Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics

 

 

Ideas for improving diversity and inclusion in acoustics

 

Angela Lamacraft¹, dBx Acoustics Ltd, Manchester, United Kingdom
Susan Witterick², dBx Acoustics Ltd, Manchester, United Kingdom

 

ABSTRACT

 

Diversity within the acoustics profession in the UK is gradually increasing, but there is still a significant need for improvement in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). In order to address this need, the UK Institute of Acoustics (IOA) has established a working group to examine the current situation within the Institute and the wider profession in the UK. This paper provides an overview of the benefits of EDI as well as a summary of the current membership demographics of the IOA to provide a benchmark for improvement. Examples of ideas for improving the numbers and experience of underrepresented people in acoustics are discussed.

 

1. INTRODUCTION

 

Equality, diversity and inclusion (‘EDI’) is a ‘hot topic’. Many organisations and individuals feel pressure to improve, but know few practical measures that can be taken.

Before working at attempts to improve EDI, it is important to understand what it meant by these terms. In this paper, we define them as:

• Equality: All individuals are equally important and equally entitled to the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
• Diversity: The acoustics profession should comprise and represent members from all areas of society.
• Inclusion: All interested individuals in society must feel able to become acousticians and to participate at all levels of the profession.

 

EDI is not about ‘not seeing’ differences: it is important to see, understand and, where appropriate, celebrate differences, whilst making sure that everyone is supported and empowered to participate to their full potential.

In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It sets out nine protected characteristics (Government Equalities Office; Equality and Human Rights Commission;, 2015), but EDI goes beyond this: it is about making sure that everyone can achieve their potential. For example, many people in senior positions in acoustics in Europe and North America are outspoken, middle class, middle aged, white men. What about people who are just as good or even better technically, but are not as outspoken? Or people from working class backgrounds?

 

2. BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

 

2.1. Collective Intelligence

 

There are many benefits of inclusivity and diversity. Perhaps the most essential is the improvement of collective intelligence: people from different backgrounds will have had different experiences, leading to different inspiration and ideas and fewer blind spots (Syed, 2021).

 

In a homogenous team, all members may be intelligent, but they all think alike. This is comforting; it makes the individuals feel smarter and validates their world view. However, the group is not collectively intelligent. If the group is made more diverse by tokenism, with people brought in purely to improve diversity, they may think differently to other members of the group, but their skills are not suitable for the problem in hand.

A diverse team with the right skills comprises diverse people, experiences and thought, but has the right skillset for the current task.

 

It is vital that organisations are psychologically safe to maintain diverse ideas.

 

2.2. Understanding Challenges Faced by Society

 

If areas of society are unintentionally excluded from teams, the profession misses out on their experiences and viewpoints, which then affects the delivery of services to society, leading to an endless loop. Without diversity, there are likely to be questions that we do not even think to ask, let alone know the answers to.

 

2.3. Profitability

 

Study after study demonstrates that diversity, inclusion and equality within an organisation improves financial performance (Hunt, et al., 2015) (Noland, et al., 2016) (Gompers & Kovvali, 2018) (Gomez & Bernet, 2019): the most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform less diverse peers on profitability (Dixon-Fyle, et al., 2020).

 

2.4. Addressing the Engineering Skills Shortage

 

Acoustics in the UK, like UK engineering professions generally, faces a skills shortage (The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2022), therefore encouraging people from all social and ethnic backgrounds into the profession increases the pool of available acousticians.

 

People find work more rewarding when they are given flexibility to tailor their schedule to personal commitments, their workspace to their personal taste and their working methods to ones that best suit them (Syed, 2021). Young professionals often state work-life balance to be the most important factor for choosing an employer (Syed, 2021), and the longer employers keep fighting this the longer they will miss out on valuable talent.

 

2.5. The Moral Reasoning

 

It is worth stating that treating everyone with respect and removing discrimination is morally the right thing to do.

 

3. CURRENT STATE OF DIVERSITY IN ACOUSTICS IN THE UK

 

As of March 2022, the IOA had 3,070 members (Student, Affiliate, Technician, Associate, Member, Fellow, Honorary Fellow). Figure 1 provides an overview of diversity characteristics by membership grade.

