Diversity Audit - Research Paper Example

? Diversity Research Audit on Sodexo Grace Bianchi Dyjak Linda Noeth Diversity in the Workplace Introduction: As one of the largest food services andfacilities management companies in the world, Sodexo occupies an envied position for many firms within the industry. Originally launched in 1966 and expended internationally, the company eventually reached America in the 1980s and continued to expand its services to restaurants and schools. Yet regardless of the runaway levels of growth and seemingly endless streams of revenue that the company has been able to garner over the past several decades, a core element continues to define why the firm has continued to be so stable and profitable even as other firms within the industry, even other firms with similar business models, have ultimately failed. Although there are a number of reasons for why Sodexo has been able to attain and retain the success that it has, one of the most salient aspects of the business, as compared to the many other businesses within this particular line of service offering, is the fact that that the firm has sought out diversity, and the representation thereof, within the company as a gold standard for success. Research Questions: As a means of understanding this focus and the way that it has impacted upon the firm, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a salient level of discussion, inquiry, and response, with regards to the following questions: 1. What defines the culture of Sodexo? 2. What role does the president/CEO have in regards to fostering and demanding diversity? 3. What role does the individual/non manager have with regards to fostering diversity within Sodexo? 4. Does Sodexo consider itself unique and having arrived at the pinnacle of success with regards to the other firms on the list? 5. What are some of the hiring practices Sodexo uses to ensure diversity in its staff? 6. What defines diversity for Sodexo – region, nation, politics, culture? 7. Has diversity evolved for the firm since its inception? 8. Has this commitment cost the firm profitability or has it actually benefitted the firm? 9. How does communication affect the way in which the culture is formed and an appreciation of diversity is furthered? 10. What are some of the metrics and data connected to retention and development policies within the company? By delineating a response to each of these questions, and by providing a thorough literature review, it is the hope of this author that the true measurement of what helps to separate Sodexo from other firms within the extant environment can be delineated. Moreover, it is the further hope of this student that through such an understanding, the appreciation and description of best practices with regards to promoting diversity can be engaged. Literature Review: In seeking to trace why Sodexo has experienced such a high level of diversity, the first article that will be mentioned within this brief literature review is entitled “Shifting the Diversity Climate” (Ringold & Feinstein, 2011). As such, Ringold and Feinsten point to the ways in which Sodexo made a marked shift towards seeking to promote greater degrees of diversity in the hopes that it could boost their success. Realizing that it is not possible for a firm to be profitable and exist and thrive in a market that is itself increasingly diverse, Sodexo came to realize the means of capturing such a market was at least tangentially dependent upon the level of diversity they could represent. A similar approach is made with respect to Anand and Winters’ (2008) analysis that sought to integrate a further level of appreciation for the way in which Sodexo led the shift towards appreciating diversity and the impacts that it could bring as early as 1964. In allowing the reader to gain a level of oversight with regards to the historical development that the culture took, the article is useful in helping to formulate a historical approach to how and why the diversity came to be evidenced in the way it did within the modern era. Thomas and Creary’s 2011 piece entitled “Shifting the Diversity Climate: The Sodexo Solution”, hinges upon the degree and extent to which Sodexo was not satisfied with the current levels of diversity that they experienced and sought to integrate with new initiatives as a means of boosting them. This focus upon the measurable metrics of what defined diversity and the means through which it would come to be redefined and practiced within the firm is a fundamentally important starting point in helping the reader to come to a more informed conclusion concerning how diversity was redefined and understood by the decision makers of the company. Although a great deal of analysis can be placed with regards to how Sodexo defines diversity, Mills (2010) realizes that it is important to understand the way in which the remainder of the business world has defined diversity over the course of the past several decades as a means of developing a baseline of understanding with regards to how Sodexo sought to differentiate itself from the remainder of the marketplace. This understanding is of course needful for the researcher as it provides the benchmark through which Sodexo may be measured; as well as the benchmark that Sodexo utilized to measure itself and see what needed to be done in order to create a more ethical and equitable firm. Timmons (2009) furthers an understanding of diversity planning and how it was carried out; pointing to how Sodexo realized its shortcomings and sought to rectify them. In this way, the article entitled, “Leveraging Diversity of Thought to Create Business Solutions” was utilized as a means of discussing the thought process that Sodexo engaged as a