Diversity and Belonging in Businesses and Organizations

Overview

Class Central Tips

This course on Diversity and Belonging in Businesses and Organizations will support individuals, teams, and organizations to better understand and implement policies and practices that promote the inclusion as well as the belonging of all employees. We aim to cover the following topics: Policies - How to identify and understand the ways in which the structural dynamics of an organization can preclude a sense of belonging and how to use inclusive policies as a tool to foster belonging. Practices - How to design an organizational culture that promotes the well-being and belonging of all its constituents through kindness, empathy, openness, and compassion. People - How to leverage the creation of affinity groups and task forces to overcome structural biases, build community, and create a greater sense of belonging. The final module of the course provides complementary resources to bring course concepts together and support an organization's belonging efforts.

Syllabus

Policies: A Structural Approach to Belonging

This course is structured around three pillars of belonging: Policies, Practices, and People. The first module focuses on how to implement inclusive policies.

Practices: Building a Culture of Belonging at Work

This module explores the second pillar of belonging: practices. While in the first module we looked at how a structural analysis of the policies of an organization lays the foundation for belonging, we will now turn our attention to practices, which refer to the informal aspects of setting a culture of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

People: Mentors, Sponsors, Allies, Task Forces, and Employee Resource Groups to Promote Belonging

This module focuses on the third and final pillar of belonging: people. In this module, we will explore the need for strong advocates for diversity throughout an organization in order for policies and practices to succeed. The module will showcase human resources that are key to promoting belonging: mentors, sponsors, allies, task forces, and employee resource groups (ERGs).

Beyond Belonging: Safer Spaces and Organizational Growth

In the final module for this course, we will discuss additional resources for belonging that reinforce the three pillars already covered. We will also look at how we can go further in the search for organizational belonging, such as using technology and data to drive change.