Improving Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

This chapter aims to provide useful information about the implementation of diversity equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) to improve organizational performance. This chapter provides a conceptual framework for organizational leaders who desire additional awareness and knowledge regarding the nature, extent, and impact of diverse employees' barriers. Further, the purpose of this endeavor is to demonstrate that the persistent lack of recruitment, promotion, and retention of diverse employees is due to systemic, structural, organizational, institutional, cultural, and societal obstacles. Further, the theory of generative interactions (TGI) supports how obstacles must be acknowledged and eliminated through increased awareness of the issues linked to evidence-based, data-driven approaches leading to measurable key process indicators (KPIs) and outcomes. To support DEIB initiatives, many organizations have developed the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) position to manage the process, eliminate barriers, and proactively strengthen organizational culture.

Observations on the Talk and the Walk

This chapter provides basic definitions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and identifies skills and competencies necessary for the chief diversity officer (CDO) in higher education, post-2020. Specific concepts from research and industry provide strategies and tactics for the professional stepping into “the work.” This chapter enters the dialogue about DEI from the entry point of consulting as change manager with faculty experience. It proceeds from there to discuss the five terrains of inclusive excellence that offer a new foundation for equity of policy and practice in higher education. The terrains lead into an examination of intersectionality and the work of creating an intentionally diverse community. Decision quality and critical thinking and other competencies for inclusive excellence leadership, such as emotional intelligence and cultural competence, round out the dialogue with specific observations from and suggestions for research and practice.

LGBTQ+ Ally Education for Adults with Disabilities

The authors - a faculty member from the humanities, a chief diversity officer and a student leader - offer a "lessons-learned" essay in which they describe providing an LGBTQ+ ally education workshop to a group of adults with developmental disabilities. We describe the the obstacles and the payoffs of collaboration across academic units and roles and a commitment not merely to adapt curriculum with accessiblity in mind but to radically reimagine it, and, in the process, more fully coming to embrace the idea of universal design.

Diversity Committees During The Era of Social Justice

The deaths of George Floyd and other African American men and women in 2020 awakened the consciousness of Americans and social justice advocates across the world. The chants of “Black Lives Matter!” echoed from the streets of Minneapolis – all the way to the shores of Cape Town, South Africa. Immense pressure from protestors and community organizers caused those in education and traditional business sectors to evaluate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many organizations responded by releasing statements in support of minoritized groups, often including the hashtags #BLM or #NAACP[i]. However, despite support offered via social media, consumers and social justice advocates demanded more than just words. To that end, many institutions began to establish diversity book clubs, while others created DEI committees, and/or appointed a Chief Diversity Officer to guide DEI initiatives across the institution (Byrd et al., 2021). Constructing and operating a diverse DEI committee presents significant challenges. In addition to the barriers associated with assembling diverse members, there are also methodological constraints as there is a dearth of empirical research within the extant literature that provides guidance in constructing and evaluating the effectiveness of DEI committees. To that end, the purpose of this article is three-fold: (1) to discuss the necessity of DEI committees in higher education and corporate settings; (2) to explain why DEI committees sometimes fail; and (3) to offer some suggestions for addressing ways to improve their overall effectiveness. [i] These are the Twitter designations for Black Lives Matter and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, respectively.

Diversity Management in Action: Chief Diversity Officer Adoption in America’s Cities

One of the primary ways cities signal the importance of diversity is to hire a chief diversity officer (CDO). Despite the importance of this position, we know remarkably little about the prevalence and predictors of CDO adoption in local governments. Using original data from the 250 largest cities in the United States, this article demonstrates that about one in four cities has hired a CDO. Further, the decision to hire a CDO is driven more by constituent demand than by city structure or resources. The article concludes by discussing the future of diversity management in America’s cities.