Impact of an inclusive society
Inclusivity has a significant impact on society and has therefore become an important principle in policy, education, and the labor market in recent decades. The added value of an inclusive society lies in the power of diversity: bringing together different perspectives stimulates creativity, innovation, and mutual understanding. This strengthens social cohesion and contributes to economic development. A society that utilizes the talents of all its citizens prevents the waste of human capital. This requires cooperation between government, civil society organizations, businesses, and citizens to strengthen social value.
Our research
This line of research focuses on the question of what benefits individuals, organizations, and (parts of) society gain when everyone can be who they want to be and do what they want to do. It examines what is needed to become an inclusive organization or society, but also how organizations or society benefit from this.
Within this line of research, we work on the basis of developing a theory of change, which we then quantify and monetize to the extent that is desirable and appropriate. Until now, the importance of diversity and inclusion has often been discussed in terms of social returns. Within this research group, we also try to gain insight into both the financial and non-financial returns, whereby preconditions – under which circumstances do diversity and inclusion yield results – are crucial.
