IIKR 2022
Inclusivity special. The Ipsos India Knowledge Review in its 2022 edition tackles the multidimensional and complex challenge of Inclusivity.
Well into the second decade of this century, there are very few societies now where the need for Inclusivity has not been formally acknowledged. And yet there is possibly no country which can claim to have achieved its goals towards the same. Even the western countries, where these values have been overtly promoted for decades, have in the recent times witnessed conflicts and seen regressive policy changes. The challenges across societies differ by the cultural context and reflect the historical realities which have shaped the prevalent way of life. Viewed from a business perspective, Inclusivity is not just a vision of fairness but a strategic commitment to creativity. Studies have shown that more diverse companies outperform the more uniformly profiled ones. According to Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”
Creativity requires multiple perspectives and diverse points of view. This issue of IIKR reflects many such points of view. You can read about the challenges of Inclusivity in Why? Inclusivity the work that we do – representing voice of consumers and the public and in reflecting market realities. While digital technology provides powerful tools for driving the changes that are needed, some of the challenges have to do with the scope definition itself. Do we as insights professionals truly think of all segments when we chose to learn about consumers and gauge public opinion. There is a write up which shares important learnings from working with differently abled respondents. Other articles examine different aspects of inclusivity – gender, sexual orientation, race, and age. In fact, we also make the argument that ‘unstereotyping’ is an important ask from brand communications. While policy corrections and conscious action can help us advance the cause of Inclusivity, only a true appreciation of the value of empathy can drive mindset changes. The more we embrace the value of empathy the further we progress as a society – allowing us to actualize the potential of teams and individuals within organizations while ensuring wellbeing of all.
