While issues surrounding diversity, inclusion, and belonging (DI&B) have increasingly taken center stage in corporate America, many U.S.-based companies struggle to extend new policies across their global teams. That’s no surprise. Their DI&B initiatives are often largely informed by American social, legal, and political considerations — and that context seldom maps perfectly to every country in which a company operates. Given these challenges, what does it take for multinational companies to stay true to their DI&B values around the world while acknowledging differences in local cultural contexts?
Implementing Inclusive Policies Across a Global Organization
As more and more U.S. companies commit to supporting diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace, one component that often gets left behind is the extension of those initiatives across an organization’s global offices. On the one hand, policies informed by the American cultural and political context aren’t necessarily effective when applied wholesale in other environments. At the same time, it’s essential for organizations to demonstrate a consistent commitment to their stated values, no matter where in the world they may operate. To address these challenges, the author identifies three tactical opportunities for companies to step up and ensure their inclusion policies are upheld globally: choosing international office locations that align with the company’s values, helping international teams to understand and contextualize U.S.-driven initiatives, and pursuing inclusive language policies in any foreign languages in which the company operates.