3. DEI Issues to Solve for and Measure Against Tharoor Associates outlined insights and recommendations that correlate with the data observed. These insights are useful in understanding larger but interconnected narratives that could be tested in subsequent research and benchmarking activities to validate the initial research produced under this global benchmarking study and the frameworks within each of these. • The industry’s composition of majority White representation with minimal minority representation presents barriers to representation in leadership and influential positions needed to effect change. • Unconscious biases could be limiting job progression for event professionals from different marginalised groups. • Exercising personal agency may be a mediating factor in the experience of DEI initiatives, indicating that dispersed power and greater ownership of roles at all levels hold potential for improving the experience of inclusion. • A comparison of ethnicity and organisation size reveals that the group identified as ethnically multiracial (4%) in the study rates their DEI experience 11% lower than the study average and 24% lower than their ethnically White colleagues. This is particularly lower in larger organisations suggesting that minority groups not only have limitations in representation, but also find it more difficult to sustain change through day-to-day decisions in the industry. • There is a correlation between DEI and overall job satisfaction when increasing employees’ influence over their roles and ‘personal agency.’ • Acquiescence with inequalities may reflect norms of explaining away and contextualising, arising from seniority or cultural norms around conformity. Assessing equity and systemic racism has roots in unconscious bias and likely there is a misalignment on the understanding, appreciation and embracing of DEI principles and education, globally and within organisational ranks. Given the initial research, those employed by organisations, and in positions of power and influence working within organisations in the global events industry hold privileged positions who see and understand DEI to be much more advanced than their more junior and ethnically diverse peers. 4. A Segmented Strategy With participation rates and sentiment around DEI differing from region to region and country to country, a more localised and regional focus on equity should be considered. A tiered global approach to the Equity Task Force objectives could better reflect the market-specific conditions, culture, language, sentiment, and resources available to each region. Tiers could be developed based on one or more of the issues that have arisen from the benchmarking study: • Unconscious biases and the effects of systemic racism are likely limiting job progression for events professionals from marginalised groups, especially in North America, but the sentiment varies by global region based on the understanding of DEI and potential lack of DEI training and/or acquiescence with inequalities. • There is a positive correlation between sentiment around DEI and overall job satisfaction when employees have’ influence over their roles or ‘personal agency’ which points to an actionable focus area for the Equity Acceleration Plan. • Acquiescence with inequalities may reflect norms of explaining away and contextualising, arising from seniority.
– 16 –
Made with FlippingBook Annual report