Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gone wrong? Understanding the backlash and reinventing DEI using a positive approach

Purpose This article aims to provide a strategic, theoretically grounded alternative to traditional diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, presenting a Positive DEI approach that emphasizes strengths and empowerment rather than quotas and compliance. Design/methodology/approach The article employs a critical high-level literature review of recent DEI-related articles, news stories on the current backlash and existing scholarly literature in both diversity and positive organizational scholarship. Findings Traditional DEI initiatives, often focused on compliance and deficits, currently face an unprecedented backlash driven by legal, political and systemic implementation failures. To address this crisis, it is suggested that DEI must shift focus from punitive compliance to engagement and empowerment by integrating principles from positive psychology and organizational development. Techniques such as appreciative inquiry (AI), positive capacity building (PCB) and purpose-enabled DEI can transform DEI efforts by emphasizing collective strengths and shared purpose, making the initiatives more sustainable and resilient. Research limitations/implications Although the article's context is more US-centric, which can be seen as a limitation, the Positive DEI approach is, in principle, posited to be universally applicable across cultures and geographies. This is due to the framework's flexibility to accommodate local situations and contexts. This article thereby expands DEI research by providing an alternative approach that encourages researchers, scholars and practitioners to conduct empirical studies to test the effectiveness of the Positive DEI approach. Practical implications The Positive DEI approach aims to counteract resistance and create environments where diversity is genuinely recognized and celebrated, ensuring that everyone feels valued and empowered. This approach offers organizations not only a positive lens on DEI but also a legally defensible, race-neutral pathway to achieving inclusion in an increasingly high-risk legal and political environment. Social implications By embracing Positive DEI, organizations can move past current challenges and cultivate meaningful, sustainable changes. These changes benefit individual, organizational and societal well-being by transforming systemic issues into collective opportunities. Only then can we transition from asking “DEI gone wrong?” to proclaiming “DEI done right!” Originality/value This article calls for reimagining how organizations approach and implement DEI through a more positive lens.