ABSTRACT
In the economy of 2014, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is an established market-driven industry and a cornerstone of sustainable business strategy in the United States. Work in this focus area began as a reaction to the early civil rights movements and progress has often been driven by changes in public policy relating to the treatment of women and ethnic minorities. e earliest work on diversity in the workplace was focused on enumeration. Put simply this involved work aimed at increasing the numbers of diverse people in total employee numbers. Today, however, the focus is on inclusion and engagement. Our multicultural society delivers a diverse workforce. e challenge for employers is to create workplace cultures that are fully inclusive and welcoming to every diverse identity and perspective. Creating and maintaining a fully inclusive workplace where employees bring their whole self to work every day without fear is solid management practice. Discrimination is not only morally unacceptable: It is inecient. Chief executives and top managers understand that productivity is directly linked to employee trust and loyalty. A fully engaged workforce is the key to productivity and innovation. e strength and sustainability of the D&I industry is being driven from the top down. e Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) “Global Diversity
and Inclusion Report” (2008) asks the question: Who are the main advocates of workplace Diversity and Inclusion policies in your organization? e answers were as follows: CEO and top management, 60%; head of human resources, 42%; employees, 21%; board of directors, 18%. “On August 18, 2011 e President of the United States, Barack Obama issued Executive Order #13583-Establishing a Coordinated Government-wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion In The Federal Workforce” (White House 2011). While sexual orientation and gender identity/expression are not explicitly mentioned in the order, both are included in the “Guidance for Agency-Specic Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan” (Oce of Personnel Management 2011a) and also in the “Government Wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan” (2011b), which was developed as a specic requirement of the Executive Order. Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in D&I eorts is standard business practice among the Fortune 500. is business trend is being driven more by market trends than public policy. President Obama’s thoughtful and strategic use of Executive Order demonstrates a recognition that lawmakers are lagging far behind market-driven trends that demand a fully inclusive workplace.
