Root cause analysis opens up the possibility of expanding the time frame and scope
for understanding and addressing issues that recur in individual negotiations. This is a
way to advance a dual agenda which connects issues of race and gender to broader
issues of institutional improvement (Ely & Meyerson, 2000; Meyerson, 2001). It also
could be understood as a way to implement the learning and integration perspective
developed by Thomas and Ely (1996). This dynamic signals a larger problem with the
policies, practices, and culture surrounding professional development—a problem that
requires a systemic intervention changing the baseline for all faculty. Although these
issues may disproportionately affect women and people of color, they are issues or
problems that affect a much broader group. By identifying the roots of the problem in
the larger system, organizational catalysts open up the possibility of developing solutions
that will be effective at the level of the individual. They develop solutions that generate
greater transparency for hiring and tenure decisions and that improve the quality of
mentoring and leadership, not only for previously disadvantaged group members, but
for the larger community. They also generate the creation of longer term solutions that
improve the overall environment and build the capacity of women and people of color
to negotiate from positions of strength.