Introduction
More and more organizations are finally starting to understand the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Creary et al. noted that more than 70% of individuals are more prone to working in organizations that are interested in promoting DEI policies (2021). Striving for a diverse, inclusive, and equitable working climate will allow the employees to be more satisfied with their job, will ensure a diverse conversation with multiple points of view, and will ensure more creativity and originality within the workforce. However, certain issues need to be addressed when it comes to applying such policies to an organization.
A Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Culture in Organizations
Since multiple organizations are eager to promote diverse, inclusive, and equitable cultures within their workplaces, it is essential to explain the definitions that describe those notions. The terms refer to workspaces that do not discriminate. According to researchers, the pandemic and mass protests against police brutality and racial inequality have influenced employers to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for each employee (Creary et al., 2021). While these terms are all related to equality, they all have different meanings. Diversity relates to a policy that aims to include a different range of people, while inclusivity refers to the act of making all those people feel included in the conversation. On the other hand, an equitable culture suggests fairness and impartiality towards all parties. A diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture in an organization suggests an open-minded team of people of different backgrounds, values, ethnicities, and cultures who can communicate and interact without fear of being misunderstood or silenced.
Lack of data is one of the difficulties that is connected to implementing a DEI culture. According to Fife et al., more research needs to be done for employers to be more efficient with their policies and strategies (2021). Studies show that around 80% of employees believe they can create diversity within their organization, while 90% think the same about inclusion and 70 % about equity (Fife et al., 2021). This means that certain individuals feel like their position does not allow them to make a decision or be involved in such policies, which is one issue when it comes to creating an inclusive and diverse workspace. However, the first step in building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization is having an understanding of the specific definitions and values that stay behind the terms that constitute such cultural approaches.
Changes Within the Last Decade
There has been a lot of improvement in terms of equality, inclusivity, and equity in the last years. Sherman et al. mention the importance of the BLM movement for DEI initiatives within a variety of companies and organizations (2021). Over the last decade, people have become more aware of the importance of equality, which subsequently led to the diversification of the workspace. Multiple efforts and actions that have been done over the last ten years suggest organizations moving toward inclusivity and equity.
A variety of institutions and companies promote the DEI culture by having specific training sessions and promotional programs that aim to open a conversation about employee equality. Also, more companies are now proud to mention that they are equal-opportunity employers, which is determined by analyzing the latest ads on websites that promote available vacancies. However, an issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of specific studies and research that would analyze certain strategies. Multiple employers are not fully aware of nuances and specifics that would guide them to a beneficial DEI policy. Another problem is the unwillingness of some individuals to conform to new policies. This makes it hard for an organization to switch to a more inclusive environment.
The Benefits of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
Multiple researchers and employers are willing to incorporate a DEI policy within their organizational culture because of all the benefits that come along. According to Sotto-Santiago et al., every institution has to focus on inclusivity and equity within its team (2020). This leads to a better relationship between employees, higher satisfaction for individuals that are a part of minorities, and a more creative and unique collective of workers as a whole. Having a diverse team allows the discussion to go in different directions, which means more points of view, ideas, and fields of activity. It has been noted that teams with a wide variety of people included are more prone to innovation. This is connected to the various backgrounds and experiences that employees have, which allow them to think outside the box and add a sense of originality to the company’s culture and strategies. Such individuals can create unique outcomes because of innovative visions and particular understandings of their communities.
Conclusion
Diversity, inclusion, and equity are three cultural values that multiple organizations are willing to include in their policies and promote among their employees. Diversity suggests providing equal opportunity for minorities, inclusion refers to making those people feel as appreciated as everybody else, and equity means fairness and objectivity towards all. Including all three as a part of organizational culture allows employees to have their needs and identities recognized and employers to see the benefits such policies bring. It has been concluded that organizations with DEI policies have a higher satisfaction rate among employees, are more creative and unique, and have a better understanding of particular communities that they can subsequently cater to. However, specific issues are linked to following DEI policies, including lack of enthusiasm for change of certain employees, unprofessionalism of employers that create new strategies, and little research on this topic.
References
Creary, S. J., Rothbard, N., & Scruggs, J. (2021). Evidence-based diversity, equity and inclusions practices. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Fife, D., Stephens, M. N., Lyons, A., & Huang, M. (2021). Leader responsibility for diversity, equity, inclusion & justice in academic libraries: An exploratory study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(4), 102361.
Sherman, B. W., Kelly, R. K., & Payne-Foster, P. (2020). Integrating workforce health into employer diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(5), 609–612.
Sotto-Santiago, S. (2020). Black and Latinx faculty perspectives on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity, 13(1), 44–55.