Organizational rigor, strategic initiatives can accelerate DEI efforts

A brand new report from Ariel Investments on DEI practices in firms reveals that board members have very different views on the topic than the typical U.S. worker.

The discovery was included in the most recent Black Corporate Executives Study by Ariel, a world asset management firm. The evaluation reveals findings on how and why the momentum around DEI has modified on public company boards.

Chicago-based Ariel paid for a second study of 165 Black, Latino and Latino corporate executives from the Fortune 500 from August to October 2023. They attended the corporate’s Black Corporate Directors Conference last 12 months.

In addition, a national sample of two,909 biracial U.S. employees was taken to acquire their responses for comparison with the group of executives. Ariel conducted the study for the primary time in 2021.

Taken together, the info revealed some shocking findings that show there remains to be much work to be done to enhance DEI and make it more progressive in corporate America going forward.

The study offers a “call to action” for U.S. firms on DEI. It includes holding CEOs accountable for lack of progress, offering incentives to extend DEI and recurrently reporting results to shareholders. Ariel Investments, No. 1 on BE Asset Managers list, has roughly $15 billion in assets under management.

Overall, the results of DEI have been negative on many fronts recently. Major firms have laid off DEI teams or stopped funding programs; lawsuits have been filed against DEI initiatives; colleges have banned DEI programs; and a few states have banned affirmative motion.

Operational Rigor: The DEI Challenge for Businesses

“Many board members surveyed still feel their companies are struggling to effectively implement DEI goals—stagnating or improving only slightly compared to two years ago,” the report says.

A survey of Fortune 500 board members found that almost all of the nation’s most influential firms proceed to prioritize DEI, despite some news headlines on the contrary. But amid headwinds just like the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative motion in higher education, the info reveal declines in several areas, including:

• When asked whether, in consequence of recent board diversity policies, equivalent to the Nasdaq Board Diversity Policy, boards of directors have hired directors with diverse backgrounds prior to now 12 months, 41% of respondents said they’ve not hired directors with diverse backgrounds on their boards.

• Directors say Board conversations around DEI are less thoughtful, balanced, and purposeful than they were two years ago, at 84% in 2021, in comparison with 78% in 2023.

• The report stated: “Fewer firms are investing capital to support their races equality and diversity goals; when they are achieved, capital is less sufficient.”

• Corporate boards have develop into more racially and ethnically diverse overall over the past five years. But the proportion of black and Latino directors has stagnated amongst S&P 500 firms, at 12% and 5%, respectively.

DEI stays a boardroom priority, however the infrastructure for these initiatives is weakening

The report found that DEI was added as a top agenda item several years ago for 59% of boards where respondents serve, while 28% made it a priority prior to now two years. Still, 54% of directors imagine that, amongst a big selection of diversity issues, race/ethnicity receives too little attention and is lower on their board’s priority list.

For example, race is linked to gender, sexual orientation, and political affiliation.

On the opposite hand, about 45% of average employees imagine there is simply too much emphasis on race and ethnicity — particularly white male employees (54%). This sentiment has increased since 2021.

Arielle Patrick, Ariel’s chief communications officer, said in an email that probably the most troubling finding was the stark disconnect between leaders and the typical worker on why DEI matters. “This dissonance signals how much harder leaders need to work to ensure that rank-and-file employees truly understand diversity as a business imperative,” Patrick said.

A Potential Framework for Taking DEI to the Next Level

So what is required now? THow to make DEI more progressive in the long run of American firms?

Patrick said it’s no secret that DEI is under attack in our country’s volatile political landscape. Diverse directors face more obstacles of their fight to maintain civil rights on the company boardroom agenda—with the operational rigor they deserve.

She said the outcomes send a message that U.S. corporations must adopt consistent oversight, transparent reporting and accountability measures to be sure that progress made in recent times doesn’t stagnate.

She added that firms must be sure that their DEI efforts are comprehensive and that your entire management team treats it as a strategic imperative in the next areas:

• People representing and involving employees from entry-level to management.

• Purchasing efforts should include diversifying vendor and supplier relationships with women and minority-owned businesses.

• Philanthropy should include long-term engagement with organizations that work for equality and civil rights, where employees have representation on nonprofit boards.

• The product offered by the corporate should bear in mind and incorporate within the research, development and marketing process all of the stakeholders the corporate serves.