Edited by Dr. Brandy A. Brown and Romi C. Wittman / As U.S.-based companies continue to struggle to fill science, engineering and technology (SET) positions with domestic talent, a large portion of the available workforce (women) continues to be underrepresented. This project discusses the strategic advantages of encouraging female workforce participation in SET roles within global technology companies. Three publicly traded companies - Netflix, Facebook and Red Hat, Inc. - are compared utilizing self-reported diversity numbers to see the varying levels of women in those workplaces. The diversity policies and benefits programs of these three companies are discussed as well as available corporate statements regarding workforce diversity policies. Finally, utilizing information from programs proven to increase women’s participation and retention within SET roles, suggestions are provided, namely sponsorship of women in the workplace.

Every employee embodies manifestations of every demographic that attach to him or her different minority and majority statuses at the same time. As these statuses are often related to organizational hierarchies, employees frequently hold positions of dominance and subordination at the same time. Thus, a given individual's coping strategies (or coping behavior) in terms of minority stress due to organizational processes of hierarchization, marginalization and discrimination, are very often a simultaneous coping in terms of more than one demographic. Research on minority stress mostly focuses on single demographics representing only single facets of workforce diversity. By integrating the demographics of age, disability status, nationality, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, and religion into one framework, the intersectional model proposed in this article broadens the perspective on minorities and related minority stress in the workplace. It is shown that coping with minority stress because of one demographic must always be interpreted in relation to the other demographics. The manifestation of one demographic can limit or broaden one's coping resources for coping with minority stress because of another dimension. Thus the manifestation of one demographic can determine the coping opportunities and coping behavior one applies to situations because of the minority status of another demographic. This coping behavior can include disclosure decisions about invisible demographics. Therefore organizational interventions aiming to create a supportive workplace environment and equal opportunities for every employee (e.g. diversity management approaches) should include more demographics instead of focusing only on few. (author's abstract)

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the causes and benefits of workforce diversity in a Swedish electrical engineering multinational corporation. Furthermore, to identify various challenges faced by the managers in diversity management and to find strategies adopted by them to minimize those challenges. Design/Methodology/Approach For this research qualitative method is undertaken. The research was undertaken in two stages. In stage one, an open-ended questionnaire was used to collect primary data from three line-managers and in stage two focused group discussion was conducted with three employees from HR department. The total sample size is six employees working in a Swedish Electrical Engineering MNC. Findings and Conclusions The nature of the business carried by the studied MNC requires continuous innovation and customization of products, which requires employees with diverse knowledge, skills and capabilities. The causes for diversity in the studied organization are because of encouraging internal movement of employees from various subsidiaries to the headquarters and by using various other staffing practises such as inpatriation, global virtual teams, permanent transfers etc. The company is also hiring employees from diverse jobmarkets. The findings from the primary data shows that the studied MNC is benefited from highly diversified work force. However, there are certain challenges faced by managers in managing diversity. The Diversity 360 policy of the company is helping the studied MNC to overcome the challenges in diversity management.

The labor force consists of 4 generations including Generation Z with an estimated 25 million Baby Boomers leaving the workforce between the year 2010 and 2020. Franchise fast food service managers desire competent leadership in the workplace inclusive of Generation Z. Yet, many franchise fast food service managers do not have training programs to develop Generation Z's leadership behaviors. Based on Vroom's expectancy theory and Blau's social theory, the purpose of this single-case study was to explore the training programs franchise fast food service managers could implement to develop Generation Z's leadership behaviors. Data collection consisted of direct observation and semistructured interviews of 5 purposely selected franchise fast food service managers at a franchise fast food organization in the southern region of Georgia. Data analysis included coding the transcribed interviews to identify relevant themes, and member checking to strengthen the reliability and validity of the interpretations of participants' responses. The 6 main themes revealed were leadership training, leadership skills, leadership behaviors, training barriers, human capital development, and on-the-job training, which affects employees' performance and organizational effectiveness. Business leaders in organizations may use the findings of this study to develop effective training programs for evolving Generation Z's leadership skills, which could improve the U.S. food service industry turnover rates. Social change implications include the importance of the need for succession planning strategies to promote growth and sustainability within the fast food service industry.

