The revolution can be improvised: An intrinsically motivating approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Abstract

With unfolding advances in anti‐discrimination policy, communication technology, and affordable transportation, society is gaining an historic opportunity to embrace differences in background and perspective as part of ordinary life. Unfortunately, we can be overly pessimistic about the prospect of attracting stakeholders to the work, because overwhelming societal barriers have long perpetuated narrow and inauspicious views of our paths forward. The result can be our unnecessary and ineffective reliance on top‐down imperatives as necessary to compel engagement. Improvisation can help us do better. After describing how contextual conditions are shifting favorably, I illustrate the prospective benefits of an improvisational approach to EDI—particularly in fostering intrinsic motivation—and extend basic psychological needs theory to provide guidance for successful implementation.