diversity management pia hook - · pdf filetitle: diversity management pia hook.pptx author:...

© Copyright, Pia Höök 2010

Diversity Management

Pia Höök Assistant Professor, KTH


Pia Höök, short introduction

•  Assistant Senior Lecturer at KTH (2007-)

•  Diversity Director at AB Volvo (2007-2009)

•  PhD in Business Administration SSE (2001)

•  Researcher at Stockholm School of Economics, Stanford University, the Royal Institute of Technology

•  Expert for the Swedish Government Offices


Agenda

•  Diversity Management in practice –  What is diversity? –  Why do companies work with diversity? –  How do companies work with diversity?

•  Critical studies on DM –  Different turns and need for contextualization –  The invisibility and elusiveness power –  The privileged business case

•  Diversity Day at The Office


What is diversity?

•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsNBu-BvgbM&feature=related

•  Info about diversity in the workplace


Diversity and Inclusiveness

•  A quantitative dimension –  Making sure we have the competence we need in order to

survive in a short term as well as a long term perspective.

–  Focus is on “mapping/monitor” diversity among employees and managers plus recruitment and retention activities.

•  A qualitative dimension –  Making sure we have a work climate/culture that enables

everyone to contribute to their fullest potential.

–  Is often called inclusiveness, inclusion or inclusive culture.


Why do companies work with diversity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Po7WOW845E&NR=1

•  Discuss in pairs (5 min)


Diversity and Inclusiveness. We need to focus both!

INCLUSION

DIVERSITY

High Diversity, AND: High work satisfaction “Healthy” employee turnover High loyalty with company High adaptability/agility High creativity and innovation

High Diversity (statistics), BUT: Frustration and conflict Low work satisfaction High employee turnover Low loyalty with company Low creativity and innovation

Low Diversity, AND: High work satisfaction Too low employee turnover Low adaptability/agility Risk of ”Group think” Low creativity and innovation

Market Leader

Source: “Guide to Inclusive Leaders” by Joerg Schmitz and Nancy Curl, TMC and Volvo Group


The business case of diversity (Catalyst 2004)

•  353 Fortune 500 Companies studied during four years.

•  Companies with highest representation of women on their top management teams experienced better financial performance (return on equity was 35 % higher, and return to shareholders 34 % higher).


The business case of diversity (Catalyst 2004)

•  Catalyst Award-winning companies financially outperformed the rest of the companies.

•  The leadership team that is knowledgeable enough to leverage diversity is likely to be creating effective policies, programs, and systems, as well as a work culture that maximizes a variety of its assets and create new ones.


Catalyst Diversity Award Video 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IufH9gQYpO8&feature=related


Top companies for diversity

•  CEO involvement and commitment •  Strong Metrics (which are followed up regularly) •  Diversity training (mandatory for managers) •  Employee network groups •  Diversity is a factor in succession planning and

promotions etc. •  Diversity targets tied to bonus, raises, promotions

etc. •  Diversity networks and councils (working to plan

and improve strategies)


Volvo Group Diversity Initiative

•  Metrics and targets •  Recruitment •  Leader sourcing •  Diversity Training •  Executive Networks •  Employee Networks •  External Networks •  Other Activities


Critical studies of DM

•  DM in perspective: different turns and the need of contextualizing

•  The invisibility and elusiveness power •  The celebrated business case


Four Turns (Lorbiecki and Gavin 2000)

•  The Demographic Turn •  The Policial Turn •  The Economic Turn •  The Critical Turn


Critical questions (Lorbiecki and Gavin 2000)

•  The meaning of diversity •  Its claims to lift morale and enhace

productivity •  On what people are held to be different

from •  The promotion of existing stereotypes •  What counts as equality


Contextualizing DM (Holvino & Kamp 2010)

•  Risk for uncritically import US models •  Different countries have different

histories and societal prerequisites •  Need for contextual sensitivity when

analyzing and implementing DM


Three dilemmas (Holvino and Kamp 2010)

•  What differences and how differences? •  A business case or a social justice

rationale? •  DM sustain the status quo or does it

catalyze change?


Diversity: difference and power

•  Human variations => “Differences” •  We of us are always marked by a variety of

“diversity dimensions” •  Differences that are different from each other

(compare age to gender) •  Difference linked to (legitimizing) power

relation/status hierarchy


Difference and power

•  Celebration of individual differences •  Exclusion, discrimination, unequal

becomes celebrated differences •  A discourse that doesn’t address power

becomes powerless •  DM legitimizes and reproduces existing

power relations


The privileged Business Case

•  Business Case discourse marginalizes other discourses like Human Rights/Social Justice discourse.

•  Excluded groups need to prove they are profitable. Privileged groups still have the privilege of interpretation to define when something/someone is profitable.


Finally; Diversity Day at The Office

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j7wr-wsmcI&feature=related

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