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Ducks in a Row: When Will It Change?

by Miki Saxon

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geordieenigma/2725675007/

The recent conversation I had with a group of managers was both eye-opening and depressing.

The managers were from a variety of companies, from startups to enterprise, most at mid-to-senior level.

They ranged from late twenties through fifties and, although not intentional, all were white.

The subject was diversity/inclusiveness.

Without exception, they claimed that their organization really was a meritocracy and that the media stories of gender/racial prejudice, especially in tech, were overblown or untrue.

Several commented that there was no real research that proved bias.

I pointed out a recent rigorous study that showed that the prejudice started long before careers.

Our analyses, which we reported recently in a second paper, revealed that the response rates did indeed depend on students’ race and gender identity.

I almost laughed when several held the tech startup world up as an example of how meritocracy worked, since nothing could be further from the truth.

The sad part is that they are good managers whose organizations are meritorious—at least in comparison to most.

I’m not sure if it’s naiveté, ignorance, wishful thinking or secret agreement, but when the people doing it right assume everyone else is, too, nothing will change.

Flickr image credit: Geordie Hagan

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