Pushing Back Against Power: Using a Multilevel Power Lens to Understand Intersectionality in the Workplace

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“Intersectionality,” defined as the intertwined and multiplicative effects of multiple identity groups, considers how various combinations of individuals’ social identities (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, age) and their embedded meanings impact their lives, their employment, and the organizations where they work. Despite the value of understanding employees’ intersectional experiences for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, the management field lacks a comprehensive review of intersectionality research. By examining how different levels of power perpetuate, amplify, or attenuate experiences associated with intersectionality, we synthesize findings from 153 articles to provide insight into identity combinations that have been studied, outcomes associated with intersectionality experiences, and the variety of organizational and individual responses that occur when intersectionality is experienced. Our multilevel power lens highlights intersectionality trends relevant for DEI research and practice alike. We end with a discussion of how identity representation, contextual and analytical considerations, and theoretical extensions provide fruitful avenues for future research on intersectionality.