DISCOVERING THE DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY Gender is undoubtedly an extremely important element of any business’ DEI strategy, yet human diversity incorporates so much more than just one dimension and adopting a narrow focus risks over-simplification. That is why organisations should consider taking an intersectional approach, as Imperial Business School’s Poornima Luthra explains F or many organisations, gender has been the predominant
and how they prefer to receive or provide feedback. They may influence a person’s ability to identify with the strategy, products and services of the company. They can even affect the physical layout of the workplace in the context of making provisions for those with physical disabilities, neurodivergent needs or religious requirements, such as prayer rooms. The intersectionality of diversity Combined, these dimensions form our unique diversity thumbprint, namely who we are and who we are perceived to be. What is crucial to remember is that these dimensions of diversity do not exist in isolation – they intersect with each other to form the complex weave of diversity that is unique to each person. We cannot simply line up the various differences that people bring to organisations; we must instead consider how each individual is shaped by their unique combination of dimensions and, crucially, the specific intersection of those dimensions. Take gender as an example. Gender intersects with and is influenced by the other dimensions of diversity. As such, gender bias is experienced differently by, say, a White female, gay engineer compared to a Southeast Asian female, heterosexual HR business partner. Indeed, a 2023 study by Catalyst of 2,734 women from marginalised racial and ethnic groups across five countries found that women with darker skin tones were more likely to experience discrimination compared to those with lighter skin tones; queer (63 per cent) and transgender (67 per cent) women are particularly likely to experience racism at work, compared with cisgender heterosexual women (49 per cent). As a leader, you can develop your understanding of employees’ intersectional identities by first looking at your own. Pick five dimensions from those listed previously that would best describe who you are as a unique individual. As a visualising technique, it can be helpful to draw the outline of a hand to guide you in this exercise. Write your name on the palm of the hand and each dimension of diversity on the fingers. As an extension, reflect on whether it is indeed these five dimensions that
focus of efforts to make workplaces more diverse and inclusive. In fact, according to one McKinsey & Company report, more than 87 per cent of companies say that they are “highly committed” to gender equality. However, for future leaders to truly cultivate inclusive workplaces, a wider range of biases and discrimination must be addressed. This involves an understanding of the myriad different dimensions that make up diversity by utilising an intersectional approach and then embedding this understanding into corporate strategy. The different dimensions of diversity The meaning of diversity is often illustrated as an iceberg, comprised of visible, surface-level dimensions and invisible, deep-level dimensions. These can be divided into three categories: • physical & physiological – including gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities and health, plus appearance/race • cognitive – including education, experiences and skills, personality, neurodiversity and mental health • social & lifestyle – including nationality, ethnicity & culture, beliefs & practices, marital & parenthood choices, location/geography and socio-economic background. These dimensions of diversity affect many aspects of organisational life for employees. They play a role in who gets hired (and who doesn’t), how employees progress through the organisation, the opportunities they are given, how they are assessed and how they are rewarded. For example, a cultural dimension may affect how someone dresses for work, or the food they eat. It may affect which companies, organisations or locations are appealing, their working hours and their work habits, along with what motivates them. Diversity dimensions can affect how someone prefers to be led or how they lead others, the ways they communicate or make decisions
44 Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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