OM Forum—Barriers to Implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Programs in Supply Chains: Lessons from Comparing Public and Private Firms.

This article examines the barriers to implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in supply chains by comparing the DEI performance of publicly traded (public) and privately held (private) companies. It identifies transparency, access to resources, and the ability to customize DEI initiatives as key factors contributing to public companies' relatively better DEI outcomes, while private companies face challenges such as limited external accountability, smaller budgets, and less tailored programs. Additional barriers include skepticism about DEI benefits, internal opposition from advantaged groups, and differences in global operations. The article highlights research opportunities to support private firms in overcoming these obstacles through empirical studies, incentive alignment, organizational culture development, and cost-effective DEI strategies, emphasizing the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to advance DEI in supply chain management.