Introduction
This paper focuses on identifying ways to increase workplace diversity, as suggested by various authors. In Diversity as a Strategy, Thomas David explains how diversity can lead to company growth in the marketplace. In Great Leaders Who Make the Mix Work, Boris Groysberg and Katrin Connolly highlight leaders’ roles in increasing women’s visibility in corporations.
These articles were chosen for their personal interest in how diversity affects a company’s status and the reasons most often prevent women from joining corporations. The work compares the writings of Thomas, D., Groysberg, B., and Connolly, K. regarding attitudes toward diversity and the authors’ visions for increasing it.
Analysis
In his article, Thomas David discusses how diversity becomes an effective market strategy. An example is IBM, which has grown from a humble company to a large, diverse, and accessible organization. The IBM leader states, “It’s about understanding our markets, which are diverse and multicultural,” because the company cannot understand its diverse customers unless it integrates similar experiences into its structure (Thomas, 2004, para. 4).
Thomas (2004) suggests that increasing diversity in a company is part of blurring boundaries and allowing oppressed communities to join the giant game. Additionally, he highlights the importance of leadership support in embracing change and facilitating the adaptation of new groups. Ultimately, he concludes that organizations must move closer to their markets and engage with them through multicultural strategies.
In their article, Boris Groysberg and Katrin Connolly discuss strategies for leaders to increase company diversity. They point out that the leaders they interviewed often stated the need to be relevant to the market they served. Groysberg and Connolly (2013) discuss women’s experiences in leadership roles and conclude that there is an oppressive corporate culture for women. The executives interviewed point to barriers for women, an inability to reconcile their desires with their work, and insurmountable standards.
According to Turley, “Diversity itself is about the mix of people you have, and creating an inclusive culture is about making that mix work,” which encourages addressing existing diversity issues (Groysberg & Connolly, 2013). Finally, the authors conclude that organizations need to foster an environment that encourages women to join, create support systems, and protect them against corporate pressures from men.
Comparison
The articles provided for comparison share themes and narrative modes, revealing workplace diversity issues. Thomas (2004) evaluated a single company and analyzed its strategy to enhance diversity, whereas Groysberg and Connolly (2013) focused on women’s experiences. Significant similarities can be found in the articles: the authors conclude that targeting products in diverse, multicultural communities is not enough to get a positive response.
Diversity in the workplace, as well as support and leadership systems for new hires, are also necessary. Thomas (2004) addresses this issue through sponsorship and the involvement of external stakeholders in building a diverse workforce. At the same time, Groysberg and Connolly (2013) note that only strong leadership and individuals within the organization can change attitudes towards oppressed groups (in their case, women).
In uncovering the challenges of growing diversity in an organization, the authors have taken different approaches to explaining its value. While Thomas (2004) points to market growth, Groysberg and Connolly (2013) focus on the social tasks of organizations. In this regard, the authors’ methods for interpreting the experiences of various groups differ.
The authors’ emphasis on the issue and potential solutions is noteworthy. Thomas (2004) examines a particular company’s ability to increase diversity, highlighting the need to integrate minorities to succeed in the marketplace. He looks at IBM’s separate path in expanding its market through team diversity. At the same time, Groysberg and Connolly (2013) assess social problems across companies, highlighting their pervasiveness and the urgency of addressing them.
They believe that without understanding the global nature of the problem, solving it will be impossible because organizational leaders will not know how to achieve the best results. The authors’ research approach is similar, but they have chosen to examine the problem of diversity from different angles, thereby demonstrating the value of a diverse approach to solving it. Consequently, while both articles reveal opportunities for organizations to increase diversity, they approach the problem differently.
Conclusion
Several ideas for addressing diversity can be inferred from the analysis, evaluation, and comparison of the two articles. First, leaders need to be included in any decision related to integrating new, diverse groups into the organization’s structure. In professional settings, this can be utilized to offer support after an individual joins the organization.
Secondly, the idea of external support that can provide material and human resources to support adopting minorities into the team. In my personal life, this can help establish partnerships and count on assistance. Third, the social side of increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace needs to be addressed. In professional work, this is necessary when joining a team and evaluating a company’s value.
References
Groysberg, B. & Connolly, K. (2013). Great leaders who make the mix work. Harvard Business Review, 91(9), 68-10.
Thomas, D.A. (2004). Diversity as a strategy. Harvard Business Review, 82(9), 98-108.