Diversity Tech: Using Technology for Diversity and Inclusion

Bachelor Thesis, Master Thesis or Project Study

📌 Key facts

• Mission: Find out how technology can be used to increase diversity at the workplace. • When: Start anytime. Applications are open! • How to apply: Send us an e-mail (at the end of this page) with your CV and a grade report and a tentative research idea (research question, data and methods, possible outcomes with a tentative outline all in word as *.docx)

Contents

• 💡 Background
• 🦾Who We Are
• 🎯 Goals
• 🎓 Profile
• 📚 Further Reading
• 📄 Requirements to any Work
• 📬 How to Apply

💡 Background

In the last 20 years, considerable amounts of financial and personnel effort were invested by states and company to increase diversity - unfortunately only with limited success. It should be this work's goal to analyze and evaluate the possibilities and impact of "Diversity Tech", that means technology and innovation as measure to increase the diversity in organisation. To date, states and organisations tried to solve the topics unconscious, unconscious bias, and diversity via workshops, trainings, mentoring, and coaching programs. However, the percentage of women in higher positions did not significantly increase (as you see below). Similar and even worse developments can be expected for racial, ethnic, political, and gender diversity. The only increasing diversity is likely the diversity of skills and academic backgrounds.

However, no it is time to consider the solution that has humanity advanced the furthest so far - technology. We want to finde a novel approach: "Diversity Tech" - solving diversity topics with technology.

🦾Who We Are

The Chair for Strategy and Organization is focused on doing research with impact. This means we do not want to repeat old ideas and base our research solely on the research people did 10 years ago. Instead, we currently research topics that will shape the future. Topics such as Agile Organizations and Digital Disruption, Blockchain Technology, Creativity and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation, Diversity, Education: Education Technology and Performance Management, HRTech, Leadership and Teams. We are always early in noticing trends, technologies, strategies and organizations that shape the future, which has its ups and downs.

🎯 Goals

• Review literature on diversity, technologies, and innovation
• Review start-ups tackling diversity, their technologies, and innovations (search crunchbase, dealbook, LinkedIn, Venture Capital portfolios etc.)
• Define diversity pain points
• Consider potential problems like algorithmic bias
• Recommend technologies that could potentially solve those pain points

🎓 Profile

• Reliable and self-driven
• Enthusiasm for organisational change / diversity / technology / discrimination
• Ability to do sophisticated internet, desk research, and connect with practitioners
• Passion to learn more about the future and do research with impact

📚 Further Reading

Shore, Lynn & Chung, Beth & Dean, Michelle & Ehrhart, Karen & Jung, Don & Randel, Amy & Singh, Gangaram. (2009). Diversity in organizations: Where are we now and where are we going?. Human Resource Management Review. 19. 117-133. 10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.10.004.

How we can use tech to improve diversity in the workplace

Technology can be biased, but it can also help companies to improve inclusion and diversity in the workplace - and, in turn, to boost their bottom lines.

www.weforum.org

The future of diversity and inclusion in tech

Silicon Valley is entering a new phase in its quest for diversity and inclusion in the technology industry. Some advocates call this part "the end of the beginning," Code2040 CEO Karla Monterroso tells TechCrunch. At first, advocates were focused on calling out the lack of diversity at tech confere...

techcrunch.com

Delivering through diversity

Awareness of the business case for inclusion and diversity is on the rise. While social justice typically is the initial impetus behind these efforts, companies have increasingly begun to regard inclusion and diversity as a source of competitive advantage, and specifically as a key enabler of growth.

www.mckinsey.com

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Workplace | PeopleScout

In the modern workplace, companies are placing greater emphasis on diversity and inclusion initiatives to strengthen organizational adaptability, gain competitive advantage and reduce legal risks. Despite this trend, many companies still struggle with racial and ethnic discrimination and policymaking.

www.peoplescout.com

Racial Diversity: There's More Work to be Done in the Workplace

Racial diversity in the workplace - from recruiting to hiring to promoting people of color - continues to move at an unimpressive pace. And if LinkedIn's annual workplace diversity report is any indication, the needle is moving so slowly that it appears to be broken.

execed.economist.com

Diversity and inclusion in Tech | Deloitte Insights

As organizations evolve into technology companies, CIOs and leaders across the business are at the forefront of instilling and rethinking diversity and inclusion in tech. From redefining recruiting practices to driving mentorship and building a culture of inclusion, initiatives with a diverse tech workforce are best equipped to serve diverse customers and achieve business outcomes.

www2.deloitte.com

This is how biased technology change can impact the labour market

Certain aspects of production are affected.

www.weforum.org

Diversity in Venture Capital - NVCA-Deloitte Human Capital Survey Dashboard | Deloitte US

How was the study conducted? An email was distributed to 1,428 active VC firms, including NVCA members, asking them to participate in the study. Firms had the option to complete the assessment one of two ways: through a web-based survey, or through an identical spreadsheet.

www2.deloitte.com

Here's A Detailed Breakdown Of Racial And Gender Diversity Data Across U.S. Venture Capital Firms

Chamath Palihapitiya, the opinionated venture capitalist who once got into a public spat with Ron Conway over income inequality and challenged founders to have the "courage to move to Oakland" a few weeks ago, has catalogued detailed racial and gender diversity data on venture firms thr...

techcrunch.com

Yale's David Swensen Puts Money Managers on Notice About Diversity

America's most prominent endowment chief has a message for the firms that manage the school's money: Hire more women and minorities, or possibly lose the university's backing. David Swensen is the veteran investment chief of Yale University's $31.2 billion endowment.

www.wsj.com

📄 Requirements to any Work

We do not want your research to gather dust in some corner of a bookshelf but make it accessible to the world. Thus, we warmly encourage you to create some or all of the following:

• Infograph - visually represent some of your work (find examples here)
• Slide Deck - summarize your research and possibly present it
• Extract most important sequences from podcasts, videos, and other media
• 3-4 Tweets about the most important findings and summarizing the topic
• optional: Medium Article - let people outside university know about your research and start your personal brand

📬 How to Apply

If you are interested, please contact Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe (e-mail below) by submitting your CV and grade report. Please also briefly outline your tentative research idea (research question, data and methods, possible outcomes with a tentative outline all in word as *.docx)

We're greatly looking forward to hearing more about you!

👉 welpe@tum.de