Lip Service No More

Till a while ago, diversity hardly figured as a topic of interest at corporate discussions. It has finally grabbed a seat, and eyeballs, at the management table

- Vinita Bhatia

Recently, McKinsey surveyed 366 public companies for its 'Diversity Matters' report and it found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Also, companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.

What this basically means is that organisations that make diversity and inclusivity as one of their leadership goals are more successful than those that don't. While most companies already have included diversity as one of their mission statements, this is more like offering lip service than taking dedicated action in that direction.

Not the Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which owns Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris, though. This is what Praveen Chander Kumar, area director, Pune and Nashik and general manager of Taj Lands End, Mumbai, emphatically stated. And he should know – he has been with the company for 25 years. for instance, he pointed out how over the past four to five years, the organisation has been working towards increasing the percentage of women associates.

WOMEN REPRESENTATION