‘A legitimacy theory of inclusion’ presented by Hans van Dijk, full Professor of Leading Inclusion at TIAS School for Business and Society, Co-founder of the Including Behavior Institute.
@IESEG Schoof of Management, Lille campus.
ABSTRACT
We advance a legitimacy theory of inclusion that delineates how including and excluding behaviors relate to perceptions of inclusion and exclusion. We argue that it is not the including or excluding nature of behaviors that shape perceptions of inclusion or exclusion (respectively), but evaluations of the legitimacy of those behaviors.
By further disentangling the behavioral, evaluative, and perceptual components of inclusion and exclusion, our theory explains why acts of inclusion as well as acts of exclusion can be legitimate or illegitimate, and why actors and targets often diverge in their legitimacy evaluations.
We introduce the concept of legitimacy conflict to explain the frequent occurrence of tensions arising from divergent legitimacy evaluations and outline the process through which legitimacy conflict may be resolved. By integrating insights from legitimacy theory and inclusion research, our theory offers a novel lens for understanding inclusion as a dynamic, context-sensitive process.
