Diversity management through a neuro-scientific lens

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 54-58
Author(s):  
Jackie Jeffrey
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Development ◽  
Collective Intelligence ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Human Diversity ◽  
Personal Constructs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Science ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
The Way

Purpose – Introduces the emerging evidence from the neurosciences and provides an account of how it is causing a learning and development practitioner to re-evaluate understanding of human diversity and therefore diversity management within organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Defines neuroplasticity and identifies four of the key findings before moving on to consider what this suggests about human diversity. Findings – Shows an application of this new knowledge to diversity management as a way of exploring how the concept of collective intelligence could lead to a transformation of this new knowledge into organizational development practices that meet the needs of all people. Practical implications – Advances the view that if organizations can find a way to connect people, places and ideas in a way that generates a deeper appreciation of the value proposition inherent in human diversity, the business case will make itself. Social implications – Recognizes the need for a collective intelligence that has the “potential to liberate us from the social and political hierarchies that have stood in the way of mankind’s advancement”. Originality/value – Claims that this new science of learning has the potential to create a revelation of personal constructs in a way that leads to a safe revolution in the way we view and appreciate each other.

Rationales of gender diversity management policies and practices in India: an exploratory empirical study in the Indian IT/ITeS industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-688
Author(s):  
Shreyashi Chakraborty ◽  
Leena Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Context ◽  
Management Policies ◽  
Policies And Practices

PurposeThe Indian context is marked with weak anti-discrimination laws and patchy implementation of protection of civil rights of women at workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to unearth the rationales of the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in India, in the absence of laws and regulations.Design/methodology/approachInspiration is drawn from previous studies on diversity management in other national contexts, and a survey methodology was adopted. The lead researcher administered the questionnaires personally to all respondents to ensure that the understanding of the questions is uniform across respondents as gender diversity management is a relatively new concept in India.FindingsSize of the organisation (number of full-time employees), the influence of external organisations and perceived enhanced organisational flexibility were found to explain the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in the Indian IT/ITeS industry. Findings also indicate that Indian subsidiaries of foreign multinationals tend to adopt more gender diversity management policies and practices as compared to Indian-owned organisations.Research implicationsThis study provides evidence that organisations do not always enact structures or behaviours in the pursuit of normative rationality and also consider the economic value of them, establishing an organisational agency in adopting legitimated norms or practices. The study also shows that gender diversity management policies and practices are not only dependent on the enactment of laws but also are adopted because of the economic benefit perceived.Originality/valueDiversity management policies and practices have been mostly studied in national contexts with anti-discrimination laws or affirmative action programs and have been claimed to be a successor of equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies. In the absence of stringent laws to reduce or eliminate discrimination against women employees in Indian workplaces, this study contributes to the literature by determining whether the business case for gender diversity drives the adoption of gender diversity management in the Indian context.

Gender diversity and innovation in mining – a corpus-based discourse analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ylva Fältholm ◽  
Cathrine Norberg
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Patterns ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to gain increased knowledge about gender diversity and innovation in mining by analyzing how women are discursively represented in relation to these two concepts, and in doing so establish how diversity management is received and communicated in the industry. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on analysis of texts including references to gender diversity and innovation in mining found on the web. The tool used to retrieve the data has been WebCorpLive, a tool designed for linguistic analysis of web material. Findings Although increased female representation is communicated as a key component in the diversity management discourse, based on the idea that diversity increases innovation and creativity, closer analysis of texts on diversity and innovation in mining shows that what women are expected to contribute with has little explicit connection with innovation. Research limitations/implications The study contributes with increased knowledge about diversity management by providing an example of how it is received in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Practical implications The findings indicate that for diversity management to have a real effect in mining, it needs to be based on gender equality and social justice motives, rather than on a business case rationale – the principal motive today. To enable this change, stereotypical gender patterns, as shown in this study, need to be made visible and problematized among policy makers, practitioners and actors on all levels of the industry. Originality value The study contributes with new knowledge about gender in the mining industry previously not attended to by using a method which so far has been sparsely used in discourse analysis, although pointed out as promising.

