Translating a management concept: diversity management in Denmark

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to understand how the concept of diversity management is translated and adapted into the Danish societal context. The authors therefore seek to answer these questions: to what extent do larger Danish companies experience a need to practice diversity management?...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender in management 2008-08, Vol.23 (6), p.426-441
Main Authors: Risberg, Annette, Søderberg, Anne-Marie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absenteeism
Affirmative action
Baby boomers
Denmark
Discrimination
Employees
Equal opportunities
Ethnicity
Gender
Inclusion
Management
Market segments
Minority & ethnic groups
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Noncitizens
Personnel policies
Recruitment
Sex discrimination
Society
Stereotypes
Studies
Turnover
Workplace diversity
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Summary:Purpose - The purpose of this study is to understand how the concept of diversity management is translated and adapted into the Danish societal context. The authors therefore seek to answer these questions: to what extent do larger Danish companies experience a need to practice diversity management? Do they also have specific diversity policies? And how do these Danish companies discursively construct and manage diversity?Design methodology approach - The authors surveyed 100 Danish firms and performed a discourse analysis of two frontrunner firms' diversity documents.Findings - The Danish firms in the survey experienced a need for diversity management, but were somewhat reluctant to introduce diversity policies. The two frontrunner firms drew on a discourse of diversity as a business case intertwined with a discourse of social responsibility with focus on helping minority groups having difficulties accessing the job market. The findings indicate that concepts must be translated for the local context in order to be accepted by local actors.Research limitations implications - Further studies should look closer into local practices of diversity management to increase understanding of how this seemingly universal management concept is translated.Originality value - Danish society, which until recently was relatively homogeneous, forms a specific cultural context for diversity management that differs significantly from American and British multicultural societies.
ISSN:1754-2413
1754-2421
DOI:10.1108/17542410810897544