10 minute read
Diversity? Go for it
Diversity within organizations is not just an idealistic pursuit of a society in which everyone has a place. It is also a good strategy for organizations to generate creativity, flexibility and new solutions – and thereby ultimately to increase profits. What does science say about diversity within organizations? And what are the experiences of drivers of diversity in the Northern Netherlands?
By Aafke Kok
‘W hen the police arrived at 12.30 a.m., Mr A. had been dead for at least an hour.’ ‘The police found traces of X.’s blood on the knife.’ ‘G. proclaimed that every person has the right to have a weapon to defend themselves.’ These are three random clues that you could be given as part of the murder mystery task. At Northwestern University (US), test subjects had to identify the murderer, the murder weapon and the motive using a series of these kinds of clues. But not on their own – they discussed this ‘whodunnit’ as a group of three students, all members of the same student association. Five minutes later, another student joined them. If the fourth student was a member of a different student association, the outcome of the discussion was more often correct than if all students were from the same student association.
This is one of many studies into the effects of diversity on team performance. Time after time, groups with members that have different backgrounds acted more objectively and monitored individual members better. A different background might be a different social background, as with the murder-solving students, but diversity can also originate from ethnic differences or an equal man/woman ratio. From solving murders to estimating prices of supermarket products: more diverse teams are better at it than homogeneous teams.
Most people are, of course, not solving murders on a daily basis, but do often work in teams that may or may not be diverse. How does an average organization benefit from diversity? Consultancy company McKinsey decided to answer that question by conducting its own research. This showed that companies that were more diverse had higher profits. Diversity apparently pays off. A review study from the University of Utrecht complements this: studies from, for example, Columbia Business School, Xavier University and University College London showed that diversity within organizations is associated with innovation, flexibility and, ultimately, financial gain.
More closely monitored
This does not show a causal link. Successful companies may just be more inclined to employ people with different backgrounds – rather than having diversity cause their success. However, scientists from the University of Amsterdam suggested otherwise. Quoted companies cannot be grown in a lab, but by letting students run a company for an entire year, researchers were able to identify cause and effect concerning diversity and success. Groups of students with equal male/ female ratios made more profit with their companies than groups with imbalanced ratios, because they were monitoring each other more closely.
So, science appears to be convinced of the usefulness of diversity within organizations. Yet diversity is not self-evident. In the Netherlands, it is still the case that more men (83 percent) than women (73 percent) have a paid job. Furthermore, the proportion of women in top positions is low, as shown by figures from Statistics Netherlands. And whilst the government has met its target for women at the top – 30 percent – ministries are lagging behind regarding cultural diversity.
Moreover, employing workers with different backgrounds alone is not enough. To retain diversity, organizations must invest in a climate that gives all employees a sense of belonging, according to the review study from the University of Utrecht. That can be tricky. Current employees may, for example, wonder about the competences of new colleagues. Were they appointed because they are good or because they have a certain background? Three drivers of diversity talk about the state of diversity within organizations in the Northern Netherlands.
‘Students must be able to do what their hearts tell them’ - Mare Riemersma-Diephuis, Drenthe College
Vocational Education and Training (VET) institution Drenthe College has a diverse group of students and staff, says Mare Riemersma-Diephuis, a member of Drenthe College’s Executive Board. With around 8,000 students, 800 staff and 13 locations in the province of Drenthe, Drenthe College is a large organization. The diversity of the VET institution shows on various fronts. For example, most students are between 16 and 22 years old, but there are also older participants, because Drenthe College also provides refresher courses and further education. The school also organizes integration activities, which means that there are many newcomers. The teaching and management teams also show a wide variation in age, gender and cultural background. Riemersma thinks that it is important that the staff adequately reflect the diverse group of students. ‘This is how students can feel more connected with our organization,’ says Riemersma. Moreover, staff in diverse management teams make decisions in a better way, she emphasizes. ‘If you all look at a dilemma from the same perspective, you will also arrive at the same solutions. By looking at it with a different background, new ideas and solutions will develop. That is more compatible with our organization’s future.’ Riemersma thinks that it is important to disNorthern Netherlands is trailing behind, says Jellie Tiemersma, chair of Stichting Aletta Jacobs Noord-Nederland (Aletta Jacobs Foundation Northern
Netherlands). Diversity means diversity across the board: men and women, people with different cultural backgrounds, people with disabilities. Stichting Aletta Jacobs Noord-Nederland is trying to do something about this. The foundation wants to follow up on the diversity manifesto that 60 organizations from the
Northern Netherlands signed during last year’s Aletta Jacobs Conference. There are national initiatives that address diversity, but these are often aimed at the Randstad area, says Tiemersma. So, now there is also a foundation for diversity specifically in the Northern Netherlands, a region that must work extra hard at this theme. ‘We have already talked about it a lot, but now we
