Diversity Washing
Chicago Booth Research Paper No. 22-18
Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University Working Paper No. 151
Stanford University Graduate School of Business Research Paper No. 4298626
European Corporate Governance Institute – Finance Working Paper No. 868/2023
69 Pages Posted: 12 Dec 2022 Last revised: 7 Sep 2023
Date Written: August 21, 2023
Abstract
We provide large-sample evidence on whether U.S. publicly traded corporations use voluntary disclosures about their commitments to employee diversity opportunistically. We document significant discrepancies between companies' external stances on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and their hiring practices. Firms that discuss DEI more than their actual employee gender and racial diversity (“diversity washers”) obtain superior scores from environmental, social, and governance (ESG) rating organizations and attract more investment from institutional investors with an ESG focus. These outcomes occur even though diversity-washing firms are more likely to incur discrimination violations and have negative human-capital-related news events. Our study provides evidence consistent with growing allegations of misleading statements from firms about their DEI initiatives and highlights the potential consequences of selective ESG disclosures.
Keywords: Diversity disclosure; Human capital; Social washing; Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
JEL Classification: G30, G34, G23, M14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation