CASE: NIKE IS LOSING ITS RACE FOR DIVERSITY
Raquel Charles
MAN 4352
Dr. Palmer
What could be responsible for the lack of women and people of color in top management positions at
Nike?
The Nike case study points out the systemic failure to hire people of color in top management
positions. There are several reasons that could be responsible for this failure. My opinion is that the
responsibility lies in the culture and in top management, including Human Resources. Although Nike
hires a large number of women and people of color, those numbers are not reflective in their executive
suite. Hiring women and athletes of color to represent the brand is not the same as having people of
color in executive level positions. Nike does not have the substantial culture required that will allow
people of color to be able to climb the corporate ladder. An overhaul of the culture at Nike will be
needed if Nike truly wants to change.
What actions should Nike take to accelerate the movement of women and people of color into
director positions?
In order for Nike to achieve their goal of accelerating women and people of color into director
positions Nike need to change its culture. This will need to start top down, including their HR
department and recruitment. By Reeducating and driving diversity into their culture, Nike can focus and
