Large corporations are finally starting to address a common issue within business: diversity. According to two online sites, the first being online news site CNBC claims, “Companies such as Novartis, MasterCard, and AT&T are seeking out methods to diversify the work environment”, (cnbc.com). And secondly, seen online by the CFA Institute that states, “ and one way in which to add diversity to a business is through the inclusion of women. Many countries have elected rules for quotas pertaining to the percentage of women needed within their businesses”, (cfainstitute.org). Therefore, by adding these two basic ideas together out comes the solution: this idea that in order for the work place to be a safer and more diverse area, the equality of all race and gender must be allowed into the equation.
“Just recently Intel Capital embarked on a $125 million fund to support start-ups by women and minorities”, the statistic being provided by the .com site WSJ (wsj.com). This funding is part of a universal, corporate effort to incorporate more diversity into the male-dominated technology industry. In addition, in an article by the, New York Times, written about Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO, he states, “pledged $300 million over a course of five years to get “full representation” of women and minorities within the company’s US workforce by the year 2020. If this plan is successful, there should be an increase by 14 percent in women, blacks, and Hispanics within the next five years” (nytimes). A step forward in progression within the work place for women and minorities that will hopefully influence other companies to do the same as well.
For Intel, their business tactics go beyond money, as they have also implemented specific goals for their company that aim to incorporate women and other underrepresented minorities within the economy. In example, in the same article written by the, New York Times, as mentioned earlier, “Intel intends to establish and maintain a professional women’s gaming team in order to fight against the mistreatment of women in gaming. The company wants to double the number of female gamers over the next ten years” (nytimes).
The hope is that companies such as Intel Capital will influence other companies to desire, and fund, full representation of women in other businesses in order to accelerate female leadership in the corporate world. “According to Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. the founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, believes, “that other companies will follow Intel’s lead”” (nytimes). In addition, Vivek Wadhwa, a Stanford University colleague, claims that, “companies such as Intel will pressure other companies to invest in diversity” (nytimes).
Companies such as Intel instill hope into our society. Hope for the future, and the change that is happening within corporations towards minorities and gender equality. With a company as large and important as Intel, society can only assume that other companies will be forced to compete using their own diversity funding as well. It is a great accomplishment that today, a large part of business competition revolves around the incorporation and representation of women within the corporate world.
