Cheryl Burrell, the Overall Diversity Champion in this, PBN’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Awards Program, says it best: “No longer should we waste time challenging the idea that we are becoming a more diverse society, but rather we should accept that we are a diverse society, capable of immeasurable achievements.”
Burrell’s observation is rooted in a reality that has powerful implications for business, the most obvious being that as the population becomes more diverse (or is finally recognized as such), the product and service offerings an enterprise creates need to recognize and embrace that diversity. It could be a health insurer knowing that certain racial and/or ethnic groups have greater tendencies to present certain health conditions (often as a result of socioeconomic challenges), and therefore offering programs that more directly treat those conditions within an appropriate cultural context.
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Business literature on the value of diverse management teams long has touted the improved outcomes that diverse leadership produces, if for no other reason than “group think” is a problem that can be more difficult to take hold with a diverse employee base.
Then there are the broader societal implications that a diverse workforce can deliver. By showing young Rhode Islanders that women, people of color or members of the LGBTQ community can not just find employment but be leaders, they are less likely to limit their expectations for themselves, something all society can benefit from.
Helping PBN initiate the Diversity & Inclusion Awards Program, as always, are our sponsors. Presenting sponsor for this first incarnation of the program is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, while partner sponsors are Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, the R.I. Office of Diversity, Equity & Opportunity, and Tufts Health Plan.
Mark S. Murphy
Editor
Providence Business News