 

Figure 1: Membership Diversity Breakdown by Grade

 

3.1. Gender

 

The overall IOA membership is 85% male and 15% female, with three transgender members. Engineering UK reported in March 2022 (Engineering UK, 2022) that women make up 16.5% of all engineers, suggesting that the membership balance in the IOA may be typical. Gender imbalance is reported to increase with seniority, which is certainly the case with the IOA with only 8% of Fellows and Honorary Fellows being female.

Some international societies reported a higher proportion of female members: 20% in Norway and 52% in Turkey.

 

3.2. Disability

 

Currently, 4% of the IOA membership declares some form of disability with 8% preferring not to say and 9% remaining unknown. This may be due to concerns regarding how the data is to be used and concerns regarding confidentiality. Such a high rate of refusal to answer this question means that the true percentage of the membership with a disability is somewhat higher: 11% of workers in STEM roles have a disability, compared to 14% of the workforce as a whole (The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, 2021).

 

3.3. Sexual Orientation

 

Similar reticence to provide information also occurs when identifying sexual orientation, with 19% of members declining to provide information on their sexual orientation and data unknown for a further 9% of members. Fewer than 2% of IOA members identify as gay or bisexual; the limited options provided in the responses to this question may lead other members that identify as LGBTQ+ to decline to answer.

The APPG report provides no data against which the IOA membership can be benchmarked in this regard, but notes that there is a clear pattern of inequality for LGBTQ+ workers in STEM. It also notes that the acronym LGBTQ+ covers different sub-groups, whose experiences should not be considered the same.

 

3.4. Race / Ethnicity

 

Of those declaring their ethnic origin, the membership of the IOA is overwhelmingly white British (63%), with a further 12% of white members from other backgrounds. The graph below shows how the IOA’s non-white membership compares to the latest available data on population ethnicity in England and Wales from 2020 (Office for National Statistics, 2020).

 

 

Figure 2: IOA Non-White Membership Compare to Total England and Wales Population

 

Typically, 12% of STEM workers are from ethnic minorities (The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, 2021), which is a similar percentage to the workforce as a whole: the IOA is significantly underrepresented here with only 6% of members from ethnic minorities, although this does not include members who have indicated ‘Other’ or for which information is unknown.

 

Only 2% of workers in STEM are Black compared with 3% of the rest of the workforce (The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, 2021): the IOA has fewer than 1% Black membership.

 

3.5. Religion or Belief

 

It is known that 45% of the IOA membership has no religion, 26% are Christian, and 25% decline to answer or the data is unknown. A total of 107 members (3%) identify as members of other religions.

 

3.6. Missing Data

 

The IOA does not collect data on marital/family status. It may be particularly useful to track what proportion of members leaves the workforce either temporarily or permanently after having children, and to explore the experiences of those who return to work, and those who may feel they are unable to (rather than choosing not to).

 

4. PRACTICAL APPROACHES

 

It is well known that a lack of diversity is an issue in STEM as a whole; the APPG report sets out clear recommendations for the Government to drive equity in the STEM workforce. A Government led approach may have the most impact, but in the meantime, suggested actions that can be taken by organisations and individuals are provided below.

 

4.1. UK Institute of Acoustics Work to Date

 

The RAEng is the UK’s national academy of engineering. It has prepared several reports regarding diversity and inclusion: a 2021 report summarises the results of a second diversity and inclusion benchmarking exercise for UK professional engineering institutions and scientific bodies, providing areas for development and future priorities (Royal Academy of Engineering; Science Council, 2021).

 

All the suggestions are relevant for acoustics, however, the IOA EDI Working Group (IOA EDI WG) has identified the following as priorities: monitoring and measuring; extending the scope of diversity work beyond gender; data gathering and reporting; awareness raising and behaviour change; and improving communications on diversity and inclusion.

 

Working with Other Organisations

 

The IOA EDI WG has put together a list of national societies for protected characteristics to explore future learning and collaboration.

 

The working group is keen that the IOA provides submissions for future calls for evidence by organisations collecting data and ideas, such as the RAEng and APPG in STEM to allow the acoustics profession to be included.