cuss the diversity theme. Students will not easily start talking about it of their own accord, despite it being an important topic. To give everyone a worthy place on the labour market, it is also good to talk about financial independence. ‘Financial independence is a significant component of diversity. How will our students make sure that they can man
‘We must really do it now’ - Jellie Tiemersma, Stichting Aletta Jacobs Noord-Nederland
When it comes to diversity, the
age financially later on, regardless of their really have to do something,’ according to Tiemersma. Just like over the past 30 years, this change is still rather slow. ‘But we do live in a time in which diversity is attracting more and more attention,’ says Tiemersma. This is also noticeable in the North. Increasing numbers of organizations address this theme, discuss it, and consider it when appointing new employees. And that is important, says Tiemersma. ‘Many women work part-time. If they were to work a few extra hours, we would have fewer problems with positions that are hard to fill.’ In addition to the economic aspect, diversity leads to better decisions, states Tiemersma, with attention being paid to different things. She notes that women-only teams do not work either – teams must have a broad base. And then there is the societal aspect. ‘It is important that we give everyone the opportunity to participate,’ Tiemersma believes. The diversity theme is especially appealing
circumstances?’, asks Riemersma. Young people often feel constrained, whilst they have much more potential than they think, according to Riemersma. It is also for this reason that Riemersma wants to have good examples for students to follow at the Drenthe College. ‘Role models provide an opportunity for dialogue with young people.’ The Drenthe College likes to show students what is possible. ‘Students must be able to follow their hearts and talents. This also fits in with the diversity discussion: that everyone can do what they are good at. There are often many more opportunities and possibilities than students think,’ says Riemersma. Therefore, Drenthe College places much emphasis on letting students discover what they are good at, in order to contribute to a valuable future.
when people share their personal stories, notes Tiemersma. Tiemersma herself has a visual impairment. She talks about this at meetings. ‘When I mention that I am sometimes reprimanded for this, I see people thinking: oh, I never looked at it like that, that is also diversity.’ Not everyone has such a personal story. ‘Some women say, for example: but I do not encounter any obstacles. But you can also find something important without it being about yourself. If it does not apply to you, it does not mean that other women don’t have to fight for their positions or for equality. That is also a reason to fight for diversity. The foundation’s ultimate goal is for diversity to lead to inclusion: a society in which everyone can participate. According to Tiemersma, we must achieve this together. ‘Not just as women, not just as men. Not just as people with a certain cultural background or people with an impairment. We can only make this happen together.’
Noorderlink represents 45 large organizations in the Northern Netherlands, from care institutions to municipalities, from schools to industry. Noorderlink is a partnership through which these organizations exchange knowledge and experiences related to Human Resources. They often run into the same problems, but offer different solutions based on their backgrounds. This is how the different organizations can learn and benefit from each other. This is an example of how diversity can lead to new insights, according to Henniëlle Dam, programme manager at Noorderlink. ‘In 2019, diversity is an important theme for Noorderlink’, she says. Noorderlink tried to raise awareness of diversity last year too. One hundred and forty years after Aletta Jacobs obtained a university degree, the first woman in the Netherlands to do so, Dam co-organized a conference on diversity for Noorderlink. Various organizations signed the manifesto to encourage diversity in the Northern Netherlands. Stichting Aletta Jacobs Noord-Nederland (see previous page) is trying to further boost diversity in the Northern Netherlands based on that manifesto. They are investigating whether the manifesto’s signatories truly act on their intentions and help where necessary. This year, Noorderlink is a main partner of Het Grootste Kennisfestival (The Largest Knowledge Festival) in the Northern Netherlands. Here too, the main topics include what can be gained from diversity, what the effect of female leadership is and how to create diverse and inclusive teams. According to Dam, this theme appeals to people. ‘Some time ago, people were sometimes obtuse about, for example, female candidates not necessarily being better candidates. People are inclined to appoint the same kinds of people. They look around for something that is compatible. But if you search properly, you can also find candi
dates from the opposite gender, with different cultural backgrounds or who contribute to the team’s diversity in different ways. And diverse teams lead to creativity. ‘Violins alone do not make an orchestra,’ says Dam. This is also the case for Noorderlink itself. The organization often works with temporary staff who are looking for a new step in their career. For example, people with refugee status. Dam noticed that brainstorming sessions have consequently changed. ‘Such sessions always lasted an hour, but others with different backgrounds were used to much shorter sessions, with very different approaches.’ It is precisely new insights and creative solutions that ultimately lead to better results for an organization. Dam notes that diversity is alive, also in Noorderlink’s organizations. Various organizations are becoming increasingly active in this area. For example, Safety Region Groningen recently announced that it would put diversity high on the agenda, and the FNV (Federation of Dutch Trade Unions) also finally signed the diversity manifesto. Dam: ‘This is the time to make sure that diversity becomes self-evident.’
