David Rehr and Vetted Solutions co-author study on diversity and inclusion in industry associations

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, July 3, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- David Rehr, the Senior Associate Dean and a Professor of Law at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, recently co-authored an extensive study about diversity and inclusion in industry associations. Rehr has a history in the association sector, having previously served as President for both the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. He collaborated with Vetted Solutions, an executive search firm based in Washington, D.C., to conduct the study and author the research report.

Rehr and Vetted Solutions President James Zaniello decided to pursue the study after a conversation about the role that associations play in “moving the country forwarded.” Rehr and Zaniello, realizing that there was a dearth of research about how modern associations are incorporating diversity and inclusion into their core values and practices, reached out to leaders and representatives from more than 3,000 associations for comment.

“Associations have long recognized the benefit of greater diversity and inclusion, reflecting changes in the 63,866 trade and professional associations, and 1,237,094 charitable and philanthropic organizations,” David Rehr wrote in an introduction to the Vetted Solutions report. “These organizations represent all demographics and every aspect of American life. They understand the variety of benefits associated with diversity and inclusion, including better decision-making and greater insights into a diversity of ideas and backgrounds.”

Of the 3,000 association members who received the survey, 227 responded. Collectively, these responses indicated clear trends in the association sector, including:

-- A focus on diversity as a priority. 81% of association leaders said they view diversity and inclusiveness as “core values” of their organizations, while 73% said that their associations already have “comprehensive diversity and inclusion policies” on the books.

-- Associations consider diversity a morally important point of focus. 84% of respondents said they have made diversity and inclusion priorities for their organizations because doing so was “the right thing to do.”

-- There is still room to grow. 45% of respondents said their associations did not yet have a plan in place for implementing diversity initiatives. 70% said that they didn’t have quality benchmarks to measure the effectiveness of their efforts to boost diversity. 55% said they faced challenges attracting candidates who are qualified and diverse.
The survey also identified strategies associations could put in place to increase diversity and inclusion, such as paying attention to the language of job descriptions and interview questions to altering the onboarding process.

“I hope this research helps those in the association sector implement new initiatives, hold conversations, and model diversity and inclusion programs based on what is being done or where more work needs to take place,” said David Rehr. You can view a copy of the research here.

Dr. David. Rehr
202-510-2148
email us here
David. K. Rehr PHD

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.