Global Diversity Management

Despite growing interest in how the concept of diversity management is reinterpreted as it crosses national boundaries, there has been little study of this process in Europe. To bridge this knowledge gap, this article explores the construction of diversity discourses in the context of the UK, France and Germany. We use the discursive politics approach to investigate the ways in which the meaning of diversity is shrunk, bent and stretched. We demonstrate that the concept of diversity has no universal fixed meaning but is contextual, contested and temporal. Temporarily fixed definitions and frames of diversity are path-dependent and shaped by the regulatory context. Thus unique national histories and the context of regulation are key determinants of the ways in which the concept is redefined as it crosses national and regional borders.

Human resource management literature pays little attention to the agency of skilled ethnic minorities in Europe in terms of explaining their career choices and outcomes. As a step towards addressing this gap we draw on two field studies based on qualitative interviews. One of the studies draws on interviews with 49 participants in France and the other is based on interviews with 30 participants in Germany. Through a Bourdieuan analysis, we contribute to the human resource management literature, and demonstrate the varied forms that the agency of highly skilled ethnic minorities takes, in terms of their work experiences, in the context of structures of inequality in both countries.

"Purpose - This paper considers organisation and union lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) networks and groups in the U.K. The paper explores the rationale for establishing LGBT trade union and company networks and examines the ways in which they can facilitate employee visibility and voice for LGBT organisational members.

Design/methodology/approach - Primary Research took place during a two-year period 2004-2006. The fieldwork involved in-depth interviews with 149 lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees and 55 management, trade union and LGB group representatives within 14 case study organisations across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Findings - The research highlights the pivotal role played by LGBT employees in driving, establishing and sustaining organisation and union networks. Findings indicate that LGBT company employee networks and LGBT union groups were highly valued by most LGB respondents as important support mechanisms and as a potential vehicle for encouraging and facilitating LGB voice and involvement. Employers and trade unions supported the development of networks and there was broad recognition of the organisational benefits that such diversity networks offered.

Practical implications - This paper provides important insights into the rationale for and potential benefits of LGBT company networks and union groups. These insights are of practical assistance to practitioners, employees and others involved in the equality and diversity management arena.

Originality/value - Despite the growing number of British based organisations which have established LGBT company networks, there has been little research or inquiry aimed at evaluating how such groups work. The research addresses this gap by focusing on organisations which are perceived as ‘good practice employers’."

This paper examines the linkages between diversity management (DM), innovation and high performance in social enterprises. These linkages are explicated beyond traditional framing of DM limited to workforce composition, to include discussions of innovation through networked diversity practices; reconciliation; and funding options. The paper draws upon a UK-based national survey and the case study data. Multiple data collection methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and workshops with participant observation. NVivo and SPSS software packages were utilized in order to analyse the qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. We used thematic coding and cropping techniques in analysing the case studies in the paper. A broad range of conflicting and supporting literature was enfolded into the conversations and discussion. The paper demonstrates that social enterprises exhibit unique characteristics in terms of size and location, as well as their double remit to add value both economically and socially. As a conclusion, we argue for social enterprises to consider options for DM in the interests of maximization of innovation and business performance. We contend that further research is needed to describe how social entrepreneurs draw upon their various ‘diversity resources’ in the process of innovation

Managing workforce diversity constitutes an important area of global corporate activity (Ferner et al., 2005), although it can be considered a relatively new organisational paradigm (Gilbert et al., 1999). Diversity management continues to fascinate management scholars as diversity promises advancement in knowledge, evolution and innovation (Härtel, 2004). However, the diversity management phenomenon remains underexplored in the Asian context. In writing this chapter, we are motivated by the fact that the oft-cited studies of diversity, for example, Sanchez and Brock (1996) and Harrison et al. (1998), are limited to the English-speaking geographies. Furthermore, mainstream theorisation in the field has been rather anaemic in terms of contextual detail, namely relating theorisation on diversity to history and geography (see, for example, Harrison and Klein, 2007). Ignoring history and geography in building diversity theory bodes ill for understanding issues pertaining to diversity management in other contexts, that is, places and times that fall outside the mainstream focus in this field of study (Özbilgin, 2009; Syed and Özbilgin, 2009). Even studies of global diversity management remain silent about the Asian context and its unique requirements for the sake of conceptual clarity (Nishii and Özbilgin, 2007).

