Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk recently debated with Dallas Mavericks minority team owner Mark Cuban on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its role in the world of business. Cuban took a pro-DEI stance, contrary to Musk’s critical opinions of the ideology.
“If you don’t think there is a need for DEI and it doesn’t create a competitive advantage for your company, just look at the @x posts/replies/quotes below,” Cuban wrote, defending the presence of DEI within a business. “These are the same people that work for you or are your co-workers. Everyone is entitled to their POV, but these same feelings, even if they are not said out-loud, are heard loud and clear at work.”
Musk responded with a hilarious question to Cuban, suggesting that he truly employ the principles of equity over meritocracy. “Cool, so when should we expect to see a short white/Asian women on the Mavs?” Elon asked. The Dallas Mavericks minority owner did not immediately respond to Musk’s comment.
Musk initiated the discussion on his social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), where he suggested that DEI was “just another word for racism” and “shame on anyone who uses it.” The multi-company CEO also stated that “discrimination on the basis of race, which DEI does, is literally the definition of racism.”
Cuban extensively defended DEI in the discussion and listed several key points in his opinion. “Good businesses look where others don’t, to find the employees that will put your business in the best possible position to succeed,” he added to the conversation.
“You may not agree, but I take it as a given that there are people of various races, ethnicities, orientation, etc that are regularly excluded from hiring consideration. By extending our hiring search to include them, we can find people that are more qualified. The loss of DEI-Phobic companies is my gain,” Cuban continued.
Mark Cuban further discussed how equity is allegedly a critical component of business, but most companies are not able to successfully implement it. “Equity is a core principle of business,” the Dallas Mavericks billionaire said. “Put your employees in a position to succeed. Recognize their differences and play to their strengths where ever possible. It is not a hard concept. But it is not easy to implement. Most workforces don’t have the depth of management to do this well. When it’s not done well it can create tension and resentment.”
Although Cuban favors DEI-based strategy in his business ventures, he continues to explain how if it is not executed correctly, it can have detrimental effects on a company’s employees. “When anything that impacts all of your employees is pretty much a check list item to the CEO, there is a good chance that its not going work well and you are going to have employees who are not comfortable for a lot of different reasons. Which in turn creates resentment towards DEI policies and training. Which in turn makes it harder on the managers trying to implement it. When companies do DEI well, you see a well run, successful company,” he said.
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