Diversity and Inclusion: Culture and Perception in Information Technology Companies

Making a stand regarding diversity and inclusion has been a matter of strategic positioning for many companies. There is a growing trend on the part of corporations to embrace the causes of minorities, as these corporations are interested in diversifying their workforce in search of becoming more competitive and innovative. However, corporate culture is not something that changes overnight. It is necessary to break the inertia of the employees who are in charge of the enterprise, transform their mentality and actions, attract and retain different people, so that diversity and inclusion policies are adopted and actually put into practice. The present research intends to understand how people perceive their work environments (within the scope of IT), whether the discourse and practice to make the corporate environment diverse and inclusive are aligned or deflected and yet how relevant are these issues for the well-being and permanence of employees in companies. As result of the present study, representativeness is believed to improve the working environment, but that is not everything. This alone does not guarantee the benefits that companies seek (creativity, innovation), nor do they ensure a “comfortable” environment for minorities wanting to stay and be productive.