Diversity: an idea for

business and society

Mustafa F Özbilgin 2023
Routledge, London
Diversity: outline
● Introduction
● Diversity and its origins
● Manifestations of diversity
● Disciplinary influences on diversity science
● Workforce diversity and its consequences
● Against workforce diversity
● The management of diversity
● Regulating diversity in and around organisations
Outline of the book
• Chapter 1: Defines diversity and identifies its origins, manifestations,
and frames.
• Chapter 2: Focuses on generic and locally meaningful categories of
diversity and how these forms of diversity are examined.
• Chapter 3: Explains how each discipline of science has contributed to
the development of diversity science as a transdisciplinary and
multifaceted field of research.
• Chapter 4: Explores diversity and its consequences based on pro-
diversity research.
• Chapter 5: Explores the resistance, backlash, and setbacks against
diversity across micro, meso, and macro levels.
• Chapter 6: Presents approaches and techniques for diversity
management.
• Chapter 7: Discusses the regulation of diversity, exploring voluntary,
coercive, and relational variants of regulation.
Outline of the book:
• Diversity is a complex and multifaceted concept that can be defined in
many ways.
• This book takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of diversity,
drawing on insights from a variety of fields, including social sciences,
business and management, and natural sciences.
• The book argues that diversity is not an end in itself, but a path to the
transformation of societies and institutions towards equality and
inclusion.
• The book also explores the dark side of diversity, including how it can
be used to justify conflict and discrimination.
• The book concludes by proposing a new deal on diversity that
recognizes the interconnectedness of human diversity, biodiversity,
and techno diversity.
Introduction to Diversity

In its broadest sense, diversity is

the availability of differences,
variations, separations,
disparities and divisions in human
populations, among life forms,
inanimate objects and technology.
Diversity can be biological, social,
or technological.
What is Diversity?
Diversity is a broad term that can be
defined in many ways. Here are some of
the most common definitions of diversity:

● The availability of differences,

variations, separations, disparities
and divisions in human populations,
among life forms, inanimate objects
and technology.
● The variety of different
characteristics within a group or
population.
● The inclusion of people from different
backgrounds and experiences.
● The acceptance of differences and
The Importance of
Diversity and its
Implications for
Society
The importance of diversity is that it
can lead to conflict or cooperation,
depending on how it is treated and
regulated.

Diversity can also be a source of

innovation and creativity, and it can
help us to better understand the
world around us.
Types of Diversity
Diversity can be biological, social, or
technological.

● Biological diversity refers to the

variety of different life forms on
Earth.
● Social diversity refers to the variety
of different genders, ethnicities, age
groups, disabilities, sexualities
cultures on Earth.
● Technological diversity refers to the
variety of different technologies that
are infused with biodiversity and
social diversity that exist on Earth.
The Crisis of Diversity
A diversity crisis exists among life forms, human populations,
and institutional settings.

The dominion of human diversity over other life forms,

institutions and technology is in crisis:

● Humans are causing the extinction of species.

● Humans are not capable of managing technology and its

varied consequences.
 The Crisis of Diversity
The competition for limited resources and untamed human greed and consumption are
causing a crisis of diversity among life forms, human populations, and institutional settings.

For example, Cardinale et al. (2012) estimate that there are over 9 million types of plants,
animals, insects, protists and fungi on Earth. However, Tollefson (2019) estimates that one
million species face extinction by 2050 and beyond due to human environmental impact.

The neoliberal system has exacerbated this crisis by bringing private-sector logic to public
and voluntary sector institutions. For example, Ozbilgin and Slutskaya (2017) argue that the
neoliberal turn has undermined the traditional diversity of institutions of regulation,
commerce, philanthropy, community, and worker collectives.

This has led to the erosion of institutional diversity and undermining solidarity, human
rights, and human diversity. For example, Groutsis et. al. (2023) argue that the neoliberal
turn has led to the "marketisation and commercialisation of everything in its path".

There are several international and national level initiatives that are working to protect
institutional diversity, but more needs to be done to avert the crisis. For example, the United
Nations (UN) has established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include a
goal to "protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt
biodiversity loss".
Biodiversity, Human Diversity,
and Institutional Diversity

Biodiversity, human diversity, and institutional diversity are

all under threat.

Institutions can either undermine or foster diversity.

