...Int. J. of Human Resource Management 18:11 November 2007 1895– 1916 The global integration of diversity management: a longitudinal case study Aulikki Sippola and Adam Smale Abstract Whilst the extant diversity management literature has provided a comprehensive array of theoretical frameworks and empirical studies on how organizations can and have approached the management of a diverse workforce, the same cannot be said about the literature on diversity in an international setting. Indeed, from a diversity management perspective we know surprisingly little about how multinational firms are responding to the increasing globalization of their workforce. This study seeks to contribute to this underresearched area through an in-depth longitudinal case study of TRANSCO, a well-known European MNC, which has been attempting to integrate diversity management globally throughout its worldwide operations. Adopting a Finnish host-country perspective, the study investigates what TRANSCO has been integrating, how it has tried to facilitate this and the challenges that have arisen throughout the process. The results indicate that TRANSCO has committed a considerable amount of resources to the global diversity management integration process, reflected in the myriad of integration mechanisms utilized. In terms of their integration strategy, it was evident that TRANSCO was able to achieve global consistency at the level of diversity philosophy, but was forced to rely on a more multi-domestic...
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... Home Page » Business and Management The Global Integration of Diversity Management: a Longitudinal Case Study In: Business and Management The Global Integration of Diversity Management: a Longitudinal Case Study Int. J. of Human Resource Management 18:11 November 2007 1895– 1916 The global integration of diversity management: a longitudinal case study Aulikki Sippola and Adam Smale Abstract Whilst the extant diversity management literature has provided a comprehensive array of theoretical frameworks and empirical studies on how organizations can and have approached the management of a diverse workforce, the same cannot be said about the literature on diversity in an international setting. Indeed, from a diversity management perspective we know surprisingly little about how multinational firms are responding to the increasing globalization of their workforce. This study seeks to contribute to this underresearched area through an in-depth longitudinal case study of TRANSCO, a well-known European MNC, which has been attempting to integrate diversity management globally throughout its worldwide operations. Adopting a Finnish host-country perspective, the study investigates what TRANSCO has been integrating, how it has tried to facilitate this and the challenges that have arisen throughout the process. The results indicate that TRANSCO has committed a considerable amount of resources to the global diversity management integration process, reflected in...
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...factors that contribute to the rising workplace diversity. These include increasing numbers of immigrants, company mergers and joint ventures in different countries, increased engagement of business consultants and temporary employees, international competition and the phenomenon of globalization, which has transformed the world into a global village. Globalization has occurred because of a combination of factors such as improved infrastructure, advancements in technology. Infrastructure and technology have not only provided cheaper means of communication and travel, but have revolutionized the speed at which individuals and businesses communicate with each other. Domestic companies are also spreading their operations to new territories across the globe in search of new markets or outsourcing some aspects of their production process. Management of employee cultural diversity, through the integration of suitable strategies plays a key role in improving the competitive advantage of the business, especially on the global platform. Globalization calls for specific approaches that promote harmonious working relationships within increasingly culturally diverse workplaces. Hansen (2002) observes that workplace diversity is critical to the existence of businesses and identifying key strategies to ensure harmonious working relationships among culturally diverse employees is integral to the survival of any business. Diversity in this case means the differences between individuals based...
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...Student Self-administered case study Importance of Diversity In The Workplace Case summary: Case duration (Min): Human Resource Management (HRM) 45-60 Promoting diversity Worldwide This case focuses on DIFFERENCE ‐ Interacting and working productively with others and how best to use human resources to meet organizational goals through high levels of performance (motivated, effective and efficient workers) and competing in the global marketplace. We begin this case by exploring the changing nature of the workplace; We then explore what is meant by diversity and consider the business case for promoting and managing diversity within contemporary organizations. Learning objectives: Evaluate diversity and multiculturalism as a source of sustainable competitive advantage and identify the benefits of diversity for organizations. Case problem: What is meant by diversity and should organizations seek to be diverse? Company Aramark http://www.aramark.com/ Food ‐ Major Diversified ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award‐winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry. ARAMARK seeks to address issues responsibly that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy...
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...MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROJECT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN WORKPLACE TO ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN MERU MUNICIPALITY KENNEDY MUTWIRI MUKARIA MUC-SBS-555-0056/2009 A RESEARCH PROPOSAL A research proposal submitted to the department of business in partial fulfilment of requirements of degree of Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) of Meru University College of Science and Technology DECLARATION This is my original work and has not been presented for the degree or any other award to any other University Signature ___________________________ Name __________________________ Date Approval This proposal has been submitted for examination with my approval as the University supervisor Signature ___________________________ (Name of supervisor of department; Meru University) __________________________ Date TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background to the study............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the problem.............................................................................................. 4 1.3 Objectives of the study................................................................................................. 1.4 Research questions...................................................
