Exploring team leaders’ learning paths for developing gender diversity intelligence

Women continue to be underrepresented and face gendered barriers and discrimination in the workplace. The role of team leaders is crucial to achieve gender equality, and they need diversity intelligence (DQ), meaning the necessary knowledge and skills to support gender equitable work environments. This qualitative study in the Netherlands explored the learning paths for developing gender Diversity Intelligence (DQ) of team leaders. It includes an extensive literature review and empirical data from 12 semi-structured interviews with team leaders from different companies. Elements of team leaders’ gender DQ learning paths were investigated, including motives, activities, facilities, and barriers. This study contributes to the fields of HRD and gender/diversity by integrating the learning path and DQ literatures. Its focus on how leaders develop gender DQ, rather than whether they possess it, is a novel contribution. Moreover, DQ theory is enriched by showing that DQ can be developed through workplace learning and not just formal training initiatives. The roles of gendered learning motives and senior leadership support in DQ development are also relevant additions to DQ theory.