Does Broadening the term “Diversity” Correlate with a Lowered Representation of Racial Minorities and Women in Organizations?

This paper addresses two questions: (1) Has the definition of diversity expanded over time from one based on legally protected categories (e.g., race and gender) to one inclusive of a wide array of non-legal dimensions (e.g., personality traits)? and (2) If the definition has expanded, does this correlate with the representation of racial and gender groups in organizations? In an archival study analyzing company diversity statements of U.S. law firms from 2010-2019, we examine the magnitude and correlates of broadening the term diversity. We discover that organizations have broadened their definitions of diversity, and that doing so is associated with a decreased representation of racial minority employees. We find no relationship between broad definitions and the representation of female employees. Our discovery suggests that the broadening of diversity's meaning is negatively associated with racial diversity in organizations, which is ironic considering that diversity was initially conceptualized to focus companies on the representation of individuals from legally protected categories. This work offers insight into theory development around the consequences of diversity discourse and has implications for diversity management.