Subtle Discrimination in Nonprofits
By Julia Kolbinger
It has been a while, since I began studying sociology back in 2009. One year after graduating from high school, I felt a strong urge to make better sense of the complex (social) world around me. After completing my Bachelor’s in general sociology with a focus on micro level dynamics and interactions, it drove me from pure analysis to critical perspectives, aspiring to change social realities – I started my Master’s in social theory.
During my Master’s, I traveled countries of the Global South and did an internship in development cooperation in Vietnam. These experiences allowed me not only to theoretically understand, but viscerally grasp global injustice, neo-colonialism, racism, privileges and discrimination. I also became aware of the vital role of civil society and nongovernmental organizations in raising awareness about these issues and inducing social change from the centers of power.
After my graduate studies, I started working for a small regional nonprofit organization, that was mainly providing education on global injustice and strengthening local civil society organizations working for a better tomorrow.
But soon after, my academic curiosity drew me back to the university. I spent some years in teaching service-learning courses to international students, creating opportunities for them to engage in civil society action in their German host cities, I finally took the opportunity to return to research and started my PhD at the Chair for Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Freiburg in 2024.
My PhD project: Investigating subtle discrimination in nonprofits
Something that struck me during my work with nonprofits and remained unsolved for me since then, was the stark contrast between their outward claim to justice and their internal organizational reality. While they were always committed to the marginalized and the vulnerable in their external actions, they often fell short to reflect social diversity within their own staff. Employees and members were predominantly from dominant social groups and there was little willingness to reflect on their own entanglements with social power and on potential internal discrimination against marginalized members. Particularly, the development cooperation sector failed to engage critically with the colonial legacy of South-North relations. While explicit discrimination was certainly rare inside these organizations, I perceived racism, colonialism, sexism and other structures of inequality to manifest in subtle forms.
My PhD project gives me the freedom to deeply explore the topic of subtle discrimination within nonprofits. Surprisingly or not, the research on discrimination in nonprofits still remains in a niche. With my work, I hope to advance this research field – in a time when the values of diversity, equity and inclusion are increasingly under political threat.
Beyond the moral responsibility nonprofits bear to strive for internal justice and provide safe work environments for all their employees, there are rational reasons for these organizations to address subtle discrimination. Not only is their credibility as value-driven organizations at stake. Research from the for-profit and public sectors show that targets and witnesses of subtle discrimination show lower performance and job satisfaction as well as higher intentions to leave. Given the likelihood that these findings generalize to nonprofits, not addressing subtle discrimination poses a considerable risk for organizations. If organizations strive to ensure cost-efficient and sustainable human resource management, including low turnover rates and high performance levels – especially under conditions of scarce financial resources –, these circumstances require organizations to act.
Research aim and study design
The aim of my dissertation is to investigate how subtle discrimination manifests among employees of professionalized Germany-based nonprofit organizations in the field of development cooperation. I explore both, the effects on the targeted employees and the organizations at large.
My dissertation explores the following research questions:
- How does subtle discrimination against marginalized employees manifest in development nonprofit organizations?
- How is it embedded in organizational structures, processes and norms?
- What are the consequences for affected employees and the organizations at large?
To answer these questions, I employ an exploratory mixed methods research design, integrating a scoping review on epistemic injustice in organizations, a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews and a quantitative survey on subtle discrimination. This way, I aim to comprehensively contribute to the understanding of subtle discrimination as a complex social phenomenon in its specific manifestation within nonprofit organizations in development cooperation.
Looking ahead
By addressing the research gap, I intend to make the situation of impacted employees visible, thereby forming a starting point to challenge the persistent injustices within nonprofit organizations. Bringing the inherent contradictions of nonprofits regarding diversity and discrimination – and their individual and organizational consequences – to light, will provide a valuable empirical and theoretical contribution to the debates on nonprofit organizational behavior, organizational psychology and human resource management.
In doing so, the dissertation study will serve as a cornerstone for future endeavors of nonprofit organizations towards inclusive workplaces, reinforcing the values and credibility of the sector
Julia Kolbinger is a PhD student at the Chair for Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Freiburg, supervised by JProf. Dr. Marlene Walk. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz and a Master of Arts in Social Theory from the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. Before beginning her doctoral studies in 2024, Julia gained practical experience working with various development-focused nonprofit organizations and teaching service-learning to international students.