means of formulating a strategy and increasing the levels of diversity evidenced within their firm. Smith (2013) points to the fact that even though Sodexo is representative of some best practices, there remains a great deal of work to be done with regards to the way in which diversity is understood within the current business model. Ultimately, the author points to the fact that diversity is not a static concept and should never be understood as such. However, rather than chiding the firm for not achieving greater levels of success, Smith discusses the way in which the firm has achieved a level of diversity that is virtually unheard of elsewhere throughout the business world and represents a best practice that other firms should continually strive towards. Analysis: 1. What defines the culture of Sodexo? With regards to the first question that was posed, it must be understood that the culture of Sodexo cannot clearly be defined based on a simple and succinct answer; rather, the culture of Sodexo is nuanced and exhibited at almost each and every stage of operations and guiding strategy. The mission statement, goals, and vision for the firm clearly define the fact that diversity is a prized aspect with regards to how the organization is defined and how it is expected to operate. This multidimensional approach to the way in which diversity is championed and promoted is likely one of the greatest strengths with respect to the continual high ranking of Sodexo with regards to an overall level of diversity. 2. What role does the president/CEO have in regards to fostering and demanding diversity? Interestingly, from the analysis that was performed, it was noted that the president/CEO of Sodexo actually had little to do with the overall levels of diversity which were promoted in championed by the firm. This is not to say that the president/CEO was either unaware or unconcerned with increasing the overall level of diversity. Rather, the culture that has been fostered and created within the firm helps to further this diversity in and of itself; thereby not necessitating a strong leader to implement rigid protocols and expectations for other stakeholders to follow. This particular fact is both intriguing and insightful with regards the way in which other similar firms might seek to improve the levels of diversity that are represented within their own workforce. Rather than creating a rigid expectation among middle management and stakeholders that diversity must be represented in each and every work area, the creation of a culture of diversity is by far the more appropriate and efficient response to the issues that are facing the workforce of the current era. 3. What role does the individual/non manager have with regards to fostering diversity within Sodexo? From the information that was engaged, it came to be quite obvious that since the CEO was not responsible for impressing upon the stakeholders a demand and continual knowledge of the importance of promoting diversity, the cultural influence that had been promoted within Sodexo was instead responsible for motivating the individual/non-manager to foster further levels of diversity. This of course ties in directly with the second question represented above. As such, by encouraging and devoting appropriate resources to managing and delineating this expectation/cultural norm, the firm has been able to continue to grow and represent further levels of diversity that would not have been likely and/or possible had a single leader, or group of leaders, been responsible for implementing and enforcing the policy of diversity within the workforce. Naturally, this is something of a self fulfilling prophecy and much easier to perpetuate once it has been begun. In all fairness, a firm such as Sodexo finds it much easier to promote a level of diversity into the future as compared to one that is still struggling to implement an industry standard or a culture that appreciates the impact that diversity can have with regards to the final product/profitability. 4. Does Sodexo consider itself unique and having arrived at the pinnacle of success with regards to the other firms on the list? Not surprisingly, the answer to this question, as was found from the research performed, was that an understanding of “perfection” has not, and likely will not, be displayed within Sodexo. Whereas the previous questions have illustrated the fact that upper management is ultimately not responsible for implementing and enforcing a level of diversification and the appreciation for diversity, it can definitively be noted that management is intimately involved in seeking to promote an understanding of the fact that perfection and best practices cannot be fully achieved with regards to diversity. As several authors have noted, this creates a sense of perpetual need to continue the work of diversification; rather than promoting the understanding that the firm has arrived at the best practice itself and therefore representing the industry standard is somehow good enough (CITE). 5. What are some of the hiring practices Sodexo uses to ensure diversity in its staff? Although finding actionable and salient information with respect to the hiring process within Sodexo was difficult to say the least, a more efficient measurement of the hiring process and practice itself was delineated with respect to some of the secondary literature which was engaged in several how ultimate decisions were made. From the information that was analyzed, it became patently obvious that rather than merely pulling a randomized sample from the perspective applicants, the firm regularly engaged in what is known as a “diversity audit”. Within such a process, a delineation of the way in which the firm could benefit from the representation of the more gifted and talented employees within a particular field was noted. Similarly, this information was passed off to the hiring authorities within the respective divisions and human resources oversight committees so that the correct delineation could be made with respect to finding the applicant that was most suited to the needs of the firm and could maximized the weaknesses/needs that the diversity audit highlighted. 