Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Il lavoro di Ricerca intende analizzare il tema dello sviluppo di carriera in area marketing in relazione al concetto di Diversity Management e, più nello specifico, in relazione al concetto di “gender”, facendo leva su caratteristiche e competenze richieste in area marketing. La ricerca ha voluto esaminare questa complessa realtà sovrapponendo l’esperienza di chi sta già facendo marketing e, quindi, dal punto di vista dei Marketing Manager, uomini e donne, e di studenti e studentesse che intendono intraprendere questa carriera. L'indagine è stata sostenuta attraverso la realizzazione di due tipologie differenti di focus group che hanno visto rispettivamente la partecipazione di marketing manager e di studenti di entrambi i sessi. Pur nella permanenza di diversità di aspettative ed opportunità, soprattutto in relazione alla carriera e alla reale possibilità di esperirla, dai risultati della ricerca sembrano emergere uomini e donne che, se da un lato confermano differenze che potremmo definire “scontate”, dall’altro si discostano da atteggiamenti e comportamenti attesi e da stereotipi. / This work analyzes the development of marketing careers correlated to the Diversity Management. Marketing’s competences and characteristics are examined in particular on gender’s factor. The research investigate this complex reality by the point of view of who works in this field (marketing managers) and who aspires on this career (students). The survey is concentrated on two different typologies of Focus Group, respectively with male and female marketing’s manager and students. The results support the existence of different opportunity between men and women, especially in the growth of career, but on the other hand they show a new different vision.

Problem and Purpose – Diversity management, a subject of increasing interest over the last three decades in the business context, is even more relevant to higher education institutions, where diversity is present both in the supplier and customer side. In addition to general organisational improvements, most of the benefits arguably derived would have a direct impact on the cognitive processes such as problem-solving, creativity and learning, which are the core of the university reason for existence, being a centre for knowledge creation and transfer. However, the existing research covering diversity and its management in this particular organisational setting is very scarce. This paper aims to fill some of this gap. The purpose of this study is to identify the key motivators for ethnic diversity management in higher education institutions and the perceived benefits derived. Method – The investigation took the form of in-depth structured interviews conducted through e-mail, policy document analysis and website reviews of four selected higher education institutions. Pattern matching (Yin, 1994) was employed as the mode for data analysis. Findings – Ethnic Diversity Management was present in all units, however, it went beyond just the business case to include social justice view and other aspects. The HEIs studied were found to either manage diversity for purely ethical reasons, be motivated by a combination of moral considerations and perceived performance improvements, or completely culturally embrace diversity in the environment with less designated initiatives of diversity management, dependent on a range of variables present in each institutions related to their perceptions, goals and environment. Hence, both the social justice case and business case were concluded to be strong motivators for diversity management in the higher education context. Originality/value – The paper highlights various DM initiatives, strategies as well as observed effects, hence solidifying the arguments for recognizing and managing diversity and the link between well managed diversity and performance in various aspects, both in business and higher education context. The study is expected to make a contribution  to knowledge by assisting in providing information on key motivators for DM in HEIs and is intended  to be  an elementary supplement  for scholarly discourse in management science, and particularly DM in the HEI context.

Scholars suggest that organizational diversity management (DM) programs are useful not only to satisfy legal requirements or social demands, but also to further the achievement of business objectives. However, much is still to be learned about the effects of such programs on individuals' perceptions of the organization. After reviewing the relevant literature on organization-level DM programs, I present a theoretical framework using recent literature that takes a strategic perspective on DM. This research classifies organization-sponsored DM programs into qualitatively different categories. Using the typology, I develop a model that proposes person-organization fit perceptions and attributions as mechanisms driving the relationship between DM programs and organizational attractiveness. I describe two experimental studies designed to test the proposed relationships between organizational diversity perspectives and applicants' perceptions of organizations. The first follows a two-phase between-subject design, while the second uses a within-subject policy-capturing methodology. Results, implications, and conclusions are discussed.

