Book Review: Diversity Beyond Tokenism makes readers think about tough questions

‘Diversity’ has become a buzzword that evokes diverse reactions in organisations. While some think of it as a step towards social justice; others view it as a compliance issue. Some smell in it a conspiracy hatched by those who want opportunities but lack merit; others see it as a responsibility that leaders must take on to ensure wider representation of historically marginalised groups.

As you explore and articulate your thoughts on diversity, Swati Jena and T. N. Hari’s new book Diversity Beyond Tokenism: Why Being Politically Correct Doesn’t Help Anyone (2021) might be a helpful resource to guide you on this path. Jena has worked in education, consulting, talent management, learning and development, and entrepreneurship. Hari is the Chief Human Resources Officer at bigbasket.com. He is also an angel investor and an advisor to venture capitalists.

This book has been published by SAGE India. It addresses the subject of diversity in the context of organisational culture, business growth, capacity building and employee well-being. The authors reflect on their own experiences and also draw examples from companies such as Google, Uber, Apple, Dove, and Cisco. Their approach is to look carefully at well-entrenched practices in organisations, identify if these are effective, critique what does not work, and offer alternatives.

For starters, they write about companies that host workshops to sensitise employees about unconscious biases but people occupying the highest leadership positions in these organisations do not attend such trainings. They assume that they know it all, and only people lower in the hierarchy need to learn. The authors rightly point out that such behaviours are harmful; they convey that diversity is not taken seriously. Most successful leaders are committed to lifelong learning.

Jena and Hari mention that, for many leaders, all the talk about diversity is “a new-age gimmick that some hoity-toity feminists had unleashed”. They have accurately named a widespread perception that takes root in organisations when leaders are not following the latest conversations in their field with a desire to grow. They defend their ignorance by claiming that learning is a waste of time.

There is a lot that leaders of all genders can gain from the feminist movement. However, it is also worth acknowledging that feminists do not comprise one monolithic group. They often have differing views and bitter fights on matters such as transgender rights, menstrual leave, abortion and sex work. Feminist-led organisations are not perfect. They too struggle with issues related to hierarchy, power sharing, timely payment of salaries, and conducive working conditions.

The problem is that many organisations tend to focus on gender and race as markers of diversity but they usually miss out on diversity of thought. They tend to hire “diversity candidates” for cosmetic reasons, to show that the organisation looks diverse. They fear people who think differently. They think that diverse views will necessarily lead to conflict, waste time and decrease productivity. Can conflict actually help an organisation? This is a question that the book will force you to think about.

The authors write, “Treating something as holy, and beyond debate and discussion, borders on religious fervour, and this is not a good thing even in religion, leave alone in the corporate world. Ability to deal with dissent or multiplicity of opinions in an honest and transparent manner is the very foundation of diversity.” According to them, “draconian guidelines” can often stifle free speech within organisations, and leaders can lose out on extremely crucial feedback from employees.

Is it reasonable for organisations to expect that employees will know exactly how to conduct themselves after attending one workshop? How can cultural conditioning disappear overnight? Should people not get this training in schools and colleges before they enter the workforce? If people do not know the appropriate vocabulary, is it correct to assume that they are bigoted? Is access to this vocabulary, gained through higher education, also not a mark of privilege?

These are tough questions but the authors want you to think about them. When people are called out for their misogyny, homophobia, racism and transphobia online, one way for organisations to respond is to fire the person concerned. Is this a sustainable solution or does it merely serve to satisfy those who are angry and upset by the immediate harm that has been caused? What can organisations do to support people who have made an honest mistake and want to fix things?

Jena and Hari also find that advocates of diversity at the workplace sometimes claim, without any evidence, that having a diverse team in terms of gender and sexual orientation necessarily translates into profits. Is this true for all sectors, and organisations of every size? They write, “The obvious question is if diversity was so unambiguously beneficial, then why shouldn’t companies quickly set and achieve diversity targets and not be further bothered by any of this discussion?”

If you get the impression that the authors are being too harsh on organisations, you will be glad to know that they direct the critical gaze at themselves too. They accept, for instance, that their understanding of gender is limited to the binary of men and women. They have not really taken into account the experiences of people outside these two categories. An updated edition of this book would also benefit from a sincere engagement with the intersection of multiple identities.

While they note the futility of believing that “my sweeping assumption is superior and more politically correct than yours” they do not venture into discussing how generalisations about women’s experiences and men’s experiences can also be unhelpful. People’s access to opportunities is rarely shaped by their gender alone. Caste, age, disability, education, occupation, inherited wealth, marital status, citizenship status, mental health, and family history are other key factors.

This book may not be the last word on diversity but it is a good place to start for those who are grappling with some of these questions, and want to genuinely adopt practices that affirm the dignity of all people. We cannot change the whole world but we can change our own mindsets.

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based author who tweets @chintan_connect