Diversity management

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Diversity management (including managing diversity ) and management of diversity is part of the human resources ( English Human Resource Management ) and is usually in a spirit of constructive use of fileformat in a company or other organization human and social diversity used. Diversity management is not only tolerated the individual differences ( english diversity ) of the employees , but raises it in the sense of positive appreciation particularly pointing and trying to make them useful for the company's success.

Classical business administration assumes that the diversity of employees is not the focus of their interest in design, but is just one of many social factors in the company's commercial exploitation process. In contrast, the goal of diversity is management is to use these differences and to make aware, including new external recruitment potentials to tap, the variety of external customers or clients even within their own work organization better reflect ( diversity marketing ), a dysfunctional To prevent social discrimination against women and minorities , to enable career paths for employees in management positions of underrepresented groups and thereby to increase motivation , competitiveness and creativity .

In the European Union, diversity management focuses on characteristics such as gender , ethnicity , age , disability , sexual orientation and religion, which are legally prescribed by the AGG or other case law . In addition to the "primary dimensions" mentioned in the AGG, "secondary dimensions" are also occasionally mentioned that should be taken into account by diversity management: income, professional career, "geographical location", marital status, parenthood and the (educational) Formation of an applicant or employee. In even more differentiated concepts of diversity management, categories such as differences in skills, competencies, work style and behavior of all kinds are also taken into account.

The diversity mainstreaming by state administrations used the same concepts as diversity management in companies. However, it is less oriented towards the pursuit of economic profit than towards the idea of social justice and the creation of equal opportunities for all people.

Definitions

Diversity in the corporate context

The term diversity , which is usually translated as “diversity”, “ heterogeneity ”, “diversity of the workforce ” or with a slightly positive connotation as “diversity”, is complex and multifaceted. The current discussion moves between the poles of gender equality policy on the one hand and a proactive competitive orientation on the other. Clutterbuck clarifies:

"At one extreme, diversity can be seen as a means of overcoming injustice - righting wrongs - and at the other as a means of enhancing individual and group contribution to the organization's goals."

- David Clutterbuck : Establishing and sustaining a formal mentoring program for working with diversified groups

The concepts of diversity differ in terms of the characteristics and extent of social inclusion that become relevant because of their impact on industrial relations. The definition according to Dieter Wagner and Peyvand Sepehri goes furthest - albeit away from the political impetus of equality - when they take diversity to mean all the differences that distinguish people in organizations.

Thomas and Ely formulate more differentiated:

"Diversity should be understood as the varied perspectives and approaches to work that bring members of different identity groups."

- David Thomas, Robin Ely : Making differences matter

Opinions diverge in particular with regard to the extent to which, in addition to visible demographic characteristics such as age, gender, ethnic origin, religion and level of education ( surface-level diversity ), invisible characteristics such as cultural values ​​and experiences ( deep-level diversity ) are of interest are. While visible attributes have an important function for participation in work and decision-making processes in groups, the quality and distribution of non-visible or difficult-to-see differences can have a direct impact on performance and results for companies. Hays-Thomas offers a concept that goes beyond a summary recording of relevant differences between employees and organizational units, which also provides the justification for the entrepreneurial relevance of diversity with the impact of diversity on working relationships:

"We will use the term 'diversity' to refer to differences among people that are likely to affect their acceptance, work performance, satisfaction, or progress in an organization."

- Rosemary Hays-Thomas : The psychology and management of workplace diversity

The value of diversity for an organization is essentially determined by the perspectives that the organization takes on the performance-relevant characteristics of its members.

Various authors clearly point out the risk that an approach that primarily classifies people as members of certain groups on the basis of individual characteristics or promotes counterproductive stereotypical patterns of thought and behavior. The alternative is a diversity concept that brings individuality as the essence of human existence to the fore.

As an argumentation aid for dealing with skeptics, bodies of the German Federal Government and the European Union list ten reasons why companies should proactively implement diversity management:

"DiM ...

  • increases sales: migrants bring valuable language skills with them in order to address new customer groups;
  • helps with expansion into new markets: employees from other cultures have a deep understanding of their home markets - companies can gain advantages in purchasing and sales;
  • improves the image: The public rewards companies that present themselves openly and pluralistically;
  • Facilitates the recruitment of suitable employees: companies that value diversity can position themselves as popular employers;
  • binds employees to the company: DiM companies have a lower fluctuation rate because employees understand each other and feel 'at home';
  • uses existing potential of the workforce: DiM reduces friction losses between heterogeneous groups of employees, improves the exchange of information and thus increases performance;
  • improves the ranking of analysts: institutional investors welcome it when management positions are filled internationally;
  • enables access to ethically oriented capital: politically correct investment funds expect a functioning pluralistic internal organization within companies;
  • reduces risks: AGG claims for damages are less likely if a company implements DiM;
  • anticipates international regulation: globally active companies operate in different areas of law, some of which are characterized by strict anti-discrimination guidelines. "

Diversity management

According to Taylor Cox, diversity management includes "planning and implementing organizational systems and practices to manage people so that the potential advantages of diversity are maximized while its potential disadvantages are minimized." In this respect, the implementation of diversity management is not just a method of leadership, but a Ideally, it is based on analyzes that determine the diversity of employees and their representation on various hierarchical levels in the company areas as well as in the external area vis-à-vis the customer.

From this, HR policy conclusions for access to new groups in sales markets or for the optimization of products, services and addressing strategies for different buyer groups ( diversity marketing ) can be derived. These conclusions exist e.g. B. in making use of the diversity and diversity of employees in particular specialist, non-industry or foreign cultural knowledge or professional experience of employees ( lateral entrants ) with unusual careers. It is also about taking into account the potential for conflict contained in diversity when recruiting staff and composing teams.

