Invisible Inequalities: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract

Inequality is a grand challenge of our times, and management researchers have responded by examining the relationship between business and societal economic inequalities. This research has enhanced our understanding of the nature, sources, and consequences of inequalities, as well as identified actions to address them. However, this effort has predominantly revolved around visible inequalities. We seek to direct greater scholarly attention to invisible inequalities – uneven possession of and access to resources and opportunities to engage in value creation, appropriation, and distribution based on attributes and characteristics that are not readily apparent or noticeable. Expanding the scope of investigations to a broader range of inequalities allows us to generate insights on inequalities that are hitherto less addressed as well as identify potential new mechanisms of inequalities and their outcomes.