Project regarding DEI

1. Kwantlen Polytechnic University
HRMT 5170: Talent Management (P60)
Assignment # 5
La’Belle: A Case of Tokenism and A Lack of Cultural Sensitivity
Submitted by:
Amanpreet Kaur
Joey Victorino
Kiranjit Kaur
Nazia Begum
Submitted to: Mina Sahota
November 24, 2022

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Parts Done per Member 3
Introduction 4
Company and Industry Background 4
Background on La’Belle 4
Background of the Cosmetics Industry 6
Talent Management Issues for La’Belle 7
Lack of Representation for Other Marginalized Groups in La’Belle’s Organizational
Structure and Processes 7
The Organization’s EDI Initiatives are an Example of Tokenism 8
Talent Management Recommendation 10
EDI Training to Counter Tokenism and Create More Meaningful Processes that Support EDI
10
Product: EDI Training Program for Leaders 12
Conclusion 17
References 17

3. Parts Done per Member
PART MEMBER
1. Company and Industry Background Nazia
2. TM Issues Joey
3. TM Recommendation Amanpreet
4. Product/Training Plan Kiran

4. Introduction
This paper will analyze a case study surrounding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for
La’Belle, a cosmetics company. After providing a brief background about the company and the
cosmetics industry, we will identify two talent management issues plaguing the company. Lastly,
we will provide a talent management recommendation to address one of La’Belle’s issues while
also providing a detailed description of that recommendation.
Company and Industry Background
Background on La’Belle
Labelle is a medium-sized skincare and cosmetics company with an annual turnover of USD 150
million. The firm, which is a digital native, has heavily relied on media platforms as a growth
engine and is obsessively concentrated on customer satisfaction, and product development, with
a great pricing point. Chris Machowski, the CEO of the company, is a middle-aged, white,
cisgender, heterosexual male who graduated from Harvard. He is a compelling speaker with a
dynamic personality who is a hands-off leader. He has a history in marketing, is well-known in
the corporate environment as a shark, and is strict about sticking to deadlines (Dixit & Doumbia,
2022).
This client-focused business cultivates deep bonds with its clients, something La'belle prioritizes.
Their major focus is making sure they can interact with their clients through a variety of channels
and are providing the authentic La'belle customer experience.

5. The organization, which until recently was made up of just white, primarily heterosexual men,
has been under a lot of pressure from its stakeholders to appoint a more diverse management
team.
The client organization of LaBelle has a register of external executive coaches that are solely
made available to new hires during the first onboarding process. Through a discovery meeting,
the leaders can search the register and choose a coach specifically for themselves. The leader
meets with their coach and their manager after selecting a coach to develop a vision and goals for
both themselves and their positions within the business. The burden of an internal purpose is not
carried by an external coach. An independent coach has the privilege of being able to focus only
on coaching since they are free from accountability, authority, corporate politics, and
assumptions because they don't establish employee goals or determine the firm's direction.
External trainers can be unbiased partners who are simply driven by the desire to aid the
individual in understanding their problems and realizing their full potential. Additionally, if there
is no set agenda, candid discussions, enhanced creativity, and improved performance may occur
(Angle, 2018).
Before Marianne is given the responsibility for their first product launch, management
understands that Marianne requires assistance adjusting to their new job. Although it is a part of
onboarding, the mentoring program is not part of the company culture. Thus, Marianne meets
their new external executive coach, Geeta.
Despite apparent corporate backing, complete inclusion is not yet achieved in the workplace.
Companies must go beyond outward displays of active support for LGBTQ+ concerns to foster a
more pleasant work environment to attract and retain a new wave of employees and customers,

6. many of whom base their decisions on inclusion and diversity when selecting vocations and
goods.
Background of the Cosmetics Industry
The cosmetics industry is a sector generally unaffected by the highs and lows of the economy.
The production and demand of cosmetics are strongly related to the quality of the product,
regardless of skin tone or gender. Cosmetics, like garments, are not constrained by regional
fashion trends. However, the current cosmetics business is altering its direction and is seen to be
expanding with the increased acceptance of goods made with natural and organic components
(Global Cosmetics Industry Analysis- Statistics, Trends & Market Forecast, 2020). Unlike other
retail industries, the health, cosmetics, and beauty supply industry have distinct issues. Some of
those problems can also be addressed with EDI's assistance.
Consumers place a high priority on a variety of colours, smells, and other essential elements.
What a consumer wants in a product might depend on a variety of things, including skin colour,
hair color, personal taste, substance allergies, and others. When developing estimates for current
items and identifying potential markets for new products, the precision of the information EDI
provides during transactions can be useful. For instance, brands like Fenty Beauty or Rare
Beauty are inclusive brands since they offer products that are suitable for all skin tones.
The quality of beauty and cosmetics is another factor that matters to customers, both for oneself
and for everyone or anything who comes into touch with the product after it has been created.
The desire for cruelty-free, sustainably farmed, fair trade, organic, and even vegan cosmetics is
rising. An EDI system may let you transmit product data for product descriptions on e-commerce

