Relevance of DEIB Policies

"Strength lies in differences, not in similarities." — Stephen R. Covey

"Real diversity and inclusion doesn't mean that we will always agree. It means that even when we disagree, we can still respect each other." — Justin Jones-Fosu

A PRENNIAL challenge every organization is facing is ensuring equitable opportunities, maintaining diversity, fostering an inclusive environment and lastly creating a climate of belongingness.?Diversity?encompasses the variety of characteristics and backgrounds that individuals bring to educational institutions, promoting the celebration of differences.?Equity?seeks to ensure that everyone has equal access to resources and opportunities, addressing historical inequalities.?Inclusion?focuses on fostering a sense of respect and value for all, actively encouraging participation and engagement.?Belonging?takes it a step further, focusing on emotional connections and a genuine sense of attachment to the institution.

One question that comes to my mind is why ensuring DEIB at the workplace is considered as a perennial issue, even though these are those virtues that every human race and generation has handed over to the other generation. Inclusivity, belongingness, accommodating others' needs and respecting the differences are those human virtues that are supposed to be inherited by all of us. But, organizations are struggling and some where falling short of it. Due to this, even?the United Nations has suggested a few Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?to ensure DEIB at the workplace.

The 17 SDGs also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity across the world. The goals which are related to DEIB are?SDG 5?(gender equality),?SDG 8?(decent work and economic growth) and?SDG 10?(reduced inequalities). SDG 5 and SDG 10 aim to promote social, economic, and political inclusion and ensure equal opportunities for all, irrespective of gender, age, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic status, or disability, whereas SDG 8 embodies the values of diversity and inclusion, calling for equal pay for work of equal value and promoting safe and inclusive working environments.

A study done by?Deloitte?has described the benefits of ensuring DEIB in the workplace. According to the study, those organizations that have adopted the principles of DEIB have witnessed a rise of around 46% in their competitive advantage in the industry, 40% better and more accurate decision-making, near about 34% jump in financial performance, and several other work benefits. Furthermore, the study also confirmed that DEIB in general improves employee retention rates and fosters cutting-edge innovation.

Regardless of these benefits, organizations are struggling for an inclusive and compassionate (belongingness) work environment that is fair and equitable to all. There is a dire need to assess and introspect a few questions such as why are we a culture of care and concern at the workplace? Why we could not treat others fairly and equitably whenever an opportunity comes? Why fostering a climate of belongingness is difficult?

The answer may lie in the forgone missions of the study of human psychology as raised by Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000). They argued that post World War II the field of psychology had forgotten its real mission of developing human virtues rather than only treating human pathologies. Attention is paid to what is right and how it can be further fostered rather than to what is wrong and how it can be repaired. They proposed three pillars under the field of?positive psychology,?positive experiences, positive individual traits, and positive institutions.??Employees are humans and are prone to make mistakes. Different people may have different problems. Hence, a culture of compassion and empathy should be fostered. Events and activities should be aligned to make employees connected with the organization. Employees should be treated as humans, who are vulnerable and emotional, and not machines. The exchange relationship between employer and employee should not be transactional, rather it should be transformational. Supports ranging from peer to supervisor should be encouraged. The theories of?psychological resources?(positive individual traits) of Hobfoll (2011) and Fredrickson (1998) also add to this. It states that every human being has inbuilt psychological resources which should be developed to make individuals capable who rely on and draw energy from their internal resources whenever they face any challenge. One of the ways to make DEIB possible is to build a workplace where employees are self-reliant, resilient, compassionate, mindful and efficacious. Inclusivity and belonging will be common factors in such a workplace. People will respect each other and provide support to overcome the limitations. Opportunities will be shared without fear of being lagging behind.

Moreover, as an academician, I am witnessing that even the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are struggling for a climate where the prime goal is to treat Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) as essential principles to create an equitable, inclusive, and welcoming environment for students, faculty and other staffs.?DEIB in the education sector?can be considered as a multifaceted approach. It starts with curriculum development that reflects diverse perspectives, histories and experiences. This ensures that students are open to a wide range of ideas and experiences. Next, hiring, promoting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff may promote a culture of equitable environment. Encouraging inclusive teaching practices that cater to diverse learning styles and abilities will further make students feel valued and heard. Added to this, providing tailored support services such as counselling, mentorship, and academic support, that address the unique needs and challenges of underrepresented groups will foster an inclusive and compassionate environment.

To summarize, the practices discussed earlier coupled with organizational/ institutional level DEIB policies and committed leadership will contribute to a more just and inclusive society where barriers are broken down and opportunities are shared with all individuals from varied cultures and backgrounds.

#DEIB #PositivePsychology #SDG4 #SDG5 #SDG8 #SDG10 #Diversity #Equitable #Inclusive #Belongingness

- Dr Musarrat Shaheen Woxsen University

Sustainable Development Goals Cell (SDG)