Are Diversity Quotas Enough?

Board diversity has long been a key issue that needs addressing within sport. Recent research shows that just 5% of board members from Sport England and UK Sport funded bodies were from Ethnically Diverse Communities, compared to 13.8% of the UK population being from these sections of society.

Similarly, a mere 5% of board members surveyed had a disability, or considered themselves to have a disability, compared to 22% of disabled individuals in the wider UK population.

These trends continue when you assess similar comparisons of age and educational background. Some would say that these statistics are surprising but, unfortunately, these are standard.

So how can we create a level playing field when it comes to board diversity? As an LGBTQ+ female, I have often stumbled across initiatives set up to ensure minority groups are encouraged to apply for positions and even given exclusive access to these schemes.

It is often painted in a negative light that organisations only provide opportunities to minority groups to ‘tick boxes’ and ‘look more diverse’.

These diversity quotas and initiatives often bring about claims of tokenism or even reverse discrimination, however, it is crucial to understand that those who benefit from diversity quotas are fundamentally qualified for the position in which they are applying for.

In fact, those from minority backgrounds are usually the target of unconscious bias (involuntary judgements made based on social stereotypes) meaning that they will have, perhaps unknowingly, missed out on positions that they were more than qualified to fill.

To help us dispute the argument of tokenism in quotas, we can look to A Code for Sports Governance.

The Code currently mandates a minimum of 30% for each gender within a board and, since the Code’s launch, funded bodies now have an average of 40% female board members, highlighting the success of this specific quota.

A similar initiative, the Rooney Rule, was introduced by the NFL in 2003 in which American football teams are required to interview candidates from Ethnically Diverse Communities for head coaching positions.

However, there have been arguments over the effectiveness of this rule given that more than 18 years after it came into effect, there has been a minimal 3.1% increase in head coaches from Diverse Ethnic Communities.

Whilst ethnically diverse individuals must be considered for interview, what is the impact of unconscious bias in translating these qualified coaches to be successful in attaining the job? And could the Rooney Rule benefit from more strict quotas when it comes to outcomes of interviews?

Ultimately, it is a classic argument of equality versus equity; understanding that although both of these concepts promote fairness, perhaps the latter recognises more the need to treat minority groups differently to make real and lasting change.

Are diversity quotas enough? Well, to put it bluntly, no. Diversity needs to be embedded into the culture of an organisation, such as involving diverse individuals in driving change or providing regular diversity training to employees, rather than being an add on to tick boxes and receive funding.

The hope with diversity quotas is that by introducing those from diverse backgrounds into an organisation, it will open up conversations and opportunities for minority groups to get involved within sport.

Whilst diversity quotas may not always be the most favoured solution to increasing diversity within organisations, they are certainly, at least currently, the most effective. I look forward to seeing the changes to A Code for Sports Governance and the impact this hopefully brings about to diversity within the sporting landscape.

If you are wishing to self-reflect on your board’s performance and evaluate improvement areas, our Board Evaluations, also known as Effectiveness Reviews, are a fantastic place to start.

The Alliance has been conducting board evaluations amongst a wide range of organisations since 2018 and is now offering this service virtually.

Check out our Virtual Board Evaluation guide for more information and member testimonials.

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