Business Case for Diversity

1
Business Case for Diversity
Diversity Management Business Schools Current
Practice and Future Partnerships
2
Basic Information

• EABIS in partnership with Focus Consultancy, EIM
  and EIMD
• Support Partners EFMD, CSR Europe and UEAPME
• Lead Contact Bart Neerscholten, Research
  Manager, EABIS
• Research Team Esben Rahbek Pedersen (Copenhagen
  Business school), Gonzalo Sánchez Gardey
  (University of Cádiz), Simon Tywuschik (IMD),
  Myrtha Casanova (EIMD), Manuela Brusoni (SDA
  Bocconi School of Management), Dirk Buyens
  (Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School), Kate
  Grosser (Nottingham University Business school),
  Carlos Obeso (ESADE), Conxita Folguera (ESADE)
  and Ceferi Soler (ESADE)
• Start/Completion January 2008 December 2008

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Project Objectives

• Reach out to the business schools, universities,
  business leaders, and the managers of tomorrow by
  promoting the integration of high-quality
  diversity management development and training in
  the curricula of business schools across Europe
• To place diversity management on the strategic
  business agenda of companies and business schools
• To provide a comprehensive overview of the
  state-of-the-art of diversity management in
  curriculum development, teaching and research
• Explore the demand of a diversity network of
  business schools and companies

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Research Methodology

• Overview of the state-of-the-art of diversity
  management in curriculum development, teaching
  and research
• Global study European focus
• Quantitative and qualitative assessment
• Two web-surveys
• Deans 860 schools 254 responses (29.5)
• Faculty 119 responses (good practice overview)
• Case studies (20)
• Expert interviews (15)
• Descriptive analysis

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Business/Academic Collaboration

• Symposium, 23 June, ESADE Business School, Madrid
  
• Examined emerging trends and future challenges
• Assessed state of the art best practices
• Connected business schools business
• Identified interested actors to take agenda
  forward
• Discussed range of potential activities,
  mechanisms
• Defined recommendations, priorities for future
  action

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Outputs Deliverables

• Research Analysis Report (surveys case studies)
  on the state of art interest/need for diversity
  network)
• Business-Academic Symposium
• Final Report
• Diversity Management in European Business Schools
• Recommendations on feasibility and added-value of
  diversity network and mechanisms to make it work

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Mainstreaming

• Deans and the faculty members agree that
  diversity management is an important issue, to
  some extend included in both teaching and
  research already and becoming more important in
  the future
• A need to broaden the perspective on Diversity
  Management, where for now activities are largely
  focused on gender and culture issues
• Scale up the integration of Diversity Management
  across the teaching portfolio, away from
  unsupported, isolated courses and modules
• Encourage faculty to take a more creative
  approach to teaching Diversity Management
• There is longer-term strategic interest in a
  business-academic network collaboration