 

Publicity of Awareness Days, Weeks and Months

 

The IOA EDI WG has increased publicity of national and international awareness days, weeks and months so that our members in underrepresented groups know they are seen and valued. Methods include short articles in Institute publications, blogs by diverse members, and use of social media platforms.

 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training

 

The IOA EDI WG has undertaken training with a professional Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Topics included the fundamental principles of diversity, equality and inclusion as well as how the working group can drive improvement within the IOA.

 

The training will be delivered to a new group, including the President, new President-Elect, Chairs of standing committees later in 2022.

 

Next Steps

 

The data analysis undertaken for this paper identified some actions which the IOA could implement to improve the quality of information available.

 

Collection of Data

 

Without knowing the current makeup of your membership, it is impossible to know where the problems lie, and where to focus effort. It was interesting to note that many of the international acoustic societies have very little information on their membership.

 

In collecting data, the questions asked and options for members to select from must be carefully considered. In benchmarking against the general population or the STEM workforce, it is easiest if similar categorisations and terminology can be used.

 

For disability, members should be able to select as many options as they feel apply to them. It is also always appropriate to have an ‘other’ option with a text entry box for any categorisations that may be missed, and to allow members to identify freely rather than feeling constrained by limited definitions.

 

Lived Experience

 

Data is clearly very important, and an accurate understanding of the population is vital in identifying the areas where action and support are needed. However, quantitative data cannot tell you everything. Data needs to be linked to the lived experiences of members to understand what barriers they experience and what needs to change. Furthermore, it is only by continuing to engage in dialogue with members on an individual basis that we can understand the effectiveness of any specific changes which are made.

 

Trust

 

Trust building is required to support people in feeling free to declare their personal data and experiences. The high level of refusal to answer questions around disability and sexuality within the IOA membership indicates that the EDI committee has significant work to do in understanding the reasons why members are reluctant, and then to overcome these barriers.

 

4.2. Suggestions From Around the World

 

56 organisations were contacted by email to ask what measures to improve EDI they have implemented: as at 29th April 2022 responses had been received from 18 organisations (32% of those contacted):

• Acoustical Society of America
• Acoustical Society of Croatia
• Acoustical Society of Finland
• Acoustical Society of Nigeria
• Arup Group Limited
• College of Engineering, University Austral of Chile
• French Acoustical Society
• German Acoustical Society
• Harmonia, Brazil
• Hong Kong Institute of Acoustics
• International Institute of Noise Control En gineering
• Institute of Noise Control Engineering USA
• Korean Society for Noise & Vibration En gineering
• Norwegian Acoustic Society
• Pride in STEM
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• Tideway (Bazalgette Tunnel Limited)
• Turkish Acoustic Association

 

A summary of the most commonly occurring suggestions and points raised is presented below.

 

Acceptance

 

Leaders must accept that there is likely to be an issue regarding EDI within their organisation and should not ignore it.

 

Education

 

The members of an organisation should be educated regarding unconscious bias, micro-aggressions and the specific needs of members of underrepresented groups, for example, stated pronouns or pro vision of sanitary bins in all toilet cubicles, not just female ones.

 

Mentoring

 

Many respondents identified that mentoring of members from underrepresented groups improved their participation in the work of the organisation and improved retention.

 

Visibility

 

Leadership and Recruitment

 

Respondents generally agreed that diversity needs to be visible. This should be achieved not just by ensuring that diversity is represented in promotional materials and outreach, but also by increasing the visibility of diversity in leadership and decision-making roles.

 

Recruitment needs to reduce bias; this is a huge task and beyond the remit of this paper. Recruitment should also consider flexibility and the reasoning for any essential criteria. Vacancies should be advertised through diverse channels and advertisements should be explicitly inclusive.

 

Within the Workforce

 

It was also noted that many people will not identify their diversity in the workplace until they feel safe, and that this safety often comes from seeing people they can identify with. Organisations should consider finding people who are comfortable being identified, and make members/staff aware of these people.

 

Organisations should also implement effective and robust processes for managing bullying and harassment.