The impact of demographic factors on the way lesbian and gay employees manage their sexual orientation at work

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 992-1015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Köllen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Coping Resources ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lesbian And Gay ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence demographic factors have on the way lesbians and gay men manage their sexual orientation at work. Design/methodology/approach – Based on data taken from a cross-sectional survey of 1,308 gay and lesbian employees working in Germany, four regression models are proposed. The means of handling one’s homosexuality at work was measured by the 31 items containing Workplace Sexual Identity Management Measure from Anderson et al. (2001). Findings – Results indicate that being in a relationship is related to increased openness about one’s homosexuality at work. Furthermore, it appears that the older and the more religious lesbian and gay employees are, the more open (and therefore less hidden) about their sexuality they are. Having a migratory background is related to being more guarded about one’s sexual orientation, whereas personal mobility within the country is not related to the way one manages one’s sexual orientation at work. Lesbians tend to be a little more open and less guarded about their homosexuality compared to gay men. Research limitations/implications – The focus of this research (and the related limitations) offers several starting and connecting points for more intersectional research on workforce diversity and diversity management. Practical implications – The study’s findings indicate the need for an intersectional approach to organizational diversity management strategies. Exemplified by the dimension “sexual orientation”, it can be shown that the impact each dimension has for an employee’s everyday workplace experiences and behavior in terms of a certain manifestation of one dimension of diversity can only be understood in terms of its interplay with other dimensions of diversity. Originality/value – It is shown that manifestations of demographic factors that tend to broaden the individual’s coping resources for stigma-relevant stressors lead to more openness about one’s homosexuality in the workplace.

Engaging with stakeholders is critical when leading change

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Mayfield
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Leading Change ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Computer Tools ◽  
Barriers To Change ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate what would happen if we were to ignore relationships when leading change. Many believe that project management, change management, and related fields, are a matter of marshalling stuff: working the right processes and tasks, writing the correct documents, having good governance mechanisms in place, etc. People just distract and get in the way. Some tend to concentrate on these technicalities working their computer tools, rather than leaning towards people. The result is huge waste. Organisational change will always cut across different business functions, boundaries and across silos of working. This is where stakeholder engagement leads to successful outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – It is a surprise to many, but listening is probably the most powerful influencing strategy of all. The key is to ask the person you seek to influence, first for their thoughts, fears, and aspirations. If you can show you are genuinely interested, you begin to break down any barriers to change. This helps focus on the need for change rather than present the solution first. Yes, time is money, but often we can let this get in the way of engaging successfully. Conversations like this do take time. It feels counter-intuitive. Findings – There is growing evidence that people who make better leaders have a leaning towards action, they are never victims of “paralysis by analysis”. The self-aware, pro-active manager leading change understands that relationships are central to success and are thinking about their relationships in a real and active way. They think about their mental landscape and on that landscape they see the vital importance of stakeholders and are prepared to spend a far higher proportion of their discretionary time devoted to engaging with other people, quite apart from the structured meetings and emails that we usually describe as “communicating”. Originality/value – Most management books are written with the assumption that the business world is rational, but when it comes to change, it appears this is far from the case. We are taught to put a reasonable proposition to people, the business case, the plan, and so on, then expect people to mull it over for a while, then jump into action – reason – analyse – act. But nearly always the actual sequence is – see – feel – act. There is little doubt that people engage with their stakeholders better if there is some kind of emotional connection.