7. platforms and other websites, so customers can discover what these items do and don't promise.
This is in addition to helping with supply chain traceability (Bolduc, 2018).
You need a flawless online browsing experience that complements your marketing strategy and
image if you want to keep customers pleased. Given the fierce competition and quickly altering
needs in the cosmetic industry, it's critical to be able to change your distribution network to
reduce costs while satisfying client demands. Many business partners all over the beauty supply
chain are adopting electronic data interchange to reduce human error and increase order capacity
(EDI). The automated exchange of business documents using integrated EDI can speed up and
improve the accuracy of transactions. By utilizing data, EDI software aids cosmetics companies
in navigating murky seas and spotting trends for the now and the future (Norris, 2021).
Talent Management Issues for La’Belle
Based on the information from the case study about La’belle, we have identified two issues for
the company that are closely linked to the topic of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). We
believe that Labelle lacks representation throughout its organizational structure and that its top
management lacks the proper awareness to accommodate diverse employees in its organization
properly.
Lack of Representation for Other Marginalized Groups in La’Belle’s Organizational
Structure and Processes
La’Belle is experiencing a lack of representation throughout the company. For its leadership,
Marianne is the first queer, person-of-colour on a team comprised of straight, white men (Dixit &
Doumbia, 2022). This lack of representation trickles down to the company’s processes, such as

8. its product development methods. La’belle gathers most of its product research from women but
is sorely lacking in input from women who belong to different or multiple minority groups (Dixit
& Doumbia, 2022).
The lack of any consideration for diverse representation in product development has led other
organizations to create undesirable products that have caused backlash from their consumers
(Hill, 2020), making them face plenty of backlash that cost them. One cosmetics company,
Sephora, was accused of not having enough stock of makeup that complemented darker-coloured
skin tones (Newcomb, 2021). Sephora was also accused of bias and racism when a famous black
singer, SZA, was racially profiled by one of their stores, causing the entire company to shut
down operations to give EDI training to all its employees (Munyal, 2019). In this example, we
see how a lack of representation in Sephora’s security protocol also caused major backlash.
We believe that La’belle needs more representation from individuals belonging to minority
groups so that it can cause more holistic development for its products and processes. Diverse
groups can come up with much more holistic solutions than homogenous groups, or groups with
individuals with similar backgrounds (Mengelsdorf, 2018). A lack of any diversity or
representation in the groups that create the organization's products and processes may lead to
products that are not favoured by consumers and plenty of costs to think about because of this
due to lawsuits, branding issues, and more.
The Organization’s EDI Initiatives are an Example of Tokenism
According to the case study, the choice to hire Marianne appears to be heavily influenced by
stakeholder pressure to increase diversity among the company’s leaders (Dixit & Doumbia, 2022,
p. 4). Based on how she was treated in the case, hiring her was more about complying with the
company stakeholders than having a genuine interest in integrating her into the organization.

9. This is an example of Tokenism, wherein organizations engage with minority groups, in this
case, hiring them, to avoid condemnation and garner praise (Sherrer, 2018). The EDI initiative
the company is trying to implement by hiring Marianne is surface-level, at best. Such would be
the case for most “Token” hires, who are brought onto a company and expected to integrate with
the culture like everyone else.
Tokenism itself is a prevalent problem in society due to the fact that its practice perpetuates
systemic inequality because the interactions that leaders and organizations have with
marginalized individuals are transactional (Neuffer, n.d.). Earning a profit and making its
stakeholders happy seem to be the main drivers of La’Belle’s EDI initiatives.
When it is the leaders themselves who lack awareness of proper EDI implementation, just like
with the previous issue regarding representation, this trickles down into the very policies,
systems, and processes that they set up for the company. La’belle’s leadership team has always
been all white, straight, and male before Marianne was introduced as the VP of Supply Chain.
These leaders have the power and capability to create structures that can cultivate a culture
wherein EDI can properly thrive, causing those who are part of marginalized groups to be
properly integrated with the organization in a comfortable and safe way (Chalmers, 2021). Due
to its lack of proper onboarding initiatives for marginalized groups, it is likely that these workers
will never get accustomed to the organization’s culture and simply leave. Tokenism can cause
workers belonging to minority groups to feel inadequate, unqualified, and like they do not belong
to the organization (Sarin, 2022). Marianne may leave the company because of this, and due to
stakeholder pressure, the organization will likely opt to hire another individual from a
marginalized group. This will be a recurring cycle until leaders are properly trained on cultural
sensitivity, how to deal with intersectionally and non-intersectionally marginalized groups, and

