Keith Ruth was very surprised when he was approached by PricewaterhouseCoopers chief diversity officer to help lead the firm’s corporate diversity effort. Why was he so surprised? Because Ruth is a White man and it is common knowledge that diversity programs aren’t designed for white men, right? Not according to Chris Simmons, PwC’s chief diversity officer.

When Chris Simmons became PwC’s chief diversity officer in 2004, he was given a directive by the U.S. chairman to move diversity “off the sidelines” and “into the mainstream.” That meant fully integrating diversity into the firm’s daily operations including client assignments and employee promotions. At the same time, diversity leaders were being named for PwC’s four business units. Though Simmons is Black, he was concerned that none of the diversity leaders being named as a business unit diversity leader was a White man. He believed that having White men champion, diversity would be instrumental in helping to bring other White men on board. After all, White men are still the majority of workers in most large firms. Frank McCloskey, Georgia Power’s first White male head of diversity, insists that it would be difficult to ever create a sustainable diversity initiative if the majority of the work force felt there was nothing in it for them.

Since becoming a PwC diversity leader, Keith Ruth has had much success reaching many people whom the chief diversity officer admits he had had a difficult time reaching.

Questions

1. Using consequential, rule-based and character theories, evaluate Brent’s options.

2. What should Brent do? Why?