Employee Enthusiasm for Diversity Underpins Successful D&I

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

A study [PDF] published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology suggests that one of the core factors in whether a company will build a successful diversity and inclusion program is whether people in the workforce see difference as an asset to the company or not.

The article, “Embracing uniqueness: The underpinnings of a positive climate for diversity” outlines the workforce characteristics of a company noted for a successful diversity program. They authors, Ashley Groggins, Peckham, Inc., and Ann Marie Ryan, Michigan State University, write that they set out to find “how diversity can be translated into attitudes (openness to change, openness to others, openness to error and perceived person-environment fit) and competencies (efficacy for change, interpersonal competence, improvement capacity and actual person-environment fit).”

They identified four factors for success: “our data revealed an underlying concept of diversity as a central organizational attribute, which leads to a key role for concepts of accommodation, difference, learning, and physical and organizational structure.”

When employees see diversity as one of the defining characteristics of their company, they are more likely buy into programs, policies, and structures that promote diversity.

Diversity as Descriptor

Groggins and Ryan interviewed employees at a company recognized in its industry for its success in building an inclusive workplace. One of the main themes they identified through these interviews was about how people in this company described their workplace.

People talked at length about the diversity of their company, and explained it was both a draw in choosing to work there in the first place, and in staying there. People who worked there also saw diversity as something they all had a hand in. Groggins and Ryan write:

“Further, having diversity as a central defining characteristic means that diversity is seen as something that ‘unites’ and identifies the organization, rather than an indicator that there is no clear group identity because of heterogeneity. That is, diverse groups can view their diversity as a defining characteristic, and shared diversity beliefs can serve to foster greater identification.”

Workers were keen to describe their company as a diverse place, and they saw themselves as part of something bigger than themselves. They felt they were taking part in something important by being employees of a diverse company.

Other Key Factors

This enthusiasm for their diverse workplace drove three other key factors in successful organizational D&I, Groggins and Ryan explain: accommodation as a rule, respect for difference, and a culture of continuous learning.

First of all, many of the interviewees explained how their company’s policy is accommodation – that is, accommodation of difference is required of managers rather than seen as a favor to employees. The researchers explain:

“Because of this perspective on accommodation as ‘the norm’, there are very few prescriptions for behaviour and little expectation as to ‘how things should be’. This creates widespread openness to change in every aspect of organizational functioning as well as confidence or efficacy in both individual and organizational capacity to deal with change…”

Another important factor the study describes was respect for difference. When employees feel diversity is a valuable characteristic of their group, their interactions and discussions of diversity are deliberate and productive. “When there is a difference of opinion, participants noted the need for a more measured response (i.e., awareness that a different view might be the right one). When diversity is considered characteristic of an organization, differences are not only appreciated, but often are openly discussed and taken into account in making decisions,” the authors write.

Finally, the writers discussed how diversity factors into a learning culture in which employees work toward continuous improvement of themselves and their views. Groggins and Ryan explain:

“The concept of being ‘open to learning’ and seeing each day as a chance to learn something new carries over into how work is approached. Making modifications based on suggestions is described as one of this organization’s signature processes. Further, the environment was seen by participants as creating an implicit feeling of safety in admitting that one does not know everything.”

While this factor was driven by a respect for diversity, it was not limited to learning about diversity – continuous learning became a cultural characteristic in itself at the company.

This is an important characteristics in that it informs a culture of people willing to take risks and learn from mistakes. And at a time when innovation is one of the most highly praised and talked about competencies for effective employees and leaders, it’s not hard to connect the dots from diversity to innovation, and further down the line, to competitive success. When a company culture nurtures diversity and encourages innovation, it will be more successful in the marketplace.