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Date: 2024-07-17 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00021578

MEDIA HEADLINES TRIPLE PUNDIT TriplePundit Message ... January 26th 2022 Original article: Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess
Brands Taking Stands: We Have a 'Master' Problem with Supplier Diversity Commitments Leon Kaye Unsubscribe January 26th 2022 2:57 PM to me Among the outcomes resulting from the protests for racial equality that erupted across the U.S. during the summer of 2020 was that many companies made commitments to boost their supplier diversity efforts. After all, if American society would ever reach a point at which it could narrow the wealth gap between Black and white residents, such work is about more than a focus on diversity hiring. For example, Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs need a fair shake at those lucrative opportunities to become part of a large company’s supply chain. The result has been a rush to launch and boost supplier diversity programs, with more than one report suggesting that many companies could increase their “diversity spend” goals another 50 percent by mid-decade. Such goals, naturally, often also include commitments to women-owned businesses. Unfortunately, it turns out that building a more diverse supply chain is more difficult in practice — and as is the case with the hurdles many people of color face in society at large, the barriers to supplier diversity are often structural. READ MORE Sincerely, Leon Kaye Managing Editor, TriplePundit FROM OUR NEWSROOM ----------------------------- Carhartt Focuses Attention on COVID-19 Vaccines and Workplace Safety By Tina Casey The focus on COVID-19 and workplace safety has fallen upon the workwear company Carhartt, which isn't backing down from its stance on vaccine mandates. ----------------------------- The Brazilian Billionaire Who Defines Social Impact By Leon Kaye Brazil's Luiza Trajano and her long track record of success pairs with a commitment to social justice that is unmatched by any CEO or chairperson. ----------------------------- Betty White and Making the Case That Years of Experience Matters By Leon Kaye Betty White was an outlier: Rarely does anyone have a career that reaches eight decades in any sector. So, what can her life and work teach the rest of us? ----------------------------- Could the Four-Day Workweek Be the Answer to the Great Resignation? By Leon Kaye As employees continue to prove they are more productive working from home, the four-day workweek is looking more appealing as a potential answer to the Great Resignation. ----------------------------- IS YOUR CEO MAKING A DIFFERENCE? We’re proud to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 Responsible CEO of the Year Awards. Responsible CEOs play an active and influential role in ensuring that their organizations deliver on their corporate purpose, ESG and sustainability commitments. Similarly, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual whose career-long commitment to progress has led to significant achievements within the corporate responsibility field. To nominate a CEO for Responsible CEO of the Year, download the nomination package here. Please complete the nomination form and send all materials to ResponsibleCEO@3blmedia.com by March 31. Note: There is no cost to nominate your CEO. -------------------------- // -------------------------- WHAT WE'RE READING ----------------------------- When it comes to environmental sustainability, what CEOs say is markedly different from what employees see them do. Researchers at the leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates call this discrepancy the 'Say/Do Divide,' which they looked to quantify in a recent survey of employees and executives. While 69 percent of the C-suite executives surveyed said they are personally committed to advancing sustainability and their organizations are making progress, only 31 percent of employees said the same. Similarly, only a quarter of U.S. employees believe their most senior leaders demonstrate humility or self-awareness and only a third believe senior leaders display empathy, humanity and inclusivity. 'The Say/Do Divide has two possible dimensions: organizations are not taking sufficient action or they are not properly communicating their efforts,' the researchers concluded. 'It is imperative for business leaders to determine which factors are at play at their organization. This includes a thorough analysis of the level of emphasis they place on sustainability — and whether these efforts are enough — and how well these actions are both communicated to and understood by employees.' ----------------------------- Nonprofit leaders of color need more support, report finds. The Building Movement Project, a research and consulting firm for the nonprofit sector, has been looking into the challenges faced by nonprofit leaders of color since 2016. The most recent iteration of its Race to Lead report series provides data about the added demands on executive directors of identity-based organizations, the challenges that leaders of color face when taking over from white predecessors, and other realities of being a leader of color in the nonprofit sector. Some key findings: Leaders of color are less likely to report receiving support from their peers compared to white leaders, and they're also more likely to take on added responsibilities without additional compensation. You can check out the full report here. ----------------------------- Inaugural Shop Black-Owned Month to launch in February. The American Independent Business Alliance, a leader in Buy Local and Local First campaigns, will kick off the first Shop Black-Owned Month next week. Launched in partnership with buy-local organizations and Black-owned businesses across 17 states, the campaign urges individuals and businesses to support local Black-owned enterprises and celebrate diversity. If you plan to take part, the Alliance also offers guidance on finding new-to-you Black-owned businesses in your community. ----------------------------- Howard University to open new data science center with grant from Mastercard. The new center at Howard, a historically Black university, will study how racial bias factors into artificial intelligence (AI), particularly financial analyses like credit scores, and how data science can eliminate bias. 'Biases in AI can effectively block access to vital services,” said Salah Goss, senior vice president for Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth, the company’s philanthropic hub that administered a $5 million grant to establish the new center. “Howard University is taking a novel approach to solving this problem by investing in a new generation of professionals who can combat the issue at its source.” Anthony K. Wutoh, Howard University provost and chief academic officer, added that the new center will allow the university to 'use data science to answer some of the broader societal questions we believe Howard can significantly impact, including those around health care and economic disparities and the drive for criminal justice reform.” ----------------------------- ESG investing may soon become more accessible within your company 401(k). As employees show more interest in investments that prioritize environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, more companies are starting to offer ESG-themed options in their 401(k) plans. “That was part of the driver for us — we had a lot of people ask, we had our own employees ask if ESGs could be incorporated,” Aaron Schumm, CEO of Vestwell, a digital recordkeeping platform for 401(k) plans, told Insider. He encouraged other companies to add such options to their own plans, and pointed out that a new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor may pave the way. ----------------------------- Leon Kaye is part of the 3BL Media network. 136 West St Ste 104 Northampton, MA 01060

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