The "old deal" between human diversity, biodiversity, and

techno diversity is failing.

We must establish a new deal between human diversity,

nature, and technology.

This would require recognizing nature as a legal entity and

transforming ownership structures of technology.
Chapter 1: Origins of diversity
• Diversity is the availability of difference and variation.
• It is an inclusive concept based on the assumption of
the co-existence of differences and variations.
• The plurality of its definitions and uses is both its
strength and limitation.
• It is essential to understand the history of diversity, the
politics of defining diversity and the emergence of its
varied forms.
• Diversity manifests in different settings and is both
biologically and socially constructed.
• Biological and social diversity categories include
gender and sex, ethnicity and race, social and
economic class, sexual orientation and gender identity,
and disability.
 Defining Diversity
• Diversity is a relational concept that gains new meanings and content depending
on the particular time, place, socio-cultural, institutional and symbolic setting and
human population in which it is discussed. (Kyriakidou and Ozbilgin 2006;
Ozbilgin and Vassilopoulou 2017; Syed and Ozbilgin 2009)
• The kinds of diversity issues that are considered in one particular location change
over time. For example, aspects of human diversity covered and protected by
laws in the 1970s in the UK were limited to gender, ethnicity, and disability. In
the 2000s, the categories of diversity protected by law have expanded to include
sexual orientation, age, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment,
pregnancy and maternity, and religion and belief (EHRC 2021).
• Diversity is a universally recognised but contextually shaped phenomenon. As
such, it is formed by the circumstances in which it is located. For example, Tatli et
al. (2012) illustrate that diversity gained unique meanings in each country when
it travelled from North America to Britain, France and Germany.
• Diversity gains new meanings in new locations depending on the priorities,
customs and regulatory requirements in that location. Diversity sometimes loses
relevance in new contexts because each context has silences, taboos and
hegemonic frames. For example, it is difficult to discuss class diversity in the UK,
religious diversity in France and ethnic diversity in Germany due to the historical
struggles which render these categories of diversity contentious in the
mainstream.
Defining Diversity (continued)

• Diversity is defined differently at different levels: macro, meso,

and micro.
• Macro-level diversity is defined as social diversity, shaped by
civil liberties, human rights, and social movements.
• Meso-level diversity is defined as diversity in organizations and
institutions.
• Micro-level diversity is defined as individual characteristics
based on their demographic background, biological and social
constitution, and their relational difference to the group.
• The level at which diversity is defined informs where the
responsibility for protecting diversity resides.
• Defining diversity is a political act, and the choice of terms can
have implications for key actors and relations of power.
• Diversity and inclusion are interdependent concepts, and the
terms are often used together in social policy.
• Some scholars make a distinction between diversity and
inclusion, arguing that a diverse workforce may not be very
inclusive.
• Exploring diversity with its allied concepts, such as inclusion,
expands our understanding of diversity through different lenses.
The Politics of Defining
Diversity
• Defining diversity is a political act that can have significant implications
for how diversity is understood and treated.
• There are a number of traps that can be encountered when defining
diversity, such as:
• Defining diversity as a threat or the identity characteristic of an
individual.
• Defining diversity as an individual identity consideration alone, which
may derail possibilities of connecting diversity with common good,
solidarity and communities.
• Defining diversity as a national or organisational concern, which may
undermine the role of individual actors in promoting equality and
inclusion.
• Defining diversity is a multifarious act, enriched when the definition
takes on the board contextual, relational, multilevel, and political aspects
of diversity.
• When faced with a definition of diversity, we can ask simple questions
such as what, where, when, how, why, for whom, by whom to flesh out
the interests and the relations of power that shape that particular
definition.
• Through such an awareness, we may develop a critical reflexivity that
transcends the naive treatment of defining as an simple, innocuous, and
disinterested act.
• Definitions of diversity can shed light on how diversity is treated, and
what remains silent and unattended in that definition.
Manifestations of Diversity

Diversity can manifest in many ways, including:

• Cumulative emergence: This is when multiple forms of diversity
emerge together, such as gender, ethnicity, and age.
• Epiphenomenal emergence: This is when diversity manifests in a way
that is unique to a particular context, such as the caste system in
India.
• Predictable emergence: This is when diversity manifests in a way that
is influenced by history or other factors. For example, the legacy of
slavery and colonialism can shape how ethnic diversity manifests.
• Unpredictable emergence: This is when diversity manifests in a way
that is not easily predicted. For example, the emergence of
neurodiversity as a concept in the late 1990s was not something that
could have been easily predicted.
The nature-nurture debate is another way to think about the manifestation
of diversity. The nature argument suggests that diversity is
determined by our biological makeup, while the nurture argument
suggests that it is shaped by our environment.
The historical dimension of human diversity is also important to consider.
Human diversity has emerged over time, and the ways in which it
manifests are influenced by the specific historical context.
Categories of Diversity

• Etic categories: Generic and established categories of

diversity that are studied across multiple locations.
Examples include gender, ethnicity, class, age, sexual
orientation, and disability.
• Emic categories: Idiosyncratic and specific to localities, and
not generic in nature. Examples include the hemseri (people
born in the same city) category in Turkey and postcode
diversity in France.
The relative prominence of different categories of diversity varies
across countries and regions. Gender is the most commonly
studied category of diversity internationally, followed by
ethnicity and disability. Sexual orientation diversity is less
studied outside the developed and democratic countries.
It is important to focus on categories of diversity rather than
considering diversity as a monolithic body of knowledge.
This will help to combat the hierarchies of knowledge and
practice that exist among categories of diversity.
Multiple Frames of Diversity

• Numerical framing: Diversity in terms of numbers and

representation.
• Power relations framing: Diversity as relations of power and
uneven power relations among different groups of people.
• Psychological framing: Diversity as a set of psychological
concerns including affect, cognition and behaviours.
• Institutional and organisational framing: Diversity as an
institutional and organisational construct.
• Process framing: Diversity in terms of its antecedents,
correlates and consequences.
The framing of diversity depends on the context in which it is
studied. For example, the psychological framing of diversity is
dominant in the United States, while the institutional and
organisational framing is more common in Europe.
It is important to consider multiple frames of diversity when
studying the topic. This will help us to understand the different
ways in which diversity is experienced and understood.
Illustrative case: The Gene Delusion

• The term "gene for" is often used in popularised versions of genetic

science to suggest that genes are the sole cause of certain traits or
behaviours.
• This can be used to justify discrimination against people from atypical
backgrounds, or to argue that social inequalities are due to genetic
differences rather than discrimination.
• However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that genes
and environment interact in complex ways to shape our lives.
• For example, studies have shown that genes can influence our political
beliefs, but that the environment also plays a role.
• It is important to be aware of the gene delusion and to avoid using
genetic science to justify discrimination.
• We need to focus on the social and institutional factors that create and
perpetuate inequality, rather than on individual differences.
 Conclusion
• Diversity is a complex and multifaceted concept.
• There are many different ways to define and frame diversity.
• The definition and framing of diversity can have a significant impact on how it is
understood and experienced.
• It is important to consider multiple frames of diversity in order to understand its
complex meanings and categories.
• The next chapter will focus on the manifestations of diversity.
Key takeaways:
• Diversity is not a monolithic concept.
• There are many different ways to define and frame diversity.
• The definition and framing of diversity can have a significant impact on how it is
understood and experienced.
• It is important to consider multiple frames of diversity in order to understand its
complex meanings and categories.
Questions for reflection:
• How do you define diversity?
• What are the different frames of diversity that you are familiar with?
• How do these different frames shape how you understand and experience
diversity?
• What are some of the challenges and opportunities associated with understanding
and managing diversity?
CHAPTER 2: Manifestations of
Diversity
• Diversity can be manifested in different ways, including:
• Etic categories: These are categories of diversity that are
commonly covered in studies of diversity, such as gender,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, and disability.
• Emic categories: These are categories of diversity that are
specific to local settings, such as accent diversity, caste
and tribe-based diversity, and other categories which are
idiosyncratic to specific locations.
• Multiple categories: Diversity can also manifest in the form
of multiple categories, such as gender and ethnicity, or
sexual orientation and class.
• It is important to consider the different ways in which
diversity manifests in order to understand and manage it
effectively.
• The chapter discusses the manifestations of a few forms of
diversity, including gender diversity, ethnic diversity, sexual
orientation diversity, class diversity, and disability diversity.
• The chapter also considers locally meaningful, emic
categories of diversity and discusses manifestations of
multiple forms of diversity.
Etic Categories of Diversity

