Concordia University Gender and Leadership in Organizations Discussion
Business Finance
Discuss your analysis of the distinctions between diversity and inclusion. In what ways do concepts of gender roles infiltrate popular culture representations of political systems and what connections did you make to leadership concepts? Post a substantive response to the question (minimum 250 words).
Amber
While “Diversity” and “Inclusion” often are used interchangeably, the difference between the two concepts is vitally important.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), studies show that teams or organizations with diverse qualities, experiences and work styles bring more ideas, perspectives and approaches to the table. On top of efforts to diversify their employee base, businesses may want to take note of the organizational success associated with the move toward inclusion.
Defining the difference
As defined by SHRM, diversity references the similarities and differences between individuals, accounting for all aspects of one’s personality and individual identity. It implies variety in characteristics like race, sex or age.
Inclusion, however, refers to the efforts used to embrace those differences. It describes how much each person feels welcomed, respected, supported and valued. Inclusion is about seeing employees’ whole selves, recognizing that their differences make them uniquely qualified to contribute to the organization.
As diversity and inclusion expert Vernā Myers explains, “Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”
How inclusion leads to organizational success
Consider this: According to the McKinsey & Company report Delivering Through Diversity, ethnically and racially diverse companies are 33% more likely to outperform industry norms, while gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to earn more revenue. Released in January 2018, the report suggests that gender, ethnic and cultural diversity correlate to financial performance, particularly when the diversity is within executive teams.
These high-performing companies acknowledge that commitment to an inclusive environment starts at the top. The McKinsey report’s authors note that progress on representation is a start and can be done relatively quickly, with the right initiatives (such as targeted recruiting), while embedding inclusion within the organization can take time to develop.
Inclusion stretches far beyond hiring employees with different backgrounds and ethnicities. It is a mindset in which employers actively provide each member of the workforce with equal access to opportunities. Organizations can begin to transition from diversity efforts to those of inclusion, to create an environment in which all employees can thrive and contribute their best work.
Jessica
Diversity can be interpreted as the who and the what. Who’s sitting at the table, who is being promoted or employed. When discussing diversity in the workforce, we usually assume everyone is given equal representation. As we learn in this week’s readings, employers hire people with varying genders, sexual orientation, ethnic backgrounds, and interests (Sherbin, & Rashid, 2017). However, diversity does not equal inclusion. Inclusion can be described as the how and can be explained as the behaviors that welcome and embrace diversity. A leader that recognizes inclusion has figured out how to encompass various voices and identities. An inclusive workplace is one where various methods and practices are acknowledged and celebrated by those differences, with everyone having the same opportunities at success (Diversity vs. inclusion and why they matter, 2019).
Men and women are believed to have distinct characteristics. Men are assumed to be independent, confident, productive, healthy, and self-assured while women are identified with being merciful, affectionate, understanding, and empathetic (Winter, 2010). Men are customarily associated with a higher status and are more inclined to be in leadership positions congruent with socio-demographic status and gender. Women are viewed as having a lower status, and the leadership position may be seen as less harmonious with their socio-demographic status and gender. The masculine and feminine traits carry over into politics. The Republican party is often connected to men with masculine qualities while the Democratic party can be matched to women and feminine qualities (Winter, 2010). These stereotypes can help form the citizen’s opinion of a political candidate. As societal standards are changing, with the recognition of same-sex relationships and gender fluidity, gender stereotypes are expanding as well.
Diversity vs. inclusion and why they matter. (2019, March 27). Retrieved from http://www.refreshleadership.com/index.php/2019/03/diversity-inclusion-matter/
Sherbin, L., & Rashid, R. (2017, February 1). Diversity doesn’t stick without inclusion. Retrieved from https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blackboard.learn.xythos.prod/5a32b5d33f67b/1651907?response-content-disposition=inline; filename*=UTF-8”diversity%20doesn%27t%20stick%20wihtout%20inclusion.HBR.pdf&response-content-type=application/pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190917T125327Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21599&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIL7WQYDOOHAZJGWQ/20190917/us-east-1/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=bf6640e8d3942044e9abdbf5d9ca54b5a80671e836ef274082c155fe34dfec3c
Winter, N. J. G. (2010, August 1). Masculine republicans and feminine democrats: gender and americans’ explicit and implicit images of the political parties. Retrieved from https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blackboard.learn.xythos.prod/5a32b5d33f67b/1651908?response-content-disposition=inline; filename*=UTF-8”masculine%20republicans%20and%20feminine%20democrats.pdf&response-content-type=application/pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190916T174008Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIL7WQYDOOHAZJGWQ/20190916/us-east-1/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=95f45fe365b2f8e4db067137e24bfc553baa80537427daeb5d196900b3d5108c
