Engendering diversity: women’s employment in the public service

Abstract

The case for diversity in the workforce is well rehearsed. It has shifted over the years from arguments based on human rights and equality to a business case. A growing body of research suggests that diversity in senior management makes for better decision-making and is generally good for business, whether that business is in the public or private sector. Recent research covering 33,000 workers in 28 countries further suggests that employees who work in a strong climate of diversity and inclusion are three times more confident about their organisation’s ability to perform than those who work in companies with low diversity, and that the level of organisational innovation in such companies is four times higher than in those with a weak diversity and inclusion culture (Wichert, 2014).