Defining Diversity and Inclusion as an Art and Science Devoid of Operational Misconceptions with Human Resources Management

Abstract

This chapter sets out to define diversity and inclusion as an art and science devoid of operational misconceptions with human resources management by comparing their histories, theoretical frameworks, functions, and others. It became obvious that human resources management (HRM) has, from its origin, been organized to help senior management achieve its strategic goal by attracting and hiring individuals considered cultural fits according to some predetermined conditions. Therefore, it was found that HRM is fitness-oriented, while diversity and inclusion is barrier-oriented. The paper goes on to show that though HRM and diversity and inclusion management (DIM) have operational similarities, they are distinct, and further highlights reasons why HRM and DIM should not be lumped together, as well as the misconceptions about DIM and how it creates value. Furthermore, the paper justifies DIM as an art and science by highlighting its basic nature and operational tools.

1. Introduction

Diversity and inclusion have enjoyed a newfound-love status with organizations, nations, and individuals embracing it as a magical tool for increasing return on investment (ROI), employee retention, productivity, and the overall health of organizations. However, the line between excitement and confusion is blurring as some analysts question the difference between human resources management and diversity and inclusion. Human resources management (HRM) has a clearly defined path over the years, just as diversity and inclusion do, so they are clearly distinct but do overlap at some points the way other professions like Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy do also overlap but still maintain their distinctness. With all the promises that diversity and inclusion hold for organizations, individuals, regions, critical sections of the economy, nations, and the world at large, so many people still confuse human resources management and diversity and inclusion management (DIM). Because of this ambivalence, some organizations subsume DIM and HRM, while others argue they are yet to understand how DIM creates value, with yet others claiming it is just a buzzword for an organized platform for seeking privilege.

This confusion becomes more obvious as organizations waver on how best to operate DIM, with some lumping DIM and human resources as one unit and vice versa. The recent ruling on Affirmative Action in the United States has been adjudged by some DIM enthusiasts as an attack on diversity and inclusion as a practice by those who feel that DIM is being weaponized against them, further emphasizing the misconceptions about this all-important practice.

Therefore, this chapter sets out to show that diversity and inclusion are an art and science devoid of operational misconceptions with human resources management, though not without some overlap. It also seeks to highlight this gray area to increase understanding and awareness of its nature, composition, functions, and value-creation methodologies.

2. Brief history of human resources management

The history of human resources management dates as far back as the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries during the Industrial Revolution and the First World War – World War 1. The Industrial Revolution saw a massive departure from the agrarian economy to the new wave of technologically-driven manufacturing in industries with women, children, and adults trooping to industries for work – it was like a free-for-all where there were no clear rules on qualification, and the harsh labor conditions, extended hours of labor, poor safety conditions among others, would later give rise to the labor unions (see New World Encyclopedia [1]). Similarly, the twentieth century saw the first steps toward reshaping and reforming the workplace with the advent of ‘employment clerks’ who were saddled with the responsibility of selecting daily help, especially in factories. It is this ‘employment clerks’ that will later morph to ‘personnel administration’ in the 1920s and later to ‘human resources management’ in the course of time. Then, during World War 1, an increased demand for greater and better industrial output, in addition to the shortage of workers due to the war efforts, led employers to raise wages and formalize recruitment and employment practices. Following this, the Great Depression of the 1930s gave rise to the New Deal laws that mandated employers to pay their workers fairly, provide safe working conditions, and deal with labor unions. This, then, led to the formalization of hiring procedures and the creation of the very first employee handbooks (See [2]). However, some scholars chronicle the historical development of Human Resource Management as follows [3]: The Gilded Era, Post World War II (1945–1960), Social Issues Era (1963–1980), Cost Effectiveness Era (1980 to the early 1990s), Era of Technological Advancement and Advent of Strategic HRM (1990 to Present) – See: Hassan Danial Aslan [4], Leslie [5].

Going forward, it is important to center the fact that the initial workplace was like a free-for-all scene, where children, women, and adults were given whatever piece of work the employer deemed necessary without considerations for age, ability, safety, and health factors, with wages that poorly reflected the scope of work demanded or done. With the advent of labor laws, labor organizations, and personnel administrations, the back-and-forth demands and expectations between employers and employees birthed a new concept: FITNESS (the idea that only employees who measure up to predefined criteria will achieve productivity). For employers to meet the demands of workers in terms of wages, welfare packages, safety and good working conditions, employers also expected certain results in return – they had conditions workers must satisfy to meet their demands, and this led to the development of Human Resource philosophy, which is driven by the principle of competitive advantage. Managers wanted to upstage their competitors; they wanted value for their money. So, human resources strove to meet this need. According to Neel Gandhi and Bryan Hancock [6], the loss of the business rationale for Human Resource processes is the very reason why large organizations ultimately end up with unusually large human resources infrastructure.

