Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training is one of the most common diversity initiatives implemented in organizations. By 2026, organizations are projected to spend approximately $15.4 billion on diversity initiatives (McKinsey & Company, 2023). Particularly, diversity training accounts for about 7% of the average organizational training budget (HR Daily Advisor, 2024). Despite these investments, many organizations limit their DEI efforts to training alone, overlooking other initiatives that could significantly enhance the broader impact of their DEI strategies.
In their focal article, Maneethai et al. (Reference Maneethai, Johnson, Atwater and Witt2025) demonstrate how organizations can improve the efficacy and buy-in of DEI training by utilizing moral reframing, a promising approach to increasing engagement and reducing resistance to DEI training. Although Maneethai et al.’s approach represents a significant advancement in DEI training effectiveness, it misses the opportunity to highlight the potential of applying moral reframing to organizational policies. Previous research demonstrates that DEI training alone is insufficient to drive meaningful and sustainable cultural change (e.g., Devine & Ash, Reference Devine and Ash2022). To achieve a lasting impact, DEI efforts must be reinforced, reevaluated, and aligned with organizational systems. Moral reframing offers an opportunity to extend the principles discussed in training to shape organizational policies, such as those related to promotions, recruitment, and conflict resolution, among others, ensuring their consistent and systemic application. This approach also offers a way to communicate DEI policies to reduce backlash. This commentary argues that moral reframing should not only guide DEI training but also organizational policies to create structural reinforcements for DEI principles and foster positive cultural change.
Reinforcing DEI principles through policies
Organizational policies should serve as reinforcement tools that embed DEI principles into everyday workplace practices. Policies that support DEI not only create equity expectations but also communicate the organization’s commitment to equity and an inclusive environment. Previous research has demonstrated that resistance to DEI initiatives often stems from perceived threats, such as concerns about resource competition, symbolic changes (e.g., shifts in organizational culture or norms), or threats to group morality (Iyer, Reference Iyer2022). Similarly, other research, such as Devine and Ash’s (Reference Devine and Ash2022) article, highlights the critical importance of organizational policies in supporting DEI training to ensure systematic change. Their findings indicate that the impact of DEI training is often limited by a lack of integration with broader organizational structures. To drive cultural transformation effectively, it is essential to align DEI efforts with the reinforcement of well-designed organizational policies that ensure inclusivity at all levels.
DEI policies’ moral reframing has significant potential as a tool to effectively communicate these policies and mitigate backlash. Maneethai et al.’s article argues that tailoring the framing of DEI training to align with participants’ moral foundations can enhance buy-in, as the way training is framed greatly influences participants’ perceptions and reactions. Similarly, DEI policies can be framed using different moral foundations (e.g., care, fairness, authority, loyalty) to ensure they resonate with the diverse values of an organization’s personnel. In the case of a more homogeneous organization, the communication of DEI policies can be tailored to emphasize the moral foundations most prevalent among the majority, therefore reducing potential backlash.
Moral reframing also has the potential to positively enhance general policies such as those related to performance evaluation and promotion. For example, consider a group of skeptical leaders who work in a tech company, who question the necessity of including DEI-related behaviors in performance evaluations and promotions, mentioning that it does not affect the business outcomes. Organizations can address this skepticism by incorporating moral reframing into their policies, ensuring the morals highlighted align with their values. Utilizing the loyalty framework, for instance, organizations can emphasize that fostering inclusivity strengthens team cohesion and drives collective organizational success. Additionally, leveraging the authority framework, leadership can model and publicly endorse these behaviors as critical to achieving the organization’s vision.
Addressing organizational structural barriers
Maneethai et al.’s focal article highlights strategies for addressing individual resistance to DEI training. By extending these principles to organizational policies, organizations can tackle such barriers in a more systematic and comprehensive manner. Specifically, targeting the moral frameworks most relevant to an organization ensures that DEI principles are seamlessly integrated into all policies, therefore reducing resistance and embedding inclusivity throughout organizational systems. To achieve this, organizations should first assess moral priorities across the organization using tools such as surveys and focus groups. This approach allows for the tailoring of general policies to incorporate DEI principles while maintaining the core objectives of existing DEI strategies. For instance, general organizational policies can be redesigned to reflect values such as care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity within their language and application. Additionally, the organization can also equip human resources team members and leaders with the necessary training and tools to effectively implement and communicate these updated policies. Regular monitoring and adjustments based on feedback and reevaluation will also be needed to ensure that these policies remain relevant and impactful over time, fostering a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
Potential benefits
There are several benefits to integrating moral reframing into policies. For instance, it will ensure that DEI principles are continuously reinforced. It will also aid to promote consistency across all levels, from leadership to employee behaviors. Another important benefit is that moral reframing has the potential to mitigate backlash and resistance by aligning organizational messaging to employees’ values. Last, organizational policies are the foundation of organizational culture; thus, positively reframing policies will initiate positive cultural change.
Conclusion
In conclusion, organizations have a significant opportunity to integrate moral reframing into the process of reshaping their organizational policies. Moral reframing provides a means to extend DEI principles into general policies, such as those related to promotions, recruitment, and conflict resolution, ensuring their consistent and systemic application. Furthermore, moral reframing serves as a powerful tool to effectively communicate DEI policies, reducing potential backlash and fostering acceptance. By leveraging this approach, organizations can ensure the sustainability of their policies, transform workplace cultures, and create environments that actively support equity and inclusivity.
