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The more diverse a company's workforce is, the more loyal, happy and productive its employees tend to be, according to a new study. However, the commitment to diversity must be more than superficial [Human Resource Management, 21(4)].
"There are organizations that are doing what research and popular practice tells them to do," said lead author Kristyn Scott, professor in the School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto. "They are showing pictures of diverse workers on their website and say they have a commitment to diversity. But they're not really going beyond what people may see as simply window dressing. That's contrasted with an organization that has woven diversity into every fiber of its corporate culture and business practices."
Scott and co-authors Joanna Heathcote, of University of Toronto at Scarborough, and Jamie Gruman, of the University of Guelph in Ontario, conducted a review of approximately 100 studies - mostly from the United States but some from Canada and elsewhere - from 1991 to 2009.
They evaluated the studies based on six key advantages of corporate diversity [Academy of Management Executive, 5 (3): 45-56]:
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recruitment,
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greater creativity,
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problem-solving,
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flexibility (better reaction to change),
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cost (employee turnover), and
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marketing, i.e., stronger financial performance.
The researchers broadly defined the term "diversity" to include ethnicity, age, gender, educational background and professional experience.
While they found mixed results on individual elements, the researchers theorized that, overall, the more organizations embraced elements of diversity in their corporate culture, the more prosperous they became and the happier and loyal their workforce.
"When you have an inclusive corporate culture, recruiting top talent becomes easier," said Scott. "Group processes will be enhanced, which means employees are more likely to stay, which, in turn, increases the company's bottom line."
The study cited Campbell Soup Company as a shining example of a diverse organization. Highlights of its award-winning diversity efforts include specific initiatives for women, gay, Hispanic and Asian employees; a mission to consistently reinforce inclusion throughout all levels, from senior management to front-line workers; and training for managers on inclusive leadership, diversity awareness, and awareness of unconscious biases.
Scott says for organizations that just don't want to "talk the diversity talk, but walk the talk," it comes down to a cultural paradigm shift.
"By weaving diversity into the very fabric of the company, not only does this embrace its employees, it makes for a happier and more productive workforce."
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