The charge of the white brigade

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the long struggle to increase diversity and inclusion in the leadership of large corporations. In spite of significant progress, women and minorities are still woefully under-represented. The extraordinary diversity of the Millennial generation (born between 1982 and 2004) should help accelerate change, but it is not believed that demographics on its own will dramatically improve matters. This viewpoint examines some of the underlying tensions around diversity in the workplace and suggests some approaches that could have a positive impact.Design/methodology/approachThe paper cites a number of statistics from the secondary literature that demonstrate how, unfortunately, diversity still suffers periodic setbacks as well as improvements. It then examines the actual world of work to propose ways in which “inclusion” in the workplace and not just diversity in recruitment has a role to play.FindingsIn addition to the importance of a strong minority recruitment pipeline, the establishment of affinity networks and minority mentoring, the author also found that some routine business practices need to be carefully examined to see how they promote or defeat inclusion. These include the trend toward less formal meeting structures that can militate against diverse voices being heard; the need to create greater awareness around the tendency of men to interrupt women disproportionality; and the tyranny of teams in which individual credit is often obscured. By being conscious of these practices, their negative impact on diversity and inclusion can be mitigated.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are the author’s own viewpoint and would need to be validated in controlled studies.Practical implicationsThe best practices proposed would need to be adapted to fit well in different corporate cultures both geographically and by industry type.Social implicationsIf corporate leaders devoted sufficient attention to these day-to-day business practices, the author believes that they would see a noticeable increase in diversity and inclusion, leading to better productivity and more rewarding roles for women and minorities in the workplace.Originality/valueWhile diversity and inclusion have been written about extensively, the author is not aware of any comparable reflections on best practices in the workplace of this kind.