Home / Lectures / Quinetta Roberson, Michigan State University, Broad College of Business

Are There Actually ‘Best Practices’? Diversity Management Bundles and Organizational Performance

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Quinetta Roberson, Michigan State University, Broad College of Business

Description

Semester:

  • Fall 2021

Speakers:

Quinetta Roberson

Lecture Time:

Fri, November 19, 2021 @ 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Lecture Location:

R0220, Ross Building

Speaker Webpage(s):

No speaker websites available.

Introduced By:

Brenda Myung

Abstract

Although organizations have increasingly invested in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives (Newkirk, 2019), the business case for such initiatives remains elusive. DEI practices have been shown to influence the representation of women and minorities at different levels of organizations (Kalev & Dobbin, 2006; Richards et al., 2013), although we have a more limited understanding of whether that influence translates into a performance impact. In this study, we explore whether and how DEI practices impact firm financial performance. Drawing from the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature, we adopt a bundled approach to diversity management to examine the complementary nature of certain practices and how such reinforcing practices may create a competitive advantage for firms. We also investigate whether clusters of firms based on the number and type of diversity management practices implemented experience different levels of firm performance. Using survey data from a sample of 202 credit unions throughout the United States and matching financial data from the National Credit Union Association (NCUA), our preliminary findings suggest that firms with more extensive strategic diversity management practices have higher financial performance. In addition, there is some support for a relationship between strategic diversity management bundles and performance for firms with a wider product breadth. We conclude by considering the theoretical and practical implications of these results, next steps for this and related studies, and directions for future DEI practice research.

Recording & Additional Notes

Quinetta Roberson, Ph.D. is the John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor of Management and Psychology at Michigan State University. Prior to her current position, she was an Endowed Chair at Villanova University and a tenured professor at Cornell University. She has been a visiting scholar at universities on six continents and has more than 20 years of global experience in teaching courses, facilitating workshops, and advising organizations on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Roberson has published over 40 scholarly journal articles and book chapters, edited a Handbook of Diversity in the Workplace (2013), and is a two-time TEDx speaker. Her research and consulting work focus on developing organizational capability and enhancing effectiveness through diversity, equity and inclusion, and is informed by her work experiences, having worked as a financial analyst and small business consultant prior to obtaining her doctorate. She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Maryland and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Finance. https://broad.msu.edu/profile/robers96/