Deloitte & Touche (D&T)’s Approach to Managing Gender Diversity
Read the case in the HBS coursepack “Deloitte & Touche (A): A Hole in the Pipeline” to answer the questions below. Answer these questions and also come prepared to discuss this case in class. I will be reading your responses and you will not get an automatic 20 points just for writing something down.
1) Critically analyze Deloitte & Touche (D&T)’s approach to managing gender diversity.
a) “Awareness” (what aspects of the organization’s internal or external context triggered an interest in pursuing diversity management)
b) “Engagement” (how did various stakeholders, e.g., employees, leaders initially react to the interest in undertaking diversity efforts)
c) “Action” (how would you evaluate the actions that the organization finally implemented as part of the Women’s Initiative? Do you think these efforts are going to get them to the Intentionally Inclusive end of the Action spectrum? What more, if anything, can they do?
2) Analyze the experience of women like Lois Evans and others at D&T. Draw on other class readings to comment on her and other female employees’ experiences in the company.
(In your response you might comment on the pressures that individuals like Evans face at D&T drawing on the experiences of protagonists in other cases discussed in class. What do you make of her engagement and/or involvement in early discussions about the Women’s Initiative? Could she have done anything differently? If so, what might that be? If not, why do you think her leadership is adequate?)
3) Analyze the role of Mike Cook and other senior males at D&T. Draw on other class and readings to comment on their responses to and engagement in the Women’s Initiative. How would you evaluate some of the senior males at D&T using the AEA framework? Where on the red “Action/Allyship” diagonal would they fall based on their Awareness and Empathy about gender issues?
(Could Cook have done anything differently? If so, what might that be? If not, why do you think his leadership is adequate? You might also discuss other male leaders such as Copeland separately from Cook)
Instructor's Name
Course
Date
Deloitte
Question 1
a. Awareness
Internally, the approach to diversity management by Deloitte & Touche (D&T) was triggered by the high turnover rate among women and the subsequent realization that the company was not a good place for women to work. Although the findings of the Catalyst report revealed how the company's work environment was unfavorable to women, it was until Lois Evans made it clear that the workplace was a "crappy place" for women to work that stakeholders understood the gravity of the matter (Kanter and Roessner 7). Therefore, the internal environment, the high turnover among women, the Catalyst report, and the words of Lois Evans triggered an interest in the company to pursue diversity management. The talent competition triggered the interest in pursuing diversity management as the company did not want to lose its talented women to competitors.
b. Engagement
The stakeholders initially met the interest in taking diversity efforts with disbelief. Initially, Lois Evans was not happy to be part of the task force convened to discover why women left the company. Ellen Stafford-Sigg had many concerns about the task force, one being that it would set her apart from her male colleagues. When Cook announced that the company was going to focus on a women's initiative, the firm's employees, including Jip Copeland, did not see the need. So, in general, the stakeholders in the company did not feel the need to undertake diversity efforts.
c. Action
The actions implemented by the firm as part of the women's initiative were not only comprehensive but could change its culture to one that favors women. One can deduce that establishing a leadership platform, encouraging the idea of men and women being colleagues, boosting career opportunities for women, and support for work-life balance led to a significant improvement in ...