In the 1950’s, American psychologist Gordon Allport posited that people with a prejudice against a certain group often overcame it when working with individuals from that group, a phenomenon he called “intergroup contact theory.” Since then, hundreds of studies have proven that contact theory is generally correct and have identified under which conditions it’s most effective. As a result, there’s now actionable guidance for managing teams in a manner that helps members overcome prejudice:
If you can’t meet all five of the above conditions, don’t worry. While the first condition, diverse composition, is essential for teams to promote greater inclusivity, the other four are not. In fact, research finds that even teams that fail to meet all or most of the bottom four criteria (but are still diverse) often reduce member prejudice, although not optimally. As a leader, you can help free team members from their biases by applying contact theory. Its application won’t increase inclusivity in every instance, but it typically will. In sum, anybody who manages teams has the power to promote social justice. Looking for assistance in making your workplace more inclusive? CSR Solutions of Colorado can help. Contact us!
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Sometimes it’s helpful to estimate the total monetary value of a company’s contributions to the community, including cash, in-kind and volunteer donations. For example, a company might want to report something akin to, “We’re proud to have contributed $X to the community in 2021.” This figure can come in handy for award applications, PR campaigns, social media posts, corporate website content or employee communications, for example. Fortunately, monetizing community contributions is not difficult. It involves filling out the grid below for the company’s community engagement activities conducted in a specific year (or other time period). That’s it! You now have an estimate of the monetary value of your company’s community contributions.
Looking for more assistance with monetizing your community contributions? CSR Solutions of Colorado can help. Contact us! |
AuthorsSpark the Change Colorado, Community Shares of Colorado, B:CIVIC Archives
May 2023
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