Chapter 2: An Unjust Demise: Has Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Met Its End in Corporate Settings?

In a recent Chief Executive Magazine poll, 62% of CEOs reported their organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives had yet to prove effective. In joint research conducted by SHRM and Association of Corporate Counsels study (2020), both chief human resource officers and chief legal officers indicated a need to do more for employees from historically marginalized groups. In fact, nearly 60% of chief human resource officers and more than 65% of corporate counsels said their organizations had not focused enough on inclusion initiatives. In addition, more than 43% of employees from marginalized groups at their organizations had experienced some form of bias in the workplace. Based on this evidence, the progress of DEI efforts to date seems grim at best.