Above all, diversity management is recommended in the competition between companies for qualified personnel and in the event of a shortage of skilled workers to develop new target groups. However, this is countered by the statement of a study by Kienbaum Consultants International that personnel decision-makers do not attach great importance to diversity despite the shortage of skilled workers: Only six percent place diversity management at the top of a priority list of the HR departments (and thus in the penultimate place).

In personnel management, recruiting is often based on the principle of self-similarity , which is also common when selecting private contacts or choosing partners. In private as in working life, it is considered a principle that minimizes conflict. It harbors considerable risks for companies: perspectives are narrowed down too quickly, risks or specific customer needs are overlooked, and there is no room for lateral thinkers. This is particularly risky in the relationship between principal and agent .

Diversity mainstreaming in government and non-profit institutions

In public administration and in the non-profit sector (upbringing, education, health, therapy, etc.) it is important to adequately reflect the social and demographic structure of the clientele in the workforce structure of these institutions. It is hoped that this will lead to better reaching target groups and a higher quality of professional work.

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency defines “diversity” as

  • a human rights-based understanding of diversity that aims at equal rights and takes into account the diversity and complexity of people and their circumstances;
  • a change of perspective from a problem-centered to a resource-oriented understanding of target groups;
  • an organizational and personnel development tool that leads to higher efficiency and creativity in work processes, better customer orientation and more social justice.

This definition is based on the six “primary dimensions” of the AGG and is binding for all federal, state and local authorities in Germany. The above-mentioned requirements are relevant for the private sector insofar as regional authorities also act as economic subjects who can make their ideas of diversity binding for third parties through guidelines for the award of public contracts.

Goals and content

Diversity management aims to realize the potential of diversity. It is worded like a buzzword that added value should result from appreciation .

Diversity management combines operational and strategic objectives. The strategic objective is to increase the adaptability to globally changing market conditions and customer structures (e.g. niche markets) by building up a unique human capital that is difficult to imitate, and above all by identifying available, but unused, diverse resources. As far as possible, this means the transformation of the organization into a multicultural organization in the sense of all aspects of diversity, including gender, age, etc.

In its operational orientation, diversity management aims at increased operational effectiveness, problem-solving and conflict-solving abilities of heterogeneous groups.

In the still young field of diversity management in Germany, an internal differentiation can be observed. A distinction is made between two content areas of diversity management with personal and behavior-related aspects .

Personal aspects

Person-related aspects (ethnic origin, gender, age, educational qualifications) are taken into account through measures specially tailored to target groups, for example on migration issues, the reintegration of older workers and dealing with generational diversity and the consideration of different gender needs ( gender mainstreaming ). However, only a few companies explicitly include the sexual orientation of their employees in their understanding of diversity. IBM (in the USA since 1983) and Ford Cologne are among these exceptional companies.

Behavioral diversity

Measures that deal with behavior-related aspects (behavior-related attitudes towards and experience in dealing with diversity) aim to create an environment that is favorable for diversity management and to achieve acceptance. It can be observed in practice that stereotypical ideas determine the content of the measures. So z. For example, when integrating employees of foreign origin, value is placed on language teaching. This can lead to fierce competition between employees with advanced knowledge of German and those with basic knowledge. But this is already an expression of a competition-oriented, culturally influenced behavior that does not occur among employees of all nationalities. If the language courses take place without considering the cultural background, it can also happen that, for B. Women from Muslim countries do not participate due to cultural taboos . In contrast to the “all-in-one” method, in this example, offering German lessons for couples of Muslim origin would be a target group-specific measure. The example also raises the question of whether gender is just an equal characteristic of identity alongside others or whether characteristics of diversity have very different connotations depending on the culture or region.

The focus on behavioral diversity can also lead to stereotyping. Symptomatic for this are statements such as “Employees in the technical department cannot think in a customer-oriented manner” or “You cannot work with them.” Such self-fulfilling prophecies can permanently impair working relationships and reduce the required diversity.

Implementation

Taylor Cox proposes a three-stage model for conveying diversity-relevant content and topics, which should enable both personal and behavior-related aspects to be dealt with. When designing measures, he distinguishes between three functions: raising awareness, deepening knowledge and changing behavior.

  • Sensitization serves to promote the conscious perception of diversity and the separation of this perception from evaluations, because diversity is (too) often perceived as a disturbing difference in everyday work.
  • Deepening knowledge provides factual information about the selected diversity aspects and serves as a guide. It should help to re-understand the otherness of colleagues, customers or clients, which is sometimes irritating, and to become aware that people can interpret and evaluate the same experience with others differently and that there are always other ways of understanding than their own.
  • Changes in behavior can be understood as the effect of successful sensitization and the transfer of knowledge: One reacts differently to certain situations, calls up newly acquired knowledge in these situations, looks for explanations for irritating observations and is ready to test treatments. The behavior change can be supported by methods such as case discussions and critical incidents .

These three steps have already been successfully tested in the operational development of intercultural skills.

Background and story

The concept of diversity management originally developed as a socio-political grassroots movement in the USA in the 1960s at the intersection of women's rights and civil rights movements. This initially resulted in affirmative action in public institutions, e.g. B. in the army, and in companies: It aims to ensure that the population groups represented in society should be better represented in these institutions through targeted compensation for disadvantages (or the granting of advantages), i. H. get easier access to training, work and careers. In Germany this is known as “ positive discrimination ”. In the US literature, this type of measure has also been referred to as the discrimination and fairness paradigm.

The idea that the state is responsible for preventing discrimination against people by (potential) employers is still alive today in Germany. So there are For example, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency provides information about inadmissible questions in job interviews, the “Intersex Awareness Day” and the “ LSBTSQ teaching staff” in Germany.

