Definition

The diverse customer/community partnership perspective reflects a statistical summary of the organization's ability to connect with and leverage emerging demographic changes in the global marketplace and its ability to play a significant role in supporting its local and the broader world community. This perspective often includes an analysis of the organization's relationship with Asians, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, women, people with disabilities, gays and lesbians, and many other groups in terms of products and services, responsiveness, specialized needs, and the like. In addition, it includes an analysis of procurement and contracting behavior, philanthropy level by community, and so on. This information is typically tracked to determine if the organization is in tune and in touch with the changing economics of its marketplace, aware of the needs of its community, and if it has access to the rich database of diverse resources that are available.

This perspective describes the ways in which value is to be created for diverse customers, how diverse customer demand for this value is to be satisfied, and why emerging-market customers will be willing to pay for it. It also describes how the organization addresses the needs of the communities it serves. It answers the question: "Is the organization a good corporate citizen?" As a result, this perspective should be a major driver of the organization's internal processes and development efforts.

Much of the effort is directed at determining how to increase and ensure diverse customer loyalty. To understand what must be done, we must...