Inclusion Unlocked

3What's the Business Case Got to Do with Diversity?

Culture and DEI have been at the forefront of my efforts, and they continue to be with intention and resolution, understanding that it's not just the right thing to do, but it's imperative to our business in order to be successful.

Bettina Deynes, Chief People Officer, Carnival Group

Even though there's considerable fanfare around diversity in business with an exaltation of “the business case for diversity” as a corporate panacea, reality is far more complex. Diversity advocate Jessie Woolley‐Wilson, the CEO of DreamBox, an educational software firm, is well aware of what is required to advance diversity when she states: “If you believe diversity is something that needs to be leveraged, don't treat it like just another project or obligation, but see it as an opportunity.”¹ To successfully be an Inclusive Leader requires not only an understanding of the business case but also not getting sucked into this being the driving force. There is a human element that is more critical to driving action that needs to lead the conversation.

Both scholars and practitioners have spent considerable time demonstrating that advancing DEIB makes businesses and organizations better—such as delivering higher performance and productivity. We put forward the argument: “Why would an organization wish to have access to less than the full amount of human talent that could be at its disposal? Shouldn't organizations want to access the very best and ...