5 Moving Culture Forward

The fundamental objective of this strategy is to create an environment where all NSF staff members thrive. Organizational culture plays a pivotal role in establishing norms and practices that support the needs and contributions of all staff members. Research shows that organizations perform best when they emphasize aspects of culture aligned with DEIA outcomes.^[1] These include a clear line of sight between the organization’s mission and team goals and activities, a safe workspace that promotes organizational learning, and the development of core values that promote a sense of trust and belonging.

Culture as the Underpinning to Sustainable DEIA

DEIA initiatives within organizations typically aim to improve the psychological and social context of the workplace. This can include fostering restorative practices, increasing psychological safety, facilitating positive interactions with members of other groups, reducing prejudice and discrimination, and teaching active listening and conflict management skills.^[2] These skills allow staff to leverage their talents and foster inclusion. When staff feel psychologically safe at work, they feel free to express themselves without fear of retaliation. In a socially and psychologically safe environment, staff are more engaged and productive and perform better.^[3]

Empirical research on the effectiveness of DEIA initiatives is decidedly mixed. Some research shows that DEIA initiatives can enhance cultural competence, improve productivity, and support the retention of historically underrepresented groups of employees. However, other research has shown that initiatives centered on diversity training can reinforce stereotypes. Why the dichotomy?

Research on why DEIA initiatives fail often points to contextual features in the environment.^[4] When DEIA initiatives are implemented in an environment where they are not consistently supported or where DEIA is seen as performative, peripheral initiatives are more likely to fail. Consequently, these organizations do not reap the benefits of a diverse workforce. Organizations that strongly value DEIA see better retention rates, more organizational commitment, higher organizational performance, and increased organizational effectiveness.^[5]

NSF is committed to ensuring that it is an inclusive enterprise that harnesses American society’s talent to safeguard National Security and advance the frontiers of science, engineering, and education.^[6] It is not the mere presence of diversity that leads to greater organizational performance and effectiveness. Instead, workforce diversity coupled with an environment and organizational culture that fosters, supports, and nurtures every individual’s unique knowledge, skills, and abilities allows for greater overall organizational performance and effectiveness.

A strong organizational culture will emphasize critical elements that create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for the workforce. These elements, described below, map onto NSF’s Core Values of Integrity and Excellence, Innovation and Collaboration, Diversity and Inclusion, Scientific Leadership, and Public Service.

Figure 2: NSF’s five core values, which enable a robust and culture-forward approach

Integrity and Excellence:

• Common Goals—All staff are part of the same team, with the same mission to support national security, scientific advancement, and the well-being of all. A strong culture reinforces that individuals and teams alike are working toward the same end. This element is also likely to be strengthened by leaders’ emphasis on the organization’s mission orientation (e.g., vision, strategic direction, and goals).

Diversity and Inclusion:

• Fairness and equitable practices – Organizational practices related to processes and outcomes must be fairly implemented and communicated to all staff with respect and openness.^[7]
• Accessibility—Staff are given options for specific flexibilities that suit their unique needs (i.e., idiosyncratic deals or “I-deals”). All staff are provided with the same to access possible flexibilities and can select those that best suit their work and lives.^[8]
• Equal Status – The culture reinforces that all staff are equally valued beyond Equal Employment Opportunity mandates. This proactive approach promotes inclusivity between all facets of the NSF workforce.

Innovation and Collaboration:

• Respectful collaboration and cooperation—Establishing a work environment that promotes collaboration within and across teams is essential to successful mission coordination and integration. Collaboration leads to innovation when combined with other necessary cultural components. The organization’s consistency level affects fairness, accessibility, equal status, and cooperation. Consistency is demonstrated through coordination and integration across groups, member agreement on the mission, and reflection of core values in workplace behaviors.
• Environment of belonging – Creating an environment of belonging by ensuring all staff feel welcome and involved in the organizational culture.
• Engagement—Ensuring that all staff members are actively engaged with, interested in, and enthusiastic about their work and the work environment. The effectiveness of staff involvement efforts (e.g., empowerment, team orientation, and capability development) drives a sense of belonging and engagement.
• Staff voice and psychological safety – The culture must allow staff to express thoughts, feelings, and opinions without fear of marginalization, rejection, or repercussion.^[9] Learning from successes and failures, rather than placing blame or finger-pointing, is a priority.
• Communication and transparency—Honesty and openness must be enforced from the top down. Leaders must be communicative and transparent about goings-on or any changes, especially those that impact staff across levels. Supervisors should also develop a degree of transparency with their direct reports.^[10] Transparent communication promotes positive impacts at the staff level (e.g., job satisfaction and engagement) and the organizational level (e.g., innovation and productivity).

Public Service

• Reflecting the public – Public service is the cornerstone of NSF’s mission as a federal agency. To best understand, represent, and serve the American people, NSF staff must reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the public it aims to serve. Only then can NSF fully unlock its potential for innovation and collaboration.

Scientific Leadership

• Support from leaders—Support from NSF’s leadership is required to succeed in all the above factors. This is the most critical element of culture: leaders must emphasize each piece of the culture and emulate it in their day-to-day working practices.^[11] Leaders create alignment among the staff by modeling the organization’s desired culture. Given the vast scientific evidence in favor of the benefits of emphasizing the above cultural elements, leaders of the scientific community should be the first to support them.