Diversity in Organizations
A critical essay arguing diversity and inclusion are not the same, built on the K-pop #SEAblings case.
The need
Organisations and markets now reach everyone, but presence is not the same as belonging. I wanted to name and diagnose that gap, the distance between who is counted and who actually feels valued.
The challenge
Writing critically about a real, beloved industry (K-pop) without sliding into one-sided condemnation or cultural imperialism. I had to hold genuine nuance while still making a sharp, defensible argument.
What I made
I coined 'the inclusion lag' and analysed a live 2026 case across three levels (societal, organisational, individual) using Syed and Ozbilgin's relational diversity framework, practising reflexivity throughout to check my own lens.
The outcome
A portable diagnostic any organisation can use when it scales faster than its idea of who belongs, with the argument that the fastest leverage sits at the organisational level.
Key points
- Coined and operationalised 'the inclusion lag' as a diagnostic framework
- Applied a multi-level relational model across societal, organisational and individual levels
- Grounded it in a live 2026 case while practising reflexivity
- Delivered as a designed essay with custom infographics and pull quotes