According to © 2021 - 2 Human Resources Management Handbook [7], the military also played a major role in influencing the practice of human resource management as we know it today. The military is credited with leading the way by showing how great leaders provide and share a vision of victory. It also led the way in terms of designing and developing the first procedures for selecting new hires and leaders. Human resources (HR), from its origins, has been a business partner working to translate business vision into HR strategy that will maximize the organization’s human capital toward achieving organization’s vision as a competitive advantage. Therefore, the HR function is structured to achieve this primary goal, as we shall see shortly.

3. Human resource functions

To prove that the human resource (HR) department has a distinct purview from diversity and inclusion, let us consider the functions it plays in organizations and how they are organized to show they are carefully organized to achieve the business function it primarily sets out to address. For purposes of clarity, I will list out these functions and their details to clear all possible doubts. The Society for Human Resource Managers © 2023 SHRM [2, 8] defines human resource management as the process of managing an organization’s goals. According to them, it includes all aspects of people management to meet an organization’s goals.

Here, let us illustrate the functions of human resources in organizations to support our discussion. Now, the functions of human resource management include:

1. Human Resource Planning: This involves all the activities, usually data-driven, that ensure that the right people for achieving the organization’s goals are attracted to the organization at the right time. It also involves the definition of workforce requirements.

2. Recruitment and Selection: This involves finding, screening, and selecting the best candidates for open positions.

3. Performance Management: This involves all the activities, including feedback, carried out to ensure that employees perform optimally in the workplace. It also involves defining clear goals and objectives for employees.

4. Learning and Development: This function is basically saddled with the responsibility of preparing and equipping employees for the present and future of the organization.

5. Career Planning: This involves planning an employee’s growth in an organization and helping them understand their pathway to the top in terms of fulfilling their ambition in the organization.

6. Function Evaluation: This function ensures that those who do similar jobs are rewarded similarly.

7. Compensation and Rewards: This involves appreciation and favor from the organization to an employee(s). It could be monetary or nonmonetary and mostly tied to satisfactory performance.

8. Industrial Relations: This involves meeting and respecting the procedures and requirements of labor unions and maintaining a working relationship with them and their members.

9. Administrative Duties: These are clerical duties carried out for the day-to-day running of organizations. They include such activities as filing, answering phone calls, typing and scanning of documents, etc.

Table 1 below exposes the ambiguity in the classification of HRM functions in the workplace. While most perspectives do not consider DIM a function, some do, and it is this arbitrariness in the classifications of DIM that is the bane of both HRM and DIM because it produces a Jack-of-all-trades but a master of none kind of situation. To further situate human resources management in the organizational context, it is imperative to have a cursory look at a few human resource management models that different organizations use to further provide adequate knowledge about its operations and strategic focus. Human resource models in themselves are important tools for the aforementioned reason because they are built on guiding theories of management in general and human resource management principles in particular.

Topic	14 most important functions of human resources management	13 important HR duties in 2023	Strategic roles of human resources in modern organizations
	Human Resource Planning	Future Planning	Building Competitive Advantage
	Career Planning	Talents Recruitment	Developing and Retaining Talents
	Recruitment and Selection	Career Planning	Leadership Development
	Performance Management	Evaluating Job Roles	Building Diverse Teams
	Learning and Development	Rewards and Incentives
	Rewards and Recognition	Internal Marketing and Employee Engagement
	Benefits and Compensation	Employee Wellness
	Information Sharing	Human Resources Manager General Administration
	Policy Formulation	Workers Off-boarding
	Health and Safety	Health and Safety Standards
	Personal Well-being	HR Department Information Sharing
	Employee Engagement	Performance Management
	Compliance	Human Resources Policy Formulation
	Administrative Responsibilities
Source	Chartered Human Resources Management Professional (CHRMP); https://www.chrmp.com/functions-of-human-resource-management/	HR University; https://hr.university/career/hr-duties/	HRM Handbook; https://hrmhandbook.com/hrm/roles/strategic-roles/

Table 1.

Different Views of HRM Functions.

According to Eric Van Vulpen [9], the eight (8) HR models every HR practitioner should know in 2023 include the Standard Causal Model of HR, the eight Box Model by Paul Boselie, the HR Value Chain, the HR Value Chain Advanced, the Harvard Model of HRM, the Guest Model, the Warwick Model, and the Ulrich Model.

The two models in Figure 1 above indicate the controlling influence of the overall business strategy on HR and its functions. Since it is obvious from the history of human resource management to its functions, theories, and models used in organizing and directing its activities that HRM is set to achieve the overall vision and strategy of the organization, therefore, human resource management is driven by achieving organizational goals through the best-fitted employees, whereas diversity and inclusion management is driven by barriers, as we shall see subsequently. In other words, HRM is Fitness-oriented, whereas DIM is barrier-oriented.

Figure 1.

Standard causal model of HRM. Images culled from Erik Van Vulpen [9].

What is a goal? A goal is:

• A tool used by modern organizations to manage employees and managers

• It is an expected outcome of the plan for an individual employee

• It is a mutual agreement between an employee and a manager

• It is usually developed using the SMART methodology

see: Shawkat [10].

