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This document reports on case studies of two Australian companies that have diversity management policies. These case studies were undertaken in response to the discovery that few Australian businesses had a diversity management policy, particularly incorporating issues of race and ethnicity, and a lack of detailed Australian case study research. The document includes the results from interviews and focus groups with managers and employees and an analysis of corporate documents. The case studies investigate a range of perceptions, values, experiences and processes that contribute to, or detract from, measurable benefits of diversity management for firms. The two organisations managed diversity in very different ways but their diversity programs had some common strengths. These are: a belief that diversity management will result in major business benefits; the commitment of senior management; appointment of 'high level champions' to coordinate the policy; the investment of significant resources; a long term perspective; the provision of targeted research by the company; and the dissemination of 'success stories' which help promote diversity management throughout the organisation. Gaps and constraints are also identified. In both cases, diversity management is incorporated within key results areas, but it is also recognised that diversity must be linked to key competencies and cultural change in order to achieve good results. Show less

This study was designed to assess the competencies needed for a manager to manage a multicultural group of subordinates. Given the multicultural nature of today’s workforce, it has become increasingly important for managers to take into account how cross-cultural differences may affect their management practices. Open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to derive the competencies used by managers who are already managing a multicultural group. From content analysis, five key themes emerged comprising 27 sub-themes. The results suggest that the competencies needed are cultural empathy, learning on the job, communication competence, general managerial skills, and personal style. Hence, selection, training and development, and performance appraisal practices may be focused on identifying and/or developing these competences, in order for managers to effectively manage a multicultural workforce.

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The report defines 'productive diversity', establishes the theoretical framework for diversity management by firms, outlines the business case benefits and reports on senior executive perceptions of diversity. The survey responses of 227 chief executives are analysed in terms of the state of diversity in their workforces and their assessment of the relative importance of workforce diversity to business issues including efficiency, domestic and overseas growth and competitive advantage. Show less

The objective of this article is to clarify the current situation of talent management in Japan. Despite the lack of a common definition of talent management, it is developing into an area that draws much attention in the personnel management field from both researchers and practitioners. This article focuses on (i) how talent pools are formed within organizations, (ii) actual status of growth opportunities made available for human resources after talent selection, and (iii) relationship between introducing talent management systems and Japanese-style human-resource development practices. According to the qualitative research we conducted, this article is to reveal that (i) two methods are used to create pools, i.e. position-based and people-based, (ii) companies make attempts to develop long-term plans, at least for human resources seen as having potential, (iii) initiatives based on people rather than on positions seem intended to change companies' existing promotion practices, and (iv) in implementing talent management, the utilization of diverse human resources (greater flexibility regarding their attributes) is advancing, and some companies intend to develop human resources that have the company 'color' to some extent but are not all exactly the same shade.

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The Programme for the Practice of Diversity Management is a collaborative arrangement between the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) and the Australian Centre for International Business (ACIB) funded through DIMIA’s Productive Diversity Partnership Programme. It aims to meet the practical needs of business by developing a business case for productive diversity, providing business models for diversity management, and creating toolkits and checklists for assessing diversity. This major paper presents detailed discussions of the human resource management case, the knowledge case and the international business case for diversity management. The business case identifies how the costs of diversity in the workplace can be reduced and how the dividends of diversity can be secured. The knowledge case recognises the importance of knowledge as a source of competitive advantage and argues that work groups with a greater mix of cultural backgrounds, experience and functional levels will, under good management, produce more innovative products and services. The international business case proposes that organisations operating internationally must develop capabilities to navigate culturally complex environments and that an organisation’s culturally diverse workforce possesses the skills required to develop these capabilities. This paper is recommended as a good starting point for the study of diversity management in Australia. Show less

The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest employer in the UK and has a diverse workforce with many different professional groups. This can make introducing a planned programme of change a complex and difficult task. Examines the process in the shape of Investors in People (IiP) within a public sector context. The findings come from a case study of a successful IIP project in a combined acute and community trust hospital. Drawing largely on direct experience of managing an IIP project, interview, survey and documentary evidence, the paper concludes by exploring the question of whether the IIP standard can be used as a tool for managing change and if it is sophisticated enough to reach a diverse workforce.

