Professor Bapuji's research looks at the impact of the caste system on work and organisations, extending the field and broadening understanding of inequality in the workplace.
The problem
The caste system influences the lives of nearly two billion people worldwide and subjects over 300 million to severe socioeconomic discrimination. As with other areas of life, caste has implications for work. It remains strongly ingrained within companies in South Asia, as well as firms with South Asian-origin employees. Yet, we do not know how caste affects organisations and management.
The research
Professor Bapuji studies the impact of caste on work and organisations. He argues that caste is an informal institution distinct from race, class and gender and should be addressed like other systems of inequality. His work shows that overlooking caste risks compromising economic growth and dehumanising hundreds of millions of people. He has developed frameworks to highlight how caste, and other societal inequalities, are reproduced and challenges global corporations.
The impact
Professor Bapuji's research is extending the field while broadening general understanding of inequality in the workplace. He is the most prolific and cited scholar on topics related to societal inequality and business; listed among the most influential scholars globally for social issues (ThinkList, University of Bath); and often invited to speak on inequality. He is co-founder of Action to Improve Representation, an initiative helping South Asian scholars from marginalised backgrounds, and co-editor of Business & Society, a leading journal dedicated to issues of business and society.
Department: Management and Marketing
Area: Caste, inequality, work, organisations and modern slavery
Read an article on What Managers Everywhere Must Know About Caste in the MIT Sloan Management Review.
Researchers
Sustainable Development Goals
We align our research activity with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).