• Etic categories of diversity are those that are universally recognised,

such as gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, and disability.
• These categories are often protected by international conventions and
national laws.
• However, the manifestations of these categories can vary widely
across different settings.
• For example, how gender or ethnic diversity manifests would be
different in each location.
• It is important to be aware of the different ways in which etic
categories of diversity can manifest in order to understand and
manage them effectively.
Gender Diversity

• Gender is a social construct. This means that the meanings and roles
attributed to women, men, and intersex individuals are dynamically
shaped by the social, historical, and political context in which they are
located.
• Gender diversity is the range of meanings, representations, and social
roles given to different genders across time and in different
geographies. This means that gender diversity is not manifest in the
same way in all cultures or societies.
• Gender diversity is not always easy to measure. There is no single
agreed-upon definition of what it means, and different organizations
may measure it in different ways.
• Gender diversity can be a source of both conflict and creativity in
organizations. When people from different genders come together,
they can bring different perspectives and experiences to the table. This
can lead to conflict, but it can also lead to new ideas and solutions.
• It is important to be aware of the different ways in which gender
diversity can manifest in order to create inclusive and equitable
workplaces. This means being aware of the different ways in which
gender is constructed and the different ways in which people
experience gender.
Ethnic Diversity

• Ethnicity is a socio-cultural construct that refers to an identification

with and belonging to a cultural background or descent. This
means that ethnicity is not a biological or genetic characteristic,
but rather a social one.
• Ethnic diversity is the range of ethnic identities and cultures that
are present in a particular setting. This can include differences in
language, religion, nationality, and other cultural factors.
• Ethnic diversity is often a complex and contested issue, as there
are different ways to define and measure it. Additionally, there are
different ways to manage ethnic diversity in organizations, and
different perspectives on the benefits and challenges of doing so.
• There are a number of different theoretical frameworks that can be
used to understand ethnic diversity, including individual-level,
team-level, and institutional-level perspectives.
• It is important to be aware of the different ways that ethnicity can
be manifested in order to create inclusive and equitable
workplaces. This includes being aware of the different ways that
ethnicity can be used to create or reinforce power imbalances, and
the different ways that people from different ethnic backgrounds
may experience discrimination.
Sexual Orientation Diversity

• Sexual orientation diversity refers to the range of sexual

orientations and gender identities that are present in a
particular setting.
• Sexual orientation diversity is often stigmatized and
discriminated against, but there has been progress
towards equality in recent years.
• One of the key challenges of sexual orientation diversity
is the heteronormative and cis-gender, cis-sexual norms
that are pervasive in many institutions and cultures.
• Organizations that support sexual orientation diversity
tend to be more inclusive of other forms of diversity as
well.
• The LGBT+ movement is not monolithic, and there are
tensions and contradictions between different groups
within the movement.
• Despite these challenges, sexual orientation diversity is
likely to feature more prominently in the future thanks to
the push of the LGBT+ movement internationally.
Class Diversity

• Class diversity refers to the differences of socioeconomic

standing and background among a group of individuals.
• Class diversity is often overlooked in management and
organization literature, but it is an important category of
diversity that has explanatory power in accounting for
power and status in domains of work and life.
• Class diversity is often manifested in socialization
patterns, extracurricular activities, and accents
individuals have.
• Class diversity can also be a source of authenticity
problems at work, as individuals may feel obliged to
change their behavior or appearance to fit in with the
dominant class culture.
• Organizations can make their cultures more inclusive of
class diversity by identifying and eliminating class bias in
their institutions.
Physical, Mental and Sensory
Diversity
• Physical, mental, and sensory diversity refers to the
differences in physical, mental, and sensory abilities among
individuals.
• Disability is a condition which prevents an individual from
performing a life skill.
• Disability can be defined in different ways, including the
medical, individual, social, and embodied models.
• The social model of disability is the most widely accepted
model, as it views disability as a social construct that is
imposed on individuals by society.
• The progressive model of disability focuses on the abilities and
potentials of individuals with disabilities.
• There is a need to move from a deficit model to one that
captures the potentiality of a diverse range of abilities.
• It is also important to retain a strong sense of the embodied
experience of disability and the resultant suffering, exclusion,
and discrimination that they face.
Interspecies Diversity
(Biodiversity)
• Humans and non-human species are
diverse.
• Humans have dominated other life forms
for centuries.
• This has had a devastating impact on
biodiversity.
• There are growing efforts to protect
biodiversity.
• Organizations should consider the role of
non-human species in the workplace.
• Organizations should take steps to minimize
their impact on the natural environment.
Technodiversity (Cyborg
Diversity)
• Technodiversity refers to the increasing integration of
technology into human life.
• This can take the form of technology for human use,
technology with the organic interface, technology as a
relational conduit, or technology as an autonomous
entity.
• Technodiversity has a profound impact on the
workplace, including the meaning of work, work
processes, and the workplace environment.
• Technodiversity also creates disproportionate outcomes,
with some people being more advantaged or
disadvantaged by it than others.
• The governance of technodiversity is a challenge, as it is
difficult to regulate and control the impact of technology.
• Organizations need to develop strategies for managing
technodiversity in order to ensure that it is used in a fair
and equitable way.
Other Forms of Etic Diversity