6. What defines diversity within Sodexo: gender, age, religion, nationality, politics, culture or ethnicity? As one might expect, the answer to the question post above is that each of these factors is considered with regards to defining diversity within Sodexo. Any approach that did not utilize these multi-level measurements would fall short of representing true diversity and merely would engage in some form of pseudo-diversity based upon the subjective factors that the firm would be able to delineate on their own. 7. Has diversity evolved for the firm since its inception? Naturally, this process was not engaged overnight and has undergone a great deal of revision and reanalysis through the subsequent years that Sodexo has been in business; however, the leadership within the firm is committed to the understanding that diversity is expected to grow and expand within the near future and that these determinants, even though applicable and appropriate to the current time, are likely to change with them. Furthermore, it is expected to continue to grow in the future and the means through which a discussion and understanding/appreciation for diversity is represented should not be delineated as a static concept. One particular researcher, task with attempting to understand the degree and extent to which diversity was represented within Sodexo, and the extent to which was expected to grow and evolve in the future, noted that the process of appreciation for this diversity and the means by which was defined was an ongoing process that, if continued appropriately, would see the further profitability and success of the firm as a whole (CITE). 8. Has this commitment cost the firm profitability or has it actually benefitted the firm? From even a cursory unit of analysis, it is patently obvious that the emphasis and approach to diversity within Sodexo has been on the whole beneficial. Whereas many other firms have sought to integrate diversity to a greater degree within their respective branches and divisions/departments, Sodexo has effectively performed this function and continues to redefine and hone the way in which it is understood. 9. How does communication affect the way in which the culture is formed and an appreciation of diversity is furthered? Not surprisingly, a delineation of culture alone is not sufficient towards understanding and appreciating the way in which Sodexo exhibits a best practice with regards to diversity. Rather, an appreciation and understanding with regards to the communication that the firm engenders and the way through which this is carried out within the respective branches/divisions/departments of the firm, is perhaps the more important measurement. As such, a review and analysis with regards to this communication delineates the fact that the human resources Department, in conjunction with the senior leadership of the firm, continue to define and redefine the approach and levels of integration/appreciation that diversity engenders within the firm. This is of course due to the fact that the communication with respect to diversity continues to morph and evolved as changes within the extent environment, as well as an appreciation for further levels of diversity, come to be known. 10. What are some of the metrics and data connected to retention and development policies within the company? One of the most obvious and frequently noted metrics that the firm uses is with regards to the comparison and contrast between the outside world/demographic communities and the workforce that is exhibited within the firm itself. Obviously, as firm continues to get level of diversity and represent the way in which the world around the changes, this process cannot simply be engaged once or twice. Rather, as has been defined so many times within this analysis, the research points to the fact that a continual process of growth and reanalysis is required is a means of continuing to represent a relevant level of diversity within the firm. Whereas it may not seem as if demographic changes occur at a rapid rate, the fact of the matter is that the outside community, through the process of social shift, immigration, family dynamics, gender representation, and lifestyle decisions continues to change. In such a way, seeking to integrate with these metrics and data connected to the retention and development policies within the company has been a core complement of the way in which the human resources Department, in tandem with the leadership, has been able to continue to promote diversity. References Anand, R., & Winters, M. (2008). A retrospective view of corporate diversity training from 1964 to the present. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 7(3), 356-372. Mills, H. (2010). Diversity at work: Public relations makes a difference for global giants. Public Relations Tactics, 17(10), 10-11. Ringold, L., & Feinstein, J. (2011) Diversity business & leadership summit. Profiles in Diversity Journal, 11(4), 35. Smith, B. (2013). Age of wisdom. Benefits Canada, 37(5), 26-28. Thomas, D. A., & Creary, S. J. (2011). Shifting the diversity climate: The Sodexo solution. Harvard Business School Cases, 1. Timmons, S. (2009). Leveraging diversity of thought to create business solutions. Profiles in Diversity Journal, 11(4), 35. Read More