The good, the bad, and the unspoken : navigating race talk in organisational spaces

Abstract

This systematic review synthesises empirical research on workplace race talk across organisational contexts (corporate, education, social services, law enforcement) from 1996 to 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed across multiple databases as the strategy for conducting literature searches and screenings. We analysed 21 studies and used a construct-mapping approach to organise the ‘race talk’ as an umbrella label spanning into two strands: ‘interventionist,’ solution-focused work (e.g., intergroup dialogue and related interventions) and ‘discursive,’ problem-focused studies of everyday discourse that can reproduce inequity. Across settings, race talk is shaped by organisational structures and cultures; however, corporate environments are comparatively underrepresented. We clarify how structured, well-supported dialogues can foster learning and inclusion, while everyday talk, when silenced, euphemised, or defensively managed, can entrench exclusion. This review consolidates fragmented literature, identifies critical gaps, and highlights the conditions under which race talk is most likely to advance equitable and inclusive organisational practice.