I. J. of Business & Management Research
Research Article | 
Tech Companies and Social Justice: The Pandemic Race for Diversity, Access and Inclusion Moves Online
Author(s) : Dr. Monica Valentine
Publisher : FOREX Publication
Published : 30 October 2021
e-ISSN : 2347-4696
Page(s) : 401-414
Abstract
The year, 2020, was a wakeup call to corporate America to make unprecedented progress on diversity and inclusion, with the Covid-19 crisis exposing astronomical racial health disparities, and the murder of George Floyd, prompting global protests against racism. The reckoning over race in the U.S. prompted a growing number of leaders to adopt a moral case for communicating a stronger commitment to diversity, but stakeholders are demanding to see real change.
The purpose of this study is to outline the actions that CEOs are taking to communicate about diversity commitment and accountability as defined by the literature, among tech organizations, making the Diversity Inc. 2021 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. A qualitative content analysis of CEO diversity statements publicly published by four tech companies cited for ‘diversity,’ identifies leadership diversity actions as building trust, actively working against discrimination and subordination, embracing a wide range of styles and voice, and making cultural differences a resource for learning. These CEO statements were coded for moral legitimacy or the lack thereof. The author found symbolic evidence of moral legitimacy, four leadership perspectives on behavioral change and cultural shift, as well as, similarities and differences in communication practices. These findings will help practitioners craft diversity statements that offer substantive expressions of inclusive actions.
Keywords: Diversity commitment, Accountability, Leadership diversity, Communication practices
Dr. Monica Valentine , Assistant Professor, School of Public Administration, Kentucky State University, Kentucky, USA ; Email: Monica.Valentine@kysu.edu
[1] Hoyer, W.D., Kroschke, M., Schmitt, B., Kraume, K. and Shankar, V. (2020). Transforming the customer experience through new technologies. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51, 57-71. [Cross Ref]
[2] Tai, D.B.G., Shah, A., Doubeni, C.A., Sia, I.G. & Wieland, M.L. (2021). The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 72(4), 703-706. [Cross Ref]
[3] United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021). Economic new release: Employment situation summary- July 2021. (USDL Bulletin No. 21-1434).
[4] Singh, V. & Point, S. (2006). (Re) presentations of gender and ethnicity in diversity statements on European company websites. Journal of Business Ethics, 68(4), 363-379. [Cross Ref]
[5] Diversity Inc. (2021). 2021 Top 50 companies for diversity list.
[6] Sung, S.Y. & Choi, J.N. (2021). Contingent effects of workforce diversity on firm innovation: High-tech industry and market turbulence as critical environmental contingencies. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(9), 1986-2021. [Cross Ref]
[7] McGee, E.O. & Bentley, L. (2017). The troubled success of Black women in STEM. Cognition and Instruction, 35(4), 265-289. [Cross Ref]
[8] Ely, R.J. & Thomas, D.A. (2001). Cultural diversity at work: The effect of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly, 46(2), 229-273. [Cross Ref]
[9] Singh, V. & Point, S. (2009). Diversity statements for leveraging organizational legitimacy. International Management, 13(2), 23-34. [Cross Ref]
[10] McKay, P.F. & Avery, D.R. (2006). What has race got to do with it? Unraveling the role of racio-ethnicity in job seekers’ reactions to site visits. Personnel Psychology, 59(2), 395-429. [Cross Ref]
[11] Suchman, M.C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and institutional approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571-610. [Cross Ref]
[12] Leslie, L.M. (2019). Diversity initiative effectiveness: A typological theory of unintended consequences. Academy of Management Review, 44(3), 538-563. [Cross Ref]
[13] Taneja, S., Pryor, M.G. & Oyler, J. (2012). Empowerment and gender equality: The retention and promotion of women in the workforce. Journal of Business Diversity, 12(3), 43-53.
