If you feel you need to reshape your Gender Diversity strategy and want to make sure top management is not only on board but actively engaged, why don’t you run workshops on the business case & strategy design with your first levels? One large country organisation of a global firm did that and received detailed input and lists of active supporters with whom they proceed. Continue reading
Author: Michael Stuber
181 article(s)
Consolidated online resource for European gender data: Excellent policy data, weak for D&I
The European Union’s Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has introduced a new online resource for Gender Statistics. It aims at serving as a comprehensive knowledge centre for gender statistics on various aspects of (in)equality between women and men. Initial tests show that the focus of the database is more on general demographics and public policy concerns than on employment or management.
Case Study: The Power of Unit-specific D&I objectives and action plans
Going their own way has led one global business sector of a blue-chip Corporation to the highest levels of D&I energy and engagement. Their unit-specific approaches to action-planning combined with a globally compatible storyline provided both coherence and freedom to tailor approaches. They became best practice within their Industry.
Kulturelle Vielfalt: Kontext ist alles
Welche Dynamik sich zwischen zwei Kulturen entfaltet hängt nicht nur von den jeweiligen (vermeintlichen!) Besonderheiten ab, sondern wesentlich von örtlichen und zeitlichen Gegebenheiten. Dieser sogenannte Kontext ist entscheidend für das Verständnis inter-kultureller Prozesse. Dies gilt umso mehr, als dass sich Werte, Grundannahmen, Normen oder Maßstäbe mit dem jeweiligen Kontext verändern – bis hin zu willkürlichen Festlegungen. Kontext-Kompetenz wird damit zum Erfolgsfaktor im Umgang mit kultureller Vielfalt.
Jetzt NEU: Vielfalt endlich bunt
Wirklich gutem Marketing gelingt es, Kühlschränke an Inuit zu verkaufen – so hieß es einmal. Geniales und zudem wohl hochbezahltes Marketing ist es, Vielfalt als „bunt“ zu spezifizieren und dies als Markenwert zu etablieren.
Gender-Krampf: Selbst „Spitzen-Väter“ polarisieren
Zum 11. Mal verlieh die Lifestyle Bakery Mestermacher ihren Preis „Spitzenvater des Jahres“ – diesmal an zwei engagierte Männer. Kanzlerin Merkel betonte in ihrem Grußwort, dass sie eine „Entscheidende Rolle“ in der Gleichstellung spielten. Trotz – oder wegen – des medialen und politischen Lobs: Die Preisverleihung ist heftig umstritten.
Cultural Diversity – From normative models to exploring existing realities
Learning about differences can be tricky as it may well lead to putting (groups of) people in boxes. ‘Men are from Mars’ is one example for the stereotyping risk, and many traditional cultural models fostered categorisation – even in categories that did not exist before. Exploring the realities of cultures as they exist is an intriguingly easy alternative.
The 20th year of Diversity – how much news can we still expect?
What else can we possibly do to advance D&I further? Not an easy question when you have already implemented various strategies for 5 or 10 years. Or, in our case, 19.
„Wir sehen den Kern des Problems nicht!“ (Pressemitteilung)
Kölner Diversity-Papst über Sexismus und Rassismus im deutschen Alltag. Zur den aktuellen Diskussionen über sexualisierte Gewalt und Flüchtlinge erklärt der Diversity-Forscher, -Publizist und -Berater Michael Stuber: „Stereotype lenken von den tieferen Ursachen ab: Stimmungsmache gegen Flüchtlinge und die Normalität von Sexismus in Deutschland.“
New evidence about Unconscious Bias shows this concept is not the silver bullet
Current research into Unconscious Bias shows that the awareness for and concern about expressing bias does actually help to accept feedback about bias and to take bias-reducing actions. The study conducted by Perry, Murphy and Dovidio (in press) found that white participants with high scores on a newly developed Bias Awareness Scale were likely to accept the (fictive) results of a bias measure indicating their preference for white individuals over black individuals. Participants with a lower Bias Awareness tended to reject such feedback. Moreover, the personal acceptance of bias feedback turned out to be the crucial tie between Bias Awareness and bias-reducing activities when participants were told to be biased. These findings confirm that Unconscious Bias training alone will not turn the totality of subtle and blatant discrimination, imbalance and inequalities into a fair and inclusive culture.
Umgekehrter Bias: Wenn persönliche Überzeugungen den Blick auf Daten und Fakten verstellen
Die Hoppenstedt Firmendatenbank bot viele Jahre einen Fundus an Daten, unter anderem zu Frauen in Führungspositionen. Diese erlaubten Analysen nach Firmengröße und Branche, auch über Jahre hinweg und wurden in der Vergangenheit von Journalisten großer Medien als Aufmacher genutzt. Inzwischen heißt Hoppenstedt Bisnode und der Datenriese arbeitete für die aktuelle Gender Auswertung mit dem Kompetenz-Zentrum Frauen im Management der Hochschule Osnabrück zusammen. Aus dieser Kooperation durften wir eine saubere Analyse und einen sachlichen Bericht erwarten. Auch nach mehrfachen Begutachtungen erscheint der Bericht eher als Beispiel für ideologischen Datenmissbrauch und einen durch persönliche Voreingenommenheit verstellten Blick.