Then, what is a barrier? A barrier is anything that blocks or impedes the flow of material – something that delays or restricts a person from achieving a set goal or objective. It could limit an individual or group either mentally, emotionally, psychologically, or otherwise [11].

Some of the barriers in the diversity sphere include religion, culture, age, socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual orientation, poverty, inequality, inequity, disabilities, ethnicity, language, gender pay gaps, urbanization, technological innovation, immigration, national origin, color, and many others.

Human beings are dynamic in nature, and so are human problems, including barriers. Just as technological advances have been credited with solving some human problems, they have been accused of creating some other ones, too. In DIM circles, this mix of barriers that interactively work against an individual or group, limiting them from actualizing their goals, is called intersectionality. Every individual or group has a unique combination of barriers that limit or restrict them from achieving their desired or set goals, and that is the more reason why diversity and inclusion work as a science to constantly observe, monitor, and predict the nature and interactions of these barriers in order to forestall their negative impacts on achieving inclusion as we shall see soon.

In every nation, some groups challenge barriers that hinder them from fully participating economically, politically, and socially. Some of the ways through which these groups are not included are but are not limited to legal systems, land and labor markets, and dehumanizing and derogatory attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions [12].

Having considered human resources management – its history and functions in organizations, let us now turn our attention to Diversity and inclusion management to clear all existing confusion as to whether it is an integral part of human resources management, the values it renders, and its operational methodologies.

4. Brief history of diversity and inclusion management

A prehistoric story of the origins of diversity and inclusion is told in the Bible as the Tower of Babel story. The story has it that the whole world once lived in the land of Shinar, and they spoke one language. After some time, they decided to build themselves a tower that would reach heaven. However, this idea was at variance with the command God gave humanity in the beginning: multiply and fill the whole earth. They started the project and made stratospheric progress. Then, God came down to inspect what they had done and was awestruck. God said, ‘Indeed the people are one, and they speak one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city’ – Genesis 11: 1–9.

The Babel story embodies some of the basic underpinning principles of diversity and inclusion as follows:

• There is no conceivable idea that humanity’s creative ingenuity cannot achieve if they feel included.

• Inclusion is possible at all levels, group, organizational, or global, once barriers are uprooted or constructively and innovatively managed for the good of all.

• Barriers are not necessarily inherent or obvious from the beginning but might occur at any point in time (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

D & I model. Source: Self.

After the Babel incident, humans scattered across the face of the earth and erected other barriers that stifled mutual human relations to the point that people began to kill each other and subdued their kind to slavery. This era subsisted till 539 BC when the troops of Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. This period is believed to be the birthplace of the human rights movement when Cyrus freed slaves and pronounced that all people had the right to choose the religion of their choice and racial equality. These principles are contained in the Cyrus Cylinder, regarded as the inspiration for the first four articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The era of the human rights movement came with concerted efforts from people and nations around the globe to use the concept of ‘the rule of law’ to achieve inclusion and discount noninclusive practices. The United Nations became the global citadel for the protection and promotion of human rights and the promotion of mutual cooperation and inclusiveness among nations. Some of the UN’s guiding principles for achieving inclusiveness around the globe are anchored on the belief in the equality of the human race – that all people are born equal and with inalienable rights. Some of the notable laws that the UN has used to promote inclusiveness and mutual cooperation include:

1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2. International Bill of Human Rights

3. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

4. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

5. Convention on the Rights of the Child

6. The Convention on the Political Rights of Women

7. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment – see Sutto [13, 14].

It is pertinent to note that despite the humongous efforts and resources that the United Nations has invested in promoting human rights and, by extension, global inclusion, so many people are yet to obey some of these laws, hence the continued quest and clamor for inclusion from different corners of the globe.

For instance, how people living with disabilities are perceived and treated has changed considerably over the years, courtesy of the efforts and achievements of the disability rights movement. The history of the disability rights movement and their activism for inclusion dates back to the eighteenth century. A lot of people, events, and legislation have played major roles in shaping this outcome to date. The Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, and its subsequent amendments in 2008 are some of their flagship achievements to date. Though organizations for people with disabilities have always existed since the eighteenth century, the 1990s saw their explosion.

Some of the disability rights organizations that have contributed to fighting for the inclusion of people living with disabilities in society include:

The league of the Physically Handicapped formed in 1930s to fight for employments for those living with physical disabilities. In the 1940s, We Are Not Alone was formed by a group of psychiatric patients who fought to include their members in society. In 1950, the National Association of Retarded Children was formed to fight to include developmentally disabled children in healthcare and educational policies. It is equally important to note that several legislations, like the Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and so many others, played key roles in including people with disabilities in society. The ‘Deaf President Now’ protest of 1988 by students of Gallaudet University is said to have inspired the inclusion of people living with disabilities across communities (see: [15]).

