Diversity, Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business

Pamela Newkirk

October 22, 2019

Diversity, Inc. by Pamela Newkirk is an insightful and informative look into the corporate world of diversity, and how it fails to produce the desired results. The book follows Newkirk’s own experiences as she searches for answers to why diversity initiatives fail, and why they result in a lack of progress in increasing diversity among corporate staff members.Newkirk uses research, interviews, and case studies to uncover how corporations are not enacting their diversity initiatives with enough intensity or commitment. She reveals the stark reality of the corporate world: While companies have spent billions of dollars on diversity programs over the past few decades, these programs have largely failed to yield results. Newkirk reveals how corporate initiatives, such as training and social programs, are often superficial and lack tangible, constructive results. Additionally, she outlines how corporations play a pivotal role in continuing institutions of inequality, as these companies and their initiatives lack real oversight and accountability.Additionally, Newkirk interrogates the “business case for diversity”, which suggests that companies have an incentive to increase their diversity to create a more effective and innovative workplace. Despite the evidence that suggests the opposite, Newkirk uncovers the truth through data and analysis: Diversity can in fact be profitable, but only when done correctly.Throughout the book, Newkirk argues that it is the responsibility of companies to ensure that diversity initiatives are fair, non-discriminatory, and that they take place in a corporate context that promotes equity and inclusion. She provides a thoughtful evaluation of the current state of corporate diversity and a clear argument as to why more effective diversity practices would ultimately benefit businesses in the long run. By revealing the real stories of those affected by corporate diversity initiatives, Diversity, Inc. offers a powerful critique of corporate America and a much-needed corrective for failed diversity policies.