Alexander Fleischmann on the evolution of LGBTQ+ research

ManagementCast by IMD

ManagementCast is back for its second season, and to kick off the series IMD is proud to present the first of several special episodes to celebrate Pride Month.

The first is with Alexander Fleischmann, a research affiliate at IMD who has been writing about LGBTQ+ issues for more than 15 years. In that time, he has witnessed radical changes in how LGBTQ+ individuals are treated in the workplace and in the research he has engaged with throughout his career.

In this in-depth interview, Fleischmann says business culture can be measured in how it deals with marginalized positions and that the biggest task of the upcoming years is how to cater to underrepresented groups. "It's not about making minority politics," he argues. “It’s about asking how we can evolve our overall culture. How can we make it inclusive for everyone by looking at how formerly marginalized groups are treated?"

Fleischmann believes it's crucial to make clear that this culture of inclusivity benefits everyone. In his first appearance on the show, he discusses what drew him to LGBTQ+ and inclusivity research, what's changed in the last two decades, and what still needs to change in the workplaces of tomorrow.

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Alexander Fleischmann received his PhD at the Institute for Gender and Diversity and Organization from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. He is now a research affiliate at IMD.