Diversity is a widely-debated topic both in society in general and within organizations. This course aims at providing the students with an in-depth understanding of the concept of diversity in organizations as well as in the different perspectives on and definitions of diversity management. We will discuss management approaches as well as critical perspectives to diversity. Many different aspects of diversity will be addressed such as, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and more. We will read literature on diversity from different contexts. During the class discussions we will examine and debate what diversity is and what effects these definitions have on the organization and its stakeholders. We will also discuss why organizations address diversity from a firm perspective as well as from a societal perspective. Companies and associations working with diversity will be invited to the course.

This represents the likely list of readings. However, because the course is still a semester away and research on diversity management continues to be published (and the goal of research-based teaching is to always include the latest research findings), the course coordinators will review the literature and make adjustments prior to the start of the course.

Ely, R, & Thomas, D. (2001) Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly. Vol. 46, No. 2, pp. 229-273.

Essed, P. (1996) Diversity, gender, color and culture. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press.

Kochan, T., Bezrukova, K., Ely, R., Jackson, S., Joshi, A., Jehn, K., Leonard, J., Levine, D., and Thomas, D. (2003) “The effects of diversit on business performance: Report of the diversity research network” Human Resource Management, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 3-21.

Robinson, Gail & Dechant, Kathleen (1997) “Building a business case for diversity” Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 21-31.

Thomas, Roosevelt, R. Jr (1990) “From affirmatibe action to affirming diversity” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68, No. 2, pp. 107-117.

Clair, J. Beatty, J. & Maclean, T. (2005) “Out of sight but not out of mind: Managing invisible social identities in the workplace” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 78-95.

D’Netto, B. & Sohal, A.S. (1999) “Human resource practices and workforce diversity: an empirical assessment”. International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 20, No. 8, pp. 530-547.

Foster, C. & Harris, L.(2005) “Easy to say, difficult to do: diversity management in retail” Human Resource Management Journal¸ Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 4-17.

Hite, L. & McDonald, K. (2006) “Diversity training pitfalls and possibilities: An exploration of small and mid-size US organisations. Human Resource Development International, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 365-377.

Pless, N. & Maak, T. (2004) “Building an inclusive diversity culture: Principles, processes and practice” Journal of Business Ethics. Vol. 54, pp. 129-147.

Bendl, R. & Fleischmann, A. (2008) “Diversity management discourse meets queer theory.” Gender in Management: An International Journal. Vol. 23 No. 6, pp. 382-394. (www.emerald-library.com)

Grimes, D. S. (2002) “Challenging the status Quo? Whiteness in the diversity management literature” Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 381-409.

Litvin, D. (1997) “The discourse of diversity; from biology to management” Organization, Vol 3, No 2, pp. 187-209.

Lorbiecki, Anna & Jack, Gavin (2000) “Critical turns in the evolution of diversity management” British Journal of Management, Vol. 11, Special issue, pp. 17-31.

Further readings

Are you interested in reading more about diversity management, either to get inspiration for your term paper or just because you want to learn more? Below you will find a list of further readings. These are only a tiny bit of all research that has been done about diversity management, there are so much more written about the topic. To find even more, please search in the CBS library databases.

Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender and Society, 4 (2), 139-158.

Ashcraft, K. L. (2006). Back to work: Sights/sites of difference in gender and organizational communication studies. In B.J. Dow & J. T. Woods (Eds.), Sage Handbook of Gender and Communication (123-141). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Ashcraft, K. L. (2006). Feminist-bureaucratic control and other adversarial allies: Extending organized dissonance to the practice of “new” forms. Communication Monographs, 73 (1), 55-86.

Ashcraft, K. L., & Mumby, D. K. (2004). Organizing a critical communicology of gender and work. International Journal of Sociology and Language, 166, 19-43.

Benchop, Yvonne (2001) “Pride, prejudice and performance: relations between HRM, diversity and performance” The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 12, No. 7, pp. 1166-1181

 Boxenbaum, Eva (2006) “Lost in translation. The making of Danish diversity management” American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 49, No. 7, pp. 939-948. 