Purpose : The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence demographic factors have on the way lesbians and gay men manage their sexual orientation at work. Design/methodology/approach : Based on data taken from a cross-sectional survey of 1308 gay and lesbian employees working in Germany, four regression models are proposed. The means of managing one's homosexuality at work was measured by the 31 items containing WSIMM from Anderson et al. (2001). Findings : Results indicate that being in a relationship is related to increased openness about one's homosexuality at work. Furthermore, it appears that the older and the more religious lesbian and gay employees are, the more open (and therefore less hidden) about their sexuality they are. Having a migratory background is related to being more guarded about one's sexual orientation, whereas personal mobility within the country is not related to the way one manages one's sexual orientation at work. Lesbians tend to be a little more open and less guarded about their homosexuality compared to gay men. Research limitations/implications : The focus of this research (and the related limitations) offers several starting and connecting points for more intersectional research on workforce diversity and diversity management. Practical implications : The study's findings indicate the need for an intersectional approach to organizational diversity management strategies. Exemplified by the dimension "sexual orientation" it can be shown that the impact each dimension has for an employee's everyday workplace experiences and behavior in terms of a certain manifestation of one dimension of diversity, can only be understood in terms of its interplay with other dimensions of diversity. Theoretical implications : The intersectional perspective on employees' stigma-related minority stress allows a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of individuals in workplace settings. This theoretical framework proposed in this article can therefore be a connecting point for theoretically framing future studies on workforce diversity and diversity management. Originality/value : It is shown that manifestations of demographic factors that tend to broaden the individual's coping resources for stigma-relevant stressors, lead to more openness about one's homosexuality in the workplace. (author's abstract)

Studiens fokus ligger på chefskapet, vad chefer upplever behövs för att leda i mångfaldsarbete, och vidare till vad organisationen kan göra för att stödja cheferna i deras vardag. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och datainsamlingen har skett med intervjuer av nio chefer i en stor bank i Sverige som arbetar aktivt med mångfaldsfrågor. Studiens största fynd är att chefernas beskrivningar åtskiljer sig utifrån deras position. Chefer som har en kundnära position resonerar kring mångfald utifrån ett kvantitativt synsätt. Chefer med en position av mer övergripande karaktär beskriver mångfald utifrån ett kvalitativt synsätt. Dessutom finns olika beskrivningar på nyttan med mångfald utifrån specialist eller generalist perspektiv. Vi ser därför att mångfald presenteras och diskuteras utifrån flera spännande perspektiv, vilket är av intresse och värde för organisationer som vill initiera mångfaldsarbete. För att underlätta chefernas vardag kan banken skapa mätbara mål med mångfald och stödstrukturer för nätverk. / This thesis focus on management and managers experiences, what they need to lead diversity, and on to what the organization can do to support managers in their everyday lives. The study has a qualitative approach and the data collection was conducted with interviews of nine executives of a major bank in Sweden that actively address diversity issues. The study's main findings are that managers´ descriptions are separating due to their position. Managers who have a position which is customer related reasons of diversity based on a quantitative approach. Managers with a position of a general nature describe diversity based on a qualitative approach. In addition, there are different descriptions of the benefits of diversity from a specialist or a generalist perspective. We therefore see that diversity is presented and discussed from several exciting perspectives, which is of interest and value to organizations if they are initiating diversity work. In order to facilitate, the bank can create diversity targets and support structures with available networks.

The business environment has been changing as it becomes easier to interact acrossboundaries with globalisation. One of the key elements of globalisation is the culturaldiversity resulting from the cross-cultural and ethnic interactions between individuals.This constant growing globalisation challenges small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) to interact with different cultural backgrounds in their foreign markets and withtheir local staff. This cultural diversity can bring both positive and negative outcomes toSMEs depending on how they approach these challenges.The purpose of our research is to discover the contribution of cultural diversity in theinternationalisation process of a Swedish SME, named CodeMill and to understand howthis contribution is ensured by this particular SME. Our research focuses on two specificcriteria of cultural diversity, which are expressed as (1) the individual's internationalexperience as an employee and (2) the SME's social network abroad. Our studyprovides them with practical contributions presented in a final framework, whichexplains how to take advantage of cultural diversity to enhance the positive outcomes ofit and strengthen their internationalisation process.A qualitative case study was conducted with CodeMill, a locally based InformationTechnology (IT). They fulfilled the principal requirements in terms of employees andyearly turnover in order to be categorised as an SME. Conducting seven semi -structured interviews in total, with people from different hierarchical levels and spheresenabled us to gain insights on how matters relating to cultural diversity are handled inCodeMill. Secondary Data served to confirm information we received from theinterviews and functioned as an additional source of information.The study proposes a framework that has been revised from the analysis of ourempirical findings. This framework is positioned within the field of Cultural DiversityManagement in an internationalisation context. The gathered findings implicate that thelevel of informational diversity, which needs to be used with a high synergy level,determines the importance of the contribution of cultural diversity. This can be ensuredvia three key elements: leadership, research & measurement, and follow-up. Thecompany’s Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), especially included the three investigateddimensions of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking proved to be applied inCodeMill. They were considered to have a positive influence on the internationalisationprocess of the company. CodeMill enhances its internationalisation process thanks to sixcompetitive advantages ensuing from its level of cultural diversity. However its socialnetwork hinders the opportunities to enter new markets. We found proof that CodeMillbenefits strongly from connections at an organisational level (e.g. partner companies,international customers); whilst an individual’s international experience, gathered fromliving abroad or just having personal international contacts, did not significantlycontribute to the firm’s internationalisation.

