IBM's stance puts it at odds with trends in the tech industry and broader corporate world toward sharing
diversity success stories and best practices, instead seeming to view diversity as a zero-sum game.
The lawsuit is unusual because IBM is arguing its diversity data and strategy are economically valuable
"trade secrets," a legal term typically associated with closely guarded formulas like that for Coca-Cola.
It appears to be the first company to bring such a lawsuit against a rival over diversity efforts, legal
experts said.
IBM cited in its complaint Ms. McIntyre's knowledge and oversight of its plans to hire 50 diverse
candidates to executive positions and its development of artificial intelligence-based tools to track the
career development of women and minorities at the company.
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Joelle Emerson, a consultant who has advised Twitter Inc. and Airbnb Inc. on diversity efforts, criticized
IBM's position.
"If you truly want to build a better industry, sharing learnings is actually a really helpful part of that," she
said. "Ultimately, a more diverse tech industry benefits every company within that industry."
". . .plans to hire 50 diverse candidates to executive positions. . ."
So sounds like the best person for the job doesn't matter, just so long as they meet diversity requirements, that's all that matters. No wonder Big Bleu continues to die a slow, painful death.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20180215/NEWS06/912319248/IBM-lawsuit-against-Microsoft-casts-diversity-in-starkly-competitive-terms