Critical Perspectives On Diversity In Organizations

Decades of investigations into diversity in the workplace have created mixed answers about what kinds of effects it has on employees and teams, and whether or not it can be managed effectively to generate positive outcomes for organizations. In contrast to mainstream work from management and psychology, critical views on workplace diversity have emerged that seek to grasp more fully the messy social and political realities of workplace diversity as they operate in context. Critical Perspectives on Diversity in Organizations therefore seeks to review, integrate and build upon emerging critical perspectives on workplace diversity to help give a fuller understanding of how employee differences affect workplace interactions, relationships, employment, inequality, culture, and society. Critical perspectives help to fill in and openly recognize many of the more far-reaching issues that pure management and psychology approaches can leave out – issues of power, inequality, politics, history, culture, and lived experiences. If organizations do not try to take these issues into account and critically reflect on them, then diversity management is likely to remain a relatively blunt instrument or worse, a hollow piece of rhetoric. This book will be of interest to international graduate students and researchers working on topics associated with equality, diversity and inclusion in organizations, as well as various organizational practitioners and activists engaged with these issues.

Examining the theoretical connections between identity and diversity, this new book explores how diversity management practices can be better informed by an enhanced understanding of the relationship between the two fields. Highlighting the relevance of identity to diversity studies, the authors concentrate on three key areas: social identity theory; critical perspectives on identity; and poststructuralist understandings. With the aim of fueling future research, this insightful book outlines a detailed research agenda and offers practical suggestions. Not only useful to academics, this book also seeks to encourage policy-makers and HR managers to develop current practices and make more research-informed management decisions.

This book critically examines current workplace diversity management practices and explores a nuanced framework for undertaking, supporting, and implementing policies that equally favor all people. It presents critical perspectives that not only elevate respect for differences but also provide insights into the nature and dynamics of differences in view of an inclusive and truly participative organizational environment. The book first presents a brief overview of the connotations associated with workplace diversity and its effective management. Next, it focuses on the organizational appropriation of differences through the formation and mediation of various diversity discourses. It demonstrates the particular articulations of these discourses with inequality and oppressive structures that perpetuate structural disadvantage due to existing power disparity between dominant and unprivileged group members. The book then goes on to underscore the need of constructing relational and context-sensitive diversity management frameworks. Overall, the book outlines that current business cases for diversity focus solely on instrumental goals and tangible outcomes and, as a result, fail to fully capture the complexity as well as the particularity of the diversity phenomenon. The book underlines the necessity for a more inclusive paradigm, implying a progressive problem-shift in the dominant diversity research agenda from a market-driven business-oriented diversity management to one highly valuing, affirming, and respecting otherness.

Diversity in Organizations argues that ensuring a diverse workforce composition has tangible benefits for organizations. Rather than relying on touchy-feely arguments, Herring and Henderson present compelling evidence that directly links diversity to the bottom line. Readers will learn: How and why diversity is related to business performance The impact of diversity training programs on productivity, business performance and promotions The biggest mistakes in diversity management, and how to avoid them What can be done to make diversity initiatives more effective and politically palatable How to measure success in diversity initiatives in rigorous, non-technical ways to achieve desired results Presented accessibly, without shying away from the contentious aspects of diversity, the book also provides concrete advice and guidance to those who seek to implement diversity programs and initiatives in their organizations, and to make their companies more competitive. Students taking classes in diversity, human resource management, sociology of work, and organizational psychology will find this a comprehensive, helpful resource.

Marketers have attracted criticism from advocates of marketing ethics for not giving equal attention to all consumers. In other contexts, other nomenclatures such as “less privileged” or “low-income consumers” are being used to describe consumers. However, a critical view of the scope of the disadvantaged consumers shows that it is beyond having limited income and encapsulates all forms of limitations that prevent full inclusion in marketplace opportunities. Critical Perspectives on Diversity, Equity, and inclusion in Marketing focuses on exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion in marketing as related to individuals, groups, organizations, and societies. It provides insight into consumption practices, diversity, inclusion, limitations, and their theoretical and practical implications. Covering topics such as ethnic identity negotiation, marketing implications, and consumer vulnerability, this premier reference source is an eclectic resource for business leaders and managers, marketers, sociologists, DEI professionals, libraries, students and educators of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

The changing demography of the workforce presents challenges and opportunities to individuals and to the organizations of which they are a part. This volume examines how diversity in organizations affords benefits such as a broader talent pool, but at the same time can lead to tension, misunderstanding and, at times, outright hostility.

Written and edited by leading experts in the field, this authoritative account sets UK and European practices firmly within a global context. It offers an in-depth and contextual account of enduring, contemporary and cutting edge theories and approaches to diversity and inclusion management. With workforce demographics changing rapidly, high-profile cases of discrimination in the news and new legislation coming into force, it is more crucial than ever that organisations understand and effectively manage workplace diversity – not only to increase business outcomes, but to create an inclusive workplace in a socially responsible manner. This second edition includes an engaging new chapter on social class and diversity, as well as a range of new mini case studies on contemporary issues and themes such as intersectionality and autism employment. Packed with learning features to encourage critical analysis and help you link theory to real-world practice, Managing Diversity and Inclusion offers an in-depth and contextual account of enduring and cutting edge discussions and approaches to diversity and inclusion management.

Most managers in most organizations in most countries are men. This book is the first international work to address the relationships between men, masculinities and managements. It examines the processes through which gendered managerial structures, cultures and practices are reproduced. Exploring top and middle managers, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and public and private sector managers, the book breaks new ground by critically examining the gendered power processes that have largely been assumed and ignored by conventional organizational and management theory. As well as providing new insights into how managements and masculinities may reinforce each other, this challenging book ultimately explores the ways in w