Frank DobbinHarvard University, Sociology

Alexandra KalevTel Aviv University, Sociology

National Academies Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion SummitJune 30, 2021

Thanks to the Russell Sage Foundation and the National Science Foundation for generous funding.

Workplace Diversity Programs that Work

Quash Manager Bias

• Train Away Bias• Regulate Bias• Punish Bias

Training for All Employees

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

WhiteMen*

WhiteWomen

BlackMen

BlackWomen

LatinxMen

LatinxWomen

AsianMen

AsianWomen

Diversity Training Sexual Harassment Training

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

f Man

ager

s

Legal Diversity Training for Managers

-15

-10

-5

0

5

WhiteMen*

WhiteWomen

BlackMen

BlackWomen

LatinxMen

LatinxWomen

AsianMen

AsianWomen

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

f Man

ager

s

Regulate Bias

-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-20

Job Test Performance Evaluations

Perc

ent C

hang

e

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

Punish Bias

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

fMan

ager

s

Civil Rights Grievance Procedure Harassment Grievance Procedure

Democratize Career Systems

• Recruitment• Mentoring• Training• Work-Life

Targeted College Recruitment

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

Perc

ent C

hang

e in S

hare

ofM

anag

ers

Referral Incentive Program

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

Referral Incentive Program

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Shar

e ofM

anag

ers

Formal Mentoring

0

5

10

15

20

25

Mentoring

Perc

ent C

hang

e

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

WhiteMen*

WhiteWomen

BlackMen

BlackWomen

LatinxMen

LatinxWomen

AsianMen

AsianWomen

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

f Man

ager

s

Cross-Training

Flextime Policy

-10

-5

0

5

10

WhiteMen*

WhiteWomen

BlackMen

BlackWomen

LatinxMen

LatinxWomen

AsianMen

AsianWomen

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

f Man

ager

s

Parental Leave Policy

-10

-5

0

5

10

WhiteMen*

WhiteWomen

BlackMen

BlackWomen

LatinxMen

LatinxWomen

AsianMen

AsianWomen

Perc

ent C

hang

e in

Sha

re o

f Man

ager

sPe

rcen

t Cha

nge

in S

hare

of M

anag

ers

Childcare

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Dependent CareExpense Account

Referral Service On-Site Childcare Childcare Voucher

Perc

ent C

hang

e

White Women Black Women Hispanic Women Asian Women

Institutionalize Systems Change

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Diversity Taskforce Diversity Manager

Perc

ent C

hang

e

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

• Quash Managerial Bias• Democratize Recruitment• Democratize Mentoring• Democratize Training• Democratize Work-Life• Institutionalize Systems Change

frank_dobbin@harvard.edu

Conclusion

Percent of Workers in Management

Private-Sector Employers with 100 Workers (60M workers in 2011)18

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015

White Men

Asian Men

White Women

Asian Women

Hispanic Men

Black Men

Hispanic Women

Black Women

Managing Harassment

-7

-5

-3

-1

1

3

5

7

9

11

Harassment Training for Managers Harassment Grievance Procedure

White Men White Women Black Men Black WomenHispanic Men Hispanic Women Asian Men Asian Women

Perc

ent C

hang

e

Harassment Trainingfor Managers

Harassment GrievanceProcedure

19