Jill Smith

Workplace Writing II
Touchstone 2.1
4/27/2023
Evaluation: “Diversity Improves Performance and Outcomes”

For the previous touchstone, I proposed arguing that to solve the issue of inequity,

organizations should prioritize workplace diversity because a diverse workforce can lead to

increased innovation, improved organizational performance, and attraction and retention of

talents. During my research on this issue, I found the article “Diversity Improves Performance

and Outcomes,” written by L.E. Gomez and Patrick Bernet. This article was published in the

Journal of the National Media in 2019. This source shows a number of clear signs of

credibility, and its focus on diversity in the healthcare system will be useful for my claim that

diversity improves innovation.

One clear sign of credibility in this source can be found in the extensive credentials of

its authors. L. E. Gomez is an emergency medicine physician with an MBA in Healthcare

Administration and leadership experience serving as Secretary-Treasurer for the American

Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM). He also holds a BA in Biochemistry from

Cornell University. Gomez co-created original research on the health economics of diversity,

inclusion, and equity. Therefore, he is qualified to write about how diversity contributes to

increased performance and outcomes in the workplace. Patrick Bernet is an Associate

Professor of Healthcare Management at Florida Atlantic University's College of Business.

Patrick is an expert in research methods and has an interest in studying operational

performance. Clearly, both authors are professionals in the field and qualified to write about

how diversity can lead to improved performance and outcomes in any workplace.
 Additionally, this source’s credibility is shown through its use and documentation of

other credible sources. The authors have used citations throughout the article and have

included a reference list to show their sources of information. An example of a citation that

the authors have used is Lorenzo et al.’s article about innovation through diversity published

in the widely respected Journal of Business. Other credible sources they cite are the Journal

of Healthcare Management, Social Science and Medicine, and the National Institute of

Health. Use of these well-respected sources suggests that the authors’ information is being

supported by other credible sources and is not simply drawn from the authors’ own opinions

about how diversity improves performance.

In addition to being credible, this source will also prove useful for my paper because

its focus corresponds with my thesis' focus on why workplace diversity is important to

business. As stated by its authors, this article's goal is to "assess the association between

diversity, innovation, patient health outcomes, and financial performance." The authors used

medical and business research indices with the help of numerous studies to search for

diversity concerning financial or quality outcomes. The study focused on the healthcare

industry and skills that can be obtained due to diversity, such as innovation and risk

assessment. The results of the assessment revealed significant associations between diversity,

quality, and financial performance. This suggests that diversity leads to improved risk

assessment, better fairing of patients, improved financial performance, and improved

innovation. The authors conclude that “diversity can help organizations improve both patient

care quality and financial results, as well as skills such as innovation. This source will,

therefore, be useful to my argument as it will provide me with data on how diversity leads to

improved innovation – one of my points of argument in favor of ensuring workplace diversity.

In conclusion, this source is useful for my research as it shows clear signs of

credibility, and its purpose has a connection to my argument. Its authors are clearly qualified
to write on this topic, and the essay contains a wealth of information that will be included as

support for my argument about diversity’s effects on innovation. For these reasons, I will use

it to support my argument, specifically using the innovation material to reinforce why

diversity is crucial in the workplace.

 References

Gomez L. E. & Bernet P. (2019). Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Journal of

the National Medical Association, 111(4), pp.383-392. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.006

Reflection Questions.

1. What types of questions did you ask yourself when evaluating the credibility and usefulness

of your source? (2-3 sentences)

 I asked myself whether the authors were trustworthy and whether they used information to

enhance the reliability of the article. I also asked myself whether the article’s purpose

aligns with my thesis to ensure that it contains information that is useful for my research.

2. How do you feel this evaluation practice will help you as you continue to move through the

research process? (2-3 sentences)

This practice will help me determine which sources will provide strong support for my

essay by ensuring I use only useful and credible ones. The practice will also make the

process less time-consuming as I will only focus on sources that are only beneficial to my

argument.