• There are other categories of diversity with universal

recognition, such as age diversity, relationship status
diversity, and religion and belief diversity.
• Age diversity is protected by laws against ageism in
some countries.
• Relationship status diversity has implications for other
aspects of diversity, such as sexual orientation
diversity and gender.
• Religion and belief diversity can be a source of
conflict, but it is also protected in progressive
organizations.
• There are many other etic forms of diversity, most of
which are not protected by legal or social
arrangements.
• Cultural diversity and functional diversity are two
examples of etic forms of diversity with locally
different meanings.
Emic Forms of Diversity

• Emic categories of diversity are limited to certain

geographies and are not universally recognized.
• Emic categories of diversity emerge at specific times,
places, and cultural contexts.
• Emic categories of diversity shape how power, resources,
and relationships are accumulated in a local setting.
• Some examples of emic categories of diversity include:
• Confessional differences in religious diversity in Lebanon
• Class-based accent discrimination in the UK
• Appearance-based discrimination in some local cultural
settings
• Postcode discrimination in France
• Tribal ties in African countries and the Middle East
• Familial ties and lineage in Asia
• Clanism in some cultural settings
• Hamşeri in Turkey
• The caste system in India
Multiple Categories of Diversity
and Intersectionality
• Intersectionality is a term that refers to the fact that individuals
have and belong to multiple categories of identity and diversity.
• Considering multiple categories of diversity together provides a
more realistic evaluation of an individual's choices and chances.
• There are three types of intersectional analysis: intercategorical,
intracategorical, and anticategorical complexity.
• Intersectionality is also a quality of institutions and societies.
• Intersectionality can manifest as intersectional tensions,
intersectional hostilities, intersectional possibilities, and
intersectional solidarities.
• Intersectional solidarities can help to dismantle bias and
inequalities in organizations and society.
• Viewing intersectionality at multiple levels of individuals, groups,
systems, institutions, and national/international structures offers
a possibility of transforming those levels of structures and
institutions to make them more welcoming for intersecting
identities.
Illustrative case: Migration of
Diversity
• The concept of diversity has migrated from its North
American origins to other parts of the world, gaining
new meanings and categories along the way.
• The way diversity is understood and practiced varies
depending on the local context.
• In some countries, diversity is seen as an
opportunity to promote inclusion and equality, while
in others it is seen as a threat to national identity or
security.
• The intersectional character of diversity also varies
depending on the local context.
• The migration of diversity is a complex process that
is shaped by a variety of factors, including history,
culture, and politics.
Conclusion

• Diversity manifests in multiple forms, including etic

and emic categories.
• Etic categories of diversity are generic and universally
recognized, while emic categories are local forms of
diversity.
• Multiple categories of diversity can intersect in
complex ways, and organizations need to be aware of
these intersections when implementing diversity
initiatives.
• The meaning and practice of diversity is context-
dependent, and organizations need to be aware of the
local context when implementing diversity initiatives.
• The migration of diversity is a complex process that is
shaped by a variety of factors, including history,
culture, and politics.
Chapter 3: Disciplinary
Influences on Diversity Science
• Diversity is a multidisciplinary concept that has been
studied by different disciplines in different ways.
• Formal sciences have contributed to the study of
diversity by developing mathematical and statistical
techniques to measure distributive differences.
• Natural sciences have contributed to the study of
diversity by examining the essential qualities of
difference in material and natural phenomena.
• Humanities and arts have contributed to the study of
diversity by examining its manifestations as
discourses, aesthetics, performances, and expressions.
• Social sciences have drawn on insights from across
disciplines to study diversity in varied contexts.
• The definition, framing, and operationalization of
diversity varies across social science disciplines.
Formal Sciences and Diversity