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...2 Data Protection Act……….……………………………..7 7. Time Plan……………………………………………………………..8 8. References…………………………………………………………….9 1. Introduction This paper focuses on workforce diversity management by reviewing past studies and theories and applying it to the UK retail sector. ‘ The basic concept of managing diversity accepts that the workforce consists of a diverse population of people consisting of visible and non-visible differences… and is founded on the premise that harnessing these differences will create a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where all talents are fully utilized and in which organizational goals are met’ (Torrington et al, 2011: 476). 2. Literature Review According to Ellis and Sonnenfeld (1994) and Brenda (2010), the main purpose of diversity management and its primary function is to increase employee performance and to avoid quick-fix solutions (Trennery and Paradies, 2012) allowing maximizing advantages and minimizing disadvantages of a diverse workforce. Diversity was usually expressed only in the form of age, gender and ethnicity until the middle of the 20th century (Kosek et al, 2005), viewed simply as an obligation to follow the human rights legislations imposed by the government, However, due to globalization and demographic changes the diversity...
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...THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS LITERATURE REVIEW ------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION Cultural Diversity is more than a matter of representation of cultural differences. It also respect and value differences, whether of gender, race or ethnic origin, differences based on lifestyle, appearance of language proficiency, communication and decision making. Diversity is causing concern for organizations, although initially was seen as irrelevant to the effectiveness of the organization. The truth is that the most important developments of an organization derived from human diversity (Palmer, 2003). The management of diversity begins primarily as a voluntary initiative by organizations in recruiting workers belonging to different groups of social identity. Managing diversity brings with it the legacy management: the classic traditional notions of control, leadership, organization and power. Hays-Thomas (2004) propose a more meaningful understanding of cultural diversity, which focuses on groups that systematically have faced discrimination and oppression at work. These historically disadvantaged groups generally include women, people of religious and ethnic minorities with or without disabilities, older workers, and homosexual. Nowadays, organizations that invest on human diversity are developing a source of competitiveness at national and international level. These organizations are also more capable in the global economy...
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...has been a strong shift for corporations and employees to make certain accommodations to promote and inspire diversity in the work place. This notion stems from a strong cultural and socially predominant push that states a need for diversity within the workplace to combat the probability of racism within any organization. In this case study, the value and methods of organizational assessments are covered in detail and widely debated over. This is crucial because academia and organizations speak out about organizational assessments and construction, yet many do not understand or even know the tools that are used to conduct these important analyses. These very tools are what have been being used to assess the management of diversity while also addressing racism. Eight tools/assessments are covered and explained. These tools are also credited as tools that where crucial in the formulation of six key principles that are more commonly used throughout the industry as the “inclusion criterion” for the selection of organizational assessment tools. Statement of the Problem Workplace and diversity management have been a long time and ongoing agenda on both governmental and private corporate practices and has also been considered a “business imperative”. There has been also increasing validation, through empirical data that there are several benefits of having diversity in the workplace such as increased productivity, larger market share, innovative thinking and improved employee...
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...Diversity Management Student Name: Nedjam Laurent Group: 10 Name of Diversity Management Instructor: Jérôme Sutter Full reference of the article discussed: * Cronain D. 2010: ‘Keeping Turkey out of Europe’, The guardian * D’Netto, B. and A. S. Sohal, 1999: ‘Human Resource practices and Workforce Diversity: An Empirical Assessment’, International Journal of Manpower 20(8), 530-547. * Maxwell, G. A., S. Blair and M. McDougall. 2001: ‘Edging Towards Managing Diversity in Practice’, Employee Relations 23(5), 468-482. * Hodson R. 2008: ‘The personal context of work’, The social organization of work I hereby certify that the word count is 1334 words Student signature: | 1. Summary of the paper This article about the case of Turkish manufacturing industry raises the question of discrimination. Especially, it focuses our attention on the impact of demographic differences in the Turkish manufacturing industry. In fact, sources of discrimination are much more varied. We can consider the cases of the gender, age and ethnicity which are in general the most frequent, but as we can see in this article, there are other types of discrimination. So why managers have to face and resolve the problem of demographic differences in Turkish manufacturing industry? Sevki Ozgener tried to study this organization in establishing demographic differences with data collected from medium-sized business in Turkish manufacturing industry. There are many...
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...WHAT IS DIVERSITY? Diversity within an organization describes a group of people from different background and orientations such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation as well as different cultures, values and beliefs. This group of people has different approaches to learning, beliefs and perceptions which are premised on their educational background, communication style, personal skills professional skills, the environment of their birth and their working style. Diversity is seen as a heterogeneous pool of contribution of each individual’s skill, perception, and understanding. When this unique attributes are brought together in an organization, it creates what can be called a diverse workforce. Diversity focus strongly on the capacity of individuals and their contribution to an organization which include their skills, attributes and perception; rather than organizational structures, materials or policies of an organization. Individuals are regarded as the assets capital of the organization because they bring in their stock of experience, judgments, intelligence , relationships and insights( S.F Slater et al pp 202, 2008) which uses the materials resources, structures and policies of the organization to create goods and services. Diversity is being embraced globally because of its immense value to an organization business wise and because of social justices as postulated by (Bleijenbergh, Peters &Poutsma, pp414, 2010) “By advancing individual development...
