As we commemorate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, we look at what it means to develop an ideal workplace experience and why it’s intrinsically linked to productivity and fostering innovation.
We had the good fortune to speak to Gary Anello, the Leadership and Career Development Manager at Kellogg-WHU—Otto Beisheim School of Management’s executive MBA programme. Gary has the unique responsibility of shaping the mindset of future leaders from a plethora of global brands such as BASF, Allianz, Boston Consulting Group, and BMW and startups like Hello Fresh, Zalando, Flixbus, and Flink, whose founders are all WHU alumni.
He is also a coach and supports LGBTQ+ leaders and executives through career transitions and leadership and other professional challenges.
A Harvard Business Review study, “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation,” revealed that companies with 2-D diversity not only innovate but also outperform others. The employees in these companies are 45% likely to report that their firm’s market share grew over the previous year and 70% likely to report that the firm captured a new market. These findings offer a promising outlook on the potential benefits of diversity in your workplace.
Through a comprehensive analysis of around 1,800 professionals, 40 case studies, and numerous focus groups and interviews, we examined two types of diversity: inherent and acquired.
Inherent diversity: traits you are born with, such as gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.
Acquired diversity: traits you gain from experience. For instance, working in another country can help you appreciate cultural differences.
When company leaders embody at least three inherent and three acquired diversity traits, we refer to this as dynamic and enriching two-dimensional (2-D) diversity.
The journey to foster workplace diversity is ongoing and multifaceted, and at Unite, we’re committed to driving continuous effort, education, and inclusivity at every level of the organisation.
Companies focus more on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues, with the Social component strongly emphasising diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Gary Anello, Leadership and Career Development Manager at Kellogg-WHU executive MBA programme
At Unite, we have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Employee Resource Group (DEI-ERG). This voluntary group of individuals is committed to collaborating with existing departments to create an even more inclusive workplace.
