Multi-level inclusion systems: how tempered radicals influence change in manufacturing organisations

This study explores how tempered radicals promote inclusive workplaces across organizational levels in manufacturing companies. Tempered radicals work within established structures to deliver socially inspired change, strategically challenging norms while balancing organizational commitment and personal values. Building on Meyerson’sfoundational work, this research extends tempered radical theory by developing a Multi-Level Tempered Radical Approach Framework that examines how these change agents operate differently across frontline, supervisory, and managerial levels. Within manufacturing settings, 27 participants were interviewed through narrative inquiry methodology. We employed Leximancer text mining and thematic analysis. The findings reveal distinct patterns in how tempered radicals construct identities, navigate work environments, employ operational methods, and engage in interpersonal interactions at each organizational level. The framework developed for this study contributes to tempered radical literature by providing empirical evidence of level-specific strategies within hierarchical manufacturing contexts—an underexplored setting in existing research. The study advances understanding of Meyerson’s spectrum while offering insights for enhancing workplace inclusion in traditionally hierarchical industries.