A New Look at Diversity
van Dijk, H., van Engen, M., & Paauwe, J. (2012). Reframing the Business Case for Diversity: A Values and Virtues Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 111, PP. 73-84
This article addresses the concerns of discrimination in the work place with respect to recruitment and selection as well as performance management (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). The reason that this issue is so important is that diversity in the work place empowers minority groups and mitigates inequalities (Noon, 2007), and empirical studies are more frequently supporting the benefits of diversity in the work place (Kochan et al., 2003). This article first discusses the equality case and the business case for diversity and how they tend to be mutually exclusive (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). It then discusses diversity skepticism and diversity opportunism (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). Diversity can be used as a tool and tossed aside quickly when the advantages wane (Derry, 1996).
Dijk, Engen, and Paauwe then a moral perspective known as virtue ethics (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). In order to avoid discrimination in recruitment and selection, the focus on virtues desired in a candidate, for the specific job, need to be listed (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). Then identifiers that will be used to evaluate candidates need to be listed (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). The article describes how performance management also tends to be biased against minorities in how standards are set by the majority therefore tending to favor the majority (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). As a result, establishing the prime virtues for each job and appropriate indicators that indicate the mastering of virtues for performing the job and development goals (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012).
Finally, the article stresses the need for firms to express equality is one of its core values (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012). They also stress that the values and virtues perspective does not need to replace policies that already promote and express their concern for equality (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012).
Managers should heed these suggestions in that following these policies can increase the firm’s social acceptance and increase employee loyalty (Dijk, Engen, & Paauwe, 2012).
References:
Derry, R. (1996). Toward a feminist firm: Comments on John Dobson and Judith White. Business Ethics Quarterly, 6, PP.101-109.
Kochan, T., Bezrukova, K., Ely, R., Jackson, S., Joshi, A., Jehn, K., et al. (2003). The effects of diversity on business performance: Report of the diversity research network. Human Resource Management, 42, PP. 3-21.
Noon, M. (2007), The fatal flaws of diversity and the business case for ethnic minorities. Work, Employment & Society, 21, PP. 773-784.
van Dijk, H., van Engen, M., & Paauwe, J. (2012). Reframing the Business Case for Diversity: A Values and Virtues Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 111, PP. 73-84.
