Inclusivity for a diverse workforce: Organizational initiatives for a sustainable solution

Purpose The paper explores how organizations can address unconscious biases and stereotypes to promote not only a diverse, but also an inclusive workforce, and thus, sustain the diversity and reap its benefits over a long time. Design/methodology/approach The paper utilizes the typology approach to describe four kinds of workforce diversity and the corresponding employee behavior that would foster inclusivity for the diverse workforce. It accordingly suggests organizational initiatives that would promote the desirable behavior of employees. Findings The paper proposes organizational initiatives that will encourage the inclusion of a workforce, which may be diverse in terms of culture, generation, gender identities and sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities. The initiatives are expected to sustain diversity and inclusion by creating allyship among employees. Research limitations/implications Future research can empirically investigate the impact of organizational initiatives on allyship, and consequently on diversity and inclusion. Practical implications The paper recommends organizational initiatives to build allyship and thus sustain inclusion of employees, diverse in terms of culture, generations, gender and sexual identities and abilities. Originality/value The paper highlights organizational actions that can sustain diversity and inclusion for multiple diverse groups. Existing literature indicates limited evidence of such research on inclusion sustainability. By systematically identifying required initiatives at the organizational level that can create allyship, drawing on the desirable inclusive behaviors at the employee level, the paper seeks to contribute to the literature.