Interestingly, great things are happening around the world in terms of efforts to increase disability awareness and inclusion in Asia. The United Nations ‘Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons With Disabilities’ (1992–2022) ended quite recently. Previously, other initiatives like the ‘International Year of the Disabled (1982)’ and the ‘Decade of People with Disabilities (1983–1992)’ were implemented to raise awareness of the need for the inclusion of all Asian citizens.

However, in some Asian societies, disability is viewed as a consequence of wrongdoing in a person’s former life. In contrast, in other instances, a disabled member of the family is considered a disgrace, increasing the need for awareness raising on disabilities. In this regard, many local initiatives are ongoing in Singapore, like the SP CARE launched in 1992 to produce assistive devices for those living with disabilities and the Access Singapore initiative to provide people living with disabilities information about accessible buildings in Singapore. Another event credited with raising widespread awareness is the ‘Day in a Wheelchair’ campaign organized to simulate the experiences of people with disabilities in facing everyday life in Singapore. More advanced measures and campaigns are being put in place to include those with disabilities even more effectively in education, recreation, employment, and others (see: Parker [16]).

Furthermore, it is important to state that this account is only a cursory overview of the realities of the day as so many acts of discrimination, denial of rights and privileges, and the proliferation of man-made barriers are happening in the form of denial of access to opportunities, child labor, children not accessing basic education in different parts of the world, as well as difficulties in accessing healthcare services. World Social Report [17] quoted Antonio Guterres as follows:

‘In different parts of the world, divisions arising as a result of identity are now heightened. At the same time, gaps in new areas, like access to digital and mobile technologies, are cropping up. Unless progress is sped up, the core promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – to leave no one behind – will be a pipe dream by 2030’.

So far, we have seen from the history of diversity and inclusion that inclusion is possible, achievable and desirable. However, barriers erode the creative and productive capabilities of humanity and, as such, should be uprooted, crushed or constructively turned into an advantage.

5. What is diversity and inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion is a value-creation and problem-solving practice that seeks to innovate differences that ordinarily stifle healthy relationships and productivity in society and organizations into a creative force and social capital that yields business success, employee satisfaction and engagement, national and transnational cohesion.

6. Theories of diversity and inclusion

A quick consideration of the guiding theories of diversity and inclusion will help reveal the main thrust of the practice. Some of these theories include the theory of Generative Interactions, the Diversity Trumps Ability Theorem, Diversity and Inclusion Theory of Change (ToC), Schema Theory, Social Identity Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Similarity-Attraction Paradigm, the Cognitive Diversity Hypothesis, and others (see: Rutherford [18], Max quoted in Diversity Professional, Beinstein et al. [19], Bright et al. [20], and Page [21]).

7. The theory of generative interactions

This theory proposes that for inclusion to be achieved, all forms of barriers, must be conquered through adaptive cognitive processing, development of skills, and the practice of positive interactions that will be mutually supportive in creating and maintaining inclusion in the organization. Collaborating toward achieving organizational purpose, strategically mixing diverse members over a period of time, giving all groups equal footing and insider status to contribute to the success of the organization are some of the organizational practices that lead to conditions that produce generative interactions that eventually lead to success and equity – in other words, inclusiveness. As we can see, the main thrust of this theory is that success, which in this case is defined as inclusiveness, can only be achieved by overcoming or dealing with multiple layers of exclusionary dynamics – these are barriers or intersectionalities hindering progress.

8. Diversity and inclusion’s theory of change

This theory supposes that positive results or success can only be achieved by discarding age-long limiting systems and precepts, removing privilege in the pipeline, and understanding unconscious bias. It defines the theory of change in diversity and inclusion as the liberation of humanity from barriers such as gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and others that inhibit them from achieving success. It advocates that everyone, not a select few, should be invited to the table and given equal opportunities to thrive.

9. Diversity Trumps ability theorem

This theory posits that a diverse pool of problem solvers would outperform another group of high-ability problem solvers who are not diverse. It is actually one of the theories that emphasize the benefits of diversity and inclusion. It brings out another key principle behind the D&I practice that differentiates it from human resources management as we shall see in the section on misconceptions. HRM says only the best is desirable, while DIM says everyone is good and would become an asset if barriers are dealt with.

10. Diversity and inclusion Mental models

Mental models are reflections, reasonings, and reflections of a person’s understanding of something. In the case of diversity and inclusion, these are barriers that hinder, frustrate, limit, or restrain people from understanding, contributing, or participating in DIM activities or programs. White, Nikka [22] identifies five mental models in DEI as Active Opposition, Passive Unawareness, Passive Awareness, Active Awareness, and Overactive Awareness.

Active Opposition: This mental model represents the mental model of people who do not understand diversity and inclusion, and possibly see it as a threat and, therefore, oppose it with every fiber of their being.

Barrier: Gross ignorance.

Passive Unawareness: This model represents people who are standoffish or not interested in DIM programs because they lack vital information about them.

Barrier: Ignorance.

Passive Awareness: This model represents people with a paucity of information about DIM who see value in its programs but see it as other people’s obligation and, therefore, refuse to get involved, probably because they are experiencing the bystander effect.

