Retaining Diverse Employees at Technology Companies

The current research project aims to investigate internal communication among organizations in the IT industry and whether communication experiences are different among minorities and women in the organizations. A diverse workplace is important to facilitate an inclusive, productive, and healthy workplace. However, no study has looked at how communication to women and diverse employees may be different than majority groups. The objective of this study is to understand how communication may differ quantitatively (response time, word count, etc.) and qualitatively (content of the messages) between diverse employees and women compared to majority groups and males. Using proprietary technology to assess communication dynamics from thirty-to-fifty Canadian technology companies through the Vize Technology platform. The study aims to shed light on the unconscious bias that occurs in internal communications between traditional tech employees and women/BIPOC hires. The findings from the research will be used to inform organizations of implicit biases in their workforce for targeted training plans or interventions and subsequently increase the retention of women and diverse employees.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kevin Kelloway

Student:

Partner:

Ethical Digital;Vize Labs Inc.

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Saint Mary's University

Program: