EIC 2022 Equity Benchmarking Study

2. Accountability and Power of Influence

Accountability and Power of Influence (Accountability) is the highest scoring dimension in the study with a score of 3.98 out of 5. This indicates that across the industry, respondents are moderately confident that a concern about discrimination would be handled in the right manner and there is faith that the leadership will take ownership and stay accountable for delivering results on DEI. However, the concerning finding from this dimension is the alarming difference between how the genders perceive this dimension. Unlike in ownership (where the DEI experience was rated the same irrespective of gender), for accountability, the male survey respondents are 7% more satisfied with the DEI experience compared to their female colleagues. This further reiterates the cultural footprint that exists in the industry and warrants urgent attention to improve leadership credibility and trust on this dimension. Otherwise, this could become a high detractor for potential candidates from diverse groups who have heard or witnessed that there is limited or no gender inclusivity and equity in the events industry. Supporting data trends emerging from the study: On an average, respondents who identified as White constitute 60% of the study population in each job grade, followed by respondents who identified as Black (16%) and cumulatively other minority groups - Asian, Hispanic, Latina/o/x, Multiracial (24%). Exploring ethnicity particularly in senior management and board levels indicates that 63% of these positions are held by respondents who identified as White, compared to 14% of respondents who identified as Black. Although they are the second highest ethnic group (16%), there is a high level of dissatisfaction amongst the respondents who identified as Black in the study. Additionally, survey respondents in Education (9%) and Government (7%) sectors rate the DEI experience lower than their counterparts in other sectors. These are two critical industry sectors that have the power to influence the perception of the industry in the community through the experiences they create (i.e., awareness through education, systemic changes through legislation, etc.) and hence it is important to explore opportunities to develop more promoters for the DEI experience in the industry. From global movements such as Black Lives Matter, there is also a rightful demand for better accountability from businesses and organisations world over to enable better DEI in the community. 2022 EIC Equity Benchmarking Study 2.1. Accountability - Ethnicity and Job Grade The first correlation explored is ethnicity and job grade where it is concerning to find that respondents who identified as Black rated their DEI experience 14% lower compared to the study average. 23

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