The business case for D&I

There is growing activism globally for gender parity but, with much of the conversation focused on rights, what about the business case for gender parity?

As the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) believes diversity and inclusion (D&I) is good for business, it has been running a D&I programme since 2012.

Ahead of the BCCJ’s Diversity Drill Down Hackathon on 30th May, we consider why D&I matters to firms and how can they achieve it.

According to Delivery Through Diversity, a 2017 report by McKinsey & Company, diverse leadership coupled by diverse teams in the workplace drives recruitment, talent retention, innovation, performance and, ultimately, profitability.

Surveying 1,000 firms across 12 countries, the report shows those firms in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform their national industry median on EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) margin. Meanwhile, firms with the most ethically or culturally diverse boards worldwide are 43% more likely to experience higher profits.

According to the report, diverse teams are not only more creative than homogenous teams but also “bring different experiences, perspectives and approaches to bear onto solving complex, non-routine problems.” They also “make better quality decisions, often faster, and in a more fact-based manner, with less cognitive bias or groupthink.”

Successful D&I management also “improves employee satisfaction and reduces conflict between groups, improving collaboration and loyalty,” the report states.

With D&I proven to benefit the health of organisations globally, it is not surprising that 38% of executives surveyed by Deloitte in 2017 reported that the “primary sponsor” of their company’s diversity and inclusion efforts was the CEO.

Deloitte’s report, Global Human Capital Trends, shows that the proportion of executives worldwide who cited inclusion as a top priority for their business has risen by 32% since its 2014 survey.

And Japan’s ranking of 114 out of 144 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, does not reflect executives’ views on diversity and inclusion. In the survey, 86% of respondents in Japan rated diversity and inclusion as “important” or “very important,” compared to 74% in the UK and 66% in the US.

But how can business leaders ensure diversity and inclusion is adopted in their organisations?

As part of International Women’s Day efforts in 2018, PwC released its report, Time to Talk: What has to Change for Women at Work, which surveyed 3,628 women aged 28 to 40 in 61 countries and across 27 industries. It outlines three critical elements that business leaders must focus on to help women realise their full potential at work: transparency and trust, strategic support, and solutions for work-life balance.

So, how can firms transform these needs into practical policies, concrete actions and tangible results? And what needs to be done in organisations to support the active participation of other groups, such as young people, differently abled people, marginalised groups and the LGBTQ community?

The BCCJ welcomes your input on this topic at its first Diversity Drilldown Hackathon on 30th May, designed to help shape a 2020 Vision D&I charter for the BCCJ.

ビジネスにおけるダイバーシティ＆インクルージョン(D&I)

近年、男女ともに平等な権利を求める活動がさらに活発化してきています。では、ビジネスでは男女平等に向けてどのような動きがあるのでしょうか？

在日英国商業会議所（BCCJ）ではダイバーシティー＆インクルージョン（D&I）、つまり多様性とそれぞれの個人の意見を尊重することは、ビジネス面でも重要な課題なのだと認識しています。2012年から様々な活動を実施しており、5月30日にも Diversity Drill Down Hackathon を開催することが決定しています。

ここではD&Iが企業にどのような影響をもたらすのか、さらにD&Iを達成するための大切なポイントを紹介します。

2017年にMcKinsey & Company が作成したレポート、 Delivery Through Diversity によると、多様性に富んだリーダーおよびチームを保有する企業は、人材マネジメント、イノベーションなどの面で優良な実績を残し、そして高い収益性を得ることができるといいます。（12ヵ国、1,000の企業を対象に行われた調査の結果）

レポートでは、多様性に富んだチームはクリエイティブな思考を持っているだけでなく、異なる経験、観点、そしてアプローチから物事を考察し、課題や問題の解決に取り組むとあります。意思決定にかかる時間も短く、さらにはより質の高い政策を立てられることも利点として挙げられ、従業員の満足度が高いこと、従業員同士の対立が少ない点などにもさらなる注目が集まっています。

2017年に発表された世界経済フォーラムのジェンダーギャップ指数（World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report）において、日本は144ヵ国中114位で、エグゼクティブのD&Iに対する考えが反映されていない結果となりました。

PwCのTime to Talk:What has to Change for Women at Workでは、61か国、27業界における28歳から40歳の3,628人を対象に調査を行い、リーダーが注意すべき3つのポイントが明らかになりました。transparency and trust（透明性と信頼）, strategic support（戦略上のサポート）, and solutions for work-life balance（ワーク・ライフ・バランス）の3点です。

どうしたらこれらを制作に組み込めるのか、ほかのアクティブなグループ（若者、障がい者、高齢者、LGBTのコミュニティー）をサポートするには何をしたらいいのか。これらを皆さんとともに考えていくのもBCCJの大切な役割の1つです。ぜひ5月30日の Diversity Drill Down Hackathon にご参加ください。