“Barriers and Enablers of Inclusion: Investigating HR Diversity Initiatives in Indian Private Universities”

Diversity, Inclusion, Human Resource Practices, Private Universities, Structural Equation Modelling, Organizational Performance

This study investigates the obstacles and facilitators of inclusion within the human resource (HR) practices of Indian private universities, proposing an empirical framework that links diversity initiatives to organizational outcomes. While international literature underscores the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), there is a paucity of empirical evidence pertaining to Indian higher education, where private universities employ extensive and diverse workforces yet encounter enduring structural inequities. In order to bridge this gap, the present study utilizes a mixed-method design. Evidence was amassed through 20 interviews, 3 focus groups, and a survey completed by 310 faculty and staff from four major private universities (Amity, Manipal, Symbiosis, and O.P. Jindal). Thematic analysis surfaced systemic barriers such as inequitable pay and contracts, hidden HR processes, linguistic and regional biases, and systemic inequities alongside facilitators, which include mentoring and transparent grievance processes, accompanied by clear leadership intention. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) verified the framework and barriers were shown to diminish inclusion considerably (β = –0.42, p < .001) while enablers were shown to increase inclusion greatly (β = +0.56, p < .001). The enablers positively influenced inclusion outcomes which in turn influenced organizational performance (β = +0.49, p < .001) and acted as a mediator in the relationship between enablers and retention, productivity, and reputation. This research advances both theory and practice by providing one of the first empirically validated models of inclusion for higher education in India.