A DEI Roadmap for an Organization and Its Sustainability Reporting
Cruz, Joan Mhyles (2024)
2024
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024053018232
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024053018232
Tiivistelmä
The objective of this thesis is to underscore the importance of having Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for both the top management and HR and to create a DEI management plan or roadmap. While the organization as a whole presents a strong message on its ESG commitment, the case company based in Finland has a nascent DEI strategy and the key challenge is how to amplify DEI to its business groups.
The approach used for this study was the Applied action research that relied on qualitative research methods that involved meetings, interviews, document analysis and collaboration with the key stakeholders of the case company – the DEI task force group. The current state analysis revealed the need to build a strong DEI culture in the future by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational framework. Existing knowledge and best practices about DEI and its advantages for the organizations focused on a) the concepts of DEI, its advantages, and ways to amplify its importance, b) building a DEI plan/roadmap and c) ideas for sustainability reporting providing the KPIs used by the frontrunners in their DEI initiatives.
As a business impact, this thesis should help the top management and HR see DEI as crucial components for the organization’s overall growth and sustained innovation. More crucially, DEI as a social pillar of sustainability is set to be given higher importance by organizations, especially in the EU, due to moral, legal, and economic imperatives. The case company’s DEI work will continuously improve and having a DEI management plan/roadmap will help the organization in the long term. As DEI initiatives are essential components of the case company’s overarching business strategy, the thesis helps aims to develop a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace and strive towards its sustainability goal of having a better impact in society as a software industry.
The approach used for this study was the Applied action research that relied on qualitative research methods that involved meetings, interviews, document analysis and collaboration with the key stakeholders of the case company – the DEI task force group. The current state analysis revealed the need to build a strong DEI culture in the future by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational framework. Existing knowledge and best practices about DEI and its advantages for the organizations focused on a) the concepts of DEI, its advantages, and ways to amplify its importance, b) building a DEI plan/roadmap and c) ideas for sustainability reporting providing the KPIs used by the frontrunners in their DEI initiatives.
As a business impact, this thesis should help the top management and HR see DEI as crucial components for the organization’s overall growth and sustained innovation. More crucially, DEI as a social pillar of sustainability is set to be given higher importance by organizations, especially in the EU, due to moral, legal, and economic imperatives. The case company’s DEI work will continuously improve and having a DEI management plan/roadmap will help the organization in the long term. As DEI initiatives are essential components of the case company’s overarching business strategy, the thesis helps aims to develop a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace and strive towards its sustainability goal of having a better impact in society as a software industry.