The subject of diversity in organizations is a large one, and it encompasses a wide range of smaller critical pieces.
Among them:
Below is a listing of our recommended resources covering all of these, and additional areas.
Books
The following books are available by searching the UR River Campus Libraries Research Page
Better Allies by
learn to spot situations where you can create a more inclusive culture, along with straightforward steps to take. Leadership coach Karen Catlin will walk you though how to be a better ally, including: "Hiring and retaining a diverse workforce" "Amplifying and advocating for others" Giving effective and equitable performance feedback" and "Using more inclusive language"
Diversity at Work by
Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion (a volume in SIOP's Professional Practice Series) presents detailed solutions for the challenge of inclusion--how to fully connect with, engage, and empower people across all types of differences. Its editors and chapter authors--all topic experts ranging from internal and external change agents to academics--effectively translate theories and research on diversity into the applied practice of inclusion. Readers will learn about the critical issues involved in framing, designing, and implementing inclusion initiatives in organizations and supporting individuals to develop competencies for inclusion. The book, designed to be a hands-on resource, provides case studies and illustrations to show how diversity and inclusion operate in a variety of settings, effectively highlighting the practices needed to benefit from diversity.
Diversity Within Diversity Management by
Managing diversity plays a crucial part in enabling every member of the workforce to perform up to their full potential. Managers demand satisfactory performance from every member of their workforce and expect the best of their employees. But often, diversity and its management are not viewed as clear contributors to the organization's performance and bottom-line. Managing and leveraging diversity are set aside from the rest of the organization and hence, they are often undervalued amid all the other barriers that companies face. Whilst there is no single tried-and-tested "solution" to diversity and no easy way to manage implementation barriers, this edited collection of case studies from around the globe provides new insights for practitioners, managers, students and researchers. The book seeks to shed light on existing practices disseminating the value of diversity, whilst opening the road toward a wider perspective on its definitions. The contributors provide critical reflections of the current discourse on different types of diversity in heterogenous organizations around the world.
The Illusion of Inclusion by
We may say we want to be inclusive, but what if we really don't? What if our brains are hard-wired for selfishness and similarity and not for diversity and altruism? Having a diverse workforce is no guarantee that the work environment is inclusive. Companies hire for diversity and manage for similarity. We hire people for their difference and then teach them directly and indirectly what they have to do to fit in to the corporate culture. The Illusion of Inclusion exposes a myriad of diverse reasons why people are not more fully engaged and offers you the key to unlock the "Geometry of Inclusion". This book takes the lid off Pandora's box and explores the complexity of inclusion; where affinity bias or "mini-me" syndrome and the need to fit in are unconsciously blocking our ability to be inclusive. It offers a road map and an easy to comprehend model on how to minimize the impact of unconscious and conscious biases in order to embed an inclusive organizational culture.
The Inclusion Dividend by
In today's increasingly diverse, global, interconnected business world, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is no longer just "the right thing to do," it is a core leadership competency and central to the success of business. Working effectively to combat unconscious bias across differences such as gender, culture, generational, race, and sexual orientation not only leads to a more productive, innovative corporate culture but also to a better engagement with customers and clients. The Inclusion Dividend provides a framework to tap the bottom-line impact that results from an inclusive culture. Most leaders have the intent to be inclusive, however translating that intent into a truly inclusive outcome with employees, customers, and other stakeholders requires a focused change effort. The authors explain that challenge and provide straightforward advice on how to achieve the kind of meritocracy that will result in a tangible dividend and move companies ahead of their competition.
The Oxford Handbook of Diversity and Work by
As globalization permeates both consumer and labor markets, organizational workforces in the 21st century are comprised of greater diversity along a number of demographic dimensions. To keep pace with the changing business environment, research has considered what diversity means and itsimpact on group and organizational functioning. As such, there is a substantial body of research that investigates the concept of diversity, its effects, and the processes that underlie these effects. However, the number of questions regarding the what, why, and when of diversity still remain.In The Oxford Handbook of Diversity and Work, edited by Quinetta Roberson, scholars across a variety of disciplines including psychology, sociology, management, law, and social work address these questions with the goal of providing a broad and deep understanding of the field. Based on comprehensivereviews of diversity theory and research from different perspectives, the authors highlight gaps in our current understanding of diversity in organizations and offer insightful directions for future research. With each chapter pushing forward evolution in our understanding of the operation ofdiversity, Roberson invites the reader into a thoughtful and provocative conversation about the study of diversity in the workplace.
The Queering of Corporate America by
What do Apple, Coca Cola, Google, Wal-Mart and Dow Chemical have in common? Aside from being a few of the nation's largest employers, they are among the nearly 400 companies to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in the seminal Obergefell v Hodges case explaining that discrimination against LGBT people was harmful to business. Legal scholar Carlos Ball tells the story of how LGBT rights activism aimed at corporations during the twentieth century helped turn them from enterprises either indifferent to or openly hostile toward LGBT equality and into reliable and powerful allies of their movement. From the street protests, "zap actions," and boycott of the Coors Brewing Company in the 1970s, the AIDS activism directed at pharmaceutical companies in the 1980s, and the push for nondiscrimination policies and domestic partnership benefits in the 1990s, LGBT activism changed corporate America's understanding and treatment of LGBT people. By the time LGBT rights issues exploded onto the national scene in the 2000s, corporations were frequently and vigorously promoting LGBT equality both within their own institutions and in the public sphere.