In the past few decades, the concept of diversity management has been increasingly taken up by corporate management . Until the late 1990s, diversity management primarily focused on the question of how disadvantaged groups can be integrated into companies, but since then it has been more about the question of how the working relationships of heterogeneous workforces can be shaped. According to Thomas and Ely, as a strategy for managers, like other management concepts, it also has different "levels of maturity", which the authors describe using three stages of development:

The diversity management typology by Thomas and Ely, which can now be described as classic, identifies three main approaches or paradigms of diversity management in companies and at the same time draws attention to “how context might shape people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors [...] and how thesis, in turn, might influence the role of cultural diversity in the work group's functioning. " The following design paradigms are involved:

Discrimination and fairness paradigm

Under the auspices of the “discrimination and fairness” paradigm, a set of goals consisting of equal opportunity, fair treatment and social justice is realized. The impetus is or was legal requirements for the equal treatment of minorities in terms of recruitment, remuneration and promotion. One indicator of target achievement is the fulfillment of employment quotas. The underlying values ​​postulate: “It is not desirable for diversification of the workforce to influence the organization's work or culture. The company should operate as if every person were of the same race, gender, and nationality. " The logic behind the paradigm is similar to that behind anti-discrimination legislation, e.g. B. the General Equal Treatment Act . With this leveling of the existing differences, however, employees are deprived of the opportunity to bring their individuality, which is becoming more effective in working relationships, into the improvement of strategy, work processes and procedures. If quotas are specified, there is also no need to raise awareness of diversity as a means of increasing identification with the organization. The compulsion to be treated equally and the requirement of “common acting” can promote passivity and evasive behavior and reduce motivation and personal activity to improve the personal situation.

It is also pointed out that existing labor laws, co-determination structures and diversity strategies limit the scope of action of companies in shaping diversity or can conflict with one another. In Germany, for example, social choices can restrict the degree of freedom of design in the event of termination for operational reasons.

Works councils (and the AGG) generally demand equal treatment, while diversity management specifically demands individual treatment or at least offers a wider range of measures and starting points.

Access and legitimacy paradigm

At the development stage of the “access and legitimacy” paradigm, the diversity of the workforce is opened up as a competitive factor. By simulating the demographic structure of the customer groups in the workforce, e.g. B. through the use of customer managers ("key account managers") with appropriate personnel and qualification (linguistic, etc.) fit, competitive advantages should be achieved. However, according to Thomas and Ely there is a risk that through this approach staff with niche skills too quickly into different "pigeon" ( pigeonholes be locked) without trying to really understand their skills and to integrate them into the mainstream of work organization. If individual service providers are reduced to their minority-specific skills without taking care of the exchange of information and skills in the organization, diversity management is only implemented as an "isolated solution". The lack of permeability of the organization then hinders possible learning effects, diversity management remains selective and limited to the operational level.

Learning and effectiveness paradigm

Diversity management experiences a significant expansion of the term in the “learning-and-effectiveness” paradigm. The organization learns through the use of the diversity of approaches to work design, task planning and problem solving, which is based on the diversity of the workforce. By questioning organizational functions, strategies, processes and procedures, employees should be given degrees of freedom and appreciation and, in return, innovation should be promoted through participation. More than the “discrimination and fairness” and “market access and legitimacy” paradigms, the “learning and effectiveness” paradigm focuses on organizational learning and the economic utilization of diversity. Success establishes the legitimacy of diversity measures. However, it is questionable whether the findings on organizational learning can be seamlessly transferred to the problem of diversity management, as there is a difference between working together in homogeneous groups and the special requirements that group heterogeneity places on the qualifications and identification of their members.

In contrast to the descriptive approach of Thomas and Ely in 1991, Cox took a decidedly prescriptive orientation with the aim of generating measures in accordance with the strategic goals for the realization of a multicultural organization. The process-oriented model by Cox et al. 2001 goes beyond the naming of ideal-typical development phases in diversity management and strives for integration into strategic corporate management. The result is a five-stage control cycle for the transformation to a multicultural organization. This is made up of the elements of leadership, measurement of diversity competence in the organization (research and measurement), initiation of an internal learning process (“education”), adaptation of recruitment, remuneration, personnel development and work design to requirements of diversity management ("alignment of management systems") and success monitoring ("follow-up"). Despite all strategic orientation, Cox does take into account the emotional reaction of employees to the training programs and demands their broad participation. A wide range of awareness. and training methods can be found in Weißbach et al. 2009.

Increasing implementation of a market-based perspective

Will Kymlicka shows that the rise of multiculturalism and the recognition of diversity since the early 1990s went hand in hand with the rise of neoliberalism and the dismantling or restructuring of the welfare state in many countries . Organizations like the World Bank and the OECD played a role in this, promoting multiculturalism. Regine Bendl does not consider it to be a coincidence that the strategic approach of diversity management developed in the direction of a "market-based view", in which a neoliberal economic policy is expressed: According to her, the state affirmative action programs in the USA are - that The main objective of the hegomeny of the market as an institution in the strategy of neoliberalism - gradually dismantled and the idea of ​​diversity gradually "purified" from ethical-affirmative aspects and subjected to the primacy of the market.

Dealing with diversity management in Europe followed the dynamics of internationalization and globalization . In the course of company mergers, internationally active corporations were confronted with the objectives and guidelines of American-style diversity management and acted as a catalyst in the development of a European-style diversity management. This reacted to the requirements resulting from the international market presence, but took into account the differences in the organizational culture . This led to the discovery of discrimination and a considerable expansion of the talent pool , but especially since the financial crisis in 2008 to new differences and divisions due to the intensification of the competitive culture. Gender researchers criticize the “business management” of anti-discrimination policy. The apparent "color blindness" ( Color Blindness ) of neo-liberalism, which it superficially go to universities or companies to equal opportunities for all candidates, efforts konterkariere a positive discrimination of disadvantaged groups. Universities and companies competed for the recruitment of highly qualified immigrants in order to make themselves attractive for the companies, but paid too little attention to the poor and dependent applicants on their own labor market and thus created new differences. If the social construction of diversity is pushed so far that every individual is unique and this uniqueness is to be recognized (the so-called snowflake diversity ), this weakens the position of the really disadvantaged groups decisively.

