There is no doubt that organizations have made strides toward greater diversity in the past decades. Between 1999 and 2019, the number of people of color in American workplaces grew by 26 percent.1 And for women, the trajectory is also trending upward. Statista and others report a solid growth in female leadership across politics and business, while in 2022 the number of female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies reached a record high of 44 women in the role of CEO.
But inequalities remain. And they are systemic. Studies reveal a slew of depressing statistics, among them:
So what’s holding us back?
Darden Professors Laura Morgan Roberts and Martin N. Davidson, experts in diversity and inclusion, shed light on some of the crucial barriers facing individuals and organizations.
“For you, access or advancement within an organization could be contingent on adapting in some way or being assimilated into the dominant culture, instead of being a driver for change from the inside," she says.
The danger becomes what former UVA Darden postdoctoral fellow and now Cornell Professor Courtney McCluney calls identity regulation, whereby HR leaders or D&I Officers encourage diverse employees to fit into the existing system, instead of focusing their efforts on dismantling underlying power dynamics.
“Leaders who deviate from the norm face more challenges from others in terms of respecting the brilliance and contribution that they bring," says Roberts. “And that reveals something unsettling about how hard it is to shift power dynamics — not just in workplaces but in the broader societal context."
“Systemic change only happens when you see the whole picture of your impact," Davidson says. “There’s never any incentive to change unless you understand the cost of the status quo. And that cost might not only be keeping other people out, but diminishing your ability and the ability of your organization to be your best and accomplish more." The onus therefore falls on leaders to interrogate themselves, he says, to understand the cost of privilege.
“Beneath the surface in any organization, you will often find institutional barriers — biases — that stymie change," he says. “Beyond that there may be a lack of engagement from leaders or middle management that get in the way." Rooting out inertia, inequities and an inability to change can be complex because leaders and organizations are typically unaware they exist.
“The most important question to answer when it comes to making diversity work should not be: How many people of color or women do we have?" he says. “Instead, it should be: What differences will help us achieve our larger goals, mission and purpose?"
The preceding is drawn from the white paper Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and 5 Things You Can Do to Normalize DEI in Your Organization. In a future post, Darden faculty members will address practical techniques for normalizing DEI in organizations.
First Published: Sep 06, 2022, 17:14
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