>for diversity to matter at all there must be some functional element >without measuring it seemed very unscientific to me. Well, I think it's accepted that t

>for diversity to matter at all there must be some functional element >without measuring it seemed very unscientific to me. Well, I think it's accepted that there were "unscientific" elements here. I'm not saying everyone agreed on their value, but they were stated as benefits. For instance, diversity in viewpoints based on varied experiences would theoretically bring about more interesting solutions. I'm not sure how one would objectively measure that purported effect. Likewise, helping a company to understand cultural sensitivities among different customer populations, so they don't blunder in language or otherwise. And, to whatever degree we consider it beneficial for companies to be considered "good corporate citizens" in general, I suppose that would apply here as well—though, again, hard to measure. So, I agree that say, race/gender are proxies for deeper cultural diversity. I don't know that you would define that diversity as "functional", or that you would need to in order for there to be some benefit.