Publication

Abstract :

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion have integrated into organizations through incorporations in their Strategic Plans. The presence of a globally dispersed workforce in the IT/ITES sector implies that these strategies are particularly vital in those organizations. Many organizations made pronouncements of publicly declaring their DEI initiatives; however, usually a difference exists between such declarations and the experiences of the employees. This study investigates the given DEI initiatives in IT/ITES organizations through two lenses: namely, by organizational disclosures as well as employee perception. The qualitative research methods involved the gathering of data with corporate DEI reports, sustainability statements, and employee-generated reviews through semi-structured interviews with employees. Thematic analysis reveals leading gaps of representation of leadership, equity in progression of careers, and inclusion incidences in the workplace. Diversity is preached at entry-level but drops off in representation at leadership levels. Promotion and pay equity remain as sticking issues: underrepresented groups tend to progress in their careers at slower rates. Employees considered organizational DEI commitments as more aspirational than actual, with workplace inclusion and psychological safety differing in various organizations. Employees expressed skepticism because many DEI efforts do not set measurable success metrics. The study also underscores that organizations should go beyond performative DEI efforts by incorporating employee feedback, installing structured mentorship programs, and adopting outcome-based DEI evaluation systems. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.