But even if an excellently diverse talent pool accumulates at universities, it is only activated to a limited extent by companies in many countries, although it could lead to an improvement in their performance. A McKinsey study that analyzed data from 2014 and 2017 shows that in countries like the United Kingdom, diversity at the management level of companies is limited to a handful of excellent, internationally active companies. In the United States and the United Kingdom, overall corporate diversity lags far behind that of universities and the general population. Black women in particular are disadvantaged in the USA. In Germany u. a. People with severe disabilities, over 50 years of age. Muslims and transsexuals remain disadvantaged in the labor market.

Diversity Management and Managing Diversity in (the states) of the EU

Since various anti-discrimination directives came into force in the European Union (see: General Equal Treatment Act ), the topic of diversity management has been given a compliance dimension, because non-compliance with certain equal treatment standards is now sanctioned. In Germany and Austria, the legislature has decided to provide a deterrent against discriminatory companies to grant victims material compensation under civil law - similar to compensation for pain and suffering. Contrary to previous practice in the continental European legal systems, compensation payments must explicitly have a deterrent amount according to the underlying guidelines, whereby the deterrent explicitly also refers to competitors ( general prevention ). Compliance with the rules of diversity management therefore no longer only means a competitive advantage, but non-compliance also means a competitive disadvantage, since market participants who do not behave in a diversity-compliant manner have to reckon with considerable financial penalties and are thus thrown back in competition. Thus, a gender and diversity-appropriate management style is becoming a key qualification for management positions - which is reflected in the growing number of qualification offers and specialist events.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation , “ think tank ” of the German party Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen , defines a new approach to diversity management (in the context of the article: as the basis for teaching “management” by teachers with an increasingly heterogeneous student body): “Das The aim of the diversity approach is not only to draw attention to the diversity of the lines of difference and the heterogeneity of identities, but also to raise awareness of the links with questions of power and dependence. ”The“ politicized ”diversity model is based on the formula : "F (feminism) + GM (gender mainstreaming) + I (interculturality) ... + A (anti-racism) + E (disability) + LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) ... = diversity". “Your own approaches should retain their legitimacy claim and be linked to one another in favor of social justice and equal opportunities for all people,” says the author.

The German Federal Employment Agency has developed a strategy tailored to the conditions in Germany and similarly demographically structured countries . For demographic reasons , Germany can no longer afford to let older employees take early retirement , as there is often no substitute for their qualifications due to a lack of suitable young people and early retirement puts an excessive burden on the social security funds. The increasing shortage of skilled workers must also be alleviated by employing more qualified applicants from abroad. Ultimately, it is important to increase the female employment rate in order to combat the shortage of skilled workers. All in all, it is important to treat the named groups with appreciation for their potential, also for economic reasons.

The Diversity Charter was launched in Germany in December 2006 . This is a voluntary commitment by companies and other organizations to a work environment that is as free from prejudice as possible, which 2,700 organizations had committed to by 2017. The following dimensions are taken into account in the charter: age, gender, sexual orientation and identity, ethnic origin and nationality, disability as well as religion and worldview.

As a finding it can be stated that a twofold paradigm shift can be recognized:

  • On the one hand, a change in the focus of diversity management can be observed. Until the late 1990s, diversity management was almost exclusively associated with programs of “positive discrimination” and “affirmative action” aimed at assimilation and integration of disadvantaged groups, but now there is an increasing expansion of objectives with regard to a profound change in corporate culture instead, in which appreciation and awareness of the uniqueness of each individual are anchored as fundamental values. The focus on the quantitative representation of all population groups in the structure of the workforce has shifted in favor of researching and shaping the qualitative components of the working relationships of heterogeneous workforces.
  • With this shift in focus, another paradigm shift is taking place in HR research and practice. The "deficit model" in dealing with minorities in the organization, through which a socialization with regard to the dominant corporate culture and thus in fact the leveling of differences in the workforce was achieved, is to be replaced by a diversity-taking into account personnel policy . The homogenization strategy is intended to give way to a strategy of recognizing and using diversity, which goes beyond the objective of equality and is characterized by the support of informal network formation, the dismantling of stereotyping and different personnel policy offers for the individual groups of employees. The extent to which these findings apply to interchangeable, low-skilled workers in simple jobs is very questionable. Only a few companies have developed diversity concepts here.

A new impetus for diversity management arises from the legally binding convention on the rights of people with disabilities of the United Nations in most countries of the world (in Germany since 2009) . Article 27 (“Participation in working life”) is of particular relevance for the world of work. The convention is flanked by the provision of the Basic Law (Article 3, Paragraph 3), which states: "Nobody may be disadvantaged because of their disability." A preference for people with a disability is therefore (as "disadvantage compensation") in companies expressly allowed. The state legislature and executive are under strong pressure to ensure that people with disabilities have the right to participate in practice, and they pass this pressure on to companies. Above all, the German regional authorities are working hard to promote the accessibility of (including private) buildings and facilities in accordance with regulations.

As a result of the different diversity regimes and their different handling either with quotas and funding measures or through “color-blind” stimulation of free competition among the able, the focus on diversity in different EU countries has developed quite differently in recent years. While the participation of women at the highest corporate levels in France rose to around 40 percent by 2018, it fell to around 12 percent in the UK. As before, the French business elite are recruited from local elite schools, which socially disadvantaged groups such as B. makes it difficult for qualified immigrants to climb.