Prasad, P, Mill, A, Elmes, J.M. & Prasad, A. (Eds.) Managing the organisational melting pot. Dilemmas of workplace diversity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Dass, Parshotam & Parker, Barbara (1999) “Strategies for managing human resource diversity: from resistance to learning” Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 68-80

Gilbert, Jacqueline, Stead, Bette Ann & Ivancevich, John (1999)”Diversity management: a new organizational paradigm” Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 21, No 1, pp. 61-76.

Glastra, Folke, Meerman, Martha, Schedler, Petra & De Vries, Sjiera (2000) “Broadening the Scope of Diversity Management. Strategic Implications in the Case of the Netherlands” Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, Vol. 55, No. 4, pp. 698-724.

Holladay, Courtney & Quiñones, Miguel (2005) “Reactions to diversity training: An international comparison” Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 529-545.

Janssens, Maddy & Zanoni, Patrizia (2005) “Many diversities for many services: Theorizing diversity (management) in service companies” Human Relations, Vol. 58, No. 3, pp. 311-340.

Jayne, Michele & Dipboye, Robert (2004) “Leveraging diversity to improve business performance: Research findings and recommendations for organizations” Human Resource Management, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 409-424.

Jones, Campbell, Parker Martin, and ten Bos René (2005) For business ethics: A critical text: Taylor and Francis Ltd.- Chapter 6

Kamp, Annette & Hagedorn-Rasmussen, Peter (2004) “Diversity management in a Danish context: Towards a multicultural or segregated working life? Economic and Industrial Democracy, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 525-554.

Martin, P. Y. (1990). Rethinking feminist organizations. Gender and Society, 4 (2), 182-206.

Maxwell, Gillian (2004) “Minority report. Taking the initiative in managing diversity at BBS Scotland”. Employee Relations, Vol. 26, No, 2, pp. 182-202.

McCuiston, Velma, Woolridge, Barbara & Pierce, Chris (2003) “Leading the diverse workforce. Profit, prospect and progress” The Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 73-92.

Muhr, Sara Louise (2007) ’An Ethical Encounter With the Other – Language Introducing the New into Thought’, in Djelic, Marie-Laure and Vranceanu, Radu (ed) Moral Foundations of Management Knowledge, Edward Elgar Publishing, Aldoshot, UK and Brookfield, US.

Muhr, Sara Louise (2008): ’Othering Diversity – a Levinasian analysis of Diversity Management’, International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, vol. 3, no. 2, pp.176-189.

Murphy, A. G. (2003). The dialectical gaze: Exploring the subject-object tension in the performances of women who strip. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 32 (3), 305-335.

Peterson, L. W., & Albrecht, T. L. (1999). Where gender/power/politics collide: Deconstructing organizational maternity leave policy. Journal of Management Inquiry, 8 (2), 168-181.

Roberson, Loriann, Kulik, Carol & Pepper, Molly (2001) “Designing effective diversity training: influence of group composition and trainee experience” Journal of Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 22, pp. 871-885.

 Subeliani, David & Tsogas, George (2005) “Managing diversity in the Netherlands: a case study of Rabobank” International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 831-851. 

Townsley, N. (2006). Love, sex, and tech in the global workplace. In B.J. Dow & J. T. Woods (Eds.), Sage Handbook of Gender and Communication (123-141). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Trethewey, A., Scott, C., & LeGreco, M. (2006). Constructing embodied organizational identities: Commodifying, securing, and servicing professional bodies. In B.J. Dow & J. T. Woods (Eds.), Sage Handbook of Gender and Communication (123-141). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Von Bergen, C.W., Soper, Barlow & Foster, Teresa (2002) ”Unintended negative effects of diversity management” Public Personnel Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 239-251.

Ward, James & Winstanley, Diana(2006) “Watching the Watch: The UK Fire Service and its Impact on Sexual Minorities in the Workplace.”Gender, Work & Organization,Vol. 13 Issue 2, pp.193-219.

Wendy Brown (1993) “Wounded attachments” Political theory, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 390-410.