Seated here (left to right) are members of the Saint Paul university research study team: Michael Okunlola (project coordinator), Dr. Bianca Briciu (co-investigator) and Dr. Michaël Séguin (project director). Photo by Ali Adwan
Ali Adwan
Research examining the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity (EDI) and their implementation in workplaces across all sectors has begun at St. Paul’s University under the stewardship of assistant professors Dr. Michaël Séguin and Dr. Bianca Briciu.
Both professors teach in the school of transformative leadership and spirituality with Dr. Séguin teaching classes in leadership and leadership theory, amongst others. His background and first doctoral research were about EDI so previous research projects included learning about the experience of business managers.
Likewise, Dr. Briciu’s current research focuses generally on emotional intelligence and more particularly on the possibilities for the spiritual development of leaders. Some of her research relates to how people can develop themselves and what methods they might use to become more compassionate and courageous, and to better understand their reality.
Researching racialized employees
This research began with Dr. Séguin and discussions he had with people working in the settlement sector and professors teaching in the settlement sector. Later, he brought on Dr. Briciu to join the team.
“When you look at it, the settlement sector is already very diverse with people from all around the world. However, while settlement agencies cater their services to newcomers pretty well, it’s unclear as to what they do for their employees,” Dr. Séguin said. “We wanted to see whether it’s possible for racialized employees to get ahead and get better positions, or even be heard in the workplace.”
“Right now, there is no research specifically focusing on the racialized employees at these agencies. The research that is out there is all about how the agencies are treating the people who come here,” Dr. Séguin said.
Regarding the research that has already taken place, Dr. Séguin has confirmed that there are people who feel like they don’t really have a place in their work, and this has prompted some to leave the industry as a whole.
The settlement sector is a vast one and, due to its nature, an extremely diverse one. In a big city, there are many organizations trying their best to do what’s right but unfortunately, there are those that have lagged behind.
The point of all this, according to Dr. Séguin, is to “open the box” and allow for a healthy dialogue to take place since there are still organisations where that isn’t an option.
Main focus on inclusion
While diversity is a focal point, the main goal of the research is inclusion because diversity is already evident in the sector. There is no need to convince people that we need diversity because foreign workers are constantly being recruited, but Drs. Séguin and Briciu want to see if the inclusion aspect is there.
“One of the concerns for this research is to see whether these settlement agencies are actually implementing policies that align with their values. Usually, the values are to support newcomers and help them get integrated, but we don’t know if the same can be said for the employees,” Dr. Briciu said.
A major factor in conducting the research is the networking and connections within the sector that the professors have discovered or established and put to use. In collaboration with hospitals, settlement agencies and even universities, which are all part of the Pan-Canadian National Newcomer Navigation Network, the research is extremely important.
“The network holds this research in high regard because there are already growing voices within the sector that believe more needs to be done and that recognize that some organisations don’t have the necessary tools to handle it,” Dr. Séguin said. Thus far, the research has been a rewarding experience for both professors, as well as a chance to learn more about other people and possibly even dispel some assumptions that have been made.
“The experience has been very good in the sense that it has allowed me to get my feet on the ground and learn to have the patience and curiosity for the living experiences of other people. It fits in well with my interest regarding the experiences of refugees, newcomers and immigrants so I think it will be an opportunity for me to learn more,” Dr. Briciu said.
Awareness of worker issues
One of the prime objectives of this research is to enlighten organizations to be more aware of the issues and hardships their workers are going through. A prime example would be conflicts in the workplace that can happen when you have people from many nations working together, each with their own view of the world and understanding of how to manage it.
Another goal moving forward and eventually down the line, according to Dr. Séguin, is to examine what works in a sector that is not as affluent as some of the others. He hopes the project will enable researchers to sit with partner organizations and share with them what’s making a difference in the lives of their frontline workers.
