What does diversity management mean for the gender equality project in the United Kingdom? Views and experiences of organizational "Actors"

Abstract

There has been a shift at the organizational level away from a traditional "equal opportunity" paradigm underpinned by notions of social justice, with a specific focus on tackling gender inequalities towards a business-led "diversity management" paradigm, with a focus on the individual and their contribution to the organization. We argue that diversity management as a concept and model has the potential to undermine the gender equality project, but drawing on a UK-based study we conclude that whether or not it presently does so in practice is less clear. Nevertheless, our study, presenting views and experiences of multiple organizational actors, demonstrates the seductiveness of the diversity discourse, which could herald danger for the future direction and substance of the gender equality project. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.