[14] Scott, W.R. (2008). Approaching adulthood: The maturing of institutional theory. Theory and Society, 37(5), 427. [Cross Ref]
[15] Hyatt, D.G. & Berente, N. (2017). Substantive or symbolic environmental strategies? Effects of external and internal normative stakeholder pressures. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(8), 1212-1234. [Cross Ref]
[16] Ng, E.S. & Sears, G.J. (2012). CEO leadership styles and the implementation of organizational diversity practices: Moderating effects of social values and age. Journal of Business Ethics, 105(1), 41-52. [Cross Ref]
[17] Scott, W.R., Ruef, M., Mendel, P.J. & Caronna, C.A. (2000). Institutional change and healthcare organizations. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. [Cross Ref]
[18] Hon, L.C. & Brunner, B. (2000). Diversity issues and public relations. Journal of Public Relations Research, 12(4), 309-340. [Cross Ref]
[19] Ashforth, B. E., & Gibbs, B. W. (1990). The double-edge of organizational legitimation. Organization science, 1(2), 177-194. [Cross Ref]
[20] Saxena, A. (2014). Workforce diversity: A key to improve productivity. Procedia Economics and Finance, 11, 76-85. [Cross Ref]
[21] Liao, H., Chuang, A. & Joshi, A. (2008). Perceived deep-level dissimilarity: Personality antecedents and impact of overall job attitude, helping, work withdrawal, and turnover. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 106(2), 106-124. [Cross Ref]
[22] Cox, T.H. & Blake, S. (1991). Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness. Academy of Management Perspectives, 5(3), 45-56. [Cross Ref]
[23] Thomas, D.A. & Ely, R.J. (1996). Making differences matter. Harvard Business Review, 74(5), 1-13.
[24] Heijltjes, M. Olie, R. & Glunk, U. (2003). Internationalization of top management teams in Europe. European Management Journal, 21(1), 89-97. [Cross Ref]
[25] Shore, L.M., Randel, A.E., Chung, B.G., Dean, M.A., Ehrhart, K.H. & Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1262-1289. [Cross Ref]
[26] Chua, P.K. & Mazmanian, M. (2020). Are you one of us? Current hiring practices suggest the potential for class biases in large tech companies. Proceedings of the ACM on Human Computer Interaction, 4(CSCW2), 1-20. [Cross Ref]
[27] Houser, A. (2019). Can AI solve the diversity problem in the tech industry: Mitigating noise and bias in employment decision-making. Stan Tech L. Rev., 22, 290-354.
[28] Herring, C. (2009). Does diversity pay? Race, gender, and the business case for diversity. American Sociological Review, 74(2), 208-224. [Cross Ref]
[29] Mitsakis, F. V. 2019. “Human Resource Development (HRD) Resilience: A New ‘Success Element’of Organizational Resilience?” Human Resource Development International, 23(3), 321-328. [Cross Ref]
[30] Ely, R.J. & Thomas, D.A. (2020). Getting Serious about diversity. Harvard Business Review, 98(6), 114-122.
[31] Wynn, A.T. (2010). Pathways toward change: Ideologies and gender equality in a Silicon Valley technology company. Gender & Society, 34(1), 106-130. [Cross Ref]
[32] Kalev, Dobbin & Kelly (2006). Best practices or best guesses? Assessing the efficacy of corporate affirmative action and diversity policies. American Sociological Review, 71, 589-617. [Cross Ref]
[33] Algeria, S.N. (2020). What do we mean by broadening participation? Race, inequality, and diversity in tech work. Sociology Compass, 14(6), 12793. [Cross Ref]
[34] Njoku, A., Ahmed, Y. & Bolaji, B. (2020). Police brutality against Blacks in the United States and ensuring protests: Implications for social distancing and Black health during Covid-19. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 31(1-4), 262-270. [Cross Ref]
[35] Castelló, I., & Lozano, J. M. (2011). Searching for new forms of legitimacy through corporate responsibility rhetoric. Journal of Business Ethics, 100(1), 11-29. [Cross Ref]
[36] Chen, J. C., & Roberts, R. W. (2010). Toward a more coherent understanding of the organization–society relationship: A theoretical consideration for social and environmental accounting research. Journal of business ethics, 97(4), 651-665. [Cross Ref]
[37] Crane, A. & Matten, D. (2020). Covid-19 and the future of CSR Research. Journal of Management Studies, 58(1), 280-284. [Cross Ref]
[38] Pless, N. (2007). Understanding responsible leadership: Role identity and motivational drivers. Journal of Business Ethics, 74(4), 437-456. [Cross Ref]
[39] Palazzo, G. & Scherer, A.G. (2006). Corporate legitimacy as deliberation: A communicative framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 66(1), 71-88. [Cross Ref]
[40] Koehn, N. (2020). Real leaders are forged in crisis. Harvard Business Review, 3, 2-6.
