The results from a study of more than 1,000 Dutch organizations indicate that less is being done about employability policy in Dutch organizations than the plentiful media interest leads one to expect. Though most organizations take measures to improve the employability of their personnel, only one-third has a formulated policy in this area. The most frequent employability-stimulating measures are: schooling and training, task expansion and task enrichment. There is far more activity in the government sector than in the market sector, in large organizations than in smaller ones, and the principal target group is younger people. Attention is not heavily directed at enhancing the position of weaker groups in the labour market. Only one-fth of organizations have introduced recent changes in their employability policy, 25 per cent of them prompted by a growing labour shortage.

Depuis 1985 à aujourd'hui, le chômage chez les groupes ethniques des Pays-Bas est demeuré trois ou quatre fois plus élevé que celui de la main-d’œuvre indigène. Récemment, le gouvernement et le monde des affaires ont adopté une stratégie cruciale de gestion de la diversité visant à changer cette situation. Cet article se veut une analyse des instruments tant théoriques que pratiques dans ce domaine. Pour une analyse plus concrète, nous avons retenu le cas des Pays-Bas, où la compréhension que l'on a de la gestion de la diversité concerne principalement les relations entre des gens de différents antécédents raciaux ou ethniques au sein des organisations de travail.Aux Pays-Bas, trois approches dominent dans le discours de la gestion de la diversité. Une première, celle de l'insuffisance, cherche à expliquer le chômage chez les minorités ethniques en l'attribuant à un manque général de qualifications et à une inhabileté à s'adapter à la culture organisationnelle des entreprises hollandaises. Une deuxième, celle de la discrimination, porte sur le préjudice et sur l'exclusion ethnique systémique dans les entreprises. Enfin, une troisième approche, celle de la différenciation, fait ressortir l'idée que les groupes et les individus appartiennent à différents systèmes culturels qui imprègnent leurs interactions. En nous fondant sur une analyse critique de chacune de ces approches, nous en sommes venus à la conclusion que le discours hollandais sur la gestion de la diversité fait preuve de partialité, ce qui empêche d'aborder des situations problématiques dans une perspective plus large, des situations qui caractérisent des contextes organisationnels réels et complexes; ce qui fait appel également à des solutions standards au lieu d'approches inventives. Au sein des pratiques de la gestion de la diversité aux Pays-Bas, l'accent principal est placé sur les différences culturelles. Cette approche spécifique et son objet, la composition ethnique des organisations de travail, se sont institutionnalisés tout comme les activités de conseil dans les domaines de la formation et de l'intervention. Le fait de gérer cette diversité prend la forme de services additionnels qu'on souhaite se procurer comme un remède miracle aux problèmes d'adhésion, de communication et de qualifications. L'amélioration des processus de recrutement, de sélection et du fonctionnement quotidien des échanges multi-ethniques devient la cible à atteindre dans le milieu de travail. Tout compte fait, la gestion de la diversité demeure encore aujourd'hui un instrument limité parmi les politiques de gestion des ressources humaines aux Pays-Bas : une manière de faire des affaires comme à l'accoutumé et très peu d'effort au plan de l'innovation organisationnelle. Une pratique étroitement spécialisée et défensive de la gestion de la diversité n'arrivera jamais à réaliser sa promesse d'une plus grande productivité et de justice sociale, si elle continue à faire fi des contextes organisationnels où elle est utilisée.Ces motifs nous incitent à favoriser une ...

As interprofessional collaboration becomes more commonplace in health and social care, both scholars and practitioners are searching for ways to make the most out of functionally diverse teams. Earlier research has shown that the presence of different functional backgrounds may lead teams to perform better, because they have a larger pool of knowledge and experience to draw from. Other studies show, however, that functional diversity increases categorization, reduces team cohesion, and complicates interpersonal communication, thereby reducing performance. It remains unclear under which conditions positive or negative outcomes may occur. The present research tested the influence of functional diversity on team identity, team performance, and client satisfaction, and examined factors which may moderate these relationships. Based on earlier studies in this specific context, we focused on three team processes as possible moderators: shared vision, interaction frequency, and team reflexivity. In a survey among health and social care professionals working in community care teams in the Netherlands (n = 167), all three are shown to moderate the relationship between functional diversity and team effectiveness. In the absence of these processes, functional diversity appears to reduce team outcomes, whereas when these processes are present, the relationships are positive. In sum, in order for community care teams to reap the benefits of functional diversity, it is essential that members develop a shared vision, interact frequently, and practice team reflexivity.

This research compares the position of workers of majority and minority ethnic backgrounds in two Dutch organizations (the police force and health care). Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered. The data do not indicate a consistent difference between majority and minority workers on performance and well‐being. This does not mean that they have the same experiences: Most minority workers are confronted with discrimination and negative expectations, and many are in a solo position. Their majority colleagues do not have to face these challenges. The diversity in the group is liked by most respondents, and they see a positive effect of ethnic diversity on the quality of their work. Research findings are compared with the findings of experimental research on ethnically diverse groups.

Purpose The higher education sector has become increasingly aware of how the increasing diversity in society affects their institutions. The student population has become more diverse and future employers increasingly require trained students who are able to meet the demands of dealing with a more diverse market/clientele. In this regard, education institutions need to align their strategic approach to diversity within their organization. The purpose of this paper is to examine strategical reasons to diversify in different education teams in relation to two different diversity practices: attraction and selection of culturally diverse lecturers and utilization of cultural differences in team interaction. Design/methodology/approach In a qualitative study the authors conducted 19 interviews with educational professionals in six different education teams in a university of applied sciences. Findings Interviews with 19 members of six educational teams revealed that some teams acknowledge they need more diversity and exchange of knowledge and skills in order to meet the requirements of the labor market. Especially teams that prepare students for international careers foster this “Integration and Learning” perspective. Other teams, e.g. the Law team, notice less changes in labor market requirements. Still, these teams were open for recruiting diverse lecturers and found it important, especially to meet the needs of the diversity in students (access perspective). They also found value in the interaction and mutual learning in their team, but saw no extra value of diversity (colorblind perspective). Labor market demands for diversity seem to have more influence on the diversity perspective of teams than the diversity in the student population. Practical implications Since earlier research has shown that the diversity practices of organizations are more effective when they are in line with their diversity perspective, the differences between teams suggest that when dealing with diversity issues, universities can best work toward a common understanding of the importance of diversity but leave room for team differences in diversity practices. Originality/value Most studies on diversity management assume or argue that organizations adopt one diversity perspective. The present study shows that intra-organizational differences may exist with regard to the specific needs or concern for diversity management practices.