Why Does Representation Matter?

Recently I spoke to Nina Goswami FRSA , Creative Diversity Lead for the BBC, for Episode 22 of the ‘Why Care?’ podcast: Count, Share, Change . During our conversation Nina shared that one of the foundational interests she had for a career in journalism was from watching Moira Stuart on the news as a child. Moira Stuart was the UK’s first female Black newsreader , joining the BBC’s News After Noon show in 1981. Nina’s sentiment echoes many similar statements I have heard across my career with many quoting the first ____ in their field being a role model and inspiration for them.

What do we mean by representation?

You may have heard of the phrase ‘representations matters’. This refers to how increasing visibility for diversity characteristics in leadership positions (or in fictional characters in the media) has a positive effect on inspiring people of that characteristic to be ambitious and persevere in following their aspirations.

This effect is commonly attributed to just being for children, often linked to videos going viral showing children being overjoyed that a superhero looks like them in regards to Marvel’s Black Panther or Shang-Chi films for example. The central point to the movement is the belief that children deserve to see themselves in the media reflected as being just as powerful, intelligent, beautiful and capable as everyone else.

In reality, though, representation is just as important for adults as it is children. Research published in 2012 from across Europe found that the level of female representation in a country’s parliament directly correlated with the amount of interest women expressed in politics, with higher representation causing greater interest. This is a clear example of how greater visibility for a group can cause stronger interest in the topic for that group.

Representation in business

Representation doesn’t have to be some wide reaching or societal level phenomenon though, such as the media or politics. Representation can be just as powerful within fields or even organisations, and sometimes localisation makes it all the more impactful.

Having a representative group of leaders;

• Demonstrates to existing and potential minority employees that their career path won’t be limited in this organisation
• Demonstrates that leaders are more likely to be able to relate to and understand employees’ experiences
• Encourages younger minority individuals to enter the field by showing that it is somewhere they can thrive, securing the best talent for organisations in the future
• Inspires current employees who may find a renewed interest in their work after seeing their characteristics reflected in leadership

Organisations need to be wary though that whilst representation and visibility may inspire and create interest, this does not necessarily remove or negate the barriers to entry for careers or promotions. Going back to the European politics example, the research found that the greater interest didn’t necessarily translate into higher rates of women actively participating in politics, suggesting barriers were still in place preventing many women from participation despite their interest.

If organisations want their efforts to increase representation to truly be effective, they need to examine what barriers exist for minority groups in entry/practice in their organisation and field at large and take meaningful steps towards removing these.

How can Avenir help?

At Avenir our specificality is data-led DEI. With our Inclusion Survey , we analyse the experiences of employees and identify how different characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and caring responsibilities are manifesting in your organisation.

With this full picture of your employees’ experiences, we offer a series of recommendations and work with you to develop a strategy that is inclusive for all, where everyone can show up at work with their full authentic selves and thrive. This includes identifying the barriers for different groups in your organisation and devising a plan to remove them.

Our Inclusive Leadership programme is also on hand to upskill your managers and leaders on how to lead with an inclusive mindset by developing a toolbox of skills related to inclusive leadership that truly allows your leaders to grow, rather than just presenting them information. With us your leaders can become confident inclusive leaders, not just representative ones.

To get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox, as well as the latest in ‘Why Care?’, events and news from Avenir, subscribe to our newsletter here .