Despite rapidly burgeoning diversity in the Canadian workforce, and demonstrable gains to be made as a result of increasing inclusion, organizations still struggle to create meaningfully inclusive workplaces. The traditional diversity management model has largely failed to fix this longstanding problem. A variety of research has identified successful strategies for increasing inclusion across disciplines such as social psychology, critical management studies, systems theory, and universal design. However, these overlapping strategies, as well as the commonalities of underlying structure, go unseen due to ideological and disciplinary siloing. Working from a foundation of theoretical pluralism, I present two linked ideas in this paper. First, I propose and justify a shift in language from the counter-productive <italic>diversity management</italic> towards <italic>meaningful inclusion</italic>. Second, using multi-disciplinary research I identify successful, broadly-applicable strategies for enhancing meaningful inclusion in the workplace, and describe an <italic>inclusion matrix</italic> of best practices that creates a practical road map organizations can use to enhance meaningful inclusion.

South Africa is no longer trapped in an apartheid era and is now perceived as a multinational state, implying that not only the composition of labour forces have changed, but all other institutions have developed into being more representative of all races. Thus whilst the workplace demographics are rapidly changing, more individuals are preparing themselves to enter the workplace. As a result more diverse cultures also prevail within hostels of higher educational institutions. The objectives of this study were to investigate individual preferences in terms of acculturation strategies as utilised by students in hostels of a higher education institution. Another important objective was to understand the effect of acculturation strategies has on the general well-being and health of individuals. In order to achieve these objectives, Berry's bi-directional Acculturation Model, as well as the Interactive Acculturation Model was used. A cross-sectional survey design with an availability sample (N = 245) was used, taken from hostel students of 3 higher education institution in South Africa. The questionnaire consisted of various items on the acculturation scale, as well as a biographical questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, factor analyses, Cronbach alpha coefficients, MANOVAs, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. The results pointed out that females preferred Separation or Assimilation, while males preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Female hostels preferred Separation as acculturation strategy and male hostels preferred Integration as acculturation strategy. Acculturation strategies in terms of race showed that White groups preferred integration and African groups preferred Separation. Regarding the effect that acculturation strategies have on health, males experienced high levels of physical health problems. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

In the past fourteen years, South African business has experienced a period of significant transformation. The absorption of previously disadvantaged employees into higher skilled jobs is being nudged by measures such as employment equity legislation and affirmative action. Even though previously excluded racial and ethnic groups are being empowered and incorporated into management structures, overall progress has been slow. The research organisation seems to be a microcosm of the macro-environment with regard to the advancement of previously disadvantaged employees, consisting primarily of white employees (66%). Designated employees are represented in much smaller numbers: Indian (15%), African (15%) and Coloured (4%).The objective of this research was to gain an understanding of how designated employees experience working in a predominantly white business unit. Applying a qualitative research design, anecdote circles were used to facilitate the informal sharing of experiences amongst peers. Twelve individuals partook in the anecdote circles and 59 anecdotes were gathered. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to extract themes. Thirty-two themes were identified in the anecdotes that were grouped into seven super-ordinate themes: A debilitating organisational culture; A constructive work environment; Poor orientation and integration into the business unit; Demanding consultant role; Dissatisfaction with careers: Difficulty in handling the typical demanding client profile and Involved management style. Results indicate that designated employees find the organisational culture restrictive due to the bureaucratic nature of the organisation, the insensitivity towards cultural differences, the impersonal atmosphere in the organisation; the excessive use of acronyms; poor communication and ineffective support structures. In contrast they have a positive view of their work environment which is seen as flexible, with plenty opportunities for development and high standards of work. Good teamwork exists with designated employees receiving a lot of support from their project team members. Results show that designated employees experience poor orientation in the business unit, which results in a lack of knowledge regarding processes, tools, and ideal behaviour. They are left to find this information out for themselves and this leads to poor integration into the business unit. Designated employees find their role as consultant very demanding. They experience a lot of pressure on projects and are concerned about others' impression of them. They feel empowered in certain areas of their work life and enjoy taking responsibility for their work and development. Designated employees are dissatisfied with the direction that their careers are taking and feel frustrated by the lack of career advancement. They do not believe their managers have the power to address their concerns regarding their career. Furthermore they equate career progression with financial gain and this adds to their frustration regarding their careers. Designated employees are struggling to deal with difficult and demanding clients who neglect responsibilities and can be unreasonable. They admit that they are not sure how to handle these clients. Designated employees are satisfied with the level of interaction with their managers and the recognition they receive when a job is well done. Some indicate that they would prefer more guidance and support from their managers and they stress the importance of performance management and providing regular feedback. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.