The PH.D. thesis deals with the concept of diversity management in the field of IT project management. It is based on the extensive empirical research. The findings and conclusions enable to adapt and implement concrete actions in the organizational context.

Orientador: Roberto Louzada / Resumo: A presente dissertação tem como objetivo geral apresentar e analisar a composição da força de trabalho de uma organização agroindustrial. Utilizou-se a base de dados do Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Os dados coletados foram tratados com a utilização de estatística descritiva para cada uma das categorias de análise: raça, sexo, faixa etária, cargo e remuneração, com o propósito de serem encontrados os números absolutos e relativos. Destaca-se que esta pesquisa traz contribuições gerenciais ao apresentar aos gestores brasileiros um diagnóstico do quadro funcional da empresa pesquisada que apresenta seu relatório no GRI, demonstrando informações que podem ser utilizadas para aprimorar seus procedimentos no que tange à gestão da diversidade. Foi possível constatar que existe inúmeras desigualdades, como a predominância de sexo masculino de raça branca em detrimento de outras raças e do sexo feminino. Quanto à comparação do salário entre sexos, percebe-se que os homens recebem maiores salários do que as mulheres, independentemente da categoria funcional. A principal limitação para a execução da pesquisa é o padrão da base de dados no período. Como sugestão de pesquisas futuras, recomenda-se realizar um estudo comparativo entre as organizações que relatam o relatório de sustentabilidade GRI e aquelas que não relatam. / Abstract: This dissertation aims to present and analyze the composition of the workforce of an agroindustrial organization. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) database was used. The collected data were treated using descriptive statistics for each of the categories of analysis: race, gender, age, position and remuneration, in order to find the absolute and relative numbers. It is noteworthy that this research brings managerial contributions by presenting to Brazilian managers a diagnosis of the staff of the researched company that presents its report in the GRI, demonstrating information that can be used to improve its procedures regarding diversity management. It was found that there are numerous inequalities, such as the predominance of white males over other races and females. As for the comparison of the salary between sexes, it is noticed that men receive higher salaries than women, regardless of the functional category. The main limitation for performing the search is the default of the database in the period. As a suggestion for future research, it is recommended to carry out a comparative study between the organizations that report the GRI sustainability report and those that do not. / Mestre

With the change in the economic structures of Western industrialised countries and the shift of traditional industries towards knowledge and services in recent decades the challenge to stay competitive in increasingly globalised culturally diverse markets continues to be a priority for organisations. Of central importance is the need to acknowledge, utilise and share the diversity of employees' knowledge, particularly tacit knowledge that is ethnically influenced, a resource that is enormously rich yet overlooked, undervalued and under-utilised in the employment market. This PhD dissertation focuses on the implications of the knowledge era for how organisations manage their culturally diverse workforce. The purpose of the research is to explore the organisational strategies required for Australian businesses to support and encourage the development and sharing of knowledge between employees of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Arising from an extensive review of the literature on both Diversity and Knowledge Management, a framework for a holistic Diversity Knowledge Management/Sharing (D-KM/S) Strategy was developed. This framework identified the need for organisations to develop a productive diversity management model that consists of a number of elements including a two-way communication strategy, training in cultural intelligence (CQ) and the development of opportunities for social networking through Communities of Practice. A four-phased process for the organisational journey towards a holistic D-KM/S Strategy was proposed. An initial audit of several Australian organisations recognised for their award-winning diversity management strategies confirmed the validity of this framework. The framework was then used to underpin the qualitative interpretive case study of three of the organisations that had been part of the initial audit to determine to what extent these organisations had succeeded in progressing through these phases towards the final holistic D-KM/S Strategy. In so doing, the candidate also focused on the role of the Human Resources Department (traditionally responsible for implementing diversity policy within organisations) in implementing a more holistic approach. From a comparison of the findings from the primary research the candidate concluded that while each organisation had progressed through several of the phases towards a holistic D-KM/S Strategy, they differed in their progress and none had as yet achieved the final phase. The study did identify two additional elements that require further research which relate to the potential of Information Technology to provide opportunities for social networking, and the potential of 'narrative' to be used to share culturally influenced stories. The research concludes that the organisational strategies required for Australian businesses to support and encourage the development and sharing of knowledge between employees of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds includes: first, a productive diversity strategy that acknowledges both the explicit and tacit knowledge that a multicultural workforce brings to an organisation; and, second, processes that embed two-way communication opportunities for employees and managers, training in CQ for an increased number of managers and employees, greater support for social networking opportunities through Communities of Practice (supported by Information Technology tools), and encouragement of opportunities for employees to share cultural narratives. In addition, the thesis proposed an increased role for the Human Resources Department (working closely with line managers) in the achievement of a holistic D-KM/S Strategy.