Advances in transportation and communication have resulted in the ease of migration of people across transnational borders and the internationalisation of business organisations. These events have brought about changing workforce demographics, intense global competition, and the quest for talents across the world. These trends have made workforce diversity inevitable for transnational companies (TNCs). TNCs operating in Nigeria face a peculiar problem as there are two layers of ethnic diversity created by the country’s enormous diversity. The task of managing the layers of diversity is complicated by the weak legal and institutional provisions for the management of diversity in public and private firms. Also, there is a general lack of awareness about diversity and inclusion (D&I) in Nigeria; hence, the field has received scant attention from academics and practitioners. This study explored the D&I policies and strategies adopted by selected subsidiaries of TNCs in Nigeria and describes ethnic minority employee perception of D&I policies and the effects these policies have on performance at the individual and team levels. To achieve these objectives, it aims to provide answers to two research questions: “What are the organisational policies and strategies that enhance diversity and the inclusion of ethnic minority employees in TNCs; and how do D&I policies and strategies impact the performance of individuals and groups within the organisation?” The study adopted the exploratory mixed-methods design to collect qualitative and quantitative data for analysis. The qualitative data included the primary and secondary sources; and involved semi-structured interviews with six senior managers in four subsidiaries of TNCs and documentary analysis. While the quantitative data involved a survey of 133 employees across the four participating companies. The reflexive thematic analysis method was used to analyse the qualitative data, leading to the generation of themes; while the quantitative data were analysed using the descriptive statistical technique. Findings reveal the presence of varying degrees of D&I initiatives among the participating organisations, ranging from well-articulated and established programmes in one company to medium range policies in two companies, and no initiatives in one company. Findings also suggest a high level of inclusion of ethnic minority employees at the group or team level and a low inclusion at the top management level. Also, participants generally report a positive perception of the relationship between workforce D&I and performance at both the individual and team level. Some of the variables used to indicate inclusion are access to information, participation in group activities, membership of informal networks, participation in decision-making and participation in meeting with supervisor and senior management. Similarly, some of the performance variables include creativity, innovation, timely completion of tasks and quality of work output. Finally, the findings from the study contributed to filling the gap in the literature as well as empirically highlighting the D&I policies operational in TNCs in Nigeria. The study recommends that diversity policy-makers pay attention to the additional layer of diversity while developing global policies for a more inclusive organisational environment. This study has provided valuable insights into the policies and practices as well as employee perception of diversity in light of the dearth of studies from the Nigerian context. Despite some inherent limitations, it serves as a starting point that could ignite the interest of other researchers and practitioners in the fields of diversity. / Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund)

Most extant studies on the relationship between workforce diversity and employment inequalities focus on the impact of a single disadvantaged identity on a single employment outcome such as pay or promotion at the organizational level. Thus, the relation between workers’ multiple identities and different dimensions of employment inequalities within the broader social context remains unclear. The goal of this thesis is to start filling this gap. I start with developing a multilevel model of employment inequalities for workers with multiple identities by integrating the social identity theory, double jeopardy hypothesis, intergroup contact theory, and theory of minority group threat. I test this model with two empirical studies using Statistics Canada’s nationally representative Canadian Survey on Disability (2012) linked with the National Household Survey (2011). Labour force participation, employment, and employment income are the dependent variables of this thesis. I examine the intersection of immigrant and disability identity dimensions by focusing on immigrants with disabilities (IwD) as compared to immigrants with no disabilities, Canadian-born with disabilities, and Canadian-born with no disabilities. Study 1 demonstrates that while immigrant and disability identities are independently negatively associated with employment and employment income, having both identities simultaneously has a positive effect on employment and employment income. Furthermore, with the increase of the residential area diversity (RAD), which is determined by the number of immigrants and people with disabilities in a community, IwD’s likelihood of employment increases but employment income decreases. Study 2 shows that the proportion of immigrants in a residential area (RA) is negatively associated with the likelihood of being in the labour force for IwD. Furthermore, perceived work discrimination is negatively associated with labour force participation for IwD. Moreover, perceived work discrimination mediates the relationship between the proportion of immigrants in an RA and labour force participation for IwD. This thesis contributes to theory by (i) developing a multi-level theoretical framework that demonstrate the complex relationship between individuals with multiple identities, organizations, and society, (ii) extending the intergroup contact theory and the theory of minority threat using empirical evidence from individuals with multiple identities rather than focusing on a single identity, (iii) examining multiple employment outcomes at once and demonstrating how employment outcomes might differ based on intersecting identities, and (iv) demonstrating the impact of societal context by incorporating RAD into analysis and showing how the employment outcomes of individuals with multiple identities differ by where they reside. I discuss practical implications of the findings for workers, employers, policymakers, and society. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This thesis examines employment inequalities for workers with multiple identities, focusing on immigrants with disabilities. This thesis has three major findings. First, compared to those who were born in Canada and do not have disabilities, immigrants and people with disabilities are less likely to be on the job market and find a job. They receive lower employment income as well. However, immigrants who have disabilities are more likely to find a job than immigrants with no disabilities and those with disabilities who were born in Canada. Second, as the percentage of immigrants in a community increases, employment income for immigrants with disabilities decreases. Third, as the percentage of immigrants in a community increases, immigrants with disabilities’ chance of being on the job market decreases. Perceived work discrimination plays a role in being on the job market as well. Based on these findings, I provide suggestions for employers, workers, policy makers, and society.

