Developing ethnic talent in the Dutch national tax administration: a case study

Abstract

Purpose-The lack of career movement of members of ethnic minority groups in work organizations has been widely documented. The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into conditions for the realization of diversity goals in the case of talent development. Design/methodology/approach-In a case study of management development in the Dutch national tax administration, the practice of fostering vertical mobility of ethnic minority personnel through diversity management has been analysed. The authors make use of theories regarding effective diversity management and career advancement of ethnic minority employees. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants in the management development course, and a further 25 functionaries involved in the project. Findings-With regard to diversity management as a means of fostering talent development of ethnic minorities, the authors come to the conclusion that key success factors mentioned in the literature such as top level commitment and strategic integration, are insufficient and overrated conditions. More important are "non-issues" in the formulation of diversity strategies, organizational alignment of relevant organizational players, strategic coherence and organizational culture. Research limitations/implications-The case study design used in this research facilitates case-sensitive analysis, but is limited in estimations of validity and explanatory strength of factors mentioned in the literature, as it is in generalizing across organizations. Practical implications-Interventions aimed at fostering ethnic diversity in talent development should start with precise analysis of cultural and organizational conditions and processes underpinning standard practices of talent and career development, and not only seek strategic integration and top management commitment but arrange for broad-based organizational alignment. Originality/value-While there are many theoretical and normative models tracing diversity outcomes to organizational conditions and diversity management strategies, there is a dearth of empirical studies in this field. The case study explores the merits of these models and adds new insights on an empirical basis.

Understanding Talent Development and Implications for Human Resource Development

“…And finally, in a different level of argumentation, Glastra and Meerman (2012) critique the field by emphasizing the importance of the systems rather than individuals and argue that the attention to the interaction among the individuals is more crucial.…”

“…Glastra and Meerman (2012) suggest that TD is not completely cognitive; it also involves social acceptance and the fitness within social contexts. Glastra and Meerman (2012) argued that issues such as strategic coherence, organizational culture, and alignment of relevant players are very important throughout the process of developing talents. Moreover, the importance of culture has been emphasized in some of definitions of talent in reviewed articles (e.g., Nilsson & Ellström, 2012).…”

“…Theme 4: Issues of diversity in the context of TD. Diversity as described by Glastra and Meerman (2012) is a term "to describe the appearance of new groups . .…”

“…Citing Murray and Syed (2005) and Orland (2000), the authors argue that lack of attention to diversity in workforce would negatively influence creativity and also the ability of satisfying the expectations of a diverse and highly competitive market (Holland et al, 2007). Glastra and Meerman (2012) provide four main career disadvantages of minority employees: (a) being nominated for positions that are lower than their qualifications, (b) lack of soft skills due to the lack of access to certain work experiences, (c) experiencing difficulties in terms of building networks and mentoring opportunities, and (d) the lack of confidence among minorities.…”

“…Creating a considerate and diverse talent culture. The literature on development of minorities portrays a tension between HR as a positive force and HR as a tool for unifying a uniform organizational culture (Glastra & Meerman, 2012). It seems reasonable that HRD as a more human oriented field compared with business and management should take the former position than the latter but the implications of this position is not discussed vastly in the field.…”