[41] Pless, N. & Maak, T. (2009). Responsible leaders as agents of world benefit: Learnings from “Project Ulysses”. Journal of Business Ethics, 85(1), 59-71. [Cross Ref]
[42] Veil, S. R. (2020). “Revisiting the Best Practices in Risk and Crisis Communication: A Multi Case Analysis.” In The Handbook of Applied Communication Research, edited by H. Dan O’Hair, 377–396. New York: John Wiley & Sons. [Cross Ref]
[43] Gilbreath, B., and M. U. Montesino. 2006. “Expanding the HRD Role: Improving Employee Well-being and Organizational Performance.” Human Resource Development International, 9(4): 563-571. [Cross Ref]
[44] Point, S. & Singh, V. (2003). Defining and dimensionalising diversity: Evidence from corporate websites across Europe. European Management Journal, 21(6), 750-761. [Cross Ref]
[45] Uysal, N. (2013). Shifting the paradigm: Diversity communication on corporate websites. Public Relations Journal, 7(2), 8-36.
[46] Moon, N. (2007). The fatal flaws of diversity and the business case for ethnic minorities. Work, Employment and Society, 21(4), 773-784. [Cross Ref]
[47] Robinson, G. & Dechant, K. (1997). Building a business case for diversity. Academy of Management Perspectives, 11(3), 21-31. [Cross Ref]
[48] Shore, L.M., Chung-Herrera, B.G., Dean, M.A., Ehrhart, K.H., Jung, D.I, Randel, et al. (2009). Diversity in organizations: Where are we now and where are we going? Human Resource Management Review, 19(2), 117-133. [Cross Ref]
[49] Jayne, M. & Dipboye, R. (2004). Leveraging diversity to improve business performance: Research findings and recommendations for organizations. Human Resource Management, 43(4), 409-424. [Cross Ref]
[50] Gilbert, J.A. & Ivancevich, J.M. (2000). Valuing diversity: A tale of two organizations. Academy of Management Perspectives, 14(1), 93-105. [Cross Ref]
[51] Rawlins, B. (2008). Give the emperor a mirror: Toward developing a stakeholder measurement of organizational transparency. Journal of Public Relations Research, 21(1), 71-99. [Cross Ref]
[52] Creswell, J. (2009). Mapping the field of mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 3(2), 95-108. [Cross Ref]
[53] Krippendorff, K. (2004). Reliability in content analysis: Some common misconceptions and recommendations. Human Communication Research, 30(3), 411-433. [Cross Ref]
[54] Freelon, D. (2010). ReCal: Itercoder reliability calculation as a web service. International Journal of Internet Service, 5(1), 20-33.