Translating a management concept: diversity management in Denmark

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 426-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Risberg ◽  
Anne‐Marie Søderberg
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Management Concept

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how the concept of diversity management is translated and adapted into the Danish societal context. The authors therefore seek to answer these questions: to what extent do larger Danish companies experience a need to practice diversity management? Do they also have specific diversity policies? And how do these Danish companies discursively construct and manage diversity?Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed 100 Danish firms and performed a discourse analysis of two frontrunner firms' diversity documents.FindingsThe Danish firms in the survey experienced a need for diversity management, but were somewhat reluctant to introduce diversity policies. The two frontrunner firms drew on a discourse of diversity as a business case intertwined with a discourse of social responsibility with focus on helping minority groups having difficulties accessing the job market. The findings indicate that concepts must be translated for the local context in order to be accepted by local actors.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies should look closer into local practices of diversity management to increase understanding of how this seemingly universal management concept is translated.Originality/valueDanish society, which until recently was relatively homogeneous, forms a specific cultural context for diversity management that differs significantly from American and British multicultural societies.

(Mis)managing diversity: exploring the dangers of diversity management orthodoxy

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Knights ◽  
Vedran Omanović
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
White Male ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managing Diversity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Corporate Diversity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to challenge the dominance of the mainstream discourse and practice of diversity management (DM) by identifying and problematizing three distinct but related issues that it encompasses: first, its tendency to displace all alternative approaches; second, its general neglect of the social-historical context and third, its almost exclusive focus on the business case rationale for supporting diversity. Design/methodology/approach – Employing ethnographic research methods, the empirical material was collected in an international manufacturing corporation based in Sweden. It consists of three different, but interconnected approaches: archival research, interviews and observations. Findings – The paper shows that in neglecting power, identity, intersectionality and the changing socio-historical context of diversity, a well-meaning corporate diversity programme tended to obscure ethnic and age-related disadvantages at work. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this research relate largely to its dependence on a single case study and the limited focus on diversity as it affected able-bodied, white male immigrant workers. A broader study of the multiplicity of types of discrimination and ways in which diversity is managed in a range of countries and organizations could facilitate a more in-depth exploration of these issues and arguments. Originality/value – Although not entirely new, the three arguments that have been drawn upon to discuss, analyse and illustrate DM through our data have rarely been brought together in one theoretical and empirical study.

Diversity management in three Latin American countries: an institutional theory perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Human Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Forces ◽  
Latin American Countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use an institutional theory (IT) approach to analyse the institutional context for diversity management (DM) in Chile, El Salvador and Guatemala, the influence of such a context on the DM issues that organisations’ face, and the DM practices that firms implement.Design/methodology/approachFocus groups and a survey are used to assess managers and workers’ perceptions about DM in their countries, while an analysis of the content of firms’ web pages is used to assess the formal public information about DM provided by firms.FindingsResults suggest prevalence of perceptions, among both managers and employees, of discrimination at the workplace, facilitated by cultural forces that undervalue human diversity. Firms’ DM responses seem to be led by multinational companies, and focussed on fighting discrimination, facilitating inclusion and pursuing external legitimacy.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to analyse DM in Latin American organisations. Furthermore, three studies, with different methodologies, support several IT propositions that emphasise the role of institutional forces in explaining organisations’ implementation of DM practices. The relevance and challenges of developing DM programmes in Latin America are discussed.

