The gains from diversity
A diverse and inclusive workplace is good for business. And according to Eddie Pate, vice president of diversity and inclusion at Avanade Inc., because people want to join diverse organizations, it’s a quality that not only makes institutions like Harvard destination employers, but is also synonymous with excellence. At a recent Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Diversity Dialogue session, Pate delivered a presentation called “Mentoring and Relationship-Building in Culturally Competent Organizations.” In it, he said diversity and cultural competency must be an integral part of the education process at Harvard, which teaches people to serve a multicultural society. If it’s not, he told the audience, the University isn’t doing its job. Creating safe, inclusive environments in the workplace demands commitment and effort, and requires people to step out of their comfort zones, but the payoff is worth it, Peter V. Marsden, Edith and Benjamin Geisinger Professor of Sociology and FAS Dean...