The Business Case for Commitment to Diversity: White Paper from The Kelley School of Business
From the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, download below this white paper focused on The Business Case for Commitment to Diversity. The report answers the question "Does an organization's commitment to diversity – as reflected by CEO commitment, human capital, corporate communications (internal and external), and supplier diversity – result in competitive advantage and superior financial performance? Diversity can bring new voices and perspectives into the strategy dialogue, help managers understand and address the needs of a demographically diverse customer base, and stimulate a wider range of creative decision alternatives.
However, the anticipated benefits of corporate diversity efforts may also be accompanied by costs that can affect shareholder wealth. In a study comparing the financial performance of the DiversityInc Top 50 companies for Diversity to a matched sample, we find evidence that firms with a strong commitment to diversity outperform their peers on average. For commitment to diversity to become ingrained in corporate culture there must be visible and ongoing support from senior management, a clear articulation of the business case for diversity, time manager accountability, and training programs directed at communications, conflict resolution, and team building."
Also download the Advancing Diversity Council white paper: The Case for Education and Diversity as Tools for Growth in Marketing and Media
