1. Equal Opportunity & Diversity Management

2. Discussion Topic
Is there a business case for equal opportunities and diversity management at the workplace?

3. What is the Business Case?
A structured proposal for business change
Justified in terms of costs and benefits
Addresses the business need that the project seeks to resolve
reasons for the project
expected business benefits
the options considered
expected costs of the project
a gap analysis
expected risks

4. Equal Opportunity (EO)
“Equal opportunity policies can be seen as an attempt to eradicate consideration of social differences from organizational decision-making using bureaucratic means” (Liff, 1999).

5. Equal Opportunities Initiatives
As stated by Dickens, EO initiatives concern policy and practice designed to tackle the differential distribution of opportunities, resources and rewards between workers, usually based on their membership of a social group.
Equality commissions:
Commission for Racial Equality (CRE)
Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
Disability Rights Commission (DRC)

6. Reasons for Implementing Equal Opportunity
Positive Pursuit of Organization Benefits
Penalty avoidance through legal compliance

7. Positive Pursuit of Organization Benefits
The image of a “good employer”
- improving recruitment
- better retention of existing staff
Organizational Effectiveness
- lower turnover rates
- better employment relations
- greater creativity

8. Avoidance of Lawsuits Extensive national legislation
Wider scope of the anti-discrimination legislation
Dealing with lawsuits are costly!

9. Problems of translating EO prescription into practice
Work is a place where identities are shaped and lived out
Divisions between ‘disadvantaged’ groups
Human resource concepts and policies disseminate workplace inequality

10. Rhetoric and Reality of HRM
Critical and empirically-based evaluations of HRM indicate a ‘reality’ which includes:
- work intensification
- job segregation
Thus, HRM emerges as ‘bad news’ for workers (Dickens).
How does HRM facilitate inequality?
Examine through two important concepts in the HRM model (Guest, 1987):
Commitment
Flexibility

11. Distinction Between EO & Diversity paradigm
Work Foundation (formerly the Industrial Society) suggests that:
“Where equality policies open doors, policies designed to value diversity offer a more strategic way of moving the business forward, backed up by a strong business and ethical case. Valuing diversity goes further than equality” (Barmes and Ashtiany, 2003).
Equal opportunities policies are legislation led, remedial and based on the assumption that minority groups will assimilate into the dominant culture.
Valuing diversity is visionary in aiming to create a positive work environment in which everyone benefits and can work to their full potential in pursuit of organisational goals, aims and objectives.

12. Diversity Management Definition:
Requires an appreciation that people are different
Emphasize managerial skills and policies
Optimize each employee’s contribution to the overall organizational goals
Enhance organizational morale, productivity and benefits

13. Types of Diversity 1. Superficial or “Surface-Level" Diversity
e.g. differences in Gender, Nationality…
2. “Deep-Level" Diversity
e.g. differences in knowledge, differences in values …

14. Business Case of Diversity
Mirrors the demographics of the marketplace in a global and diverse marketplace (In a global and diverse marketplace, a company whose race and sex composition mirrors the demographics of the marketplace it serves is better equipped to thrive in that marketplace than a company whose appearance is different from its market's appearance).

15. Why Diversity Management?
Believe differences can bring sustained business advantage through good management practice
Survive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace

16. Expected Benefits from Diversity Management
Addressing Skill Deficiencies
Improve Team Effectiveness
Managing Change
Recruitment and Retention of Staff
Reflecting Diversity of Customer Base
Opportunity to Create and Develop Inter-organizational Relationships
Increase flexibility - necessary for survival
Reduced Risk of litigation

17. Conclusion
There is a business case for equal opportunity and diversity management at the workplace