Managing Up: Managing Diversity in Challenging Times

Authors

Helen Levine, University of Massachusetts BostonFollow

Document Type

Research Report

Publication Date

5-2013

Keywords

Massachusetts, diversity, Boston, Massachusetts economy

Disciplines

Public Administration | Public Policy | Social Policy | Social Welfare | Urban Studies

Abstract

Commonwealth Compact is an organization formed to help make Massachusetts a location of choice for people of color and women in the belief that their contributions are vital to the region’s social and economic future. The need for an initiative such as Commonwealth Compact stems from a number of factors. As racial and ethnic diversity increases across the nation, business and civic leaders agree that it is critical to reverse the reputation that Massachusetts and Greater Boston, in particular, have not been seen as a welcoming, diverse place to live and work for people of color. Without a better reputation for diversity, the Massachusetts economy is likely to lose the opportunity to attract and keep talented people of color in our workforce. Research about diversity in Massachusetts shows a tremendous need for organizational leadership in this area.

To that end, leaders from the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, formed a partnership with other committed community leaders, including the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the Boston Globe. The Commonwealth Compact

Mission Statement is: To establish Massachusetts as a uniquely inclusive, honest, and supportive community of—and for—diverse people; To acknowledge our mixed history in this effort, and to face squarely the challenges that still need to be overcome, understanding that the rich promise of the region’s growing diversity must be tapped fully if Boston and Massachusetts are to achieve their economic, civic, and social potential.

The Compact recognizes that diversity is a broad concept with a much larger goal of ensuring that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, physical and other disabilities, sexual orientation, and religion are treated equally and are afforded equitable opportunities for employment and advancement. However, addressing all of these dimensions of workforce diversity is beyond the scope of Commonwealth Compact which has taken as its mission the promotion of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in Boston and Massachusetts.

Comments

Report on the Commonwealth Compact Benchmark Diversity Survey from 2011.

Recommended Citation

Levine, Helen, "Managing Up: Managing Diversity in Challenging Times" (2013). Commonwealth Compact. 1.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/commonwealth_compact/1