• Mathematics and logic have had a significant impact on the way

diversity is measured.
• The diversity index is a metric measure that mathematicians
have developed to ascertain the level of difference across
contexts.
• The diversity index is widely used in quantitative studies of
diversity in social sciences.
• The Blau index is the most common diversity index used by
scholars in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion at work to
measure the dispersion of certain groups in the population.
• However, the use of diversity indices such as the Blau index
should come with an interpretation of the particular context as
diversity indexes themselves are not sensitive to the context of
the relations of power that exist where diversity is measured.
• The public view of mathematics and logic fails to capture the
intrafield struggles for legitimacy among scientists and their
struggles for recognition in other science disciplines.
• Despite these cautionary notes, mathematics, reasoning, and
logic offer crucial frames and methodological tools of diversity
science.
Natural Sciences and Diversity

• Natural sciences have contributed to the study of

diversity by developing concepts such as
biodiversity and neurodiversity.
• However, these concepts can be essentialist and
deterministic, viewing differences as fixed and
unchanging.
• This can have negative social consequences, as it
can be used to justify discrimination and
stigmatisation.
• It is important to remember that diversity is not just
a biological phenomenon, but also a social one.
• Other scientific disciplines, such as sociology and
psychology, can offer alternative forms of evidence
that can help us understand human diversity.
Humanities, Arts, and Diversity

• Humanities and arts offer rich frames of diversity, such

as narratives, stories, creativity, choice, agency, and
potentiality.
• The humanities also offer insights into values and
virtues such as freedom, equality, inclusion, cohesion,
liberty, and solidarity.
• The arts view diversity as human performances,
expressions, and aesthetics.
• Humanities and arts also bring diverse perspectives
and methods to diversity, such as narrative, discourse,
aesthetics, expressive and reflexive and embodied
perspectives/methods.
• Critical studies of diversity owe much to the
contribution of the field of humanities.
• Humanities and the arts inspire and condition the idea
of hope and progress towards equality, diversity and
inclusion.
Social Sciences and Diversity

• Social sciences are where human diversity has

found a critical conceptual home.
• All subfields of social science have a
considerable emphasis on human diversity.
• Sub-disciplines of social sciences have
explored diversity and its social constructions,
drawing on other science disciplines.
• How subdisciplines of social sciences approach
diversity is in line with their central focus.
• Business, management, and organisation
studies borrow elements from other
subdisciplines of social sciences and a broader
range of scientific disciplines to tackle
questions of diversity.
Psychology and Diversity

• Psychology has made important contributions to our

understanding of diversity, such as social identity theory, social
comparison theory, and the concept of unconscious bias.
• Psychology has also focused on individual-level biases, which
lead to differential and prejudicial treatment of in-group and out-
group members.
• Psychology has also explored the dark and bright sides of human
psychology, such as stereotyping, otherness, prejudice, bias,
aggression, violence, harassment, mobbing, and bullying on the
one hand, and inclusion, equal treatment, belonging, and
personal security and safety on the other hand.
• Psychology has also focused on coping mechanisms and
resilience for individuals who face antagonistic contexts and
traumatic experiences.
• However, one of the criticisms levelled at psychological frames of
diversity has been their strong focus on the individual levels of
analyses at the expense of team, organisational, and wider
structural conditions which shape individual experiences at work.
Sociology and Diversity