Barrier: Inadequate or little information about DIM value-creation and problem-solving capabilities.

Active Awareness: This model represents people with ample information and knowledge about diversity and inclusion and fully uses this knowledge to create value and solve problems that lead to increased productivity and satisfaction.

Barriers: constructively managed or eliminated.

Overactive Awareness: This is when active awareness is given extreme expressions to create a nuisance. Striking a balance, at this point, is of the essence, and understanding boundaries is a necessity.

Barrier: Misapplication of knowledge.

So far, we have considered the history of major theories and mental models influencing the practice of human resources management and diversity and inclusion today and have found that: In contrast, HRM is fitness-oriented, DIM is barrier-oriented. In the following sections, we shall turn our attention to facts that further elaborate the distinctness of the two areas.

Table 2 and Figure 3 further confirm the benefits and effectiveness of DIM in organizations by showing that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on the executive team achieve higher profitability than those in the fourth quartile.

Cognitive diversity drives innovation by up to 20%

Racially diverse teams report a 35% increase in performance compared to their competitors.

67% of millennial and Generation Z employees value diversity when considering employment opportunities.

A survey found that 57% of employees wished their company was more diverse.

60% of employees in a LinkedIn study said that diversity within their sales team has contributed to their team’s success.

Inclusive teams are over 35% more productive.

Diverse companies earn 2.5× higher cash flow per employee.

Diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time.

Table 2.

Benefits of diversity and inclusion.

Culled from: Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency [23] and LinkedIn Learning [24].

Figure 3.

The business case for diversity in executive teams remains strong. Culled from: Mckinsey and Company [25]. Diversity wins: How inclusion matters.

11. Functions of diversity and inclusion

Elaborating the functions of DIM is quite crucial at this point, namely, to show how it is structured in organizations, as well as how it creates value.

• General DIM Services: This is the DIM function saddled with the responsibility of identifying and listing the complex obstacles at play in a given context. It has been said earlier that different people have unique sets of intersectionalities. So, this service identifies these intersectionalities and how they interact to derail inclusion. They create all the personas in the given context and study the best approaches for dismantling existing obstacles as a first-aid approach. The unique findings from this stage form the object of research for the research and learning unit. This role also carries out diagnostic listening using digital tools like Hootsuite, Buzzumo, and others to identify and track hotbeds of exclusionary communications, and study the best ways of neutralizing them before they lead to major exclusions. The digital tools used for listening are also deployed for A/B testing, as we shall see in the section that deals with scientific approaches in DIM.

• Strategy and Productivity Development: This is the point where the unique findings from the General DIM Services, the creative ideas from the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and lessons learned from research studies are funneled into developing a business or corporate or national diversity and inclusion strategy. This function also serves as the portfolio management arm that designs diverse strategic projects for achieving inclusion, innovation, productivity, etc.

• Research and Learning: This is the function saddled with researching human diversities and all manner of unique problems identified from all the other components of the DIM function and sharing lessons learned to encourage innovation, productivity, and the adoption of cutting-edge approaches in achieving inclusive success. They also carry out User experience Research (UX), design thinking, researching the best assistive technologies that will help individual employees perform their jobs better, etc.

• Complaints and Crises Mitigation: This function serves to mitigate and nip crises in the bud by heading off crises before they fester, and receiving and addressing complaints from aggrieved individuals. It is important to note that HRM also operates a similar function, but while HRM uses formal complaint structures, DIM uses blind structures – this means that its crisis management efforts are not made official. This accentuates the suggestion of a Hippocratic oath in DIM to encourage trust, bring authentic self to work, and diminish the fear of official punishment, as well as the freedom to open up.

• Well-being Support: This function serves, on a daily basis, to ensure that all the human and bio-diverse resources of an organization are in good shape to give their best. This is a critical function because neurodivergent employees and people living with disabilities, or any employee, might need assistance with their technologies or mood generally. It is a caregiver service where deep and personal relationships that will make openness happen are established. This, again, is different from the Compensation and Rewards in HRM.

• Diversity Hiring Support: This function is involved in studying people groups and establishing strategic relationships with them, as well as studying different areas where specific groups might be more productive or suited to the organization. This will enhance organization’s ability to penetrate certain demographics and tailor unique products for them. This function, then, collaborates with the HR department in making the best diversity hiring decisions.

• Event Development: This is the function responsible for suggesting and operationalizing the inclusive projects and programs developed by the Strategy and Innovation unit. This unit use different art forms like music, drama, plays, opera, songs, and many others as a therapy for achieving inclusion.

• Training: This is the component responsible for developing and training people on cutting-edge approaches for achieving inclusive productivity and success. Bias training and other training arising from the outcome of research are handled by this component. When a new assistive technology is adopted, this unit will be responsible for setting up and training employees on how to use it. Diversity training is of many shades and hues. They are majorly carried out to develop an inclusive mindset in the trainees and also equip them with technologies that will help them achieve inclusivity.