Diversity management and intercultural opening

Hubertus Schröer contrasts the terms diversity management and intercultural opening . Both deal with the control of and dealing with diversity in institutions, whereby in social work and in the context of society as a whole, the term intercultural opening is more common and in the corporate context the term diversity management is more common. In diversity management, Schröer sees the design of diversity as a "means to an end" for increased value creation and better positioning on the market. In the case of intercultural opening, the creation of diversity is the purpose itself, with which the change of society and the creation of social justice go hand in hand.

Empirical and practical design access

Design deficits can be identified at all levels of analysis. The majority of the empirical studies starting at the individual level compare the impact of different types of diversity, such as age, gender, or ethnic origin, on variables such as performance, job satisfaction, and vertical mobility of employees. The subject of research is also the comparison of the promotion frequency and performance reviews of disadvantaged groups with those of dominant groups in the organization. Generalized statements abstracting from the individual should be interpreted with caution, since diversity management measures have different effects on the individual level, depending on whether the organizational members belong to the minority or majority group in the organization. There is also considerable variation in the strength of the relationship ( correlation ) between diversity and performance within these groups. At the individual level, the measures towards achieving targets of their typical services provided by individuals to the dual objective of conservation of employability (employability) on one hand and the complete ability of human resources offered to the formation of a unique corporate performance (competitiveness) on the other. Employment providers must therefore continue to analyze how likely their current performance potential is to generate income and which ability to change (mental, methodical, professional) as “reserve diversity” holds them potentially changeable or adaptable. In addition to meeting the current performance-oriented need for diverse skills, companies must analyze the quantitative and qualitative development of the supply of human resources in the relevant labor markets. The fit between the supply of human resources and the changing requirements for securing future company performance must be checked continuously.

The methods used by Ely and Thomas 2001 and by Kochan et al. However , investigations carried out at group level in 2003 on the relationship between diversity and entrepreneurial success variables could not demonstrate any direct correlations. This finding is consistent with the current state of research on the performance of heterogeneously composed groups, according to which, with regard to cognitive performance behavior, no significantly higher performance of heterogeneous groups compared to homogeneous groups could be demonstrated. The majority of studies on heterogeneous group performance have been conducted as “black box” studies; that is, it has been abstracted from intervening variables between diversity and performance. The ambiguity of the identified directions of action suggests further empirical research to clarify the relationship between so-called "first level outcomes" (change in fluctuation rates , productivity, problem-solving quality, group cohesion) and "second level outcomes" (profit, market share, effectiveness) to be carried out (Cox 1993 ). At the group level, in particular “age-diverse” teams, core and peripheral arrangements and networks of permanent and independent service providers are to be examined with regard to their performance contributions, the organizational requirements and the expected costs of employing heterogeneous workforces.

Some empirical studies on intercultural competence development and employee management that go beyond the aspects of economic success and performance are already available in Germany. There are indications that multicultural teams are perceived as helpful and supportive, especially in areas with customer contact, while this is not the case in production teams. An extreme cultural heterogeneity of the groups also seems to be beneficial for the development of creativity and problem-solving skills. However, Kühl u. a. the tendency to struggle for status in heterogeneous groups. It shows that the formation of heterogeneous groups usually leads to an informal re-hierarchization, which enables faster decision-making, but makes extensive technical discussions within the group more difficult. Power struggles escalate more easily, especially in heterogeneous leadership groups.

At the level of the overall organization, there is a particular need for research on the interaction between organization members. Existing instruments such as job rotation , project careers and cross-pollination are to be used for the targeted creation of diversity in order to build diversity in cooperation relationships across functions and business areas. Guided by the knowledge that the potential of heterogeneous groups is not to be equated with the sum of all individual potentials, but that the value of diversity emerges in particular in successful topic-related or goal-related interaction, potential assessment and mentoring must be coordinated with the requirements of heterogeneous groups, that there are expedient effects on the level of the overall organization with regard to the desired corporate goals.

A survey of the DAX-30 companies from 2013 showed that the dimensions "gender", "culture / nationality" and "age" were rated as important by all participating companies. The dimensions "disability", "sexual orientation" and "religion" lag behind in this survey in terms of their importance for companies. The publication also found that diversity management measures are primarily designed for upper and middle management levels. Investors, customers and suppliers therefore played a comparatively minor role in the establishment of diversity management. "Lack of internal pressure to act", "need for similarity" (instead of diversity) and "time burden" were named as the main obstacles to implementing diversity management. In 2014, 25 of the DAX 30 companies had a "central contact person for diversity management" (diversity officer). 13 of 15 responding companies said that a diversity management strategy for the company had already been developed or that it was being developed. Michael Stuber, however, speaks of the often simplified or fragmented implementation of the concept, for example in the form of the promise of a better work-life balance .

research

The accusation is often raised against scientists in Germany that they are based exclusively on the American research tradition and only have a few of their own priorities that are linked to the specific reality in Germany. A large part of research on diversity, also in Germany, actually deals with the connection between diversity in a company and its entrepreneurial success, with the intention of expanding the legitimacy base of diversity management measures.

A study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants from 2011 showed that companies have problems implementing comprehensive diversity management. Regulated minority quotas were rejected by around 70% of the companies surveyed, as sometimes employees only have to be promoted for legal reasons. In addition, a minority of companies attempt to measure the effect of the measures. Further studies relate to individual aspects of diversity such as cultural background or ethnic origin as well as gender or focus on the implementation of diversity management in DAX companies.

The increasing focus on the short-term economic dimension, also in Anglo-American research or in the context of the shortage of skilled workers, leaves the question of how all decision-makers can be made aware that the diversity of their own workforce can represent an opportunity which way more diversity can be targeted in the company, but above all: how the necessary openness can be created that is a prerequisite for such a positive assessment of diversity, this is not just a long-term process of cultural change in the company, but also in society.