Diversifying the engineering workforce has been a national imperative for several decades. The increased participation of Black students in engineering is commonly identified as a crucial area for improvement. Yet, the rates of engineering degree completion are slowing for Black women in particular. In 2015, less than one percent of all U.S. engineering bachelor's degrees were awarded to Black women. To support broadening participation efforts, I use an anti-deficit approach to examine the career orientations and mobility patterns of Black women working in computing and engineering roles in the tech industry. By characterizing the different career motivations, strategies, and points of transition in the careers of a diverse sample of Black women, I sought to disaggregate the Black women's engineering and computing career experiences—particularly as it relates to how and why they move into, around and out of roles in the tech industry. Using a qualitative multi-case study, I conducted a multi-level career mobility analysis on secondary data and user-generated social media artifacts to extend theory on career orientations and talent management to help normalize "non-traditional" career trajectories. The study findings are useful to inform the next generation of Black women interested in tech on the different ways to approach and achieve subjective career success and satisfaction in engineering and computing fields. In this dissertation work, I discuss how the varied insights of Black women's career experiences in tech can be leveraged for practitioners and industry leaders to broaden the participation (e.g., to attract, retain and better support) of students and employees by identifying their career orientations and then using that to inform career preparation and development that aligns with different engineering and computing career outlooks. / Doctor of Philosophy / The lack of role models is a hindrance for aspiring Black women engineers and their decisions to continue choosing engineering. The lack of representation of Black women in industry similarly presents obstacles for their career advancement. Because neither role models or representation can be increased in retrospect, it is imperative to study and highlight the visibility of the Black women engineers currently practicing engineering and bring awareness to their career experiences in industry to better inform recruitment and retention efforts. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study is to describe the varied career orientations of Black women working as engineers in Tech and to link their career orientations to their career outcomes. To support broadening participation efforts, this research uses an anti-deficit approach to examine the career mobility patterns of Black women working in computing and engineering roles in the Tech industry. Using a curated secondary data set based on social media artifacts and user generated data, this study characterizes the different career motivations, strategies, and points of transition in the careers of a diverse sample of Black women. In efforts to disaggregate Black women's engineering and computing career experiences, ten perspectives on how and why Black women move into, around and out of roles in the tech industry were examined. The analysis revealed that participants' career orientations were differentially motivated by needs, talents and or values which influenced how participants made career related decisions. Additionally, both physical and psychological mobility of participants was examined and then compared in the cross-case analysis to derive six unique career archetypes that were useful in characterizing the career challenges and aspirations in participants' lived career experience. This study aims to normalize "non-traditional" career trajectories and inform the next generation of Black women interested in Tech on the different way(s) to approach and achieve career success and satisfaction in engineering and computing fields. In addition, study findings can be leveraged by human resource personnel and career managers to anticipate common career challenges based on individual employee career orientations, and align better reward structures and policies to support a wider range of employee career outlooks. The study emphasizes the strategies and outlooks critical for Black women's success and satisfaction to support their continued participation in the engineering and computing workforce.

Cultural identity and resource availability aspects in traditional leadership development literature remain understudied, especially among minority populations like Asian immigrants. This study explores the leadership journeys of 24 United States immigrants from China, India and the Philippines using a phenomenological approach, primarily with semi-structured interviews. Experiences of 18 additional immigrant leaders published in popular media were also analyzed. Data from the study reveals that Asian migrants’ roads to leadership in U.S. organizations are heterogeneous and characterized by either linear or nonlinear, overlapping phases of leader development where migrant leaders overcome assimilation challenges and leverage their unique, individual human capital to intersect with organizational level capital in order to enhance their chances of success. Findings suggestive of a relationship between leveraged or suppressed cultural traits and leadership styles are also explored. Drawing from theories rooted in behavioral economics and psychology, the study demonstrates that Asian leader pathways reflect an adaptation process that appears to interact in complex ways with individual, organizational, and societal resources available to them. Theoretical and practical implications are drawn and future research directions are recommended.

This qualitative study aims to investigate how a multinational company works to promote workforce diversity and inclusiveness, how native and immigrant employees and managers experience social integration and social relations in the workplace, and how the managers work to contribute to social integration and social relations in the workplace. Interviews have been made with thirteen participants working in the same company. Among the participants there are natives and immigrants, and there are managers and employees. The theoretical framework is based on habitus, on capital, and on symbolic interactionism theory. The previous research is based on workforce diversity and inclusiveness, on social integration, and on social relations in workplaces. The findings indicate that the managers involve in different initiatives to promote diversity and inclusiveness inside and outside the company. Most participants have positive attitudes towards the position of the company in its work with diversity and inclusiveness. The findings also indicate that social integration and social relations in the workplace are of extreme importance for the employees and the managers. Most participants have good experiences of social integration in their workplace as they have feelings of inclusion, belonging, and community. Social relations in the workplace seem to be extremely significant for meaning, job satisfaction, well-being, and job performance. In addition, the findings indicate that the managers work with multiple initiatives to contribute to social integration and social relations in the workplace.

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