1 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Learning Objective:
- Learning about the importance of DEI and why it is in demand now more than ever.
Diversity
Diversity is a term we often hear now in the 21st century, particularly in professional settings; many job listings request applicants hold the desired qualification of having worked in diverse settings and with a variety of different backgrounds of people. Diversity, simply defined as including others from a variety of different ethnic and social backgrounds, is something that should be desired and encouraged. Ensuring the safety of everyone and welcoming everyone’s participation in experiencing the world as we do can lead to a stronger and thriving society (University of Guelph, 2022).
But why is there the sudden emergence and “popularity” for promoting diversity? There appears to be an awakening, of sorts, of making people aware of the importance of diversity and inclusion, and if this is an awakening, there is the need to go into why diversity became a matter that people began to “sleep” on in the first place.
In the Beginning
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are connected as needed values of organizations to meet the needs of all people from all walks of life. When organizations and companies embody these three values, they have a better chance of being able to address any challenges in relation to these areas, but also being able to better support and meet the needs of a wider customer base and having access to better talent. To define each value and how each is applied in an organizational setting:
Diversity – Who is represented in the workforce, including recognizing the gender composition or makeup, the age/generation, the ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, and the physical abilities/disabilities of individuals present in the given population.
Equity – Considers the unique circumstances of an individual, and then adjusting to those circumstances accordingly; fair treatment of all people (often confused with equality, what makes equity different is the fair treatment being tailored to the unique circumstances of each individual; equality is usually connected to the SAME treatment for all).
Inclusion – Embracing all individuals and making a safe and open space for all individuals to contribute their talents and have a voice that is heard.
With diversity comes five related issues – cultural background, ethnicity, race, religion, and sexual orientation – all which will appear in upcoming chapters in relation to inclusiveness in communications.
In the Present
Diversity matters for many reasons, including the fact that we live in an increasingly global world that continues to become deeply interconnected. Diversity means inclusion and representation based on different groups: gender, ethnicity, race, social class, etc. It also affects organizational and company performance.
An analysis of data taken from a group of 366 companies revealed a statistically significant connection between diversity and financial performance. The companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15 percent more likely to have financial returns that were above their national industry median, and the companies in the top quartile for racial/ethnic diversity were 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their national industry median. What this indicates is that companies tend to be more successful when they are committed to diverse leadership.
In the United States, although still limited, diverse leadership is evident in the higher number of women who have been added to executive boards and teams. Still, there is less attention toward ethnic and racial diversity makeup.
Diversity should also be encouraged outside of the workplace, including our communities and educational institutions. This contributes to more perspectives that lead to collaborations improving innovation, productivity, profits, and inclusiveness in workplace culture (AlShebil et al., 2018; Freeman & Huang, 2014; Roberge & van Dick, 2010; Swartz et al., 2019). In implementing diversity and inclusiveness, a sense of support and value should be apparent to not risk the feeling of decreased visibility, expectations or limitations based on gender and racial stereotypes, and social isolation.
In the Future
The WHY to the emergence in DEI seems to be strongly connected to how its presence in the workforce improves financial performance for those who implement it. The presence of DEI in any organization, regardless of the initial reasoning for implementing it, is a positive as it opens up an environment for all people to have opportunities to be represented and heard.
Although more organizations are implementing DEI into their organizational structure, there are still many who have work to do in incorporating diverse leadership. This is key in attracting, developing, mentoring, sponsoring, and retaining generations of talented leaders on all organizational levels. In the end, more diverse companies and institutions are achieving better performance and overall success.
Bring to Light:
The end of Affirmative Action by the Supreme Court (2023) and Ron DeSantis (getting rid of DEI initiatives out of the Florida higher education system)