In The Economics of Inclusion, René Bakker shows that inclusion is more than a social responsibility. It is also an economic choice. A choice that can contribute to attracting and retaining talent, innovation, productivity, customer focus and competitiveness.
Too often, inclusion is discussed in moral or political terms. This creates an uncomfortable opposition: those in favor of inclusion are assumed to act mainly from ideals, while critics are assumed to focus mainly on costs. But that opposition does not do justice to reality.
The real question is not only whether inclusion is the right thing to do, but also when inclusion creates value — and when it does not.
Because inclusion does not automatically pay off. Not every inclusion measure generates economic value, and not every investment in accessibility pays for itself. That is precisely why it is important to also view inclusion through an economic lens: where do opportunities arise, where are the costs, which choices work, and under what circumstances?
With a sober, business-economic perspective, René Bakker examines how organizations can approach inclusion as part of their strategy rather than as something separate from it.
The message is simple, but far-reaching:
Inclusion does not need to be sold as a choice between ideals and economic interests. The challenge is to discover where the two reinforce each other.
Because when inclusion contributes to growth, innovation and competitiveness, it is no longer just something an organization should do.
Then it becomes something an organization wants to do.
René Bakker, Professor of Inclusive Entrepreneurship and Work, has been named one of the MT/Sprout Inclusive 30, an annual list of 30 ‘inclusive doers, thinkers, and leaders’. Despite, or perhaps because of, the growing ‘anti-woke’ sentiment, Bakker believes it’s more important than ever to create an economy where everyone can participate.
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Oxford University Press, 2020
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Rene’s research has appeared in many top tier academic journals, including the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, Academy of Management Annals, and Journal of Business Venturing. He is also a recent laureate of a prestigious Vidi grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).