 

Safe Spaces and Affinity Groups

 

Dialogue and development of ideas can be promoted by providing safe spaces such as ‘affinity groups’ within the organisation, which have been proven by some respondents to be valuable. In these groups everyone, especially people from underrepresented groups, feels free to express themselves and enjoy workshops, interviews and discussions with people with similar experiences.

 

However, providing these spaces isn’t enough: organisations need to listen and act on what people tell them within these forums.

 

Allyship

 

Responses identified that allies have an important role in amplifying the voices of those who speak out about discrimination.

 

Organisation of Meetings

 

Meeting organisers should avoid letting out-going attendees dominant proceedings. Some organizations have demonstrated that groups without a senior manager present perform better as people feel more comfortable sharing their ideas, and others now structure meetings so that the most senior person offers their view last (Syed, 2021).

 

Inclusion Outside the Workplace

 

Another recurring theme was the need to ensure events outside the workplace are inclusive. Ideas included:

• Publishing a code of conduct for organised activities.
• Ensuring activities are explicitly inclusive, accessible and diverse for speakers and attendees, for example: providing remote access to the event; subsidised travel; childcare; accessibility to and within a venue; provision of live captioning and sign language; and the option of preferential seating.
• Avoiding scheduling events at times when people are naturally more biased, such as towards the end of the day, and school drop-off and pick-up, for example.

 

Words and Actions

 

Respondents emphasised the need to not lump experiences together: all diversities have their own challenges, difficulties and disadvantages which may not be significant to the others. Intersectionality (the overlapping or intersecting of identities and experiences of oppression and discrimination) further complicates the issue.

 

Longevity

 

It is apparent from responses that any EDI efforts have to be sustained, and made a fundamental part of how organisations function.

 

5. CONCLUSION

 

There are many benefits to organisations that are formed of a diverse membership. However, analysis of the membership demographics of the IOA indicates that the IOA is not as diverse as the UK population or wider STEM workforce when considering a number of demographic metrics, although the IOA is similar in its proportion of women to the wider STEM workforce.

 

A number of suggestions based on literature, IOA work to date and work from other organisations in the UK and around the world have been provided. There are many more suggestions that have not been included due to document size: it is hoped the opportunity to publish these will be available in the near future.

 

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

We are extremely grateful to all the people who took the time to respond to our queries about their work in EDI and welcome ongoing discussions with any interested individuals or organisations.

 

7. REFERENCES

 

1. Dixon-Fyle, S., Dolan, K., Hunt, V. & Prince, S., 2020. Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. 

   Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

   [Accessed 06 June 2021].

2. Engineering UK, 2022. Women in Engineering Trends in women in the engineering workforce between 2010 and 2021, London: Engineering UK.

3. Gomez, L. E. & Bernet, P., 2019. Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Journal of the National Medical Association, 111(4), pp. 383–392.

4. Gompers, P. & Kovvali, S., 2018. The Other Diversity Dividend. Harvard Business Review, 96(4), pp. 72–77.

5. Government Equalities Office; Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2015. Equality Act 2010: guidance. 

   Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance#overview

   [Accessed 27 April 2022].

6. Hunt, V., Layton, D. & Prince, S., 2015. Why diversity matters.

   Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/why-diversity-matters

   [Accessed 07 June 2021].

7. Noland, M., Moran, T. & Kotschwar, B. R., 2016. Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Survey. Working Paper, 16(3).

8. Office for National Statistics, 2020. Population of England and Wales.

   Available at: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/uk-population-by-ethnicity/national-and-regional-populations/population-of-england-and-wales/latest

   [Accessed 24 April 2022].

9. Royal Academy of Engineering; Science Council, 2021. Diversity and Inclusion Progression Framework Report 2021 Joint Report for Professional Engineering Institutions and Scientific Bodies, London: RAEng.

10. Syed, M., 2021. Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking. London: John Murray.

11. The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM, 2021. Inquiry into Equity in the STEM Workforce Final Report, London: The APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM.

12. The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2022. Why is D&I important? 

    Available at: raeng.org.uk/diversity-in-engineering/business-benefits-key-facts

    [Accessed 27 April2022].

 

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¹angela@dbxacoustics.com

²susan@dbxacoustics.com