April 2016
Issue Map
The Buzz

The Difference Between Diversity and Inclusiveness

Monday, April 18, 2016

Over the past two decades, diversity in the workplace has become more of a priority, and the ways we study and understand the benefits of diversity have become more sophisticated. However, even with this increased focus, many organizations are not achieving their diversity goals. Despite societal advancement, unconscious bias still creates division along lines of race, class, and religion. In the workplace particularly, a major issue subverting truly diverse cultures is the inability to discern the difference between diversity and inclusion. A diverse office might have several members from other ethnic or social groups, but fail to include them in the overall culture. Although they are “there,” these workers are not included in the office’s overall culture. Their engagement levels will fall, and their value as team members will be lost. Often this lack of inclusion is driven by unconscious bias and the acting out of microinequities. These subtle gestures are often performed without the actor even being aware, but those acted against certainly feel them.

View Source:
Be the first to comment
Sign In to Post a Comment
Sorry! Something went wrong on our end. Please try again later.