Post by Chaire en Pratiques Managériales Innovantes - ICHEC

What if some DEI initiatives were creating more backlash than real change? This week, our students explored this tension in the Responsible Management course at ICHEC. We had the honor of welcoming Patrick Charlier, Director of Unia , and Claudia Toma, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology at Université libre de Bruxelles. The session shed light on less visible dynamics: 👉 the gap between discourse and reality (decoupling) 👉 the risk of diversity or gender washing 👉 and the backlash some initiatives can trigger A striking reality: in Belgium, thousands of discrimination cases are reported every year — yet they only reflect a fraction of lived experiences. Through its work, UNIA plays a key role in making these realities visible and actionable. But beyond the diagnosis, a clear direction emerged: 👉 start from data, not intentions 👉 focus on systemic causes, not just individual behaviors 👉 and embrace a simple idea: less is more — tackling one real inequality is often more impactful than launching dozens of initiatives Because the challenge is not to do more, but to do what truly changes outcomes. Thank you to our speakers for this insightful session. This course was organized by Marine De Ridder and Natacha Jushko-Helou as part of the Responsible Management course at ICHEC. #ResponsibleManagement #DiversityAndInclusion #ManagementEducation #ICHEC