Want to learn the ideas in The Inclusion Dividend better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of The Inclusion Dividend by Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of The Inclusion Dividend

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on The Inclusion Dividend, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPPgAThmXw

1-Page Summary of The Inclusion Dividend

Overview

This book discusses how companies are getting rid of bosses, flattening hierarchies and pursuing purpose over profit. Ultimately, by adopting a non-hierarchical model, these organizations thrive.

Some people are left out of the workplace for reasons that have nothing to do with their skills. These include gender, where they’re from and religious beliefs. This is viewed as an ethical problem, but what if it’s also a business problem? What if lack of inclusion is bad for your bottom line?

The authors of The Inclusion Dividend show how biases and a lack of inclusion impact more parts of business than we might think. They also provide us with ideas and programs to tackle the issue, which are good for employees as well as businesses.

In this article, you will learn about Sendil Mullainathan’s studies on job applications and why he sent out 5,000 applications for jobs. You’ll also learn how Apple extended its inclusion program to vendors and why two million of America’s best and brightest left their jobs in 2007.

Big Idea #1: While meritocracy may seem like the basis for a successful business, that’s not necessarily true.

Have you ever been disappointed that your hard work didn’t get noticed? It’s because the idea of meritocracy is deeply engrained in the business world, but it might not be reality.

A meritocracy is a system where hard work and dedication are rewarded. It’s the basis of the American Dream, which says that if you put in enough effort, you can reap the benefits of success.

If you ask a board member of a Fortune 1000 company if their corporation is meritocratic, they will say that it is. However, this isn’t true because many people are promoted and kept on the job for reasons other than skill. For example, in the United States, about half the population is female but only 15% of all executive positions at Fortune 500 companies are held by women. When asked why this was so, women said that there were few opportunities to be promoted or get respect from their colleagues.

So, now you know that meritocracy does not exist. However, did you know that low diversity is bad for business?

Because of the increasing number of lawsuits regarding discrimination, as well as a growing awareness that diversity is good for business, corporations are spending more and more money on improving their corporate cultures. They’re not just doing it to avoid lawsuits or because they feel like they should do it; there’s real data showing that companies with diverse workforces make more money than those without them. For example, take 500 Standard & Poor’s stock index companies over a three-year period; 89% made a profit while only 100 were listed on Working Mother magazine’s list of top companies for inclusion. During the same time period, 98% of those top 100 made a profit!

Big Idea #2: The author’s point is that predispositions can negatively affect your business.

Has there ever been a time when you applied for a job, but weren’t called back even though your application was better than the other applicant? You might have been rejected due to unconscious bias.

What’s bias? Well, it’s a prejudice you have against something or someone. For example, you might be biased toward your home team if you’ve always rooted for them even though they’re not that great.

Biases help you make decisions quickly without having to think about them. However, some biases can be harmful if they are not acknowledged and understood.

There are also biases that occur without our awareness. For instance, a person might get a promotion because of his college affiliation with his boss. The boss might not be aware of this bias.