An important first step in creating an inclusive organisational culture is understanding why diversity and inclusion are beneficial in engineering. Numerous research studies demonstrate that inclusive cultures can lead to significant positive impacts on a range of factors for both individuals and organisations. Scott E. Page, Professor of Complex Systems at the University of Michigan, has looked at the link between greater diversity and increased innovation. In his book, The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools and Societies [8], the author goes through a rigorous, formal description of how diversity brings benefits to organizations.

Indeed, the author constructed a formal model with Lu Hong, an economist, that showed mathematically that diversity can trump ability. Using case studies, he was able to show how diversity in staffing results in a stronger organisation.Professor Page found that when teams are made up of diverse individuals (identities, education, and general life experience) they allow for different perspectives which, when taken into consideration, result in greater collective intelligence compared to that of homogenous teams, even those considered more capable. As Page puts it; ‘Progress depends as much on our collective differences as it does on our individual IQ scores.’