Google, Diversity, and You
The idea of diversity within organizations is certainly not a new concept; however, how the idea of diversity is manifested within organizations still proves to be complicated and controversial. In August of 2017, James Damore, an engineer with Google, offered a 10-page internal memo in which he argued that certain biological differences play a role in the shortage of women in both leadership positions as well as technologically based positions and that Google’s efforts for diversity are “highly politicized.” Other prominent companies such as Uber and Facebook have also recently faced criticism for how they address diversity within their organization. Google (with Damore specifically), Uber, and Facebook have all terminated employees, both in leadership and supporting roles, for not “embracing” diversity.
According to the article “Corporate Diversity Programs in 2017: What’s Working and What’s Not” published by global consulting firm Aperian Global, most companies have some type of diversity statement, produce researched diversity reports, and offer some type of incentives for diversity and equal opportunity in hiring practices. With this debate about the approaches to the issue of equal opportunity has thus evolved a question: “is research and definition of the problem a strong first step, or should organizations be more focused on taking direct action?”
One company that seems to have addressed the issue of diversity successfully is global health care product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. After a perfect rating from Diversity, Inc., Johnson & Johnson developed their online Diversity University which provides diversity-related resources, cultural awareness training tools, and classes that introduce the concepts, personal benefits, and business advantages of diversity. As offered by Dr. Martin Fitchet, Global Head of Research and Development, “Diversity is an essential part of the answer to the challenge of innovation. We have to be open to different ways of thinking about what qualities we want to be diverse: diversity of identity, diversity of age, diversity of outlook.” To date, 43% of management positions at Johnson & Johnson are held by females.
Not all companies have been as success full as Johnson and Johnson in addressing diversity and some still feel the efforts are unnecessary. As offered by Aperian Global, using material from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the number of workers who represent specific groups is indicative of the company’s actual commitment to and understanding of diversity. While many companies implement diversity training programs, research has shown that doing so can actually cause feelings of alienation from groups who are not the focus of the training. “Many companies focus on specific diversity initiatives, such as expanding racial diversity in the workplace or bringing women into leadership and tech positions. However, true inclusivity must also address the needs of LBGT workers, the effects of ageism, and other relevant issues” such as the perspectives of global employees and younger generation workers.
Questions:
1. Based on your thoughts, what role do you think diversity should play within an organization?
2. From an organizational standpoint, what effect do you think having a mandatory diversity program truly has on the individuals within the organization?
3. Pretend you are the CEO of the Utaxi (a company similar to Uber and Lyft). Please articulate a one to three sentence diversity statement for this company.