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Diversity And Inclusion

The 3 Types of Diversity That Shape Our Identities by Celia de Anca and Salvador Aragón

May 24, 2018

Summary.   

Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

Diversity means different things to different people. A study of 180 Spanish

corporate managers explored perceptions of diversity and found that depending on who is

answering, diversity usually means one of three things: demographic diversity (our…

Diversity means different things to different people. In a study of 180

Spanish corporate managers, we explored perceptions of diversity and

found that depending on who is answering, diversity usually means one

of three things: demographic diversity (our gender, race, sexual

orientation, and so on), experiential diversity (our affinities, hobbies,

and abilities), and cognitive diversity (how we approach problems and

think about things). All three types shape identity — or rather,

identities.

Demographic diversity is tied to our identities of origin — characteristics

that classify us at birth and that we will carry around for the rest of our

lives. Experiential diversity is based on life experiences that shape our

emotional universe. Affinity bonds us to people with whom we share

some of our likes and dislikes, building emotional communities.

Experiential diversity influences we might call identities of growth.

Cognitive diversity makes us look for other minds to complement our

thinking: what we might call identities of aspiration.

It is important to remember that categories only serve the purpose of

classification; in the real world, differences between these categories are

blurred. Diversity is dynamic. But we believe this diversity framework,

though somewhat artificial (as all frameworks are) can be useful to

companies who are trying to refresh their approach to managing

diversity. What kind of diversity does your company focus on? Could

you benefit from broadening your perspective? Let’s take a closer look at

each in turn.

Managing identities of origin. Since the 1980s, most global companies

have developed diversity and inclusion policies led by human resources.

The most frequent include: assessment tools (climate surveys, statistics

monitoring, minority targets), human resources programs (flexible

policies, mentoring or coaching), communication campaigns, and

training programs.

Consider Sodexho. In 2002 the company hired a chief diversity officer,

Anand Rohini, to make diversity a priority. Some of the diversity

priorities at Sodexho focused on gender, ethnicity, disabilities, and age.

Its diversity strategy included a series of systems and processes covering

human resources policies (such as flexibility measures, training,

selection processes and career services); diversity scorecards; and

quantitative targets, mainly regarding numbers of women and

minorities, not only in the organization in general but also in leadership

positions. By 2005 Sodexho was widely recognized as a diversity

champion. For more than a decade it has been consistently ranked

among the best of the DiversityInc top 50 list, and Anand Rohini has

been widely recognized as a global diversity champion.

For Sodexho and other companies taking a similar approach, the result

is an enhanced company image and reputation. Talented individuals in

general, but from minorities in particular, select companies in which

they expect to feel appreciated.

Managing identities of growth. Identities of growth often provide us

with a feeling of security. Our likes and dislikes change over time, and so

our affinity groups change. Identities of growth dictate who we spend

time with.

Many companies have developed friendship-based communities among

employees, typically organizing activities such as weekends away,

departmental Christmas parties, and so on, in a bid to create emotional

ties between workers and the company. But because emotional

communities are held together as much by the likes as by the dislikes of

members, they can be unpredictable and difficult to manage in the long

term. As a result, these emotional communities can sometimes work to

the benefit of organizations, but they can just as often end up having the

opposite effect, particularly when people share a dislike for certain

policies, a particular boss, or for what they consider to be an unfair

situation.

Our research suggests that the best policy for dealing with communities

of growth is through minimum intervention. Emotional communities

will emerge in organizations, whether management likes it or not, and

will have a life of their own. For that reason it is best to take a neutral

position. Creating affinity groups is positive for the company. But these

groups should always be voluntary and develop at their own pace,

without management interference.

Managing identities of aspiration. Our cognitive differences find their

place in a community of aspiration. In those communities, we are

valued for our unique way of understanding and interpreting the world.

A community of aspiration is a space where our ideas are valued for

their contribution to a common project, regardless of our different traits

or individual likes or dislikes.

Innovative organizations are shifting from managing units to managing

challenges or projects, asking employees to voluntarily join projects,

creating structures where employees can move out of their comfort

zones to join temporary communities of aspiration that strengthen

cross-organizational ties and help the company achieve its strategic

goals.

Corporate experience shows that the most effective strategy for

companies to manage communities of aspiration is to create the

contexts and the projects for them to emerge.