• Biodiversity and Climate Change unit: This role is concerned with ensuring that all the forms of life, including animals, trees, organisms, and humans, and the environment that exists in the organization’s ecosystem are strategically included. It also considers the activities of each of these life forms to ensure that they do not produce ‘exclusions’ for others, as well as how these actions affect the climate and how they can be addressed. For instance, organizations that use dogs, horses, or other animals must ensure they are strategically included in their DIM programs.

It is important to note that all these functions generate and run on myriads of data, and, therefore, implicates the establishment of Diversity as a Service (DaaS) as a strategic imperative for running the ‘analytics’ needed to harness all the generated data into assets.

12. Why should human resources management and diversity and inclusion be distinct?

This section is meant to x-ray the distinctness of diversity and inclusion from human resources management so as to increase the operational effectiveness of the two fields in the future. Therefore, for our purposes, the major areas of distinction are along the following areas:

13. Formality/informality paradigm

Human resources management is structured on ‘formal’ processes from beginning to end. The top management sets the vision and mission of the organization, and the HRM arm of the organization uses highly formalized structures and approaches to bring the vision of the company to bear. A quick look at some critical HR processes reveals this. From job descriptions to exit interviews, HR processes are organized to sieve out the ‘very best’ in the pool who possess perfect abilities and prove the capacity to achieve the set goal beyond expectations. This objective is well known to potential and substantive employees who do everything possible to conform to these formal rules. Job descriptions serve the purpose of formally listing the expectations of ‘cultural fitness,’ while interviews assess your formality and fitness in dressing, communication, writing (neurosis), body language, and others are all activities packaged to assess candidate’s fitness. In a way, onboarding serves to secure your formal agreement in being clear with the expectations for the role to justify no tolerance for a force majeure. These notions of formality are probably the greatest reasons for masking by employees.

On the other hand, diversity and inclusion practices run on the social paradigm. Humans are social beings, born and bred in major social environments, and thrive better in social environments. That is why employees fall back on their social capital when experiencing burnout, or toxicity at work, or feel overwhelmed by the pressures of formality. Therefore, DIM sets out to find out the barriers that will weaken or destroy individual employee’s social capital in the workplace and seeks creative ways of replicating social environments and experiences for satisfying work. It does this by creating an atmosphere of inclusion (that is to say, whether you are blue, yellow, or red, we value and appreciate you equally; your socioeconomic status or the continent you come from does not demean you in any way but are rather considered assets in this organization; your accent and all are part of your unique diversities that make up your authentic self); by creating the environment of trust that is so convincing for employees to feel safe enough to open up to the DIM practitioners the same way they would open up to their trusted friends or people in their social capital; and by recreating the relaxing experience of the social environment in the workplace using different art forms as we shall see later.

Figure 4 reflects the present situation of disclosures in the workplace and reveals that although many organizations are coaxing their employees to disclose their challenges or weaknesses in the formal context, the result is abysmally low. Humans naturally loathe exposing their weaknesses in public (that is formal). No matter how expensive the meals they eat, they are never proud of exposing their excrement in public – they look for hideaway structures to handle them. This is why the Hippocratic oath is working in Medicine because it aligns with the nature of humanity. That is why diversity and inclusion must be run in the social context of the workplace, where people’s weaknesses should be handled constructively without the lens of formality. The sociocultural theory underpins this position as it states that people learn and perform better when they consider their social interactions supportive. This is more compelling given the fact that inclusion is all about accepting people as they are, including people from diverse faith leanings who believe their weaknesses are temporary and a latent premise for miracles. So, persuading them to a public disclosure could be a direct attack on their faith and would be resisted.

Figure 4.

Disability disclosure at work.

Some organizations with a bit of understanding of this fact have come close to establishing the role of ‘Relationship Officers’ both for internal (employees) and external resources (clients), but it has not yielded the desired fruits because it has to be done in an organized system which DIM provides.

The separation of the HRM and DIM functions based on the Formality/Informality paradigm is critical for strategic success in the workplace because no sane employee will open up on any issues they may consider distasteful to the same set of managers who have assessed them for fitness for the job and still assess their performance as the major impetus for promotions and rewards. So, it is only by creating a distinct arm of the organization that employees are aware that they will not divulge their human weaknesses (barriers) to their assessors that they bring their authentic selves to the workplace and develop a robust sense of psychological safety. For this reason, the confidentiality oath (like the Hippocratic oath) should be given in DIM practice so that employees can rest assured their treasured secrets will not be divulged to the management or the public. It can be reasonably argued that the lack of this social component in the workplace is also one of the major reasons why many employees opt for the Work From Home model, where they feel the benefits of this social component are assured.

However, the workplace will lose its seriousness if the formality provided by HRM is neutralized or lost. Only by creating a balance of the Formal/Informal paradigm can the dream of achieving a highly engaged, motivated, and productive workforce with insignificant turnover, be achieved.