There is also a need for research with regard to the prerequisites and framework conditions for building up the competencies required for diversity management. Here, research on intercultural competence , i. H. Competence in dealing with cultural diversity, a first starting point, whereby the focus should be placed on the awareness of stereotypes and the development of a leadership style that shows tolerance for ambiguity and increases uncertainty and resistance on the part of the employees, but also among colleagues in the company management able to reduce.

criticism

Moving away from the anti-discrimination paradigm

Patricia Purtschert criticizes that the promise that the application of measures in the context of diversity management not only lead to higher profits, but also to more tolerance and gender equality , is not covered by reality. Conflicts remained at the local and individual levels; only there they are met with anti-discrimination rules or tolerance training. In practice, the understanding of difference is inadmissibly depoliticized, since the nature of discrimination, especially in the form of multiple discrimination against one person, is not (correctly) understood.

Voluntary promotion of diversity

Not only make many companies in Germany their premises and the working environment of employees with disabilities so accessible because without this measure people with a physical disability would act only under difficult conditions with her duties. Section 154 SGB IX in connection with Section 160 (2) SGB IX is often the guiding principle. In principle, companies in Germany are legally obliged to employ a quota of 5 percent employees with a severe disability (in relation to the total number of all employees). For every employee whose non-employment fails to meet the quota, the company concerned has to pay a compensation levy without any consideration . However, many companies do not meet the mandatory quota and pay the equalization levy that is due. However, it must be taken into account that there are not so many professionally qualified applicants with disabilities for many positions that the required quota could be met by hiring them alone. One way out is for the company in question to place orders with a workshop for disabled people , which are taken into account when calculating the equalization charge .

General rejection of (certain forms) of diversity

The Catholic and Orthodox Churches do not employ women as ordained priests , even in the 21st century . Such an official rejection of a certain population group of working age as “unsuitable for an office” has become rare in democratic constitutional states. In this context, the rejection of people without nationality who are interested in being employed as civil servants should be mentioned in particular.

“Celebrating Diversity” prevents inequality from being reduced

In many US and UK educational institutions, the diversity of the institution is celebrated today. B. with longer festivals, ethnic dances or ethnic food . Investigating the reasons for the underrepresentation of certain groups and naming them are not desirable, however, because this is allegedly a blame the victim strategy (e.g. in the form of discrimination against the parents of the students). This euphemistic reframing draws attention away from the real causes of growing inequality; its consequences must therefore be examined more closely.

The educator Paul Mecheril states that Joseph Ackermann postulates a connection between diversity, equal opportunities and “performance culture”. Mecheril notes in this context that diversity can defuse and neutralize lines of difference. The reference to gender, race, class, sexuality, handicap , however, does not lead to overcoming the defining concept of identity, but to its pluralization. The practice could also enable majority members to instrumentalize differences and to play out their informal privileges vis-à-vis minority members in the field of professional difference practice. Diversity “offers” tended to consolidate existing structures.

