Making diversity part of 'everyday' business

THANKS to globalisation, the world around us is growing ever more ethnically and culturally diverse, nowhere more so than in Singapore, which has always been a melting pot of nationalities, races, religions and cultures, and a genuine conduit between East and West.

Surely this naturally translates into diversity and inclusion assuming greater importance in a business context too. But oddly, not in Singapore. In a recent global study, Singapore was the second-worst performing country in terms of workplace diversity and inclusion practices, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Singapore workers saying they have been bullied in the workplace in the past year. Singapore employees are also the most likely to be made to "feel uncomfortable" (32 per cent) by their employers. The perception of diversity is not permeating local workplace cultural norms, where employees remain concerned about speaking up for fear of discrimination - whether that is related to gender, race, position or otherwise.

This is a big missed opportunity. While diversity initiatives have traditionally been driven by social justice, companies are now regarding diversity and inclusion as a competitive advantage, with a 2018 McKinsey report confirming that diverse workplaces enjoy greater profitability.