Inclusivity in Business

Mickey Quinones

Miguel (Mickey) Quiñones is Dean and Professor of Management at the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond. He is an internationally recognized expert and well-published author in the areas of individual and organizational development as well as the strategic management of human capital.

His areas of expertise include diversity and inclusivity in organizations. "Diverse workplaces have a number of well-documented benefits," says Quiñones.

"First, it shows that an organization is tapping into top talent across the entire labor pool. A diverse employee base is what would be expected given the increasing demographic diversity in our country. Second, it signals that the company values diversity, which gives it an advantage in attracting talent. When a potential job candidate can see others like them in an organization’s ranks, especially among its leaders, they are more likely to seek employment in that organization."

Third, diverse organizations are better able to deal with complexity and uncertainty. If we have learned anything from this pandemic is that disruptions can come from a number of directions, including biological, economic, logistical, societal, psychological ones. Diverse organizations have a higher likelihood that someone will have the relevant knowledge, experience, and perspective to address this source of uncertainty."

"Simply put, diverse organizations are more resilient and are able to address challenges more creatively. Fourth, diverse organizations are better able to connect with an increasingly diverse customer base. The business case for diversity is no longer in dispute. The evidence is increasingly clear that more diverse organizations outperform their less diverse peers."

Contact Cynthia Price (cprice2@richmond.edu), AVP of media and public relations, to connect with Quiñones.