The Hidden Driver of Workforce Polarization

Polarization is likely to intensify as organizations confront increasingly politicized issues, such as AI ethics, climate change, reproductive rights, global migration, and corporate activism. At first glance, this looks like a familiar left-vs.-right clash. But politics may not be the real issue here. The deeper divide is between leaders with morally absolutist mindsets—those who view their values as universal, non-negotiable truths—and leaders with morally relativist mindsets—those who view their values as context- and culture-dependent. Collaboration requires navigating the rigidity–flexibility spectrum in moral reasoning. Leaders who master this skill will reduce conflict, preserve trust, and unlock resilience in their organizations.