The face of diversity is more than skin deep

Diversity and Innovation

Diversity is a term that brings to mind several ideas and concepts. America is a diverse nation, with many cultures and ethnicities living in communities of various levels of socioeconomic success. The natural world provides habitat for a radically diverse species of wildlife -- birds, fishes, mammals, insects, amphibians, and more. But Catherine Dalton takes the concept of diversity to another level. Dalton correctly asserts that a diverse work environment should be a place where everyone "feels welcome" because they are respected (Dalton, p. 112).

Dalton's message is that "heterogeneous teams tend to produce superior outcomes as compared to homogeneous teams" (Dalton, p. 112). The author also believes (based on her research and on the things her father taught her) that discussions in a workplace environment produce a "wider variety of perspectives and ideas, leading to greater innovation" when a diversity of individuals are engaged in those conversations.

Dalton goes on to insist that diversity is "essential for survival" both in the natural world (biological diversity) and in the world of organizations (businesses). That is true in industries where several main competitors are selling cars, for example; if all the cars looked the same and provided the same service (like 4 door family sedans) the only diversity would be the price of the cars. That's why a diversity of design, of utilitarian purpose (4-wheel drive cars for mountain communities in cold country vs. snazzy convertibles in warm beach communities) is necessary for competitive reasons.

Meanwhile an article written by Janet Smith in the European Journal of Education (Smith, 1999) points out the links between equality, innovation, and diversity. Smith writes about the attempt in the 1970s by the Commission of the European Communities and the Ministers of Education of the ten EU member states to bring fairness and opportunity to girls, young people with disabilities, and young migrants, through education and training. While a woman named Teresa Rees offered specific recommendations for more diversity as far as females are concerned not much was accomplished through the pilot projects that were launched. "Such an approach, at that time, would have meant risk taking," Smith writes. Apparently the very nature of bureaucracy tends to reject risk-taking, Smith explains. Still, in time, many of the suggestions from the 1970s have been implemented in the subsequent years.

Why does diversity affect innovation? According to Smith, diversity affects innovation because it affects "technical, organizational and institutional learning and contributes to the knowledge base of the economy" (Smith). Technical diversity suggests that because a variety of products and technologies exist and in turn they represent differing kinds of knowledge. Without that knowledge part of the economy's knowledge base disappears along with technical options. "Diversity generates novelty and affects the learning capability of the economy" (Smith).