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Hongkongers and Singaporeans most tend to associate DEI with 'ethnicity', while for those in India and Indonesia, DEI issues around 'class' and 'religion' tend to be top-of-mind respectively.
From creating guides to using inclusive language in cross-region communications (including emojis) to advising executives on social media strategy, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is not a standalone concept, and needs to filter through all parts of communications.
In a recent report on DEI across APAC, Kitty Lee, Deputy General Manager, Hong Kong SAR at FleishmanHillard, said: "DE&I statements should reflect the purpose of an organisation. It is the guiding principle for the business to aspire, as well as the commitments to employees, customers and society. It requires strategies and, most importantly, measurable goals to assess internal and external perceptions of the actions."
The report, titled DE&I Decoded: APAC, presents findings of a survey conducted with 5,108 people across 10 APAC markets, namely, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Japan, and Korea. While the report is aimed more towards DEI perceptions by consumers, we at HRO have aggregated specific findings that are relevant to all stakeholders leading DEI communication for an organisation.
Finding 1: Each market prioritises different DEI attributes more highly
Across the attributes tested, the research showed that some issues were significantly more in the public consciousness than others. Ethnicity, race, gender and nationality topped the list, with more than three in four choosing these as a top association with DE&I more generally. Immigration, parental status and military status received lower association (<63%). For each of the individual markets in APAC, the story was more complicated. Seven different associations topped the list in 10 countries, showing the diversity of opinion on what DE&I means.
The following are the most associated aspects of DEI across the 10 markets covered:
Finding 2: Across issues, the population in Asia is active in its advocacy
About 84% of people across Asia noted that they advocate for at least one issue. Economic issues take the top three rankings where people are active in advocacy, outpacing the topics they most associate with DE&I. Each market has a diverse set of needs, with the topics that need addressing ranging from sexual assault to criminal justice reform. Economic issues are also important here as housing, education and access to healthcare are all cited as large needs in various markets.
Additionally, some markets see more need for change than others. The top issues needing to be addressed were cited by nearly two-thirds of individuals in China, Hong Kong SAR, India, and Thailand; whereas only a third agreed on the top issues in Australia, Singapore, and Japan. Roughly a third of the population, overall, believes that their market leaders need to take more action on diversity (32%), equity (28%), and inclusion (28%).
Among the three concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the following are areas where each market can focus on:
Finding 3: People vary quite widely in how they act on DE&I
Michaela Wang, Deputy General Manager, Shanghai, China, FleishmanHillard observed: "We saw each market have a unique distribution of DE&I personas. The majority of people in the region define themselves as bystanders or observers, but we see a significant population of upstanders and allies, especially in markets like China and India. In China, in particular, netizen culture has resulted in a large portion of the population that will stand up when they sense injustice."
Evidently, understanding action begins with understanding the ways that people define themselves and act across the region. There is a wide range of support for DE&I issues, in many different formats, from allies to observers. The following are the trends seen across markets:
Finding 4: Expectations from Chief DE&I Officers are high
Companies play an important role in the DE&I landscape, with 94% of respondents citing at least one action that companies could take to showcase authentic commitment to DE&I. Having a clear strategy and goals on DE&I topped the list of prioritised actions, showcasing the need for thoughtful planning on DE&I and alignment on a strategy.
"In Asia Pacific, the data shows that companies need to organise the way they are communicating their goals for DE&I. Connecting these goals to the values held by the company, and ensuring they are understood by internal as well as external stakeholders is essential," said Katie Shaw, Corporate Practice Lead, Singapore.
Education is also important, not only to drive understanding but to also make DE&I topics more accessible. Roughly half of the survey respondents noted that they felt uncomfortable discussing their personal, social or cultural status. When asked where they had felt discomfort, work rose above all other situations. To truly live their DE&I values, corporations must strive to not only create more knowledge on the topic, but also create a place where issues can be more openly discussed.
Finding 5: Market-specific commentary
[On China trends] "Respondents in China said that the most important aspects of DE&I to address were societal issues, such as education and health inequities, and employment status, economic status and income are the most-discussed and most advocated topics. As such, it is clear that the drivers for DE&I in China are quite different from those in the Western headquarters. Localised DE&I messages and strategies are required to navigate the unique ideology and public opinion environment in China."
- Michaela Wang, Deputy General Manager, Shanghai
[On Hong Kong trends] "Pragmatism was especially visible when it came to advocacy. When asked about the issues that they advocate for most regularly, nearly half of the respondents (48%) chose 'economic status'. On top of this, people ranked 'economic status' as the area of DE&I that the market should prioritise most highly. Finally, income tied with gender as the DE&I topic that people hear about most regularly."
- Kitty Lee, Deputy General Manager, Hong Kong SAR
[On India trends] "Rather than focusing on discrimination in general, which many markets sought to address, in India, topics of freedom of religion/political beliefs, education inequalities, sexual assault and harassment, and health inequalities also came to the top. With multiple communities facing different day-to-day realities based on income, caste, religion and other aspects of life, it’s unsurprising that we see such a variety of topics that are important to address."
- Munavar Attari, Managing Director, Mumbai
[On Korea trends] "More than half of the respondents that replied to the survey want Korea to be able to accommodate minority groups (55%) and provide people with different backgrounds fair and equal access to personal and professional development (61%). Alignment to these statements also points to change, as Koreans are prioritising creating a society where people can have access to the mechanics of society, including the economy and education."
- Sam Kim, DE&I Lead, Korea
[On Japan trends] "Japan has always been a very diverse market, though in terms of accepting religions and people from all backgrounds. It has its own DE&I values — it just tries to safeguard its integral culture to uphold harmony and not end up losing control of this way of life at the same time. It will take time and balanced steps on both sides, the Japanese wish for harmony, and the outside world’s push for change, to get this right. There is no “one size fits all” definition for DE&I that is universally applicable and can be followed immediately by a system that is a unique and working act of balance."
- Takeo Apitzsch, Head of APAC Media + Platforms, Tokyo
[On Singapore trends] "Interestingly, one of the key questions raised by the research for Singapore is where this change (on broader aspects of DE&I ) should come from, with the study pointing to a current gap in DE&I leadership. The majority of Singaporean respondents, in line with the APAC average, see themselves as “bystanders” (34%) or “observers” (32%) when it comes to issues around DE&I, with only 10% of Singaporean respondents considering themselves to be “allies” on these issues."
- Katie Shaw, Corporate Practice Lead, Omnicom PR Group, Singapore
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All images / FleishmanHillard
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