Is diversity important to a health care organization? How does it affect recruiting, team dynamics, and business outcomes? Are these affects positive or negative and why?

Response:

From my viewpoint, the cultural impact of diversity on the organization has been slow but steady over the past half century.  Diversity, as it strives for goals of awareness of the humanness of all, seemed to direct the goal of awareness through education toward an acceptance (or sometimes I’ve heard tolerance) of differences.  The next stream of consideration is that the differences people bring to the workplace expand the possibilities that could emerge, and in so doing, promote a more dynamic and richer business as well as a more satisfying work-life for individuals.  I think those goals of acceptance and tolerance under the diversity umbrella, when differences are openly acknowledged, is noble.

The topic of whether the affects of diversity is positive or negative on recruiting, team dynamics and business outcomes is not one that can be answered.  The dynamics of teams, recruitment, and business outcomes are so varied that to ascribe success or failure because of one variable is too simplistic in my view which is supported by the absence of such questions in the literature that I’ve read.    However, of more importance is what the limited literature does indicate.  As was described in a textbook: 

Most leading HCOs strive to promote diversity in their workforce, but limited evidence suggests that the concept is not widely adopted,^[17] and surveys show that women and minorities are still underrepresented in management.^[18] Diversity advocates pursue affirmative action vigorously and make a deliberate effort to represent the ethnic and gender makeup of their community in their medical staff, management group, and workforce.^[19] They adapt job requirements to family needs and work to promote women in management.^[20]  While this may be driven in part by a belief in the need for justice, it is also supported by sound marketing theories. Many people seek healthcare from caregivers who resemble them in gender, language, or culture. Increasing attention to the needs of female workers has clearly influenced the structure of employment benefits and the rules of the workplace. Intensive programs may be necessary to correct historical deficiency.^[21] Human resources monitors all these policies and designs and maintains programs to promote their success.

(This is from  “The Well-Managed Healthcare Organization,” Sixth Edition, and I didn’t include the references)  

In short, I think diversity is most positive when the HCO workforce mirrors the community population that it serves.  This echoes what Kevin said in another post.  When that occurs, internal HCO initiatives of recruiting, issues of team dynamics and successful business outcomes benefit and support the HCO although research on this position is limited or absent.