In 2005, the faculty of the computer science department at Harvey Mudd College reviewed its statistics on gender matriculation. A long-time goal of the department had been to increase the number and proportion of women studying computer science at the school. To their consternation, they discovered that the number of women declaring computer science majors was declining. The case describes the steps the faculty took to redesign their core introductory course as well as the follow-up study that revealed a dramatic, sustainable increase in women's engagement: Harvey Mudd College raised the percentage of women computer science majors to over 50% in less than ten years. The case discusses the transformation of the culture and pedagogy-as well as specific actions taken by the faculty and school leadership-that fomented this change. The focus on the computer science program is set against the broader backdrop of Harvey Mudd College's efforts to attract and retain women students generally. HKS Case 2225.0

Many White people deny the existence of racism against people of color because they assume that racism is defined by deliberate actions motivated by malice and hatred. However, racism can occur without conscious awareness or intent. When defined simply as differential evaluation or treatment based solely on race, regardless of intent, racism occurs far more frequently than most White people suspect. As intractable as it seems, racism in the workplace can be effectively addressed. Because organizations are small, autonomous entities that afford leaders a high level of control over norms and policies, they are ideal sites for promoting racial equity. Companies should move through the five stages of a process called PRESS: (1) Problem awareness, (2) Root-cause analysis, (3) Empathy, or level of concern about the problem and the people it afflicts, (4) Strategies for addressing the problem, and (5) Sacrifice, or willingness to invest the time, energy, and resources necessary for strategy implementation.

"It's a celebration of the diversity and inclusion this project represents from its design, to its contracting, to its nonprofit partners," he said, referring to the process that Massport, the land's owner, had undertaken to select a developer for the hotel. Massport required that bidders incorporate diversity and inclusion (D&I) plans into their bids and announced that the plans would be considered alongside more traditional evaluation criteria such as building design, construction experience, and financial capabilities. On May 22, 2018, executives from the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) along with Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh gathered in the Seaport District of South Boston for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a new hotel in Boston's Seaport District. The hotel, when completed in early 2021, would be the fourth largest in the state. "Today marks more than just a groundbreaking," said Mayor Walsh. "It's a celebration of the diversity and inclusion this project represents from its design, to its contracting, to its nonprofit partners," he said, referring to the process that Massport, the land's owner, had undertaken to select a developer for the hotel. Massport required that bidders incorporate diversity and inclusion (D&I) plans into their bids and announced that the plans would be considered alongside more traditional evaluation criteria such as building design, construction experience, and financial capabilities. The move was so unusual that some in the Boston development community doubted Massport was serious about giving so much weight-25%-to bidders' D&I plans. Nevertheless, at the groundbreaking of the $550 million hotel, Massport CEO Thomas Glynn told a Boston Business Journal reporter that Massport intended to use the new selection model for future projects.

On December 10, 2013 more than 90,000 South Africans gathered at the FNB Stadium in Soweto outside of Johannesburg to mourn the death of the country's first black president, Nelson Mandela. At the stadium, several dignitaries addressed the mourners, which included United States President Barack Obama and then-current or former heads of state or government from over 100 countries-one of the largest assemblages of world leaders in history. Obama took the podium to eulogize Mandela: "[His] passing is rightly a time of mourning, and a time to celebrate a heroic life," he said. "But I believe it should also prompt in each of us a time for self-reflection. With honesty, regardless of our station or our circumstance, we must ask: 'How well have I applied his lessons in my own life?'" This case provides students with a short history of South Africa followed by a contextualized biography of Nelson Mandela-from birth through death-that emphasizes the key events and actions that served to shape his life and reflect his values and leadership. Mandela demonstrated adaptability and malleability and many shifts in strategy, emerging from the impetuousness of youth to become a Zen-like elder statesman. Over the course of his life, though, his core values did not change. Mandela showed ability to navigate and negotiate with different stakeholders. How did he get power from both sides while maintaining legitimacy in both camps? How was he able to avoid the neither/nor that can alienate both sides? These are the key questions students will grapple with during the class discussion. Case number 2104.0