Despite widespread attention for inclusion, exclusion at work remains a persistent challenge. This symposium for DEI researchers and experts explores the current state of inclusion theory, the impact of growing anti-DEI sentiment, and the translation of research into effective everyday practices.
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Symposium: Inclusion @ work: Bridging Theory and Practice
2 October 2026
09.00 15.15 hour
Tilburg CampusWarandelaan 2, Tias Building5037 ABTilburgDirections
Symposium: Inclusion @ work: Bridging Theory and Practice
Research suggests that up to 70% of employees still feel excluded at work. At the same time, a growing anti-DEI movement is putting inclusion efforts under increasing pressure. With an inspiring keynote by Kay Formanek on the global DEI reset, participant contributions, and ample room for dialogue, we will examine how inclusion theories can be translated into effective everyday practices.
Join the conversation and gain fresh perspectives on building more inclusive workplaces.
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In short
Date: Friday, 2 October
Time: 9:00 - 15:15
Language: English
Costs: €50
You can register here.
About this Symposium
Inclusion at work is often presented as a way to create equal opportunities and a stronger sense of belonging for all. In theory, it is something everyone could support. In practice, however, inclusion has increasingly become a source of debate, resistance, and even conflict.
How did something designed to unite people become so divisive? Why do people resist inclusion? Is there a flaw in the theory, or in the way inclusion is translated into practice? And do we know enough about which policies and practices actually foster inclusive workplaces?
During this symposium, we will explore these questions and focus on the gap between inclusion theory and practice.
Key questions
Together, we will discuss questions such as:
What is the current state of inclusion theory?
Why do inclusion initiatives sometimes meet resistance?
Are we effective in translating inclusion research into organizational practice?
Which policies and practices truly contribute to inclusive workplaces?
What can researchers, leaders, and practitioners learn from each other?
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Keynote by Kay Formanek
The keynote will be delivered by Kay Formanek, global speaker on Diversity and Inclusion, visiting lecturer at leading business schools, faculty member at TIAS School for Business and Society, and founder and CEO of Diversity and Performance.
Kay has over 20 years of experience in leading global professional services organizations, where she supported the realization of diversity and inclusion strategies. She is the author of Beyond D&I (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
Her keynote draws on the research behind her new book, The DEI Reset: The Leadership Guide to Building Resilience Through Diversity (Palgrave Macmillan, 2026). The study tracks 171 organizations and 551 documented actions, based on primary business reporting rather than self-reported surveys.
As DEI has come under increasing legal, political, investor, and employee pressure, organizations have responded in different ways: some dismantled their efforts, some adapted, and a select few strengthened their approach.
Kay Formanek’s central question for the session is: What kind of DEI architecture proves resilient, and what kind does not?
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Hosted by prof. dr. Hans van Dijk
The meeting will be hosted by prof. dr. Hans van Dijk, professor in Leading Inclusion at TIAS School for Business and Society, and co-founder and managing director of the Including Behavior Institute.
Hans has published widely on diversity, inclusion, and inequality in leading academic journals, including Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. He is currently co-developing a new theory on inclusion, which also forms the foundation of the Including Behavior Training. More than 30 experts across 7 countries have been trained by Hans to deliver this training, giving it global reach and impact.
At 16:00, Hans will deliver his inaugural address as professor in Leading Inclusion. All participants are welcome to attend both the inaugural address and the drinks afterwards.
The inaugural address will be held in Dutch and is titled: “Voorbij het ideaal van inclusie: Een brug bouwen tussen theorie en praktijk.”
Contributions
11:00-12:30
New perspectives on Individual inclusion
Beyond the rainbow: Individualized inclusion responsibility in an LGBTIQ+ friendly context | Lena Knappert
A Collective Safe Space for Difference and Dis/Comfort | Frederike Scholz
Coworker inclusion behavior: Expanding insights on sources of inclusion | Rowan Moelijker
Navigating the Impossible? The Hidden Costs and Paradoxes of Inclusive Leadership | Marloes van Engen
Inclusion: The unknown disabilitating driving forces in our behavior and why understanding is the beginning | Merel Boas & Esther Neven
New perspectives on Organizational inclusion
From Inclusion Theory to Organisational Practice: Developing an Indicator Framework for Monitoring Diversity and Inclusion | Ovbiagbonhia, Robert
From Symbolic to Substantive Inclusion: A Management Control Perspective with a Live Organizational Self-Scan | Henrieke van Bommel
Spatializing Inclusion: Beyond Reasonable Accommodations | Anouk Sap
No One Blames the System? Inclusion as a Wicked Problem through System Dynamics (practice session) | Jason Jie
Contributions/Dialogues
13:30 - 15:00
Improving individual Inclusion
Inclusive leadership in face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid settings - What's the difference? | Tanja Hentschel
Seen but not heard? Inclusive leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration in integrated Child Centres | Rachel Verheijen
Dates whatever, pets forever? Conceptualizing “singles’ and pets’ lives” by exploring the lived experiences of single people and their pets | Carolin Ossenkop
From Silence to strategy: how targets of mistreatment can reclaim agency (TED-style) | Ivana Vranjes
Improving Organizational inclusion
Sifting Gold from Glitter: Which DEI Policies Deliver Results for the representation and inclusion of racialized minorities? (TED Style) | Tara de Smidt
What makes a DEI policy effective? An Intergroup Model of DEI Policy Impact | Claudia TOMA
From Policy to Practice: How Identity-Conscious DEI Approaches Shape Inclusive Workplace Climates | Jojanneke vd Toorn
WAVE: We Appreciate, Value and Empower (TED Style) | Amber Kersten
Full program
9:00 - 9:30 hour
Reception, tea, coffee
9:30 - 9:40 hour
Welcome and introduction
9:40 - 10:30 hour
Keynote by Kay Formanek
10:30 - 10:45 hour
Questions
10:45 - 11:00 hour
Break
11:00 - 12:30 hour
Contributions
12:30 - 13:30 hour
Lunch & connecting
13:30 - 15:00 hour
Contributions / Dialogues
15:00 - 15:15 hour
Closing
16:00 hour
Optional: Inaugural address of Hans van Dijk as professor in Leading Inclusion (location: Aula, Tilburg University)