This thesis examines the relationship between worker identity and workplace practices from the perspectives of white and Aboriginal women working in a multinational forest company in the northern prairies. Over the course of three manuscripts I demonstrate the salience of ascribed and constructed identities of women to their experiences and representations of forest employment and corporate discourse. Setting the context for the remainder of the thesis, the first manuscript presents an analysis of employment segregation by gender and Aboriginal identity in Canadas forest sector in 2001 using segregation indices. Results demonstrate that forest employment was vertically segregated by both gender and Aboriginal ancestry in the forest sector in 2001. Men and women of First Nations ancestry were over represented in less-stable and lower paying occupations in woods based forest industries, and both white and First Nations women were over represented in forest services and clerical occupations. To explore womens perceptions of company practices of diversity management and restructuring, I then analysed interviews with women working in forest processing using critical discourse analysis. In my second manuscript, I demonstrated how womens representations of diversity management practices were linked to their social identities in terms of Aboriginal identity and class. Yet, as a whole, these representations prompted a questioning of the meaning of difference within diversity management, and of diversity managements ability to further the interests of marginalised workers. My third manuscript examining representations of restructuring, argues that there is a two way relationship between womens identities as workers and their representations of restructuring. Whether women reproduced or resisted restructuring was linked to their presented work identities and restructuring and practices in turn were helping to shape womens worker subjectivities. Results from this thesis demonstrated that how women represent themselves and workplace practices is related to their different experiences in the specific set of social relations of forestry work in the northern prairies.

The purpose of this field study is to gain an increased knowledge and understanding regarding how Western Cape-based companies work with Employer Branding towards black students by describing, analyzing and concluding the included processes. To reach this purpose a qualitative method was used by interviewing three different representatives from Western Cape companies and one consultant agency working with the concept of employer branding as well as focus group discussions with students from universities in Western Cape. The theoretical framework involves an own-designed model including the different concepts relevant for our study: Talent Management, Diversity Management and Employer Branding in which the latter has been given the most focus. The empirical data includes how the participants perceive the Employer Branding work towards students in a Western Cape context: the black talent challenge. The analysis chapter follows the structure of the theory chapter and the empirical data is compared and analyzed from to the different concepts in the theoretical framework. The analysis demonstrates that companies in Western Cape tend to overestimate their Employer Branding efforts in terms of resources and variety. Our findings show that the black students in our study felt dissatisfaction with the Employer Branding efforts from Western Cape companies. The analysis show clear patterns that Employer Branding in the Western Cape area have a strong ethnicity diversity focus and especially around fulfilling legal requirements. The collaboration between companies and universities in Western Cape could improve drastically according to our empirical findings. Finally this thesis provides a few recommendations for further research as well as for the Western Cape companies.

This thesis examines the relationship between worker identity and workplace practices from the perspectives of white and Aboriginal women working in a multinational forest company in the northern prairies. Over the course of three manuscripts I demonstrate the salience of ascribed and constructed identities of women to their experiences and representations of forest employment and corporate discourse. Setting the context for the remainder of the thesis, the first manuscript presents an analysis of employment segregation by gender and Aboriginal identity in Canadas forest sector in 2001 using segregation indices. Results demonstrate that forest employment was vertically segregated by both gender and Aboriginal ancestry in the forest sector in 2001. Men and women of First Nations ancestry were over represented in less-stable and lower paying occupations in woods based forest industries, and both white and First Nations women were over represented in forest services and clerical occupations. To explore womens perceptions of company practices of diversity management and restructuring, I then analysed interviews with women working in forest processing using critical discourse analysis. In my second manuscript, I demonstrated how womens representations of diversity management practices were linked to their social identities in terms of Aboriginal identity and class. Yet, as a whole, these representations prompted a questioning of the meaning of difference within diversity management, and of diversity managements ability to further the interests of marginalised workers. My third manuscript examining representations of restructuring, argues that there is a two way relationship between womens identities as workers and their representations of restructuring. Whether women reproduced or resisted restructuring was linked to their presented work identities and restructuring and practices in turn were helping to shape womens worker subjectivities. Results from this thesis demonstrated that how women represent themselves and workplace practices is related to their different experiences in the specific set of social relations of forestry work in the northern prairies.

Globalization and demographic changes are posing new challenges for firms that compete for superior human capital resources, and this ‘war for talent’ is especially fierce among MNCs whose main asset is knowledge, like the consultancy industry. As the demand for future leaders increases, it is essential for such firms to ensure an efficient flow of diverse talent through the whole organization. Previous research has mainly treated diversity management and talent management separately, despite the fact that the two concepts are interrelated. This thesis aims to close this gap by exploring how global consultancies incorporate diversity into their talent management practices. By combining in-depth interviews and secondary data from three case companies, conclusions were drawn regarding the views and outcomes of diversity and through which practices the concept was integrated with the management of talents. Some interesting findings were that the main diversity focus was concentrated on gender issues and that global talent management was not highly prioritized in the participating case firms. With regards to talent management, the most highlighted strategy for achieving diversity was by focusing on attracting employees from different diverse groups.

Business School, Diss.--København, 2007.

Univ., Diss.--Göteborg, 2006.

Zugl.: München, Univ., Diss., 2008/2009