Diversity of Values: Increasing tension – more conflict – and why are all responsible
Ideologically motivated murders, heated campaigns for and against same-sex marriage and a plan to establish separate bus lines for Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank. Does it need to get any more obvious that some key Diversity topics have been neglected for too many years and now surface forcefully? We are paying a high price at the moment, and the bill is likely to increase. The sad truth behind this: We were too busy with our preferred priorities (you know, the three G’s: gender, generations, geographies) and we underestimated the power of values dramatically. It was always easy to flag these ‘private’ matters rather than confronting the issues and existing monocultures.
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Are we Criticial (enough) about Our D&I work?
Doing a lot on Diversity & Inclusion tend to be considered a good thing. It seems to be a way of showing commitment. In addition, if the communication is effective – or at least colourful or with cool wording – many people get impressed. But: are we paying enough attention on achieving the desired impact and results? Are we ready to accept that our activities should be reaching deeper or striving further?
How to Communicate D&I to GenY Hipsters
Research continues to reveal that the biggest challenge for different generations in working together is communication. Not only that language evolves quickly, also the visual items used are changing dramatically from one cohort to the next. A powerful web-based tool now offers everyone the possibility to create hipster-compatible icons and slogans that will resonate with the future generation. European Diversity Research & Consulting has taken the lead in creating their GenY selling propositions for D&I.
There is (only) so much you can do for D&I in one year
For the publishers of this website, European Diversity Research & Consulting, 2014 was a year with important projects and fundamental changes. As often, such ground-breaking developments provide both, a base for new activities and a challenge to operate in the new model while still reaching all objectives and target groups. After 18 years in operation, for us the paradigm shift affects many areas and you can also see and feel this.
Book Review: “Why men like straight lines and women like polka dots” Gender Differences explained, but few Diversity clues
When I first heard about the title of Gloria Moss’s latest book, „Why men like straight lines and women like polka dots“, I was enthused in hoping for additional support in navigating the minefield of ‘real’, i.e. natural, gender differences and ‘constructed’, i.e. nurtured, gender stereotypes. While the book offers a phenomenal compilation of studies to explain differences in how men and women see the world, design products or perceive advertising messages, we find but a few hints about reasons and fixes for the unfortunate gender dynamics that are perpetuated in society and even more in the business world.
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Die Quote verhindert die Nutzung von Vielfalt: „Ohne Akzeptanz keine Performanz“
Viele Jahre wurde diskutiert, nun ist die Entscheidung ist gefallen: Die Frauenquote kommt. Sofern sich auf dem Weg zum fertigen Gesetz nichts mehr ändern sollte, müssen in Zukunft 30% der Aufsichtsratsposten in rund 100 börsennotierten Unternehmen mit Frauen besetzt sein. In einem Interview für die Dezemberausgabe des F.A.Z.-PersonalJOURNAL zeigt Diversity-Experte Michael Stuber die negativen Seiten der Quote und gibt alternative Empfehlungen zur Verbesserung der Situation für Frauen im Management. Continue reading
CSU aufgepasst: So geht Willkommenskultur. Potenzial-Prinzip statt Sprachen-Schranke
Wäre die CSU-Führung doch bei der Bildungskonferenz 2014 in Berlin gewesen. Bei dem interaktiven Vortrag von Diversity-Papst Michael Stuber hätte sie in 90 Minuten alles Wissenswerte über die Nutzung von Vielfalt lernen können. In der Vortragsreihe 1: „Willkommen in Deutschland! Beratung, Qualifizierung, Vielfalt?“ erläuterte der Forscher und Berater, wie mit dem Potenzial-Prinzip aus Unterschieden systematisch Mehrwerte entstehen – auch in der bayerischen Gesellschaft.
Study Results: D&I now more prevalent in Annual Reports (for Investors) than in Corporate Responsibility Reports
D&I is on the move from a social context (previously) to a more business-focused stakeholder positioning. This key finding is based on the analysis of all Annual Reports, CSR Reports and Websites of Europe’s 50 largest corporations as listed in the STOXX ® 50 Europe index. The research carried out by EMEA’s D&I pioneer research & consulting firm, EuropeanDiversity (Cologne), shows for the first time more frequent Diversity content in Annual Reports (92%) than in CSR Reports (82%).
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GOOD, BEST OR INNOVATIVE D&I WORK? HOW LOW EXPECTATIONS LIMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FIELD
After 20 years of Diversity Management, the list of standard, must-have programmes has become longer and longer, while the search for best practices – in the true sense of the word – has become tough. For one part, we should be glad about this development as it illustrates that D&I is now much more common than it was one or two decades ago. Continue reading