BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An article calling into question the effectiveness of traditional corporate diversity programs has won this year’s HBR McKinsey Award, which honors the best Harvard Business Review article of the year.
"Why Diversity Programs Fail," by sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev and featured in HBR’s July-August 2016 issue, explores data from over 800 firms that shows diversity programs tend to activate bias rather than quash it. Three of the most popular interventions – mandatory training, testing, and grievance systems – made firms less diverse, not more. The most effective programs, the authors found, engage managers in working for diversity, increase their contact with women and minorities, and tap into their desire to look good in the eyes of others.
“Dobbin and Kalev’s article offers an original and game-changing analysis on why common diversity programs don’t work, and which tactics are more likely to succeed,” said Adi Ignatius, Editor in Chief of Harvard Business Review.
Frank Dobbin is a Professor of Sociology at Harvard University and Director of the SCANCOR/Weatherhead Initiative for International Organizational Studies. Alexandra Kalev is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Tel Aviv University.
The annual HBR McKinsey Awards, judged by an independent panel of business and academic leaders with input from members of HBR’s Advisory Board, commend outstanding articles published each year in Harvard Business Review. This year’s announcement appears in the May-June issue of the magazine, which is available online today and hits newsstands April 25.
This year’s HBR McKinsey Awards also recognizes two finalists:
- "How to Build a Culture of Originality," by Adam Grant, Professor, The Wharton School
- "Branding in the Age of Social Media," by Douglas Holt, CEO, Cultural Strategy Group
The 2016 HBR McKinsey judges were: Jonathan Bush, CEO, athenahealth; Peter Cappelli, Professor, The Wharton School; Vijay Govindarajan, Professor, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth; Ranjay Gulati, Professor, Harvard Business School; Erin Meyer, Professor, INSEAD; Robert E. Moritz, Global Chairman, PwC; and Robert J. Thomas, Managing Director for Research; Accenture Institute for High Performance.
About the HBR McKinsey Awards
Since 1959, the HBR McKinsey Awards have recognized practical and groundbreaking management thinking by determining the best articles published each year in Harvard Business Review. Past winners include Peter Drucker, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel Goleman, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, George Stalk, Michael E. Porter, Mark R. Kramer, and John Kotter.
About Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, 12 international licensed editions, books from Harvard Business Review Press, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review provides professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact.