Diversity and firm performance: role of corporate ethics

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves-Rose Porcena ◽  
K. Praveen Parboteeah ◽  
Neal P. Mero
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Workplace Diversity ◽  
Corporate Ethics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Websites ◽  
Ethics Research ◽  
Repeated Calls ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeEmpirical evidence concerning the relationship between diversity and firm performance continues to produce mixed results that are context-dependent (Guillaume et al., 2017). Additionally, little is known about the relationship between workplace diversity management and corporate ethics and whether diversity management is a contextual factor to consider in ethics research. This study assesses whether diversity management's contributions to firm performance are maximized through its effects on the firm's ethical processes. This paper examines three manifestations of diversity management (diversity recruitment, diversity staffing, and valuing diversity) and their relationship with firm performance as mediated by internal and external ethics.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a sample from the Fortune 500 list of companies. The variables were constructed using several relevant indicators and applied to archival data collected from corporations' websites. The hypotheses on the relationship among diversity management, corporate ethics, and firm performance were tested using regression from the data gathered on 109 firms.FindingsThe analysis indicated that diversity management relates to both aspects of corporate ethics (internal and external ethics) but that only external ethics relate to firm performance. Results also found that external ethics partially mediate the relationship between diversity management and firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThere are limitations to using corporate websites as sources of data. Furthermore, the research design assumed that diversity is an antecedent of ethics. Nevertheless, the findings convincingly demonstrate that diversity management has a strong positive relationship with both aspects of corporate ethics. Recommendations for further research are offered.Practical implicationsThe paper shows the value of diversity management and its impact on corporate ethics. Knowing that diversity management efforts contribute positively beyond their intended purpose may encourage managers to continue or implement such efforts, which could lead to more diverse and ethical workplaces and increased firm performance.Originality/valueThe paper addresses critical gaps in research and responds to repeated calls for studies integrating the business case for workplace diversity with its moral imperative (Alder and Gilbert, 2006; van Dijk et al., 2012; Yang and Konrad, 2011). The paper also provides evidence of a link from diversity management to firm performance through external ethics.

Women CEOs in Mexico: gendered local/global divide and the diversity management discourse

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana I. Paludi ◽  
Salvador Barragan ◽  
Albert Mills
Keyword(s):  
Feminist Theory ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Latin American ◽  
American Woman ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Ceos ◽  
Local Companies

Purpose The purpose of this study is to add to the existing research on critical perspectives on diversity management (DM). Specifically, this study examines the narratives of women chief executive officers (CEOs) from different countries of origin to understand how they enact the DM discourse by drawing on their past and present experiences at US multinational corporations (MNCs) located in Mexico. Design/methodology/approach This study, based on six open-ended interviews with local and expatriate women CEOs who work in MNCs situated in Mexico, used a sensemaking approach to analyze their narratives. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on decolonial feminist theory, which is used to analyze the hierarchical binary between Anglo-Saxon/European woman and the Mexican/Latin American woman with respect to the discourse of DM. Findings This study found that the dominant discourse used by women CEOs, expats and nationals was a business case for diversity. Female CEOs represent MNCs in favorable terms, compared to those of local companies, despite the nuances in the antagonistic representations in their narratives. This study also found that the women CEOs’ narratives perpetuated a discourse of “otherness” that created a hierarchy between Anglo-Saxons (US/MNCs’ culture) and Latin Americans (Mexican/local companies’ culture). Originality/value This study contributes to critical studies on DM by analyzing diverse forms of power involving gender, race/ethnicity and organizational hierarchy. The use of decolonial feminist theory to examine MNCs is a novel approach to understanding women’s identities and the power differences between local/foreign contexts and global/local businesses. This study also discusses the implications of its findings for women in business careers and concludes with a call for more research within the global South (Latin America).

Multicultural ethics and diversity discourse

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather M.L. Wallace ◽  
Kristine F. Hoover ◽  
Molly B. Pepper
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Visual Rhetoric ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Ethic Of Care ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Deontological Ethics ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Diversity Discourse

Purpose – Responses to diversity management have resulted in disappointment to many organizations (Cox, 2001). Previous work has situated rational for diversity in deontological ethics by equality scholars, while the business case for diversity has commonly rested on utilitarian ethics (van Dijk et al., 2012). The purpose of this paper is to examine a possible shift in rational for diversity – to explore if and how the ethic of care has been utilized in the diversity statements of companies earning recognition as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2012. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized visual rhetoric analysis and was designed to examine multiple elements of these diversity statements as published in the company web sites, including presence of the ethic of care, visual communication, and logistics. Findings – Of note are the results of the presence of the ethic of care as a primary or secondary rationale in 70 percent of the statements studied. Statistically significant results were found in the number of images of people from diverse backgrounds, as well as levels pleasantness and activation of the tone of the ethics statements. Originality/value – This study contributes to a better understanding of identifiable characteristics of these diversity statements at organizations which have been identified by their employees and the Great Place to Work Institute.

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