• Sociology has focused on the issue of power, status, and

representation in numbers.
• Power manifests in multiple forms as access to resources.
• Bourdieusian analyses could help us understand how diversity
manifests along the lines of capital allocations and access to
different forms of capital.
• The concept of habitus accounts for why individuals may be
under the impression that what they experience at work and
in life is natural, not a consequence of a series of multilevel
choices.
• The theory of the tragedy of commons is particularly
important for studying diversity as a resource.
• Sociological constructs such as the interplay of structure and
agency, capital endowments, habitus, and commons account
for the social construction of discourses and practices of
diversity.
• The meso-level contribution of sociology to studies of diversity
has been to explore power relations among different actors
and interventions of diversity.
Political Science and Law and
Diversity
• Political scientists and law scholars study diversity as a set of rights
and inter-communal relations.
• The politics of diversity in organisations has two distinct approaches
and ideologies of change enshrined in conservative and progressive
politics of difference.
• The liberal approach is enshrined in the equality of opportunity
perspective.
• The radical approach suggests that the historical forms of
disadvantage could not be attained through such a deficit model
and by trying to fix individuals from atypical backgrounds.
• The transformational approach comes with two agendas: the short-
term agenda engages in liberal change and tackles discriminatory
practices, and the long-term agenda involves transforming
organisations and societies into more welcoming sites for atypical
individuals.
• Political science has contributed more than just how diversity-led
change is envisioned at the macro level, it also highlights how
macro-level actors such as states, social movements, and organised
unions affect choices and chances for human diversity.
Economics and Diversity

• Economics can help frame economic utility and disutility of equality,

diversity and inclusion for different communities, organisations, and
nation-states.
• Mainstream economists have focused on the nexus of education and
employment, with the human capital theory being a popular framework.
• However, recent studies have shown that sexism, racism, and other
discriminatory practices may account for low labour market participation
and success rates of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• More critical economists have problematised the expansion of the
neoliberal market logic's uneven impact on human rights and equality at
work.
• The contribution of the economics discipline to the field of diversity is
remarkable in showing the intricate interplay between demography,
education, wealth, and labour market outcomes.
• While neoclassical economic theories largely ignored the dark side of the
capitalist system on diverse communities, critical realist and institutional
economic theories showed the disparate and uneven impact of dominant
economic systems on disadvantaged communities.
Business and Management and
Diversity
• Business and management scholars are interested in how diversity is
measured, monitored, and regulated in business and organizational
settings.
• Workforce diversity is defined as division, difference, variety, disparity,
and separation in business and management.
• The earlier focus of workforce diversity research has been on the
antecedents, correlates, and multilevel consequences of workforce
diversity in terms of individual, team, and organizational outcomes.
• The research has shown that the relationship between workforce
diversity and performance outcomes is complex, multidimensional, and
contingent rather than simplistic and unidirectional and generalisable.
• Several antecedents, such as leadership support, a climate of
inclusion, a supportive organizational culture, availability of resources
at the disposal of diversity, and legitimacy and support afforded to
diversity in the external and internal political context have been
identified as significant antecedents of workforce diversity which could
help with the effective and deep level implementation of diversity
interventions.
• Diversity interventions which target changing the system, the culture
of the organization, and structures and routines to make them more
welcoming and accommodating to diversity are found to be more
effective in garnering positive outcomes at work.
Illustrative case: The Covid19
Pandemic and
Interdisciplinarity
• The Covid19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of
interdisciplinarity in responding to global challenges.
• The pandemic has also shown how disciplinary silos,
interfield struggles, and national-level policy-making based
on knowledge hierarchies can lead to failures.
• Transnational and interdisciplinary collaboration is essential
for effective pandemic responses.
• The neoliberal turn in healthcare has implications for
workforce diversity, as disadvantaged communities and
marginalized social identity groups are exposed to higher
levels of health risk and cost.
• There is a need to return to interdisciplinary, transnational,
and pluralist evidence-based policymaking in healthcare.
• Diversity-led innovative solutions could have overcome
interfield struggles and meaningless hierarchies of
knowledge across scientific disciplines.
Conclusion
• Diversity science has borrowed elements of methods and
analysis techniques from different science disciplines to
study the multifaceted nature of human diversity.
• No single method or approach can reveal the complex
nature of human diversity.
• Interdisciplinarity and cross-national knowledge exchange
provide rich insights for developing our understanding of
human diversity.
• Diversity science today adopts plural approaches to
address its complex challenges.
• The Covid 19 pandemic had an uneven impact on diverse
groups.
• Diversity-led innovative solutions could have overcome
