Business Case

The Confederation for British Industry published the benefits of a diversity strategy, which are:

• Access to diverse and more highly skilled labour;
• Improved selection and promotion decisions;
• Increased labour flexibility;
• Avoiding costs of discrimination claims;
• Performance gains (such as the enhancement of teamwork, better problem-solving and decision-making, improvements in employee relations, morale and work environment);
• Improved community, consumer and investor relations;
• Stimulation of new business ideas and markets (Metcalf and Forth, 2000, p2).

It is worth noting that those conclusions concur almost exactly with the CRE report 'Equality Means Business' (CRE, 1995) which lists the following advantages;

• Using people's talents to the full;
• Ensuring that selection decisions and policies are based on objective criteria, and not on unlawful discrimination, prejudice and unfair assumption;
• Becoming an ' employer of choice';
• Getting closer to customers and understanding their needs;
• Operating internationally with success;
• Sustaining a healthy society;
• Making the company more attractive to investors;
• Avoiding the costs of discrimination (Metcalf and Forth, 2000, p2).

The only substantial advantage put forward by the CRE which is not listed by the CBI is the sustaining of a healthy society.

Source:
Professor Daniele Joly - Author of "Profit & Diversity"
Director
Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL

Web: http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/CRER_RC/