How a Values-Based Approach Advances DEI

A new model for developing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization can increase employee satisfaction.

- ANSELM A. BEACH AND ALBERT H. SEGARS

THE RESEARCH BEHIND THE VALUES/PRINCIPLES MODEL

We identified the four values and seven principles that lead to transformational change in a multiyear field study of 17 organizations that have been recognized for their innovativeness and effectiveness in DEI by multiple sources that rank businesses, including Glassdoor, Forbes, and Fortune.

In the first phase of our research, we conducted in-depth interviews with 55 executives, 33 middle managers, and 73 team members in the organizations about their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and what they considered to be an effective path to achieve them. Analysis of these interviews yielded the values and the principles. We tested the model by surveying a diverse set of 350 employees in the same organizations, asking them to rate the degree to which the principles had been applied and values achieved. These respondents also assessed overall workplace satisfaction, which is a reliable metric for understanding how employees feel about their work environment and opportunities for advancement.

We validated the model further with a second round of surveys, this time of general managers from 113 Fortune 250 companies. Using the same approach as for the initial phase, we asked HR professionals in each company to recommend two respondents, one of whom identified as a member of an underrepresented population. Many companies asked for an additional pair of respondents to complete the survey, resulting in 430 total responses. The second survey confirmed the results from phase one.