Valve Corporation, a video game developer, has defined a unique

corporate structure with no bosses or managers at all. Each member of

the company is invited to define their contribution to the company

according to their choices and preferences. A highly talented developer

specialized in graphics animation might choose to work on a game by

assuming a “group contributor role,” becoming part of the group

developing that game. After finishing this “group contribution,” the

same person might choose to work in a more individualistic fashion on

the next task. This “free to choose” approach is mirrored in the firm’s

office design. Valve offices incorporate wheeled desks to foster mobility

and allow the fast configuration and reconfiguration of groups as well as

individual work.

Understanding multiple types of diversity is particularly relevant in our

tribal times. Individuals now construct identities consciously. We want

to play with a multiplicity of identities and use them in as many

different roles as their different affiliations allow.

We live in complex times, when complex solutions are need it and where

a one solution for all approach no longer works. Each form of diversity is

different and requires its own management strategy to effectively

integrate people. Diversity is a journey and, like any journey, requires

careful navigation.

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http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-

us-smarter/

This article is from the In-Depth Report State of the World's

Science 2014

How Diversity Makes Us Smarter Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent

and harder-working

Sep 16, 2014 |By Katherine W. Phillips

|

Edel Rodriguez

The first thing to acknowledge about diversity is that it can be difficult. In the U.S., where the dialogue

of inclusion is relatively advanced, even the mention of the word “diversity” can lead to anxiety and

conflict. Supreme Court justices disagree on the virtues of diversity and the means for achieving it.

Corporations spend billions of dollars to attract and manage diversity both internally and externally,

yet they still face discrimination lawsuits, and the leadership ranks of the business world remain

predominantly white and male.

It is reasonable to ask what good diversity does us. Diversity of expertise confers benefits that are

obvious—you would not think of building a new car without engineers, designers and quality-control

experts—but what about social diversity? What good comes from diversity of race, ethnicity, gender

and sexual orientation? Research has shown that social diversity in a group can cause discomfort,

rougher interactions, a lack of trust, greater perceived interpersonal conflict, lower communication,

less cohesion, more concern about disrespect, and other problems. So what is the upside?

The fact is that if you want to build teams or organizations capable of innovating, you need diversity.

Diversity enhances creativity. It encourages the search for novel information and perspectives, leading

to better decision making and problem solving. Diversity can improve the bottom line of companies

and lead to unfettered discoveries and breakthrough innovations. Even simply being exposed to

diversity can change the way you think. This is not just wishful thinking: it is the conclusion I draw

from decades of research from organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and

demographers.

Information and Innovation The key to understanding the positive influence of diversity is the concept of informational diversity.

When people are brought together to solve problems in groups, they bring different information,

opinions and perspectives. This makes obvious sense when we talk about diversity of disciplinary

backgrounds—think again of the interdisciplinary team building a car. The same logic applies to social

diversity. People who are different from one another in race, gender and other dimensions bring unique

information and experiences to bear on the task at hand. A male and a female engineer might have

perspectives as different from one another as an engineer and a physicist—and that is a good thing.

Research on large, innovative organizations has shown repeatedly that this is the case. For example,

business professors Cristian Deszö of the University of Maryland and David Ross of Columbia

University studied the effect of gender diversity on the top firms in Standard & Poor's Composite 1500

list, a group designed to reflect the overall U.S. equity market. First, they examined the size and gender

composition of firms' top management teams from 1992 through 2006. Then they looked at the

financial performance of the firms. In their words, they found that, on average, “female representation

in top management leads to an increase of $42 million in firm value.” They also measured the firms'

“innovation intensity” through the ratio of research and development expenses to assets. They found

that companies that prioritized innovation saw greater financial gains when women were part of the top

leadership ranks.

Racial diversity can deliver the same kinds of benefits. In a study conducted in 2003, Orlando Richard,

a professor of management at the University of Texas at Dallas, and his colleagues surveyed

executives at 177 national banks in the U.S., then put together a database comparing financial

performance, racial diversity and the emphasis the bank presidents put on innovation. For innovation-

focused banks, increases in racial diversity were clearly related to enhanced financial performance.

Evidence for the benefits of diversity can be found well beyond the U.S. In August 2012 a team of

researchers at the Credit Suisse Research Institute issued a report in which they examined 2,360

companies globally from 2005 to 2011, looking for a relationship between gender diversity on

corporate management boards and financial performance. Sure enough, the researchers found that

companies with one or more women on the boar