A brief recap: "Belonging" is comprised of four elements—feeling seen for your contributions, being connected to your coworkers, being supported in your work and development, and being proud of your organization's purpose and values—and scores are determined on a ten-point scale. Half of the respondents in the first study scored between 6.25 and 8.54, with a median score of 7.40. The median score for majority men was 7.60.

The study defines majority men as both straight white men who are cisgender (their gender identity is aligned with their assigned sex at birth) and cisgender straight men who are not White but are in the "majority" race/ethnicity where they work.

First, after determining the different attitudes majority men had towards diversity and inclusion, the researchers grouped them into three archetypes: Detractors, Persuadables, and True Believers.

Detractors don't believe D&I is important. They feel that such efforts benefit some groups at the expense of others. Detractors believe in a meritocracy, and that anyone willing to work hard has an equal chance of success. Nearly two in five Detractors don't share their political views with colleagues for fear of not having them accepted. "I don't feel that I can take part in conversations about diversity and inclusion at work because if I'm not toeing the politically correct rhetoric, I will be labeled and discriminated against for not being the corporate drone they expected and demand," said one White male Baby Boomer respondent.

While Detractors make up 10% of the majority male workforce, Persuadables make up nearly half at 48%. They are often introverts and uncomfortable with starting conversations about sensitive subjects like race, gender, and politics. When it comes to D&I, Persuadables are firmly on the fence: They're likely to believe that such efforts benefit everyone, but they're also just as likely to say that focusing on differences is "divisive." Many say they don't get involved in their organizations' D&I efforts because they're too busy. "I'm encouraging of those that want to participate or even lead D&I efforts, but many of the events are after work or weekends, when frankly I would just rather spend time with my family," responded one White man in senior management.

True Believers make up 42% of majority men. The study found many of them among Millennials, but also in senior leadership. True Believers were likelier to have educated themselves about racism and sexism. They believe that men and women do not have equal access to career opportunities, and that inequality exists among individuals of different races as well. Even so, only 56% of True Believers have participated in D&I initiatives at their organizations. Like their Persuadable brothers, they feel they suffer from a lack of time to invest in such efforts.

The CTI researchers introduce an aspirational archetype they call the Partner, a majority man who walks the walk and talks the talk. In order to encourage all three of the other archetypes to get closer to that ideal, the researchers offer a five-step roadmap:

1. Bake D&I into the business model. Work with majority men in your organization for whom D&I is already a passion and help them find time in their schedules to get involved. These men are more likely to participate in something they were personally called to do, the researchers say.

2. Show D&I boosts careers. Share stories of majority male leaders in the company who have reaped career benefits from having diverse teams. Lift up those leaders who make diversity initiatives a priority and let it be known that in order to reach their level, others must embody those values.

3. Build Persuadables' competence and confidence. Engagement and education are vital to get Persuadables off that fence. Provide resources for them, like books and other media dealing with anti-racism. Offer training for all majority men on how to speak up against bias when you see it. Leaders should talk about uncomfortable moments they worked through to encourage trust. Perhaps most importantly, signal to majority men when and where they are wanted to engage in these conversations, in order to remove the guesswork.

4. Accept what you cannot change with Detractors. Detractors may be won over once they see what is in D&I for them, but not all will come along. The researchers suggest to let them be, but be prepared to demonstrate that everyone in the organization is accountable to the same set of values. UC Berkeley Professor john a. powell, an advisor on the Belonging Series, says, "When you talk about Detractors, how do you either make them Persuadables or make sure they're not disruptors? While it may be important to acknowledge them without othering them, it is also important that the values of the organization are articulated—and one does not center the Detractors."

5. Focus on belonging for all. Majority men, like all other employees, need to know they're valued. A centralized message of belonging, the researchers believe, can help all employees come together. "Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is better than just diversity and inclusion," said a White male Gen X participant. "And here's why: straight, White, Christian males need to belong, too. All humans need to belong."

Read more: 

• Rehiring after lockdown: Ensuring diversity and inclusion is a priority
• Changing our course: A call to create an industry of inclusion and diversity
• These companies lead the pack in diversity & inclusion for 2020