[55] Hammond, W.P. & Mattis, J.S. (2005). Being a man about it: Manhood meaning among African American Men. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 62(2), 114-126. [Cross Ref]
[56] Cook, A. & Glass, C. (2014). Above the glass ceiling: When are women and racial/ethnic minorities promoted to CEO? Strategic Management Journal, 35, 1080-1089. [Cross Ref]
[57] Findler, L., Wind, L.H. & Barak, M.E.M. (2007). The challenge of workforce management in global society: Modelling the relationship between diversity, inclusion, organizational culture, and employee well-being, job-satisfaction and organizational commitment. Administration in Social Work, 31(3), 63-94. [Cross Ref]
[58] Wasserman, I.C., Gallegos, P.V. & Ferdman, B.M. (2008). Dancing with resistance: Leadership challenges in fostering a culture of inclusion. In K.M. Thomas & K.M. Thomas (Eds.), Diversity Resistance in Organizations, (pp. 175-200). New York, NY: Taylor& Francis Group, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
[59] Ng, E.S. & Burke, R.J. (2005). Person-organization fit and the war for talent: Does diversity management make a difference? The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(7), 1195-1210. [Cross Ref]
[60] Avery, D.R. & McKay, P.F. (2006). Target practice: An organizational impression management approach to attracting minority and female job applicants. Personnel Psychology, 59, 157-187. [Cross Ref]
[61] Rau, B.L. and Hyland, M.M. (2003). Corporate teamwork and diversity statement in college recruitment brochures: Effects on attraction. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33, 2465-2492. [Cross Ref]
[62] Mor Barak, M.E. (2000). The inclusive workplace: An ecosystems approach to diversity management. Social Work, 45(4), 339-353. [Cross Ref]
[63] Bartkus, B.R. & Glassman, M. (2008). Do firms practice what they preach? The relationship between mission statements and stakeholder management. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(2), 207-216. [Cross Ref]
[64] Parent, J.D. & Lovelace, K.J. (2018). Employee engagement, positive organizational culture and individual adaptability. On The Horizon- The Strategic Planning Resource for Education Professionals, 26(3), 206-214. [Cross Ref]
[65] Feyes, E. (2018). Leadership and the promotion of diversity in the work force and beyond. Leadership in Healthcare and Public Health.
[66] Agarwal, U.A. (2014). Linking justice, trust and innovative work behavior to work engagement. Personnel Review, 43(1), 41-73. [Cross Ref]
[67] Frazier, M.L., Fainshmidt, S., Klinger, R.L., Pezeshkan, A. and Vracheva, V. (2017). Psychological safety: A meta-analytic review and extension. Personnel Psychology, 70(1), 113-165. [Cross Ref]
[68] Zhang, A.Y., Tsui, A.S., Song, L.J., Li, C. and Jia, L. (2008). How do I trust thee? The employee-organization relationship, supervisory support, and middle manager trust in the organization. Human Resource Management: Published in Cooperation with the School of Business Administration, The University of Michigan and in alliance with the Society of Human Resource Management, 47(1), 111-132. [Cross Ref]
[69] Javed, B., Naqvi, S.M.M.R., Khan, A.K, Arjoon, S. & Tayyeb, H.H. (2019). Impact of inclusive leadership on innovative work behavior: The role of psychological safety. Journal of Management & Organization, 25(1), 117-135. [Cross Ref]
[70] Lockwood, N.R. (2007). Leveraging employee engagement for competitive advantage. Society for Human Resource Management Research Quarterly, 1(1), 1-12.
[71] Meek, V.L. (1988). Organizational culture: Origins and weaknesses. Organization Studies, 9(4), 453-473. [Cross Ref]
[72] Singh, B., Winkel, D.E. & Selvarajan, T.T. (2013). Managing diversity at work: Does psychological safety hold the key to racial differences in employee performance? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(2), 242-253. [Cross Ref]
[73] Carter, D. & Peters, T. (2016). The underrepresentation of African American women in executive leadership: What’s getting in the way. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 7(4), 115-134.
[74] Holder, A., Jackson, M.A. & Ponterotto, J.G. (2015). Racial microaggression experiences and coping strategies of Black women in corporate leadership. Qualitative Psychology, 2(2), 164-180. [Cross Ref]
[75] Wingfield, A.H. (2010). Are some emotions marked Whites only? Racialized feeling rules in professional workplaces. Social Problems, 57(2), 251-268. [Cross Ref]
[76] Searcy, C. & Buslovich, R. (2014). Corporate perspectives on the development and use of sustainability reports. Journal of Business and Ethics, 121(2), 149-169. [Cross Ref]
[77] Brinkerhoff, D. (2005). Organizational legitimacy, capacity and capacity development. European Center for Development Policy Management.
Dr. Monica Valentine (2021), Tech Companies and Social Justice: The Pandemic Race for Diversity, Access and Inclusion Moves Online. IJBMR 9(4), 401-414. DOI: 10.37391/IJBMR.090403.