Mr. Musk, if It Is All About the Benjamins, It Should Be All About DEI! Embrace the Business Case

Abstract

This article was crafted to showcase a survey of exemplary scientific research to Elon Musk and other business and government executive decision-makers who have expressed doubt that investments in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) enhance an organization’s effectiveness. It offers a real-world example of how Elon Musk champions the use of the H1-B foreign work visa program and illustrates how such actions align with DEI policy and practice. Next, scientific research is outlined, including my own, that shows how each independent element of D, E, and I positively impact organizational performance metrics with implications for how all three elements employed simultaneously could result in a firm competitive advantage relative to their competition. A section on “What would Wharton Say?” is included show that top scholarship from Elon Musk’s own alma mater aligns with my arguments of how DEI can, if properly implemented, results in a competitive edge. The implication for Elon Musk and other powerful leaders is that decisions related to DEI should be “All About the Benjamins” or financially driven rather than by political and/or morality motives given that the preponderance of research reveals that DEI does more to enhance rather than impede a variety of bottom-line performance measures.