Changing attitudes towards diversity: The Netherlands and Morocco compared

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to provide a cross-cultural comparison of the attitudes toward diversity among human resource managers working for the same multinational company in the Netherlands and Morocco. Design/methodology/approach -In total, 35 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted by telephone and were analyzed by the use of content analysis. Hofstede's cultural dimensions were used as theoretical framework. Findings -The findings suggest that attitudes toward diversity are changing and not always in line with Hofstede's scores from 2010. Differences between the Netherlands and Morocco are discussed and trends in both countries are outlined. Originality/value -While it has been argued that Hofstede's cultural dimensions are relatively stable over time, the findings show that attitudes toward diversity are evolving in the light of the changing environment and that other cultural factors also play an important role.

Gender, diversity management perceptions, workplace happiness and organisational citizenship behaviour

“…In this context, Hennekam et al (2017) show three strategies to deal with the perceived clash: forcing a Western approach upon the local country, a reframing strategy where existing policies are reformulated to fit the Western requirements, and a sensitive approach in which the local context is considered, which suggests that organisations have to adapt diversity policies to local cultural factors of the country in which they operate. This is also because attitudes towards diversity are changing and evolving in the light of the changing environment and cultural context and that other cultural factors also play an important role (Hennekam and Tahssain-Gay, 2015).…”

Can TV shows promote acceptance of sexual and ethnic minorities? A literature review of television effects on diversity attitudes

“…Diversity attitudes are beliefs about others who are different in some respects, be it physical characteristics, behaviors, group memberships, or personalities (Strauss et al., 2003). Support for diversity can have different meanings, such as general inclusivity toward all groups or acceptance of particular minority groups (Hennekam & Tahssain‐Gay, 2015). The present work reviews media effects studies featuring immigrants, racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ people (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people) that constitute sexual minorities.…”

Contextualising diversity management in the Middle East and North Africa: a relational perspective

“…However, it has been argued that a US‐centric approach may not hold well for diversity management in other national contexts due to differences in socio‐economic conditions, national legislation, culture, demography and history (Klarsfeld et al, ; Sawyer and Thoroughgood, ). More precisely, Hennekam and Tahssain‐Gay () studied HR managers working for multinational companies (MNCs) in Morocco and identified a ‘clash’ that they have to deal with: the perceived incompatibility between the diversity policies designed in the West and the local realities in a different national culture. The present article further develops this scholarship by examining how managers deal with diversity policies when the Western approach and the local context are perceived as being incompatible.…”