The LEADing Edge

Beyond the Business Case - The Why of DEI

The LEADing Edge

Show Notes

For decades, the “business case” for diversity, equity, and inclusion has shaped the conversation. The data is clear: diverse organizations often outperform their peers; but despite this, progress hasn’t always matched the promise.

So in this episode, Allyson Zimmermann and Sarah McGowan go beyond the numbers. Instead of asking whether DEI works - we know it does! - we’re asking why it works. What are the mechanisms that make DEI effective? What actually happens inside diverse teams that leads to better performance, sharper decisions, and stronger leadership? To explore this, we turn to academic research that doesn’t often make its way into boardrooms but offers powerful insights for leaders and HR professionals in consumer goods, retail, and beyond.

🔗 References mentioned in this episode: Katherine W. Phillips (2019), Diversity Makes Better Teams – NYU talk on YouTube Hoobler, J. M., Masterson, C. R., Nkomo, S. M., & Michel, E. J. (2018). The business case for women leaders: Meta-analysis, research critique, and path forward. Journal of Management.

Thanks to New York University (NYU), the Center for Workplace Excellence at the University of South Australia and Professor Jenny Hubler for providing content and insights that helped shape this episode.

Podcast producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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