The diversity dividend: Why being (and being allowed to be) yourself at work is valuable to your organisation

Embracing inclusivity

Over the last year, diversity and inclusion has become one of the most pressing topics for the asset management industry; both within our own sector, as well as for the companies we invest in, writes Kirshni Totaram, senior executive at Coronation Fund Managers.

As a South African woman, who works in an emerging market with a complex political history, I inherently understand the challenges, but also the advantages that fostering true diversity can present for any organisation.  There are essentially two kinds of diversity and considering both is useful when it comes to understanding how they impact an organisation for the better. Identity diversity refers to diversity of race, gender, ethnicity and age, whereas cognitive diversity is the diversity in people's perspectives, culture, socioeconomic circumstances and education. Beyond the ben...