Harvard Gender Diversity Research Reveals What Makes Firms More Productive
Gender parity in business has been a hot topic for years. Some researchers have argued that it leads to more innovative thinking while others claim it can harm performance. But what’s the truth? New Harvard gender diversity research may have found the answers.
In the past, most research studies have limited their looks at gender diversity to a specific industry or region. But when you take a wider view, the results are clear. Gender diversity in the workplace is a good thing according to Harvard Business School researchers.
According to a research study by Professor Zhang, which looked at 1,069 firms across 35 countries and 24 industries, gender diversity relates to more productive companies as measured by market value and revenue. The key is that gender diversity has to be viewed as “normatively” accepted to get these results. In other words, gender diversity has to be considered important.
In countries and industries where gender diversity isn’t looked upon highly, the results are vastly different. For example, in telecommunication companies in Western Europe, gender diversity resulted in a 7 percent increase in market value. However, in the Middle East, that was not the case.
Data from the HBS study found that the market value for many Western European telecommunication companies increased by 7 percent when gender diversity became a more common element of hiring practices.
There were also differences when culture was considered. For example, though Japan offers some of the most generous parental and homecare leave policies in the world, it also has a very patriarchal work culture. This meant that gender diversity in Japan was not as beneficial as it was in places like Western Europe.
As for why this is the case, there are three main reasons that the image of gender diversity is so important to the value it brings.
- A diverse workforce is attractive. In regions and industries where gender diversity is considered important, workers are attracted to companies that make it a priority. This means that get more top candidates. The reverse is true for areas that are not pro-diversity.
- When you value diversity, you encourage diverse ideas. In areas of pro-diversity, people feel more comfortable contributing their unique ideas. This results in more innovative ideas and greater creativity. When countries don’t value women, they’re less likely to share, and everyone loses.
- Gender diversity signals a well-run firm. An investor in an area where gender diversity is accepted is more likely to value diverse companies highly. But those that do not value diversity won’t associate the same strong value.
Read the full report on the Harvard Business Review.
This article has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source, Clear Admit.
DeGroote Professor Workplace Policy Helps Shape New Law, and More -Toronto News
This week, Toronto business schools discuss substantial contributions to the workplace, researchers from DeGroote and Ryerson have each worked to make workplaces more just and equitable, and a new book by Rotman professors gives practical tools for incorporating AI into business.
Doing Right By Employees Ultimately Pays Off – McMaster Brighter World
Research from Isik Zeytinoglu, professor of human resources and management at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, has shown that treating employees well may be a shrewd move for employers. Dr. Zeytinoglu, whose research influenced the World Health Organization’s WHO Healthy Workplace Framework, has been touting the benefits of a healthy relationship between employers and workers for over 30 years. The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which came into effect at the beginning of April, had many benefits and protections for workers, including a requirement that part-time and temp employees must receive the same pay as full-time staff for the same work.
“In the long term, equity helps society, the community, and the economy,” Zeytinoglu said. “Throughout history, there have been employers who considered fairness and behaved justly toward their workers, and they are the ones who have prospered.” It is no coincidence that the new law aligns with much of Zeytinoglu’s research; in fact, the government consulted the professor during the bill’s formative stages.
Read more about the new bill and Zeytinoglu’s work here.
These Are the Workplace Gender Equity Tactics That Actually Work – Canadian Business
This week, professors at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management, Martin Fabro and Chris MacDonald, wrote an article on gender equity for Canadian Business; a follow-up to one the authors wrote in late March, “A Seven-Step Plan To Improve Gender Diversity At Any Company.” While the first piece offered actionable instructions to improve gender diversity, Fabro and MacDonald focused their follow-up on which of the most popular gender diversity tactics were rooted in evidence-based practices.
The Ryerson researchers explored which gender equity practices helped to either, “actively improve gender diversity (and in particular to increase the number of women in leadership roles), and to reduce underlying gender bias and discriminatory attitudes within the organizational culture.”
Learn more about improving gender equity in the workplace here.
PREDICTION MACHINES: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence – Rotman New Releases
In their new book, PREDICTION MACHINES: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence, Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb took on the task of theorizing the possible role of artificial intelligence in business. In the past, the possible effects of AI on business seemed so vast, they were difficult to tackle. Agrawal, Gans, and Goldfarb demystify AI, by re-framing it as a prediction tool.
“More than just an account of AI’s powerful capabilities, PREDICTION MACHINES shows managers how they can most effectively leverage AI, disrupting business as usual only where required, and provides businesses with a toolkit to navigate the coming wave of challenges and opportunities.”
A book launch was held at the Rotman School of Management on April 16.
You can read more about PREDICTION MACHINES here.
