers accept trade unions as a legitimate expression of employee interests. Changes in the composition of the labour force and the related arrival of identity politics has led to the emergence of a new set of interests based on social identity. These interests exist because of state legislation, social pressure from campaign groups and the awareness of the right to equal treatment regardless of gender, race, sexuality etc. It follows that the emergence of these identity-based interests means that employers are all pluralists now. This new pluralism has the ideological challenge of gaining approval not only from employees but also from the public in a world where errant employers are vulnerable to hashtag activism.

By revisiting Fox’s frames of reference, and emphasizing the role of employee interests, the paper shows that Fox's original insights on managerial authority and the need for “legitimising sentiments” are still relevant even if his frames are now outdated.

This paper examines the efforts of National Health Service (England) (NHSE) to respond to employee-based racial inequalities via its Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES). The WRES constitutes a hybridised accountability initiative with characteristics of the moral and imposed regimes of accountability.

The study conceptualises the notion of responsive race accountability with recourse to Favotto et al.’s (2022) moral accountability model and critical race theory (CRT), and through it, examines the enactment of WRES at 40 NHSE trusts using qualitative content analysis.

Despite the progressive nature of the WRES that seeks to nurture corrective actions, results suggest that trusts tend to adopt an instrumental approach to the exercise. Whilst there is some evidence of good practice, the instrumental approach prevails across both the metric reporting that trusts engage in to guide their actions, and the planned actions for progress. These planned actions not only often fail to coalesce with the trust-specific data but also include generic NHSE or equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives and mimetic adoptions of best practice guidance that only superficially address racial concerns.

Whilst the WRES is a laudable voluntary achievement, its moral imperative does not appear to have translated into a moral accountability within individual trusts.

Responding to calls for more research at the accounting-race nexus, this study uniquely draws on CRT to conceptualise and examine race accountability.