literature

  • ARCHIVE for Science and Practice of Social Work 1/2012: Diversity Management and Social Work.
  • H.-J. Aretz, K. Hansen: Diversity and Diversity Management in Companies - An Analysis from a Systems Theory Point of View. Munster 2002.
  • M. Becker, A. Seidel (Ed.): Diversity Management: Corporate and personnel policy of diversity. Stuttgart 2006.
  • R. Bendl, E. Hanappi-Egger, R. Hofmann (Eds.): Agenda Diversity: Gender and Diversity Management in Science and Practice. Hampp, Munich 2006.
  • T. Jr. and TH Cox, P. O'Neill: Creating the multicultural organization: a strategy for capturing the power of diversity. Business school management series. University of Michigan. Michigan 2001.
  • P. Dick: Organizational efforts to manage diversity: do they really work? In: MJ Davidson, SL Fielden (Ed.): Individual Diversity and Psychology in Organizations. Chichester 2003, pp. 131-148.
  • J. Dietz, L.-E. Petersen: Diversity Management. In: I. Björkmann, G. Stahl (Ed.): Handbook of Research in international Human Resource management. Camberley 2005, pp. 223-243.
  • A. Frohnen: Diversity in Action. Multinationality in global companies using the example of Ford. Transcript, Bielefeld 2005.
  • MEA Jayne, RL Dipboye: Leveraging Diversity to improve business performance: re-search findings and recommendations for organizations. In: Human Resource Management. No. 04, 2004, pp. 409-424.
  • A. Knoth: Managing Diversity - Sketches of a cultural theory to unlock the potential of human diversity in organizations. Tönning, Der Andere Verlag, 2006.
  • Thomas Köllen: Remarkable diversity: Homosexuality and diversity management: Business and socio-psychological aspects of the diversity dimension "sexual orientation". Rainer Hampp Verlag, Munich and Mering 2010, ISBN 978-3-86618-435-0 .
  • Andreas Merx: From Anti-Discrimination to Diversity: Diversity Approaches in Anti-Discrimination Practice. Online contribution in the context of the dossier The General Equal Treatment Act on the topic website Migration - Integration- Diversity of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Berlin 2006.
  • Andreas Merx, Joana Vassilopoulou: The AGG under labor law and diversity perspectives. In: Verena Bruchhagen, Iris Koall (eds.): Diversity Outlooks - Managing Diversity between ethics, profit and anti-discrimination. LIT. Münster 2007, pp. 354-385.
  • Barbara Weißbach, Hans-Jürgen Weißbach, Angelika Kipp: Managing Diversity. Concepts - Cases - Tools. A training manual. Dortmund 2009, ISBN 978-3-924100-36-0 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wayne Cascio: Managing Human Resources. 10th edition, McGraw-Hill Publishing 2018.
  2. Andreas Merx, Joana Vassilopoulou: The labor AGG and diversity perspectives. In: Verena Bruchhagen, Iris Koall (eds.): Diversity Outlooks - Managing Diversity between ethics, profit and anti-discrimination. LIT. Münster 2007, pp. 354-385.
  3. Andreas Merx: Introduction to Diversity Concepts . pro diversity.de. P. 2
  4. Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: Initiating diversity processes in and through administrations: From feature-specific to target group-wide measures to create equal opportunities - a handout for administrative employees . P. 12
  5. ^ David Clutterbuck, Belle Rose Ragins (ed.): Mentoring and diversity: an international perspective . Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002, ISBN 0-7506-4836-8 , David Clutterbuck: Establishing and sustaining a formal mentoring program for working with diversified groups., Pp. 55 .
  6. Dieter Wagner, Peyvand Sepehri: Managing Diversity - old wine in new bottles? In: Zeitschrift Personalführung . No. 5 . German Society for Personnel Management , May 1, 1999, p. 18-21 ( online [accessed April 7, 2010]).
  7. ^ David Thomas, Robin Ely: Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity . In: Harvard Business Review . No. 5 . Harvard Business School Publishing, 1996, p. 80 ( online [PDF; 260 kB ; accessed on April 7, 2010]).
  8. Margaret S. Stockdale, Faye J. Crosby (Eds.): The psychology and management of workplace diversity . Wiley-Blackwell, 2004, ISBN 1-4051-0096-6 , Mark Agars, Janet Kottke: Models and practice of diversity management: A historical review and presentation of a new integration theory, pp. 73 .
  9. Margaret S. Stockdale, Faye J. Crosby (Eds.): The psychology and management of workplace diversity . Wiley-Blackwell, 2004, ISBN 1-4051-0096-6 , Rosemary Hays-Thomas: The Contemporary Focus on Managing Diversity, pp. 12 .
  10. Cf. André Knoth: Managing Diversity - Sketches of a cultural theory to unlock the potential of human diversity in organizations , Tönning, Der Andere Verlag, 2006, p. 37 ff.
  11. Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration / European Social Fund / European Union: Using diversity: Diversity management in medium-sized and large companies - ten reasons for diversity management . P. 3
  12. ^ Hans-Jürgen Aretz, Katrin Hansen: Diversity and diversity management in the company . In: Managing Diversity . tape 3 . Lit Verlag , 2002, ISBN 3-8258-6395-6 , pp. 11 .
  13. RKW competence center: Finding and retaining skilled workers - using diversity. A guide for small and medium businesses. Eschborn 2014, p. 4f.
  14. ↑ A shortage of skilled workers is the greatest challenge for HR managers. In: personalmanagement.info, no year (approx. 2011).
  15. Christiane Funken: Money instead of power? Female and Male Careers in Sales - An Organizational Sociology Study. Campus Verlag 2004, p. 112, note 69.
  16. Barbara Weißbach: Diversity Management. Study letter OE WP-C10, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, 2nd edition 2018, p. 9.
  17. Adnan Aydemir et al. a .: Extend antennas, understand better, react differently. Ed. EQUAL Network Competence and Diversity, Multukulturelles Forum Lünen 2007.
  18. Barbara Weißbach u. a .: Design addiction prevention and counseling to be gender and diversity fair. Ed. Department for Addiction Prevention in the State of Berlin. Berlin, Dortmund 2012.
  19. Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: Initiating diversity processes in and through administrations: From feature-specific to target group-wide measures to create equal opportunities - a handout for administrative employees . P. 10
  20. international society for diversity management: Diversity Management
  21. Silke Schrader, Diversity-Oriented Marketing: Gay Marketing , 2008, E-Book, ISBN 978-3-640-17002-9
  22. Barbara Weißbach, Elena Vorontsowa-Schnell: Belonging and identity of migrants of the first generation. Migrant workers as wanderers between worlds: diversity as an opportunity and a challenge. In: Personalführung 2003, no.12.
  23. Kreienkamp 2007, 16f, 138f.
  24. Stumpf / Thomas 1999, p. 37
  25. ^ Taylor Cox Jr .: Creating the Multicultural Organization. Wiley, San Francisco 2001, pp. 84 f.
