Abstract
Understanding and mitigating factors that adversely affect an institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have moved to the forefront of many industries, including academia. Along these lines, the 2019 Academic Marketing Climate Survey provided a starting place for a meaningful dialogue about how perceived discriminatory practices within the field impact faculty diversity. In our commentary, we attempt to broaden the discussion and explanation of gaps between real and perceived discrimination. In contrast to the authors’ focus on whether perceived discrimination can be objectively validated, we consider the possibility that actual discrimination can go undetected by affected parties. We conclude by identifying potential pitfalls of a singular focus on validating perceived discrimination and by encouraging increased training and transparency as means of enabling everyone to contribute to creating a more diverse and inclusive academic marketing community.
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Wooten, D.B., Ferguson, N.S. Reconsidering gaps between perceived and real discrimination: commentary on the Galak and Kahn 2019 Academic Marketing Climate Survey. Mark Lett 32, 307–312 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-021-09581-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-021-09581-9