Diversity audit proposal and implementation framework

Diversity Employment at IBM Proposal

Diversity at IBM

Selection of Corporation to Research

Diversity, Inc. recognizes corporations with awards for workplace diversity, where diversity is defined by a number of characteristics describing employment for all demographics not included in the group with the highest absolute employment and highest earnings (DiversityInc, 2011a). The fifty top companies for employment, earnings, retention and seniority among other categories are compared across demographic characteristics like race and ethnicity; sex and gender; age; disability and educational background, among others. This proposal selects IBM as case study because of the historical leadership that firm has shown implementing equal opportunity in employment, as supported by a review of the literature (below). IBM promotes its hiring, promotion and retention diversity on its corporate Web site (IBM, 2011) and the academic and business literature seems to support that assertion.

Building Research Methodology from Precedent

DiversityInc's Web page "Methodology" describes their general approach to measurement but does not set out exhaustive criteria (DiversityInc. 2011b). Compiling the top three winners' categories alongside IBM's merit categories demonstrates Diversity Inc. recognizes employment for Black; Latina/Latino; Asian; Senior; Disability, Lesbian Gay Bi- and/or Trans-gender / Queer (LGBTQ) and other demographic characteristics which are then compared per earnings group; representation in management; promotion; duration of employment and the like. We use these characteristics as precedent but then must derive questions to identify these characteristics in the nearest IBM work site. If the IBM plant employs workers who identify demographic markers more than the local population, or if the firm pays these workers more or less than in the surrounding labor force, we can say the particular IBM branch is living up to the corporation's vision, claims and track record of leadership in equal opportunity employment.

Limitations and Assumptions

This points out a potential complication, because the Federal Government considers overlapping categories of race and ethnicity (U.S. Department of Labor, 2011), where workers can indicate "Black" or "Asian" race, at the same time as they can identify "Hispanic" ethnicity or not. This gives rise to various combinations of Hispanic Black; Black Non-Hispanic; Hispanic White or Native American for example, or Hispanic without specified race ("other"). Appendix 1 presents the ten questions, derived from the Diversity Inc. award and U.S. Census precedents, explained and justified in specific detail.

Survey Instrument: Explanation and Justification