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All OECD economies are undergoing rapid population ageing, leading to more age diversity in workplaces than ever before as people are not only living longer but working longer. Greater diversity of experience, generations and skills gives employers an important opportunity to harness the talent that different age groups bring to the workplace and improve productivity and profitability. What can employers do to maximise the benefits of a multigenerational workforce? This report presents a business case for embracing greater age diversity at the workplace and debunks several myths about generational differences in work performance, attitudes and motivations towards work. It points to key employer policies and offers practical examples in three key areas to support and promote an age-inclusive workforce. This includes designing and putting in place all-age and life-stage policies covering the full span of workers careers through best practice in recruitment, retention and retirement, as well as the promotion of life-long learning and good health at work.

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The diversity leadership study is based on in-depth interviews with managers from diverse backgrounds and seeks to elucidate what influences actually shape motivation and skills to manage diversity, what capabilities and practices are required to lead a diverse workforce effectively, what is good leadership, what industry characteristics shape or hinder diversity leadership among managers, and how diversity leadership is developed. The first phase of the study explores diversity leadership as a set of practices and capabilities that all leaders could develop, regardless of their own ethnicity, gender or background. The second phase of the study investigated diversity leadership from the perspective and experiences of 'minority-group' leaders and the ingredients for diversity leadership achievement.

The phase one report is indexed at TD/TNC 81.530. Show less

The global financial crisis led many older workers to delay retirement or to re-enter the workforce (O'Loughlin, Humpel and Kendig 2010). This has resulted in an increase in age diversity within organisations. This age diversity leads to improved creativity (Crampton and Hodge 2007) and improved productivity (Ilmakunnas and Ilmakunnas 2011). However, for human resource management professionals, age diversity can be challenging. Research comparing younger and older workers' intentions to stay is limited; this study continues that inquiry. To investigate intentions, a cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to 2118 employees in the aged-care sector; 359 useable questionnaires were analysed. Results revealed similarities and differences between younger and older workers' intentions to stay. Variables such as perceived organisational support (POS), perceived supervisor support (PSS), and job embeddedness are analysed.

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This report was commissioned by the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) to highlight the importance of inclusive human capital strategies as key differentiators in organizational growth and sustainability. At the heart of this approach is the concept of diversity and inclusion (D&I). This report therefore provides a contextual overview of D&I broadly and more specifically across the Asia-Pacific region. In light of globalization, migration trends, and an aging workforce in many jurisdictions, to name a few drivers, companies are being forced to focus on how they manage their workforce. Although D&I are often linked, it is important to note that they are not the same thing. Generally, diversity as a 'strategy' refers to an organization's focus on implementing policies and practices that attract a demographic range of employees, including members of society who have traditionally been underrepresented within the particular organizational culture or sector. Inclusion focuses on creating an environment that encourages people to bring their differences, perspectives, and ideas forward and on utilizing all aspects of an individual's diversity in the workplace.

General findings include: (1) the focus on D&I is relatively new within the Asia-Pacific region; (2) diversity is contextual to organizations and the environments in which they operate, and therefore diversity strategies vary; (3) some organizations focus their diversity strategies on compliance with external government targets, while others seek to go beyond those targets by implementing a broader focus, based on a strong business case for changing organizational culture (policies and practices); (4) companies that have a strong business case for D&I seem to achieve better results in meeting and surpassing organizational goals; (5) gender appears to be the primary common focus of most companies that are implementing inclusive strategies within the Asia-Pacific; (6) measurement and accountability are important in driving change and achieving results; and (7) all organizations invest in some form of training and development; however, it is unclear, with few exceptions, to what degree training is geared to developing the ability to operate in an environment of diversity and plurality. The current best practices identified in this report emerged from common practices across organizations and/or the degree to which each company links its practices to positive organizational impacts or results. Given the small sample size of participating countries, this report should not be viewed as the gold standard for D&I in the Asia-Pacific but as a framework to stimulate thinking about how D&I can increase performance, profits, and overall organizational success of companies in the region.

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