Equal pay too much to ask? Why inclusion is a structural matter in the Digital Infrastructure sector.
Terri Simpkin
Associate Professor of Management | Authority, Impostor Phenomenon | NED | Public Speaker | Churchill Fellow
This article is the third in a series of research led articles on equality, diversity and inclusion from Portman Partners
This instalment looks at some of the findings from the research programme focussing on the lived experience of women in the Digital Infrastructure Sector. Today we explore the first of three broad elements of focus.
Structure and Process.
All organisations rely on structure and process. Among other purposes, structure and process maintain order, determine scope of activity and identify authority/ power structures. However, structures and process are also implicitly infused with subjective assumptions and preconceptions about the organisational groups that they’re in place to serve (e.g. recruitment and selection, remuneration and reward and succession/promotions structures).
...the ideal DI organisational landscape would have characteristics associated with generally good organisational practices...
When asked what an ideal inclusive organisation would look like and how it would embrace (or even tolerate) diversity some of the responses were surprising. In fact, they illustrated some of the most basic of organisational processes, structures or norms. Responses included
- pay parity
- access to cross functional professional development opportunities
- transparency of systems
- flexible work as a norm
- support networks and mentoring opportunities
More aspirational elements such as gender parity at board level were in the minority of comments.
This suggests that the ideal DI organisational landscape would have characteristics associated with generally good organisational practices. All of this is within the scope of expectations of a modern organisation.
However, barriers to achieving some of these good practices included traditional organisational structures, systems and processes that were unfit for purpose and lack of analytics to identify issues. So too, corporate social responsibility was seen as a ‘box ticking’ exercise that was indicative of a lack of strategy and ignorance of EDI as a business issue.
However, if leaders are unable or unwilling to set the agenda ...culturally embedded support structures facilitating EDI are unlikely to be initiated or developed.
Not wanting to be just a moanfest, this research exercise highlighted some of the enablers to achieve better practices. They included:
- an industry wide diversity and inclusion agenda
- diverse leadership
- awareness through research (empirical not anecdotal)
- flat organisational structures
- recognition and equal pay
- supply chain benchmarks for EDI
Systems, process and structure play an important role in how EDI might be implemented, improved and maintained in an organization. However, if leaders are unable or unwilling to set the agenda via well evidenced and data driven strategy, then necessarily, EDI initiatives as discrete mechanisms or more effectively, culturally embedded support structures facilitating EDI are unlikely to be initiated or developed.
It was made clear that the responsibility with this agenda must sit with sector and organisational leaders and not treated as a functional activity. Inclusion in its broadest application and as a business embedded strategy, cannot be taken lightly or met with cursory attention.
The next instalment will look at behaviours in the DI sector.
The ‘Outside the Echo Chamber’ series of events is conducted by Portman Partners and aims to generate and deliver robust, evidence-based insights regarding the nature of and barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion within the digital infrastructure (DI) sector.
CALL TO ACTION - While the invitation-only follow up event to the first Outside the Echo Chamber report was postponed by the COVID-19 lockdown, we aim to deliver this in the near future as an online event. We’ll be announcing that soon. If you’d like an invitation, please contact Peter Hannaford and details will be forwarded in due course. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Dr Theresa Simpkin
Portman Partners Associate
Associate Professor, Head of MBA Programmes (International), Director of EMBA and Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeship
The first two instalments in this series can be found here:
Inclusive Leadership needs to be on every board agenda in our sector. The next installment in the excellent piece of work from Dr Simpkin.