"Issues and Recommendations for
Police Officers for Cases Involving People of Diverse Backgrounds:
Diversity Panel for
Training Police Officers of the Department of Police and Public Safety
Northern Illinois University
Barsema Hall, 300, Northern Illinois University
December 13, 2011

© 2011 Dr. Rey Ty
International Training Office
Division of International Programs"

Managing workforce diversity constitutes an important area of global corporate activity (Ferner, Almond, and Colling, 2005). However, the phenomenon remains under-explored in the Asian context particularly in terms of gender equality in Muslim majority countries (MMCs). Although there is a plethora of research on gender relations in MMCs, most of that research has been conducted in the realm of social policy or from a religio-political paradigm (e.g., Ali, 1997; Kandiyoti, 1998; Norris and Inglehart, 2002; Rouse, 1988). As such, there is limited research on gender equality at work in MMCs. This chapter presents key historical underpinnings of gender equality at work in two MMCs, Turkey and Pakistan, and assesses the interface between the state, religion and gender diversity from a historical perspective and presents the current pictures of gender diversity especially in workforce and political life in both countries.

"Purpose - Explore the triggers to the development of sexual orientation diversity policy and practice in the UK private sector based on the perspectives of those 'championing' sexual orientation diversity work.

Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on 22 in-depth key informant interviews which can be broken down as follows: diversity specialists (5), management (6, of whom 3 were sexual orientation senior management ‘champions’ in their organisations), trade union (3) and LGBT network group representatives (8) as well as access to company and trade union websites and publications. Interviews sought to trace the history of sexual orientation equality and diversity work, development of structures, policies and practices as well as triggers and barriers to progress and areas of innovation.

Findings - Recent literature on equality and diversity in the British national context has sought to explore the implications of a social justice versus a business case driven equality and diversity agenda. This paper considers that this dichotomous analysis can be unhelpful. Within the private sector case studies, the difference between the two approaches was not clear-cut. The corporate social responsibility agenda seemed to offer a broader vision for sexual orientation diversity work in a global context. It promised a more activist awareness of international human rights standards, stakeholder involvement plus links between employee and customer rights and concerns

Originality/value - The paper addresses a gap in knowledge regarding sexual orientation diversity management in the UK private sector. It also considers the links between corporate social responsibility and sexual orientation diversity management."

"Purpose - This editorial introduces the papers within the special issue and outlines their contribution to the emerging and evolving study of sexuality and sexual orientation in organisation and management studies.

Design/methodology/approach - A review of some key themes within the literature on sexuality and sexual orientation was provided prior to drawing out key points within the submitted papers and considering how they contribute to this literature.

Findings - These six paper make an important contribution to the fast changing and evolving study of sexuality and sexual orientation in organisation and the development and implementation of equality and diversity policy and practice.

Originality/value - The special issue includes articles based on new and original research which aim to contribute to a better understanding of sexuality and sexual orientation within the field of organisation and management."

"Diversity management has been extensively studied in domestic settings. However, domestic diversity management research is inadequate for understanding diversity management concerns of global firms at the level of their strategic decision making and cross-national coordination
activities. The aim of this paper is to examine Japanese global firms in the automotive industry with a view to reveal their reasons for adoption, diffusion and implementation of global diversity management activities. The field research assumes a multi-party, multi-layered approach, incorporating interviews with decision leaders in key institutional actors, including diversity managers, trade union and employers’ association representatives and, subject specialist scholars. The
research also involves documentary analysis of policy documents and corporate data. The paper provides a) a literature review on diversity management that identifies its key tenets and global and domestic versions, b) a conceptual framework of influences which shape the diversity management
approach that a firm may take, c) an elaboration of the research methods and techniques and d) a case study of global diversity management in the Japanese automobile industry from a multi-stakeholder perspective. Research findings reveal that despite their global outlook, the automotive companies still retain multinational rather than global approaches to diversity management. The paper explains why
this may be the case and proposes some remedies for overcoming current tensions in effective implementation of global diversity management activities."

This paper focuses on global diversity management, outlining its differences to single-nation diversity management and explains the unique features of both forms of diversity management. The single-nation diversity management debate is first unpacked in terms of the way it has been defined, contested and developed, in the mainstream literature. These elaborations then lead to a discussion of how global diversity management is different from its single-nation counterpart. Subsequently, a conceptual model of key influences on appropriation and development of a global diversity management approach is offered. This model is described with its key components. While the single-nation diversity management literature was driven by academic theory paving the way for policy and practice, global diversity management is an emergent academic concept, the substantive body of knowledge for which comes from practice.