Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
The Inclusion Dividend summary
Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan
Why Investing in Diversity and Inclusion Pays Off
10 mins
Brief summary
The Inclusion Dividend by Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan is a business book that argues that creating a diverse and inclusive workplace leads to better business outcomes and increased innovation. It provides actionable strategies for implementing inclusivity in an organization.
Table of Contents
The Inclusion Dividend
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
While a meritocracy may be seen as the basis for successful businesses, the numbers suggest otherwise.
Have you ever had the disappointing experience of putting in long hours and being the best in your workplace, only to discover that success doesn’t always boil down to hard work? That’s because while the idea of meritocracy is deeply engrained in the business world, it might not be the reality.
But what is a meritocracy exactly?
It’s the long-held belief that hard work will be rewarded. In fact, it’s even the basis of the American Dream – the idea that anyone can reap the benefits of a rewarding and comfortable life by putting in the necessary work.
So, if you asked a board member of a Fortune 1000 company whether their corporation abides by a meritocratic system they would naturally say yes. They would maintain that employees are hired, promoted and kept on board solely on account of their abilities.
Unfortunately, this claim doesn’t quite align with reality. For instance, in the United States, about half the population is female, but a census conducted in 2010 by Catalyst found that women only accounted for 15% of all executive positions at Fortune 500 companies. When women were asked why they thought this was, they said the problem was due to a lack of opportunities for promotion and respect.
So, now you know a meritocratic system doesn’t exist, but did you know that low diversity is actually bad for business?
Just consider the fact that global corporations spend about $8 billion annually to foster a more inclusive corporate culture. They don’t just do it to avoid discrimination lawsuits, but because it makes them money.
For instance, take the companies listed on Standard and Poor’s 500 stock index. They’re profitable companies that brought in an 89% return on their investments over a three-year period. But the S&P corporations that also made it onto Working Mother’s 100 top companies for inclusion brought back 98% on every dollar invested!
Want to see all full key ideas from The Inclusion Dividend?
Key ideas in The Inclusion Dividend
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Inclusion Dividend about?
“I’m not sexist, it’s just that the top candidates are all guys.” “I don’t believe in quotas – surely you should pick the best person for the job, whatever the colour of their skin?” If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, challenge your assumptions with The Inclusion Dividend (2013). It explains how diversity and inclusion actually boost the productivity and business success of any company, while presenting a guide to transforming your workplace for the good.
Best quote from The Inclusion Dividend
Taller men earn, on average, about $800 more a year per inch of height from five feet seven inches to six foot three inches.
—Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan
Who should read The Inclusion Dividend?
- Leaders who want to take the success of their organizations to the next level
- Anyone interested in the economic incentives for diversity
- Executives who have wondered why diverse and inclusive companies perform so well
Categories with The Inclusion Dividend
Book summaries like The Inclusion Dividend
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
28 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth