Diversity Matters

What are the Principles of

Today, diversity is a movement. Diversity is not only a way of life, it is a way of doing business. Diversity can best be defined as a comprehensive, integrated and strategic approach to ensuring equity in the workplace.

Diversity Means Inclusion; Inclusion Means Equity
Many people fail to understand the principles of diversity, mistaking it for the equivalent of Affirmative Action Laws or the drive to uplift people of color. In fact, there are many differences between Affirmative Action Laws and cultural diversity.

Diversity is not grounded in an ‘us and them’ mindset. Instead, it is a commitment to understand and meet the needs of everyone. It is an inclusive concept that embraces everyone - and almost everything.

Diversity means more than the visible dimensions of an ethnic background and gender. When joined with the principles of inclusion, it also includes multiple dimensions of human similarities and differences, such as race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, and all other differences. These differences include people with physical and mental disabilities, education, people from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, personality, thinking style, career and life experiences, family status, work style and life experience.

In short, diversity not only means zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment in the workplace, it also means a work environment that is fair for all. Yet, fairness is not equality. In the world of diversity, the words equity and equality are not interchangeable. Although a totally equitable and inclusive work environment means one that is fair for all, it does not necessarily mean one that is equal to all. Equality means to treat people the same, thus ignoring their differences, while equity is about treating people fairly, which means embracing their differences.

Diversity is the solution, and thus the foundation of many of today’s successful companies. It is clear that companies that diversify their workplace have a distinctive competitive advantage over those that do not. It is clear that the greatest benefit of workplace diversity will be experienced, not by the companies that have learned to employ people in spite of their differences, but by the companies that have learned to employ people because of them.SPW

I.Y. Linton, J.D. is from Irvington, NJ.