10. how to properly implement EDI in their organization while avoiding Tokenism. This will be
expounded on in the next section.
Talent Management Recommendation
EDI Training to Counter Tokenism and Create More Meaningful Processes that Support
EDI
As we have mentioned previously, La’Belle’s leadership team is not equipped with the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to create effective onboarding programs for employees
belonging to marginalized groups. We believe that their own lack of cultural sensitivity is
causing this. La’belle’s leaders can take better steps towards advancing EDI in their workplace if
they are trained and in the proper mindset to do so. Training about EDI with a focus on cultural
sensitivity and strategies on how to apply EDI to workplace processes will help the La’Belle
leadership understand the perspectives of their employees belonging to one or multiple diverse
groups, which is touted as the ideal first step toward proper EDI implementation (Dewidar,
2022).
As for the content of the training, we believe that it needs to focus on cultural sensitivity, with a
focus on microaggressions and intersectional marginalization, which La’Belle leadership needs
to be particularly aware of. In the case study, Marianne is said to feel “mentally and emotionally
exhausted” from having to deal with microaggressions and a general lack of support (Dixit &
Doumbia, 2022, p. 4). Cultural sensitivity can help leadership understand and empathize with
individuals from marginalized groups, minimizing their conscious/unconscious biases about
them and creating a workplace where they will feel safer (Indeed Editorial Team, 2022).
Microaggressions, toned-down remarks that are not implicitly discriminatory (whether

11. intentional or not), are one of unconscious bias’s most common manifestations (Limbong, 2020).
La’belle leadership’s awareness of microaggressions contributes towards creating a safe
workspace as well, thus its importance in their training program.
Intersectional marginalization also needs to be discussed in the training program, judging off
Marianne’s experience with the company and the lack of more queer women/women of colour in
the company’s product development process. Leadership needs to understand how their diverse
hires experience marginalization in different ways. Marianna, for example, is a woman that is
black and queer. She is a person of colour, and she does not go through the same experiences that
a straight, white woman does, just as she has a different experience from someone who has an
indigenous heritage and is queer. Simply ignoring one’s marginalized experiences and failing to
support them will lead to the same mental, emotional, and physical stress that Marianne was
feeling (Wilkins, 2018). Understanding the differences in experiences for their marginalized
employees will better equip leaders to create tailor-fit policies and processes that will help them
feel more safe and welcome in the organization
Lastly, this training plan needs to include a discussion on strategies of how leadership can
implement proper EDI knowledge into their processes, particularly with their onboarding and
product development, which are the two highlighted areas in the case that we believe need
immediate attention. This training plan seeks to train La’Belle’s management team into more
culturally sensitive leaders. We hope that it can train a leadership team that is more aware of the
different needs of marginalized individuals, and how to translate that awareness into action.

12. Product: EDI Training Program for Leaders
Based on our recommendation, we have created the following training plan:
Training Program Name: Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace: Creating Meaningful Processes
with EDI
Learning objective The main objective of this training is to help
leaders understand the concept of cultural
sensitivity. The dominant group of La’belle
will learn how to empathize with colleagues
from underrepresented cultures, identities,
and backgrounds (Hundrev, 2021).
At the end of the training, leaders will be
able to
● Understand the importance of
managing diversity at every level of
the organization, both internally and
externally.
● Explain how diversity affects false
assumptions and the bottom line, and
how it leads to unintentional bias.
● Use cultural sensitivity to prevent
diversity-related conflict as well as
workplace discrimination and
harassment (Sensitivity Training,
2022).
● Identify different kinds of
microaggressions and why they are
detrimental to employee health
● Recognize intersectional
marginalization and how it affects

