Why celebrating diversity isn't always enough: How companies can better support stigmatised groups

Organisations as stages

The research introduces the metaphor of organisations as stages, drawing on Goffman's theatrical framing of social life. Just as a theatre director decides who appears in the spotlight and who remains behind the curtain, organisations influence the visibility of stigmatised groups — and to which audiences they become visible.

The researchers identify two fundamental forms of this ‘staging’. The first is concealing: deliberately shielding stigmatised groups from audiences likely to judge or sanction them. The second is normalising: publicly presenting stigmatised groups in ways that frame them as legitimate, capable, and valued – thereby deepening their acceptance by more sympathetic audiences.

Crucially, these are not both ends of a single spectrum. They are distinct forms that respond to different pressures and serve different purposes. A company might quietly hire formerly incarcerated individuals through a third-party contractor (this is concealing) whilst simultaneously running public campaigns in support of criminal justice reform (this is the normalising form of staging). Both can coexist – and sometimes they must coexist.

When to conceal

The research identifies three structural factors that push organisations towards concealing: the visibility of a stigmatised attribute, its perceived harmfulness, and what the authors call ‘attribute multiplicity’ – the degree to which a group carries several overlapping stigmas simultaneously.

When a stigmatised attribute is highly visible and difficult to hide, as with certain racial or physical characteristics, there’s an immediate risk of hostile reactions and concealing it becomes a protective mechanism. The mechanisms can include structuring roles to limit contact with audience that might stigmatise it, avoiding public association with the group, or designing physical spaces that provide privacy.

Attributes perceived as threatening or morally dangerous, such as a history of violent crime or substance abuse, similarly heighten the urgency to conceal. And when a group is associated with multiple stigmas at once, like refugees, they may simultaneously face stigmatic attitudes to religion, race, and criminality. The compounded risk makes concealment even more necessary.

"Concealment gets a bad reputation," notes Dr Lodge, "but done well, it protects vulnerable people. It lets them participate in economic and social life without constant fear of sanction. The integration benefits can be immediate, even if they remain fragile."

And when to normalise

Normalising is more about building the conditions for genuine acceptance and less about shielding groups from harm. The researchers argue that this form of staging depends on the degree to which society has developed cultural, professional, and legal frameworks for engaging with a stigmatised group, and not on how noticeable the stigma is.

Three structural factors matter here. First, people can learn from media narratives, because when stigmatised groups are authentically represented in films, television, literature or podcasts, then organisations gain a ready vocabulary and set of cultural scripts to draw upon. The widespread, empathetic portrayal of people with autism in TV dramas like The Good Doctor, for example, equips organisations to frame autism as something to be understood rather than stigmatised.

Second, professionalising interactions can help to normalise stigmatised attributes.  For example, structured professional training in addiction counselling or occupational therapy means organisations have clearer guidance on presenting stigmatised groups in ways that resonate with audiences and promote inclusion.

Third, there is regulatory protection. Anti-discrimination laws and equal rights legislation do more than prevent overt discrimination. They provide a legitimising framework that makes normalising approaches viable. 

The tension at the heart of inclusion

The researchers pointed out a significant insight. Concealing and normalising can work against each other – and that organisations often have to manage this tension in real time.

When an organisation uses a normalising campaign to aggressively promote a stigmatised group, it creates visibility that can compromise the efforts to protect individuals from hostile scrutiny. 

And conversely, when an organisation relies too much on concealment, it risks keeping a group permanently invisible, and might inadvertently reinforce the idea that their identities need to be hidden.

"Effective societal integration often requires organisations to speak out of both sides of their mouth, concealing groups from some audiences whilst normalising them to others," says Lodge. "It's a sophisticated response to the reality that different audiences coexist in every organisation's environment."

What this means for managers

For managers and HR professionals, the research carries a practical message: the success of integration efforts is not determined by how loudly you celebrate diversity. It is determined by how well your approach matches the audience and the landscape.

That means organisations need to pay attention to the environments and conditions in which they operate to determine the most effective way to drive societal integration of stigmatised groups.

The researchers also recommend that stigmatised groups are involved in shaping how they are staged. The difference between anonymisation that feels respectful and concealment that feels shameful often comes down to whether those affected had any say.

Looking forward

The research raises questions that go beyond current DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) conversations. As social media collapses the boundaries between contexts – making it harder than ever to maintain distinct presentations for different audiences – the challenge of simultaneously managing concealment and normalisation will only grow more complex.

For now, the research reminds us not to assume that inclusion is simply a matter of intent and visibility. Societal integration is ultimately something that is driven by audiences. Understanding who those audiences are and what they need to see is where the real work begins.