Research: Championing change for BAME leadership
Working with housing providers in Greater Manchester to investigate obstacles to career progression for Black, Asian and Minoritized Ethnic employees.
Research summary
Research summary
- October 2019 to January 2021
This project explored barriers to leadership progression in 13 housing associations across the Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP) network.
Focusing on Black, Asian and Minoritized Ethnic (BAME) leadership, we designed and delivered a pilot programme based on reciprocal mentoring.
The programme was a means of challenging and supporting GMHP to develop more empowering and inclusive leadership environments and career pathways.
We identified collectives of BAME mentees and mentors who were both part of GMHP but not the same organisation, and 13 change champions representing each housing provider.
As well as career mentoring, they would discuss barriers to BAME employees securing leadership roles. Change champions took this insight and challenged their organisation to facilitate BAME progression.
Outcomes of the pilot include:
- mentees promoted into senior leadership roles
- a partnership-wide commitment to ethnicity pay gap reporting
- senior leader commitment to sustaining and broadening the project
- individuals and collectives empowered to generate wider organisational change
The programme also deepened understanding among White senior leaders of their role in creating and sustaining change, and a culture in which race and racism could be openly and confidently discussed.
The term BAME was used in the pilot programme to refer to individuals who identify as Black, Asian and Minoritized Ethnic heritage.
We have suggested that terminology and its use could be part of future conversations within GMHP started as part of this project.
Hear from GMHP employees
Employees discuss the project as part of GMHP's diversity, inclusion, community cohesion and equalities report.Research outputs
- Academic papers, reports and other research outputs will be linked from here when they are published.
Research team
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With funding from
Gtr Manchester Housing Providers
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about the Sylvia Pankhurst Gender and Diversity Research Centre, you can contact research leads Prof Julia Rouse and Dr Sally Jones.