13. individuals; understand the layers of
oppression that come with being part
of multiple minority groups
● Create a plan to properly integrate
EDI in the company’s onboarding
programs and the product
development process.
Consideration of Learning style Our workshop’s learning methodology will
be based on visual, audio, and kinesthetic
learning.
● Participants will learn by seeing
images, infographics, and
presentations
● They will learn by listening to
voice-over presentations and the
stories that will help them to
understand “Why” and give everyone
a shared experience (Martinez, 2022).
Delivery mode On-the-job coaching
Budget Room rental ($90 per hour)
Printing cost - workshop handouts, articles,
and some other necessary documents for 10
leaders ($50)
Registration fees hosted by Diversity
essentials (Diversity essentials, 2022)
Fees for recording the session ($250-$300)
Food and Refreshments ($30 per person)

14. Indirect costs, such as people’s time
(Designing a Training Program, 2017).
Delivery style Majority of this training will be delivered in
a face-to-face presentation with a facilitator,
along with the use of PowerPoint.
At the end of the training, however, the
leaders will come together to have a focus
group discussion where they will brainstorm
on ways to improve their onboarding and
product development
Storytelling will also be an effective delivery
style, as hearing the stories of different
marginalized individuals will help the
leadership team better understand the
importance of EDI in the workplace.
Icebreakers will be used at the start and after
lunch, with intention of making the
participants feel more comfortable.
Audience The leadership team of La’Belle will be
participating in the DEI training. The
primary focus will be on cultural sensitivity
training as La’belle top management lacks
the proper awareness to accommodate
diverse employees properly.
Content To determine what the leaders already know
about DEI and what they still need to learn, a
quality analysis will be conducted before
DEI training is implemented (Designing a
Training Program, 2017). For analysis,
La’Belle will conduct a survey with the

15. leaders, which will include questions such
as:
1. What does diversity mean to you?
2. What does inclusion mean to you?
3. How can we engage a member from
the under-represented population without
making them feel like a token hire?
4. Why is EDI important? What does the
organization risk in not implementing it?
After analyzing the responses, we will get an
idea of how many of them are familiar with
EDI and to what extent they understand its
importance.
The workshop will start by defining the term
"DEI." In the morning learning session, we
will talk about the concept of cultural
sensitivity and its importance in an
organization. There will also be a focus on
intersectional marginalization and
microaggressions.
After this, we will provide a 30-minute lunch
break with some food and refreshments.
After that, we will spend the next hour
learning about how to raise cultural
awareness in the workplace. For example,
creating inclusive policies, celebrating
cultures and diversity, and avoiding
misunderstandings by communicating
clearly.
Again, a 20-minute break will be given.
Following this, 30 minutes will be used for
leaders to hear about real-life stories from

16. marginalized individuals, particularly from
Marianne (if she is comfortable with it).
In the last portion of the program, the
facilitator will conduct a focus group
discussion among leaders to determine how
best to move forward with creating a
workplace culture that is more conducive to
EDI.
Timelines 2 weeks before the training program are
implemented, we will be collecting data
from the participants as dictated in the data
plan before this.
Days after the results are collated, we will
then start designing the program to fill in the
gaps in the participants’ understanding of
EDI.
A week before the training session, we will
then begin to send out the necessary training
materials to our participants. We will also
email them formal invitations.
On the day of the program, it will be a
whole-day training session for leaders and
top management from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM,
in La’belle’s orientation room.
We will then evaluate the program by sitting
down with the leaders a month after the
program to try and see if their behaviour has
changed and if they have tried to implement
EDI in the processes they manage.
Communication E-mail to managers, supervisors, and top
management of La’belle will be the primary
mode of communication for information
dissemination.

17. Measuring Effectiveness Interviews and sit-downs with the leaders a
month after the training program will help us
see how they’ve changed their working
styles/behaviours.
Conclusion
A leadership team that is more aware and knowledgeable about the differences in culture among
individuals belonging to diverse groups is capable of building processes that better accommodate
them. While La’Belle has been pressured by stakeholders to hire diverse hires, they have to
realize that retaining them entails an overhaul of processes that systemically
exclude/discriminate against minorities. What has worked for a leadership team comprised of
white, cis-gendered men will not necessarily work for those who have different backgrounds and
experiences. We believe that providing the leadership team with the EDI training they need can
help them better apply these concepts to their organization’s processes, especially with its
onboarding and product development processes.
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