Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become a popular topic in corporate culture over the past three decades. The number of companies attempting to diversify their workforce has increased; however, progress in equity and inclusion has been slow. This study argues that workforce diversity is necessary but insufficient, as equity and inclusion are also important for effective DEI. This study aims to discuss the historical background of DEI in the United States and its benefits and challenges and identify creative and innovative strategies for effective DEI. The implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
KeywordsDiversityEquityInclusionDEIHuman Resource
Avery, D. R., Wang, M., Volpone, S. D., & Zhou, L. (2013). Different Strokes for Different Folks: The Impact of Sex Dissimilarity in the Empowerment-Performance Relationship. Personnel Psychology, 66, 757-784. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12032
Bateman, T. S. & Snell, S. A. (2007). Management: Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Beraki, M., Tessema, M., Dhumal, P., Ready, K., & Kelati, S. (2022). Exploring the Correlation between Diversity and Financial Performance: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Business Performance Management, 23, 206-223. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBPM.2022.119578
Brecheisen, J. (2023, Mach 9). How Employees and HR Leaders Differ on Perceptions of DEIB Progress. Harvard Business Review.
Burkus, D. (2017). Under New Management: How Leading Organizations Are Upending Business as Usual. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Christian, J., Porter, L. W., & Moffitt, G. (2006). Workplace Diversity and Group Relations: An Overview. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 9, 459-466. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430206068431
Dessler, G. (2020). Human Resource Management (16th ed.). Pearson.
Dolan, K., Hunt, V., Prince, S., & Sancier-Sultan, S. (2020). COVID-19 Still Matters. McKinsey & Co.
Forbes (2011). Global Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering Innovation through a Diverse Workforce. Forbes.
Glassdoor (2020). Glassdoor’s Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Survey. https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/glassdoors-diversity-and-inclusion-workplace-survey/
Gonzales, J. A., & Denisi, A. S. (2009). Crosslevel Effects of Demography and Diversity Climate on Organizational Attachment and Firm Effectiveness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30, 21-40. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.498
Griffin, R. W., & Phillips, J. M. (2023). Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (14th ed.). Cengage.
Hanson, A. B. (2023, March 20). Montana Senator Wants to Block Mandatory Diversity Training. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/diversity-equality-inclusion-training-wokemontana-6b6a780bee8abcbe3d59500f5f9b4826
Herring, C. (2009). Does Diversity Pay? Race, Gender, and the Business Case for Divesity. American Socialogy Review, 74, 208-224. https://doi.org/10.1177/000312240907400203
Joshi, A., Liao, H., & Jackson, S. E. (2006). Cross-Level Effects of Workplace Diversity on Sales Performance and Pay. Academy of Management Journal, 49, 459-481. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2006.21794664
Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2022). Staffing Organizations (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Kearney, E., Gebert, D., & Voelpel, S. C. (2009). When and How Diversity Benefits Teams: The Importance of Team Members’ Need for Cognition. Academy of Management Journal, 52, 581-598. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.41331431
Kirton, G., & Greene, A. (2016). The Dynamics of Managing Diversity: A Critical Approach (4th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315767147
Kreitz, P. A. (2008). Best Practices for Managing Organizational Diversity. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 34, 101-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2007.12.001
Larson, E. (2017 Sep. 21). New Research: Diversity + Inclusion = Better Decision Making at Work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/eriklarson/2017/09/21/new-research-diversity-inclusion-better-decision-making-at-work/?sh=1f440e74cbfa
Leonard, B. (2006, Febrary). Gallup: Workplace Bias Still Prevalent. HR Megazine.
Mayfield, M., & Mayfield, J. (2010). Developing a Scale to Measure the Creative Environment Perceptions: A Questionaire for Investigating Garden Variety. Creativity Research Journal, 22, 162-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2010.481511
McKinsey & Co. (2022, August 17). What Is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? McKinsey & Co. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion
Meinert, D. (2018). Full Expression: How Corporate Leaders Are Encouraging Sensitive Conversion on Race and Religion At Work. HR Magazine, 62, 37-43.
Meisinger, S. (2005). Diversity Pays Financially as Well as in Other Ways. HR Focus, 82, 9.
Mondy, W., & Martocchio, J. (2020). Human Resource Management (15th ed.). Pearson.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2018). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Parsi, N. (2017). Diversity and Innovation: Meet Five Leaders Who Have Inveneted New Approaches to D &I. HR Magazine, 62, 39-45.
Peachman (2023, April 25). Meet America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2023. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2023/04/25/meet-americas-best-employers-for-diversity-2023/?sh=21a8e54150af
Pieterse, A. N., Van Knippenberg, D., & Van Dierendonck, D. (2013). Cultural Diversity and Team Performance: The Role of Team Member Goal Orientation. Academy of Management Journal, 56, 782-804. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.0992
Richard, O. C., & Johnson, N. B. (2001). Understanding the Impact of Human Resource Diversity Practices on Firm Performance. Journal of Managerial Issues, 13, 177-195.
Robbins, S., Coulter, M., & Decenzo, D. (2020). Fundamentals of Management (11th ed.). Pearson.
Rock, D. (2017). A Brainy Approach. HR Magazine, 62, 43-45.
Ryan, A. M., & Wessel, J. L. (2015). Implications of a Changing Workforce and Workplace for Justice Perceptions and Expectations. Human Resource Management Review, 25, 162-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2015.01.001
Schneider, B. (1987). The People Make the Place. Personnel Psychology, 40, 437-453. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1987.tb00609.x
Soda, K. S. (2023). Leadership and Its Impact on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: A Literature Review and Analysis. Open Access Library Journal, 10, e9980. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1109980
Tessema, T., Ready, K.J., Vlack, A., Sahle, E., Stiller, E., & Theis, S. (2017). Workforce Diversity Management, the Case of Mayo Clinic. Strategic Management Quarterly, 5, 5-15. https://doi.org/10.15640/smq.v5n1_2a2
Urwin, M. (2023, August 16). What Does Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Dei) Mean in the Workplace? Built In. https://builtin.com/diversity-inclusion/what-does-dei-mean-in-the-workplace
US House of Representatives (2020, June 2). Centennial of the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau: History, Art & Archives. U.S. House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Blog/2020/June/6-2-womensbureau/
Vanderbilt University (2023). Timeline of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Efforts at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt University. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/diversity/vanderbilt-equity-diversityand-inclusion-timeline/
Verhulst, S. L., & DeCenzo, D. A. (2022). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (14th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Weiss, H. (2015). Capitalist Normativity: Value and Values. Anthropological Theory, 15, 239-253. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463499614560353
Williams, S. (2020, February 25). Stacey Williams on LinkedIn: Evolution of Diversity in the Workplace. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolution-diversity-workplace-stacey-williams/