SLA Inclusion Caucus

B-School leaders' attitudes influence success of diversity initiatives

In a study of American business school deans, researchers have concluded that "simple demographic measures such as [gender] and race are far less indicative of attitudes toward diversity than richer attitudinal measures such as leader awareness of racial issues for these highly educated unit managers".

One of the key findings of the study suggests the relative success of diversity initiatives in any organization requires more than heightened awareness:

"For organizational leaders that want to prod managers to adopt a proactive approach, the results of this study suggest that awareness training alone will not change the working environment or increase retention of minorities. Organizational leaders who seek to prod managers to expand diversity activities in their units need to implement structural pressures. Future research could assess the relative effect of diversity strategic priority, diversity accountability, authority to implement diversity initiatives and constituent pressure on extensiveness of diversity activities. Some of these variables may have relatively greater effect than others. Additional research could investigate whether there are other unexplored structural variables that influence the extensiveness of diversity initiatives."

Citation:

"The Influence of Organizational Diversity Orientation and Leader Attitude on Diversity Activities"
E Holly Buttner, Kevin B Lowe, Lenora Billings-Harris.
Journal of Managerial Issues. Pittsburg: Fall 2006.Vol.18, Iss. 3; pg. 356, 17 pgs

Do Companies Truly Value Their Diversity Directors?

That's the question writer Vadim Liberman attempts to answer in the September/October 2006 issue of The Conference Board Review.

""Diversity executives need to recognize that making the business case does not weaken the reality that it's still the right thing to do. The two do not negate each other," [Sondra] Thiederman says. But what about a CEO who isn't yet convinced of the business case who hires a diversity executive because it's the moral thing to do, or because it makes for good PR? In those cases, it's the diversity officer's job to educate her CEO about how diversity can impact the bottom line."

"Masters of the Multicultural"

An interesting archive article from the Harvard Business Review (link opens in Microsoft Word).  CDOs (chief diversity officers) are expanding their role beyond traditional diversity functions to spur innovation and build revenues for their organizations.

CDOs have a unique awareness of the many talented individuals in their companies and can tap into their expertise for insights and ideas that translate into revenue. For example, Russell Corporation CDO Kevin Clayton "discovered that a large number of Russell employees had graduated from historically black colleges and universities. [His] group used those graduates' input to create products for the Black university market, resulting in an $8 million-to-$10 million deal".

In another instance, "the Hispanic employee affinity group at Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, provided input for a line of guacamole-flavored potato chips, which became a $100 million product."

To maximize the competitive opportunities, companies must allow their CDOs to collaborate with other function leaders (marketing, sales, product development, etc) and perhaps restructure the org chart to have the CDO report directly to the CEO.

Citation: Johansson, F. (2005, October) "Masters of the Multicultural". Harvard Business Review, pp. 18-19.

Growing number of resource groups for gay employees

The Wall Street Journal (paid subscription required) reports on the growing number of employee network groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees. Beginning in the early 1990's, employers created network groups for their gay staffers to improve retention, build diversity, and foster inclusion while being careful to provide recognition and resources equal that of other in-house employee networks. Companies contemplating gay-network groups for their own worksites must consider how to protect openly gay employees from discrimination and manage a potentially polarizing program.

Examine the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index to find companies with employee network groups for their GLBT staffers. To learn more about how to create a group in your organization, the HRC offers a resource page.

Diversity Fatigue in Your Organization?

Fewer and fewer people showing up for diversity workshops or training? Seeing the same faces at these events?  Or are you just plain tired of talking/teaching/mentoring diversity without seeing much in results?  You and/or your organization may be suffering from diversity fatigue.

Want to learn more?  Listen to streaming audio from NPR's Talk of the Nation on this topic, featuring Sharon Rosenhause, Stephen Young and Julianne Malveaux.  Also read J. Cunyon Gordon's story from the trenches. as well as a Wisconsin State Journal article as to how diversity fatigue impacts us all.