Identify the constituencies these IBM task forces represent.
What was the purpose of the task forces?
Did these task forces help IBM manage diversity? If so, How? if not, Why not?
The purpose of the IBM task forces were to create a more diverse internal and external atmosphere. IBM needed to do something in order to help the success of not only their company, but also their employees. As an attempt to achieve their goals as a company, eight different task forces were created. These task forces were made up of Asians, Blacks (African American and of African descent), gays/lesbians/bisexuals/transgender individuals (GLBT), Hispanics, White men, Native Americans, people with disabilities, and women. (Canas, K., & Sondak, H., 2014) The task forces were created to help bring out and embrace the diversity within the company and it's customer base.
The task forces created definitely helped IBM to manage diversity. Acquiring the input from all of the different task forces allowed different points of view to come out. It only makes sense that if you want to find out how to help women to succeed in their careers, then you have to have input from women. Although the progress was slow and took many years, the use of the task forces greatly helped the company to get to where they are today. There was definitely a lot of work put into the planning and implementing of the task forces, but it clearly paid of for IBM. Sometimes the greatest results are achieved from a great deal of time and effort. If IBM had not implemented the task forces and instead did nothing, they would have continued to go down the path they were on before, which was not a path to success.
When first reading the case study, I thought it didn't make much sense to develop the task forces by their constituencies. I thought it would make more sense if each group were made up of mixed constituencies, that way you would get a variety of ideas and input. But after reading further, it made a lot more sense. By developing the task forces the way they did, IBM was able to truly understand what each constituency needed to succeed. Not only were they able to help with the success of their employees by listening to their input, the task forces also helped the employees to feel that they were important and that being diverse was something to be proud of. If all of the groups were made up of a variety of different constituencies, the employees would feel the need to fit in, but with IBM's way, the employees were encouraged to embrace their diversity and stand up for what they felt they needed to succeed.
In 1993, Louis Gerstner took on a CEO position with IBM. Immediately he realized that the Senior Executive team didn't encompass the diversity of talent that the company needed. He began to devise a plan that would reshape the Senior Executive Team to be more diverse. In 1995, he launched a diversity task force initiative that was composed of 8 different constituencies - Asians, Blacks, GLBT, Hispanics, White Men, Native Americans, People with Disabilities, and Women.
These task forces were put in place and led by Senior Executives and sponsors to uncover and rectify specific suggestions for how to make IBM a more inclusive environment. Teams were given 6 months to report back on the following questions:
1) What is necessary for your constituency to feel welcome and valued at IBM?
2) What can the corporation do, in partnership with your group, to maximize you constituency's productivity?
3) What can the corporation do to influence you constituency's buying decisions, so that IBM is seen as a preferred solution provider?
4) Which external organizations should IBM form relationships with to better understand the needs of your constituency?