50 Diversity & Inclusion Questions

As prompted by reflecting on our* conversation with Dr. Rachel Pillai

at the Institute for Public Policy Research in London

To tap directly into the conversation at the point when our questions surfaced,

simply click on the question set you are curious about.

1.      Why might diversity matter to me on a professional level?

2.      Why might diversity matter to me on a personal level?

3.      In relation to diversity in the corporate world, how does charity activity & pro-bono work fit in?

4.      Can working on / progressing diversity be a profit-driven activity?

5.        Can working on / progressing diversity be a profitable activity?

6.      What are the business drivers for a diversity agenda within my company?

7.      What are the policy drivers for a diversity agenda within my company?

8.      What are the legal drivers for a diversity agenda within my company?

9.        What are the societal drivers for a diversity agenda within my company?

10.   Is diversity a major asset ONLY for large corporations or can small and medium businesses benefit as well?

11.     Does globalisation provide enough reason on its own for addressing diversity?

12.   Could a diversity agenda be a stopgap solution for addressing employment needs in hospitality, catering, manufacturing and other low end skills?

13.   Could a diversity agenda be a stopgap solution for addressing employment needs in IT and other higher end skills?

14.     What skills shortages inside my own market could a diversity agenda help fill in?

15.   What might be the impact on my market, from failing to use human potential in a competitive and mobile way?

16.   What are the workforce and customer base implications of an increasingly diverse population?

17.   What are the market implications to my business sector of increasing the spending power of a more diverse customer base?

18.   Is my own company missing out on potential new customers?

19.     How could my company generate more revenue through creating new offers & services for a diverse population?

20.   In the Knowledge Economy, how might my business benefit from leveraging the talents, skills, experience and qualifications of minorities?

21.     What could be done for such assets to be recognized and valued adequately?

22.   What is the societal impact generated by better Integration & equality?

23.   How can policies prevent the further marginalisation of certain communities?

24.     In what ways (specifically) could a greater equality and social justice facilitate greater integration?

25.   How does assimilation impact the private and public spheres?

26.   How does assimilation impact the workplace and society?

27.   How does integration impact the private and public spheres?

28.   How does integration impact the workplace and society?

29.   Could a diversity strategy prevent people from changing themselves to fit into society?

30.     What would the likely impact on society be if ALL marginalised group could feel valued?

31.   What might be the overall economic impact of acknowledging cultural differences as a way of life?

32.   What are the softer aspects related to this impact (e.g. human feelings)?

33.   What might be the overall economic impact of improving the economic situation of ethnic minorities in the labour market?

34.   What might be the overall economic impact of a greater participation by ethnic minorities & other marginalised groups (e.g. women)?

35.   In what ways can greater socioeconomic capacity facilitate greater integration across diverse groups (e.g. ethnic, racial, religion, gender, age, disability among others)?

36.     Can people identify themselves with both their community and their host one (e.g. British Muslim)?

37.   Is a system of penalties and legal obligations (e.g. the Race Relations Act of 1976) necessary to ensure people are protected from discrimination by public and private bodies?

38.   Where could improving staff morale in relation to diversity positively influence productivity?

39.   Could promoting a diverse work force help us reduce the loss of valuable talent by reducing the likelihood of our undervaluing staff?

40.     Could ensuring a diverse work force in public bodies (e.g. the police) better ensure public confidence?

41.   Is our increasingly diverse demographic across society necessitating our embracing diversity in our activities?

42.     Is my company labour force reflecting our societal demographic when it comes to diversity?

43.   Are labour market disadvantages improving for all communities equally or are some minority groups lagging behind others?

44.   Are the traditional categories that provided the lens for looking at diversity still adequate?

45.     Where are the current diversity gaps and which groups are most affected by them?

46.   With regards to doing business in the UK, what customer, workforce or legal issues around diversity should I be most concerned about?

47.   With regards to social justice in the UK, can I expect to be a cross-party platform, going forward?

48.     With regards to democratic societies in general, how will removing inequalities directly impact each country?

49.   If the diversity of the UK is a growing reality and therefore a business and political imperative, how does this relate to other European countries?

50.     Who do I need to share these questions with?

* These questions were articulated by Hamid Senni. eMail: h.senni@visionenabler.com

They were collated here by Brad Meyer. eMail: bradmeyer@collaboration.co.uk

We welcome your thoughts!