Religious Diversity in the Workplace by
Employees bring their beliefs and religious values to work, and this can be a source of either positive performance or negative conflict. Social conflicts around religion impact more than societies and communities. They also impact organizations. 'Anti-religion' sentiments tend to be based on the perception that religion can be neatly separated from the 'more acceptable/palatable' spirituality, but this ignores the fact that - for most people - the two are intimately intertwined and inseparable. As religious identity is salient for a majority of the world's population, it is thus an important aspect of organizations - particularly those with a large and diverse body of employees. This handbook provides a timely and necessary analysis of religious diversity in organizations, investigating the role of national context, the intersections of religion with ethnicity and gender, and approaches to diversity management.
Work and Identity: Contemporary Perspectives on Workplace Diversity by
This edited volume highlights relevant issues and solutions for diversity groups within the workplace. It explores issues of identity as they relate to attributes of gender, age, migrant labor, disability, and power in social spaces
Diversity in the Workplace: Metrics, Measurements and Benchmarks
Two fundamental ways to begin to learn about DEI in Organizations is to look at how to actually measure diversity in a workplace, and benchmarkingone’s organization against others. Here are our top selected resources for both matters:
Metrics and Measurements
Books
The Diversity Scorecard, Edward E. Hubbard
Although an older book (2003), this work is well known and cited in the field of diversity organizational metrics. The Diversity Scorecard' is designed to provide step-by-step instructions, worksheets and examples to help diversity executives and managers analyze and track the impact of their diversity initiatives to mobilize the organization for strategic culture change.
Associations
Tools
Journal Articles
Trade and Business Articles
Benchmarking and Rankings
There are many types and varieties for measuring how companies can create and maintain a diverse workplace. We advise looking at each one’s individual criteria and methods to determine which one(s) fit your research needs. We also advise looking for measurements that are found in common among many rankings, as these are most likely to be considered the most acceptable and standard.
Here is a sampling of some of the best known of these diversity in workplace rankings. These resources can come from a wide range of providers: while some are traditional scholarly and trade publications, others were created by publishers of diversity publications as well as training and consulting organizations.
2023 Diversity Inc.: Top 50 Companies for Diversity.
An annual listing of the top 50 companies that hire, retain & promote women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ & veterans. Of particular value is the breakdown by industry, category, and type of diversity (eg. Corporate boards etc.).
Best Workplaces for Diversity - Fortune Magazine
Annual list of U.S. companies doing the most to create inclusive cultures for minorities, LGBTQ, and women, employees who are Boomers or older, and people who have disabilities. In addition to diversity numbers, the ranking is based on surveys of employees, who rated the level of camaraderie they experience at work, the effectiveness of their leaders, and other factors that inspire trust in an employer.Be sure to review the methodology section as well.
Corporate Equality Index 2023-2-2024
Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index is a major national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees.
Lists the 50 best companies for Latinas to work for in the U. S. The report provides an analysis of corporate America’s efforts for promoting diversity and providing career advancement opportunities for Hispanic women.
Companies are ranked by Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Index. The index ratings are informed by Refinitiv’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data, designed to measure the relative performance of more than 7,000 companies representing 70% of global market cap across 400+ ESG data points
Working Mother: Diversity and Inclusion Index
This index measures which organizations are using established DE&I best practices to create inclusive workplaces. For additional company rankings on inclusion and diversity, see: https://www.workingmother.com/best-companies
PWC | Global Diversity & Inclusion Survey
A global survey conducted in 2018 that focuses on workplace Diversity & Inclusion programs
Cultivating Leadership
One key element impacting issues surrounding the design and creation of a diverse workforce are focused on cultivating leadership among diverse populations—both in providing opportunities within the business, but in the corporate boardroom as well. Here are a few specific resources that can help you learn about matters surrounding diversity and leadership.
Data and Statistics
Adams, Renée B., and Kirchmaier, Tom. Replication data for: Women on Boards in Finance and STEM Industries. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2016. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2019-10-12.
Reports
Missing Pieces Report: The 2018 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards | Harvard Law School Forum
Associations
The Gender Initiative | Harvard University
The Gender Initiative catalyzes and translates cutting-edge research to transform practice, enable leaders to drive change, and advance equality in business and society
Podcasts, Videos, Aggregated Sources
Black Business Leaders Series | Harvard Business School
Cases, courses, and podcasts that highlight influential black business leaders from across a wide range of industries
Diversity in Business: Business Leader Videos | University of Iowa Libraries
A curated selection of Ted Talks and other videos on leadership from Black leaders.
Recruitment and Hiring
The below resource can be used for researching hiring and recruiting for diversity
A Data-Driven Approach to Hiring More Diverse Talent | Harvard Business Review An article that identifies and explores three key steps for hiring more diverse talent: improve accessibility, increase awareness, and create systems of accountability. [Limited Access; HBR permits a maximum number of free articles for non-subscribers]
Government Agencies
Books and ebooks
The Memo by 
Theorizing Women and Leadership by Other Titles
The following books can be found via 3rd parties like Amazon, or through the publisher directly through clicking the links
Diversity Databases: Search Strategies
You can make your searches on diversity in organizations more precise if you know the terminologies of the recommended databases. This will help ensure that the results you retrieve will be relevant. Here are some recommended resources for the leading databases we’ve mentioned above.
ProQuest: ABI/Inform
Key Subject Term: Workplace Diversity
Related/Associated Terms: Corporate Culture; Diversity Training; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Minority Employment; Work Environment
EBSCO: Business Source Premier
Key Subject Term: Diversity in the Workplace
Related/Associated Terms: employment of minorities; women’s employment; equality in the workplace; women executives
Factiva
Key Subject Term: Workplace Diversity
Related/Association Terms: Ethnic Minorities; Gender Equality
See below for a search on Factiva with the keyword "leadership" and limited to the subject "workplace diversity" and the industry "technology"
PsycINFO
Key Subject Term: Diversity; Diversity in the Workplace
Social Sciences Fulltext
Key Subject Term: Multiculturalism