Transforming Human Resource Management Systems to Cope with Diversity

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how workgroup diversity can be managed through specific strategic human resource management systems. Our review shows that 'affirmative action' and traditional 'diversity management' approaches have failed to simultaneously achieve business and social justice outcomes of diversity. As previous literature has shown, the benefits of diversity cannot be achieved with isolated interventions. To the contrary, a complete organizational culture change is required, in order to promote appreciation of individual differences. The paper contributes to this discussion by exploring the implications of this change for human resource management, and explaining how the systems of practices should be changed when they are directed to diverse groups. The model designed to test this notion includes: (1) demographic and human capital diversity as independent variables, (2) group performance (measured as innovation outcomes) as the dependent variable and, (3) the orientation of the strategic human resource management system as a potential moderator of this relationship. The main conclusion of the empirical analysis developed is that different patterns of human resource management practices can be used, depending on the type of diversity that the organization faces, and the specific effects that it wishes to manage. Concretely, three alternative management systems are identified in this paper, with different moderating effects. This result has interesting implications for human resource management professionals, explained in the last section. The limitations of this study are also discussed, as well as some issues that future research in this field should address.

Ethical paradigms as potential foundations of diversity management initiatives in business organizations

“…Johns et al (2012) argue that a business case hardly applies to public sector institutions, thus seeking to justify diversity considerations in advancing moral, deontological arguments. Martin-Alcàzar et al (2012) underscore the deficiencies of traditional diversity management practices in simultaneously meeting business and social justice diversity outcomes: they then argue in favor of an overall organizational culture change entailing various HRM systems' transformation in view of effectively coping with diversity on the grounds of appreciating individual differences. Perriton (2009) argues that the business case constrains the discussion of social justice issues at the workplace, thus entailing an inadequate response to justice concerns: market processes tend to produce JOCM 26,6 discrimination, not equity leading to women's unequal position in a work setting.…”

Antecedents and Outcomes of Diversity and Equality Management Systems: An Integrated Institutional Agency and Strategic Human Resource Management Approach

“…Yet little research has examined how performance consideration is reflected in the adoption of DEMS. We have limited guidance on what types of DEM practices are useful and limited theorizing about how DEM practices should fit with the environment, with internal organizational characteristics, or with each other (Martín‐Alcázar, Romero‐Fernández, & Sánchez‐Gardey, ).…”

Workforce diversity, diversity training and ethnic minorities: The case of the UK National Health Service

“…This can make it difficult to retain a diverse workforce in the organizations. The benefits of workforce diversity stated in the literature ‘cannot be achieved with isolated interventions…[rather] a complete organizational culture change is required, in order to promote appreciation of individual differences’ (Martín-Alcázar et al, 2012: 511). Furthermore, intergroup relationship factors such as prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination (as found in this research) can lead to the provision of a low quality service (Seeleman et al, 2015) or underutilization of services (as found in the case of stigmatized services).…”