14. Defining diversity and inclusion management properly

One of the major sources of confusion in the DIM practice is its narrow definition as a HRM function. This definition stems from the feeling that since DIM focuses on dealing with the barriers that stifle employee performance and satisfaction and HRM also deals with employees’ performance, then they are the same. However, a quick look at nature reveals this is not always true.

The principle of Organismic Analogy shows that two things may look alike yet have different overlapping functions. The right and left hemispheres of the human brain are in the same brain but have distinct functions that affect different parts of the human body. A couple (in this case, man and woman as husband and wife) belong to the same organization called marriage, yet they belong to different departments with distinct functions that overlap – while the man produces the X chromosome, the woman produces the Y chromosome; and the woman goes ahead to incubate the pregnancy for 9 months, while the man is expected to play a complementary role of nurturing the fetus and the woman.

Furthermore, nature is replete with manifestations of the concept of division of labor. The division of labor, on its part, increases efficiency and effectiveness and leads to specialization. An analogy with the medical profession will suffice. Although doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists, and radiographers come under the umbrella of medical practitioners, with the sole purpose of caring for the human body, their functions are nuanced into different departments. In Medicine, for instance, departments are determined based on specific essential areas of focus – eye care(ophthalmology, heart(cardiology department), kidney (nephrology department), bone(orthopedic department), blood(hematology), and so on. Then, some departments are further broken down, again to specific essential focus areas. For instance, the Department of Surgery is further broken down into general surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, urology, and orthopedic surgery, and still, other departments in Medicine have surgery units without any attachment to the main department of surgery mentioned above. For instance, the Department of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) has a surgery unit attached, and the dental department has a surgery unit called the maxillofacial surgery department, both independent of the main surgery department, though their duties overlap.

Therefore, this division of labor into nuanced areas of essential focus births specialization, increasing effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The lumping of HRM and DIM is the bane of the present-day workplace that robs it of specialized and in-depth exploration of how to tap the enormous potential of the productive capabilities of humanity.

15. To solve the issue of productivity

Another critical factor possibly influencing the lumping of HRM and DIM is yet another narrow interpretation of the concept of productivity. Though productivity is critical to HRM and DIM, they pursue it through different channels. While HRM pursues it through the formal channel of cultural fitness, DIM pursues it through the informal or social channel. For instance, the traditional HRM cultural fitness channel considered neurodiversity as a red flag for productivity, but DIM considers it a huge asset to organizational productivity. However, it is important to note that the cultural fitness approach or requirements of traditional HR still plays a critical role in neurodiversity hiring. It is pertinent to point out that since different organizations have different visions and products, HR will collaborate with DIM to decide the best crop of neurodivergent individuals to take, given the nature of their business. Therefore, HR acts as the referee, enforcing the rules, while DIM acts as the coach.

16. Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is a critical issue that deserves a special approach in the way it is handled because of its sensitive nature. The traditional organizational structure is hierarchical in nature and therefore encourages dominance, which is one of the major causes of sexual harassment. Take, for instance, an employee who has a sexual bully as a supervisor. This supervisor is responsible for the employee’s performance evaluation and promotion as a result. This bully of a supervisor could take advantage of this privileged position to psychologically and emotionally bully the employee into sexual exploitation. The dominance theory confirms this. Therefore, a neutral component that will provide an escape route for the sexually harassed becomes necessary in curbing stigma. Since DIM provides blind complaint structures, it helps save the employee or complainant from the wrath of the bully because no traces are made available; only befitting solutions and preventive measures are provided in this approach. Therefore, making DIM independent from those who wield power to determine employees’ fate in organizations will go a long way in curbing the menace of sexual harassment in the workplace.

17. Misconceptions about diversity and inclusion

17.1 Diversity and inclusion are mere platforms for cancel culture

A lot of people perceive diversity and inclusion as a platform for calling out and condemning perceived enemies. The problem of misunderstanding and attacking otherness is an ancient problem that D&I sets out to solve innovatively, not to exacerbate. Any approach that seems to favor one side and exclude others is not acceptable in DIM – they breed stereotypes and exclusions and fall short of achieving productive inclusion, which is the ultimate goal of DIM. Recently, there have been insinuations in some quarters that the ruling against affirmative action is a reaction from those who feel that DIM has been weaponized against them. The existence of such insinuations alone is a sign of a possible malignant approach that creates both inclusion and exclusion at the same time. In a previous article, I referred to such approaches as playing the zero-sum game – create inclusion for one group and exclude the other. Then, it is still the same horse but with different riders. Naturally, some societal ills will happen occasionally that may provoke protests as a natural means of registering dissatisfaction, but such protests should be constructive. DIM advocates inclusive approaches to problem-solving, not a zero-sum game.

17.2 Diversity and inclusion are all about unconscious bias training

Although bias training is integral to the DIM toolkit, it is only a small chunk of the DIM pizza. Bias training is one of the tools DIM uses to create an inclusive mindset. It is akin to First Aid treatment. The ability to administer first aid treatment does not make one a doctor.

