Published on: December 8, 2025 at 3:24 pm
In 2026, organizations will move beyond traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks, according to Academy of Management Scholar Quinetta Roberson of Michigan State University.
In 2024 and 2025, many large companies reneged on their DEI commitments, and many others stayed silent about all three letters of the acronym. That is set to change in 2026 as companies’ leaders reimagine their DEI initiatives to maximize their positive impact, but it’s important that executives’ DEI actions match their words.
After experiencing backlash and fatigue, leaders are reframing inclusion as a measurable capability that improves decision quality, risk management, and innovation, Roberson said.
She expects “inclusive” to give way to words like “collaborative,” “relational,” or “human-centered,” each providing a pathway to the same goals while reflecting a more practical approach.
“The emphasis will shift from demographic metrics and program implementation and/or utilization to assessing access and decision quality, including who gets heard, who gets sponsored, and who receives stretch assignments that accelerate advancement,” Roberson said. “Forward-thinking organizations will tie these indicators to business outcomes, such as innovation and market growth.
“Leaders, in turn, will be evaluated on how well they foster environments where people feel empowered to contribute their ideas that strengthen decisions and outcomes and a sense of shared accountability for results,” she said.
“In short, the next phase will be about turning values into practice, embedding fairness and belonging into the work and everyday business decisions.”
