20 Marzo, Camera dei Deputati, Sala Nilde Iotti

Diversity is one of the characterizing elements of contemporary societies, including the Italian one. The evolution of some demographic trends, together with the increase in migratory flows and the presence of women in the labor market, has brought new challenges within the workplace. Although the recognition, the inclusion and the enhancement of diversities today represent an essential strategic choice, being essential to the company's evolution, as demonstrated by authoritative national and international sources (Mc Kinsey; SDA Bocconi), they are not still an acquired fact, but a prerogative of only a few companies. If we then go down from the international and European levels to that of the Italian one, the data on Diversity Management is further impoverished.

Law 120/2011 (Golfo-Mosca) marked a fundamental step in Italy towards a major inclusion of diversity, starting from that of gender: the law, with the validity of three renewals for the directors' board of listed companies, aims to diversify the boards by imposing a 1/3 share of their composition for the benefit of the less represented gender, hoping to promote a cultural change capable of favoring and extending inclusion to any other aspect of diversity. From 2012 to today, the presence of women in the BOD has increased fivefold: from 6% in 2010 to 33.5% in 2018 (Il Sole24Ore), marking striking success both in terms of equity and efficiency: the BOD has reduced the average age, increased the average level of education, and diversified professional backgrounds, thus improving performance (Consob Quaderno 87).

The question that arises now is how to give continuity and ratification to this fundamental change thus avoiding the already made steps forward to be shattered in the face of obstacles still present.

Developing effective tools to help the inclusion of diversity is therefore urgent and strategic because of its gray area location, thus offering companies concrete opportunities to face widespread resistance and critical issues.

To facilitate this process of acquisition, CrossThink-LAB presents a package of operational tools addressed to listed companies and small/ medium-sized enterprises. In order to have a concrete impact on various levels of the organizational fabric that points to a transformation of cultures and processes, the Disclosure questionnaire for surveying the inclusion of diversity level within the BOD and the organizational Navigator are proposed as support tools to push forward the positive effects of the Golfo-Mosca law on the inclusion of diversity.