18. Diversity and inclusion as a science and art

This section seeks to set out the composition and behavior of the diversity and inclusion architecture. This is particularly important given that some confusion still exists in some quarters as to how DIM is composed and how it creates value. The scientific and artistic nature of DIM will also be explored.

19. DIM as a science

Why is DIM a science? Diversity and inclusion is a science because it uses scientific methods to solve problems. It follows the following scientific approaches to solving problems, namely:

1. Make an observation

2. Ask a question

3. Form a hypothesis or testable explanation

4. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis

5. Test the prediction

6. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions (See: [26])

Observation: As we saw above, DIM uses observations to identify the different obstacles to build up into a set of intersectionalities and follow up with deeper investigations.

Ask Questions: When it identifies the barriers or intersectionalities, it asks questions in the form of one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, questionnaires, and others.

Forms a hypothesis, makes a prediction based on the hypothesis, and tests it: As we stated above, this is the obligation of the research unit. The research unit shares the results of its findings with DIM practitioners, who in turn apply the results and send back the outcomes of their observation for further iteration.

Iteration: Here, the research unit uses the outcome of applying its earlier results to form the basis of new research endeavors to discover more innovative solutions to existing problems.

20. DIM as an art

Diversity and inclusion is an art because it uses art forms to solve problems and increase productivity and inclusion. Some of the art forms in DIM toolkit are storytelling, music, dance, food, gamification, fashion, and many others. The beauty of using art forms to create or achieve inclusion is that there is no limit to creativity using art forms. Nature itself is full of inspiration. A quick look at a few instances where art forms were used to achieve or promote inclusion will suffice.

In July, 2023, an organization, Models of Diversity [27], organized ‘Fashion Revolution’ for London’s Fashion Week. Instead of towing the familiar path of organizing beauty pageants that would display their creativity in fashion on a catwalk, the organization tweaked the concept of inclusion into the fashion industry as a game changer by including all people on the catwalk – those living with disabilities, albinos, trans people, pygmies, and people of different races. ‘Fashion Revolution’ has displayed the beauty of inclusion in graphic form, and people are praising it greatly. For a video of Models of Diversity’s ‘Fashion Revolution,’ see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFoDMIb9itM

Furthermore, the art of storytelling has been used masterfully at different times in history to empower and disempower people. Chimamanda Adichie has extensively talked about the dangers of a single story. Stories can be used to destroy, but most importantly, stories can be used to build up. One of the famous stories of inclusion is the ‘I Have a Dream’ story by Martin Luther King which foreshadowed the inclusion of blacks and whites in the American polity. So, in DIM, stories should be used to tell empowering stories about each other in ways that will crush barriers, foster teamwork, the type we read in the Babel story, and increase productivity.

Another important and powerful tool for inclusion is music. Music plays multi-dimensional inclusive functions using storytelling, messaging, entertainment, social cohesion, and many more. It is, perhaps, one of the most powerful forces of social, economic, and political change.

Michael Jackson used music to unite blacks and whites in the United States; music was deployed frontally to fight the apartheid regime in South Africa; Fela Kuti used music to fight repressive military regimes in Nigeria. Its potential for condemnation, and praise singing makes it a good tool for motivation and barrier-crushing. This is why the UN calls music the universal language.

Therefore, music is a potent force for achieving strategic inclusion, both in and outside the workplace. So, strategically deploying music to achieve specific and customized inclusive goals is critical in DIM practice. This knowledge is the wisdom behind the Sigauque Project implemented by the Community Media For Development (CMFD). The Sigauque Project is an inclusive project that uses music to promote social change.

21. Conclusion

So far, we have seen that human resources management and diversity and inclusion management are parts of a triune, with senior management as the vision bearer, diversity and inclusion as the soul, and human resources management as the body. We have considered the historical origins of the two practices and found that while HRM has hitherto been a business function organized to help senior management achieve the goal of organizations by attracting, selecting, and hiring the best-fitted individuals for achieving the defined goals, diversity and inclusion management operates on the logic that even the best-fitted individuals have differences (barriers), that must be constructively managed to prevent them from hampering productivity, interpersonal, and team dynamics as well as organizational effectiveness.

This chapter has also exposed some misconceptions about diversity and inclusion and helps situate the practice in an organizational architecture. It has also shown that diversity and inclusion are both an art and science by showing how they employ scientific and artistic methodologies in achieving inclusion and increasing productivity and well-being, satisfaction, and fulfillment of the workforce. In addition, having explored the guiding principles and theories and the need for balancing the formal and informal climate in the workplace, this chapter concludes that diversity and inclusion management will function efficiently and effectively as a standalone function in synergy with HRM in the workplace.

This chapter has also shown that people management is an art and science that should be run so that practitioners can become specialists in different aspects of HRM and DIM to promote efficiency and effectiveness and improve return on investment and productivity. For further research, it will be necessary to dig deeper into strategies for increasing specialization and productivity through the division of labor and how helping people safely leads to inclusion and its impact on productivity.