Easy to say, difficult to do: diversity management in retail

Abstract

This article examines how operational managers are interpreting the management of diversity in practice. It is explicitly concerned with the way in which managing diversity was understood and applied in one large, long‐established British retailing company. The findings suggest that while the business benefits attributed to diversity management are appealing to employers, it is a concept that lacks clarity for line managers both in terms of what it is and how it should be implemented within the anti‐discrimination legal framework. Line managers, familiar with the value of demonstrating a common approach in their decision‐making as the key means of defence against claims of discriminatory treatment, regarded a diversity management agenda concerned with recognising and responding to individual differences as more likely to lead to feelings of unfairness and claims of unequal treatment. It will be argued that, in the implementation of organisational diversity initiatives, employers need to take greater account of the tensions facing line managers, their interpretation of diversity management and perceptions of fair treatment as well as the operational context.

Az életkor és az intézmények szerepe a munkaerő-piaci integráció és dezintegráció alakulásában. Hat vállalati esettanulmány tanulságai

“…Ebből a szempontból értelmezhető a generációk közötti, a HR és a válla-latvezetés, a HR és a vonalbeli vezetők közötti hatalmi viszony is (Foster-Harris 2005, Zanoni-Janssens 2004.…”

Using scenarios to explore employee attitudes in retailing

“…The literature suggests that there are conceptual differences between a diversity management and equal opportunities approach (Foster and Harris, 2005). Essentially the diversity management proposes that staff and customer diversity should be embraced and hence individual differences and needs should be recognised in order to gain business benefits.…”

“…Prompted by changes to the composition of the workforce, demographic shifts and the increased purchasing power of customers from minority groups, organisations including many retailers have shown increasing interest in 'diversity management' as a way of harnessing individual differences in staff and customers to create business benefits (Foster and Harris, 2005;Kandola and Fullerton, 1998). The UK home improvement retailer B&Q, for example, is frequently cited as an organisation that has appointed older workers in customer facing roles to improve levels of customer service in their stores (Hogarth and Barth, 1991;B&Q, 2010).…”

The complex concept of sustainable of diversity management

“…Managing diversity in the workplace pushes for social justice as well (Bleijenbergh, Peters and Poutsma, 2010). Consequently, the notion that people can be discriminated against on the basis of demographic and non-task related factors is now widely legislated against (van Dijk, Engen, and Paauwe, 2012;Foster and Harris, 2005). Furthermore, CSR has broadened its embrace to become one of the key drivers of equality and managing diversity in the workplace (Colgan, 2011).…”

“…Over the past 30 years substantial changes in the composition of the workforce have come about through the recognition of diversity, which embraces disability, gender, age, ethnic group, sexual orientation and cultural orientations (Bleijenbergh, Peters and Poutsma, 2010;Foster and Harris, 2005). …”