  26. Annette Baranowski et al. a .: Intercultural competence development: raise awareness, deepen knowledge, change behavior. Ed. Working Group on Company Further Education Research (ABWF), Berlin 2006, p. 24 ff.
  27. ^ A b David A. Thomas, Robin J. Ely: Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity. 1996 (Reprint 96510 in: Harvard Business Review on Managing People 1999, p. 121 ff.)
  28. Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: Diversity: Equal Opportunities Check - Diversity Mainstreaming for Administrations
  29. Manfred Becker / Alina Seidel (eds.): Diversity Management - Corporate and Personnel Policy of Diversity . Stuttgart. Schäffer-Poeschel. 2006. ISBN 978-3-7910-2495-0
  30. ^ Ely / Thomas 2001, 237
  31. Thomas / Ely 1996, 81
  32. Thomas / Ely 1996, 82
  33. Julia Lukas: Personnel policy alternatives for action with older employees in companies against the background of the demographic development in Germany: A theoretical analysis and practical implementation on a concrete practical example. Springer 2012, p. 41.
  34. Thomas / Ely 1996, p. 83.
  35. Thomas / Mack / Montagliani 2004, p. 33
  36. Thomas / Ely 1996, 80
  37. Agars / Kottke 2004, 61
  38. ^ Sackmann / Bissels / Bissels 2002, 50
  39. Cox / Cox / O'Neill 2001, 19
  40. ^ Taylor Cox Jr .: Creating the Multicultural Organization. Wiley, San Francisco 2001, pp. 77 ff.
  41. Will Kymlicka: Solidarity in diverse societies: beyond neoliberal multiculturalism and welfare chauvinism. In: Comparative Migration Studies 2015, 3:17 [1]
  42. ^ Regine Bendl: Equal Opportunities at Work for Women - Integration into Strategic Management. A theoretical and empirical analysis . Hampp publishing house. Munich-Mering. 1997, p. 21 f.
  43. ^ Gertraude Krell: Critique of Gender and Diversity - Gender and Diversity as Critique: The Example of Business Administration. In: Edeltraut Hanappi-Egger, Regine Bendl (Ed.): Diversity, diversification and (de) solidarization. Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2015, p. 88.
  44. David G. Embrick, Sharon M. Collins, Michelle S. Dodson: Challenging the Status Quo. Diversity, Democracy, and Equality in the 21st Century. Brill, 2018. ISBN 978-90-04-29122-5 . In particular, the articles by Joyce M. Bell, Wendy Leo Moore: Disfavored Subjects: How Liberalist Diversity Fails Racial Equity in Higher Education (pp. 71–88), Michael Kreiter, Arthur Scarritt: “Boatloads of Money” in the Great Equalizer: How Diversity Furthers Inequality at the Neoliberal University (pp. 89–116), Meghan A. Burke: Sympathetic Racism: Color-Blind Discourse's Liberal Flair in Three Diverse Communities (pp. 241–260).
  45. Cedric Herring, Loren Henderson: Diversity in Organizations: A Critical Examination. Routledge 2014, p. 18.
  46. Delivering through Diversity. McKinsey 2018.
  47. Lena Hipp: Inequalities and Discrimination on the Labor Market Federal Agency for Civic Education, February 26, 2016.
  48. Merx 2006; Merx / Vassilopoulou 2007, p. 22 ff.
  49. Karima Benbrahim: Diversity a challenge for educational institutions . Heinrich Böll Foundation. March 1, 2008.
  50. Federal Employment Agency: Diversity Management Guide . October 2012
  51. About the Charter - For Diversity in the Working World. Retrieved January 3, 2018 .
  52. The Charter - For Diversity in the Working World. Retrieved January 3, 2018 .
  53. ^ Maria Schwarz-Wölzl, Christa Maad: Diversity and Managing Diversity . Part 1: Theoretical Basics 2003/2004 . Center for Social Innovation, Vienna 2004, p. 25th f . ( zsi.at [PDF]).
  54. Rochelle Toplensky: French companies lead the way on gender diversity in: Financial Times, November 28, 2018th
  55. Michaele Wiegel: And tomorrow you are president! Education and structure of the political elite in France . In: BPB (Ed.): Dossier France . January 21, 2013 ( bpb.de ).
  56. Hubertus Schröer: Intercultural opening and diversity management . In: Beate Blank, Süleyman Gögercin, Karin E. Sauer, Barbara Schramkowski (eds.): Social work in the migration society : Basics - Concepts - Fields of action . Springer VS, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-658-19539-7 , pp. 773-785 ( springer.com ).
  57. Hubertus Schröer: Intercultural opening and diversity management: A comparison of the strategies . S. 7 ( docplayer.org ).
  58. Dick 2003, 137
  59. Annette Baranowski et al. a .: Intercultural competence development: raise awareness, deepen knowledge, change behavior. Ed. Working Group on Company Further Education Research (ABWF), Berlin 2006, p. 24 ff.
  60. Alexander Thomas, Siegfried Stumpf: Aspects of intercultural leadership behavior. In: N. Bergeman, AJL Sourisseaux (Ed.): Intercultural Management. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2003, pp. 237-272.
  61. Barbara Weißbach, Theo Schülken, Doreen Hüttig: The more cultural diversity, the better? Satisfaction with working in multicultural teams. In: Personalführung 2007, no. 3, pp. 40–47.
  62. Stefan Kühl, Sebastian Hoering, Alexander Schulze-Fielitz: Homogeneity and heterogeneity in the group composition. A micropolitical study of decision-making processes in group work. In: Arbeit, Vol. 10 (2001), H. 4, pp. 331-351.
  63. Dietz / Petersen 2005, 228
  64. Petra Köppel: Diversity Management in Germany 2013. A benchmark among the DAX 30 companies . Ed .: Synergy Consult. Munich 2013.
  65. Petra Köppel: Diversity Management in Germany . Ed .: Synergy Consult. Munich 2014.
  66. Michael Stuber: Diversity: Fashion or Must? Böll Foundation, November 18, 2006.
  67. As exceptions with their own theoretical conceptualization, the approaches of Krell, G. (1998), Koall (2001, 2002), Aretz, H.-J./Hansen, K. (2002), Wagner, D./Sepehri, P . (2000) and Petersen, L.-E./Dietz, J. (2005), Knoth, A. (2006).
  68. Roland Berger: Abstract of the study
  69. Petra Köppel, Junchen Yan, Jörg Lüdicke: Cultural Diversity Management in Germany is lagging behind. Working paper, Competence Center Corporate Culture / Leadership, Bertelsmann Stiftung Gütersloh 2007.
  70. Petra Köppel: Diversity Management in Germany 2011: A benchmark among the DAX 30 companies
  71. Petra Köppel: Diversity Management in Germany. 1-5 (2010 to 2014) - ( synergyconsult.de ).
  72. Sackmann / Bissels / Bissels 2002, 51 f.
  73. Patricia Purtschert: We are all diverse . In: weekly newspaper . Edition 37/2005.
  74. Domingos de Oliveira: Accessibility and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
  75. DGB Federal Board: Severely handicapped people: Unemployment still above average . March 9, 2018
  76. ^ Sarah Theule Lubienski: Celebrating Diversity and Denying Disparities: A Critical Assessment. In: Educational Researcher, Vol. 32, Issue 8, 2003.
  77. Paul Mecheril: The power of inclusion. Heinrich Böll Foundation , undated