The business case for an inclusive workplace culture in Asia

Countless studies have talked about the business case for an inclusive workplace culture in markets such as Australia, U.S. and U.K. But what about in Asia? Be Inclusive breaks down the business case for inclusion with local case studies in Asia so you can include it in your next pitch to your employers or other stakeholders.

What does inclusion mean?

Put simply, an inclusive workplace culture is one that leverages different perspectives among individuals or groups to solve business problems. Inclusive companies often define their success by improving their bottomline while helping all employees to achieve their personal and professional goals.

Why should business leaders in Asia care about an inclusive workplace culture?

The problem

• The talent market in Asia is tight and competition is fierce.
• Technology and globalisation is disrupting the landscape for customers and supply chains.
• Employees, customers, investors and other stakeholders are increasing their expectations on companies to be inclusive due to rising social consciousness.

The benefit

1. Inclusive companies gain a competitive edge in attracting talent and spend less on retaining talent.
2. Inclusive teams outperform non-inclusive teams in terms of productivity and problem solving.
3. Inclusive companies are more more likely to capture new markets, ideate and execute new products and possess a deeper understanding of customers.

Local Resources to Create an Inclusive Workplace Culture

• A Toolkit for Managing Workplace Diversity, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
• Building gender-inclusive workplaces in Singapore: A practical guide for companies and human resource practitioners, Singapore Management University

Further Reading

Catalyse Consulting, the corporate training arm of Association of Women's Action Research and Empowerment (AWARE), published a blog series on inclusive business practices in Asia.

Talent recruitment, retention, workplace culture, leadership and product design are among the topics covered within Asia’s fast changing business environment.:

1. Challenging Business-As-Usual With Cognitive Diversity
2. Celebrate Diversity Through Your Employees
3. Building Resilience For the Future of Work
4. Leading Inclusively In Asia
5. Designing For Racial Inclusion
6. Building The Workforce Of The Future Through Intergenerational Learning
7. A Business Case For Inclusion In Asia

This article was originally published by Be Inclusive on July 18, 2019.