Business or Fairness Case for Social Issues? Influencing Stakeholders in Organizations

Abstract

Achieving diversity within the workplace remains a challenge for organizations, yet many are trying to convey their commitment to diversity through diversity statements, in which they justify why they value diversity. The most popular of these messages, the “business case for diversity”, claims that organizations should value diversity because it is instrumental to organizational goals, in contrast to the less prevalent “fairness/moral case for diversity”, which emphasizes moral and social justice principles. This symposium will question the untested assumption in current organizational approaches to diversity that the business case for diversity is the most effective rhetoric to promote diversity in the workplace. The first paper provides evidence that the targeted audience’s demographics are of paramount importance to predict whether a business or moral case for diversity will be most convincing. The second, third and fourth papers show that business case diversity statements undermine underrepresented group members’ sense of belonging in, and attraction to organizations using them, generate performance-contingent support for diversity, deteriorate diversity attitudes, increase bias in hiring and promotion decision-making, and decrease people’s ability to detect organizations’ lack of diversity. Finally, the fifth paper shows that organizations’ instrumental use of diversity elicits indifference to diversity, suggesting that this approach may undercut the very value on which organization intend to capitalize. Finally, the discussant, Professor Dobbin, will integrate the insights from these works into a discussion of the pitfalls of organizations’ instrumental approaches to diversity, and propose theory-driven next steps for a more effective promotion of diversity in the workplace. The Effectiveness of Business Case and Moral Arguments for Diversity Presenter: David Mayer; U. of Michigan Presenter: Samir Nurmohamed; The Wharton School, U. of Pennsylvania Adverse Effects of The Business Case for Diversity on Diversity Attitudes and Inclusion Presenter: Oriane Georgeac; London Business School Presenter: Aneeta Rattan; London Business School Does Social Justice Sell?: Examining Instrumental Vs. Moral Rationales for Diversity Presenter: Jamillah Williams; Georgetown U. The Consequences of Diversity Rhetoric Presenter: Modupe Akinola; Columbia U. Presenter: Tina R. Opie; Babson College Presenter: Geoffrey C. Ho; Google People Innovation Lab Presenter: Safiya E. Castel; - Presenter: Miguel Unzueta; U. of California, Los Angeles Presenter: Arthur P. Brief; U. of Utah Instrumental Use Erodes Sacred Values Presenter: Rachel Lise Ruttan; Rotman School of Management Presenter: Loran F. Nordgren; Northwestern U.