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...Targeted Workforce Diversity: Strategies to Avoid Adverse Impact Workforce diversity has increasingly become more and more vital to organizations across the world. Many scholars articulated the value that workforce diversity has in enhancing an organization’s longevity, ability to attract the best talent, and increase novelty. According to Ployhart and Holtz (2008), “recruitment and selection are essential mechanisms for increasing diversity” (p. 153), therefore, in order to effectively increase and target diversity, organizations must develop or adapt new strategies of recruiting to avoid adverse impact. The purpose of this paper is to review literature that offers strategic remedies for organizations to consider in developing and maintaining their workforce diversity programs. Workforce Diversity and Diversity Management Practices Diversity has been defined in many ways and can have multiple meanings depending upon the objective for which it is sought to be defined. For the purposes of this paper, workforce diversity is defined as policies and practices that seek to include people within a workforce who are considered to be, in some way, different from those in the general population (McInnes, 1999). Knouse (2008) defines diversity management as the ability to maximize the advantages of organizational member diversity and minimize the problems. One can make the case for diversity several ways (Cox, 1993). It is the legal thing to do; it is the moral thing to do;...
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...at www.emeraldinsight.com/2040-8005.htm JCHRM 3,1 Managing diversity in Chinese and Indian organizations: a qualitative study Fang Lee Cooke Department of Management, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and 16 Debi S. Saini Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, India Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to investigate diversity management (DM) practices in China and India by analyzing formal DM policy (if one exists) adopted by the company and informal DM practices adopted by managers. It also aims to discuss the appropriateness of the US-originated notion of, and approach to, managing diversity in the Indian and Chinese contexts by exploring how local managers make sense of diversity and manage it in a pragmatic way. Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopted a qualitative approach. In particular, through a semi-structured interview design, qualitative data were collected from 16 Chinese and Indian middle and senior managers and four human resources (HR) director of regional headquarters of foreign multinational firms. The data were supplemented by secondary data from a wide range of sources, including government reports and media coverage to extend contextual understanding. Findings – The paper reveals that most Chinese organizations do not see DM as an issue. Where exists, its focus is on conflict avoidance rather than value-addition to the business. In contrast, managing diversity in India is of greater significance for firms, both legally and financially...
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...Does workforce diversity always result in better organizational performance? In today’s global competitive environment, workforce diversity became a competitive edge that helps firms better understand different cultures and different ways of conducting business globally (“Benefits and problems”). Taylor Cox emphasized that increasing workforce diversity for better organizational performance is still an essential business issue that receives great attention, as “most of today's small business owners and corporate executives recognize that attention to the challenges and opportunities associated with the growing trend toward culturally diverse work forces can be a key factor in overall business success”. Rob McInnes identified 7 factors that motivate companies to diversify their workforces: As a Social Responsibility: companies exercise corporate social responsibility role by diversifying their workforces and supporting their good living. As an Economic Payback: “diversifying the workforce, particularly through initiatives like welfare-to-work, can effectively turn tax users into tax payers”. As a Resource Imperative: companies shouldn’t be hindered from attracting best talents available in the markets because of discriminatory practices. As a Legal Requirement: law requires companies not to be discriminatory in their employment practices or they will be exposed to penalties, as “fines and loss of contracts with government agencies”. As a Marketing Strategy: companies...
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...technical and interpersonal skills in order to thrive in today’s business world. These skills include leadership, motivation, team work, conflict-resolution abilities and an understanding of diversity and diversity management. Today’s work population is constantly changing; we encounter different people from all walks of life. As a result there is more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. Maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity has become an important issue in the field of management. According to some experts “Diversity can have two competing perspectives. The first perspective embraces the “information value of diversity” and the importance of “celebrating our differences”. The second perspective believes that diversity contributes to conflict because “similarity attracts” and therefore, it is best not to draw attention to diversity and instead emphasize that as human beings our commonalities far outweigh our differences. The first perspective argues for customization, while the second advocates for homogenization. Whatever your perspective, the facts remain the same; today’s work population is changing and with any change comes both challenges and opportunities for organizations and their leaders. Diversity Management is a combination of programs, policies and activities that support an environment wherein employee differences are valued and integrated into each part of the organization's operations...
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...A Diversity Audit in Mental Health Setting TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 3 INTRODUCTION Page 4, 5 BACKGROUND Page 5, 6 LITERATURE REVIEW Page 6, 7, 8, 9 BENEFITS OF MANAGING DIVERSITY Page 9, 10 PROGRESS TOWARDS MANAGING DIVERSITY Page 10, 11 RESEARCH QUESTIONS Page 11, 12 METHODS ` Page 12, 13, 14 DISCUSSION Page 14, 15, 16 LIMITATION Page17, RECOMMENDATIONS Page 17, 18 REFERENCES Page 19, 20, 21, 22 APPENDIXES A Page 23 APPENDIXES B Pages 23, 24, 25, 26 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which employees...
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