interfield struggles and meaningless hierarchies of
knowledge across scientific disciplines.
• There is a need for interdisciplinary and transnational
diversity research and collaboration in diversity-led
responses to global crises.
Chapter 4: Workforce Diversity
and Its Consequences
• Earlier research has focused on the consequences of
workforce diversity, such as engagement,
innovation, creativity, and performance.
• The business case for diversity has been developed
to show the utility of workforce diversity for
individuals, teams, and organizations.
• The business case for diversity has been criticized
for lacking a strong evidence base.
• Effective management of workforce diversity is
essential for generating positive organizational
outcomes.
• Workforce diversity can lead to negative
organizational outcomes if left to its natural course.
• Diversity interventions can be used to link workforce
diversity with positive organizational outcomes.
Diversity and Performance
• The relationship between workforce diversity and
performance is complex and depends on a number
of factors, such as the type of diversity, the way it
is managed, and the context in which it occurs.
• Some forms of workforce diversity may lead to
positive performance outcomes in some contexts
and under certain conditions.
• Diversity interventions should target
organizational development if they are to make a
positive contribution.
• What matters is the organizational development,
cultural, systemic, and institutional change
interventions rather than interventions which seek
to offer training and education that do not connect
with organizational development efforts.
Diversity and Innovation
• Diversity can lead to innovation by bringing
different perspectives and experiences to
the table.
• Diverse teams are less likely to suffer from
groupthink, which can lead to more
innovative solutions.
• Diversity-led innovation can help
organizations transform in sustainable and
lasting ways.
• To enhance the relationship between
diversity and innovation, organizations
need to foster a diverse climate and
improve the organization's preparedness to
a diverse workforce.
Workplace Democracy,
Equality, and Humanisation
• Workplace diversity interventions can be used to promote
democracy, equality, and humanisation in organizations.
• These interventions can help to reduce workplace inequalities
and foster a more welcoming and inclusive environment for
all employees.
• Social movements are often a driving force behind workplace
diversity interventions, as they can help to raise awareness
of the need for change.
• Humanisation at work can be defined as a process by which
work becomes less unpleasant and more accommodating of
human needs.
• Workforce diversity interventions can be used to foster
humanisation at work by increasing flexibility and making
workplaces more welcoming for newcomers.
• Organizations may pursue workforce diversity interventions
for a variety of reasons, including performance, institutional,
and moral motives.
The Bottom Line for Diversity
• The term "bottom line" refers to the net result in the
balance sheet of an organization.
• Organizations may pursue workforce diversity interventions
for a variety of reasons, including financial performance,
social responsibility, and moral considerations.
• There is some evidence that workforce diversity can be
linked to financial performance, but the relationship is
complex and depends on a number of factors.
• The triple bottom line approach to corporate responsibility
emphasizes the importance of social and environmental
performance in addition to financial performance.
• This approach provides a broader rationale for workforce
diversity interventions, but it is not always fully enforced.
• Stakeholder approaches to workforce diversity give greater
voice to a wider range of stakeholders, but they can also be
difficult to implement effectively.
Diversity and Social
Responsibility:
Complementarity versus
Competition
• There is a growing overlap between diversity
management and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
• Both diversity management and CSR can be seen as
ways for organizations to respond to social demands.
• However, there are also some important differences
between diversity management and CSR.
• Diversity management is typically driven by legal
requirements, while CSR is more voluntary.
• Diversity management is often focused on individual
differences, while CSR is more focused on the broader
social impact of organizations.
• The relationship between diversity management and
CSR can be complementary or competitive.
• In some cases, diversity management and CSR can
work together to achieve common goals.
• In other cases, diversity management and CSR may
compete for resources or attention.
Diversity and Sustainability

• Diversity is often defined as the presence of different social

groups in an organisation.
• Sustainability is often defined as the ability of an
organisation to survive and thrive over time.
• There is a growing body of research that suggests that
diversity can contribute to sustainability.
• This is because diversity can help organisations to:
• Attract and retain talented employees
• Be more innovative
• Be more responsive to the needs of customers and
stakeholders
• Be more resilient to change
• However, it is important to note that diversity is not a
guarantee of sustainability.
• Organizations need to manage diversity effectively in order
to reap the benefits.
• This means creating a culture of inclusion and respect, and
providing opportunities for all employees to contribute.
Illustrative case: Posthumanist
Diversity and Its Consequences
• Traditional approaches to workforce diversity focus on
human diversity.
• However, recent studies have shown that we need to
consider posthumanist diversity, which includes diversity
among humans, animals, robots, and the natural
environment.
• Posthumanist diversity is important because it allows us to
address the challenges posed by global warming,
destruction of the natural environment, and poor
governance of technology.
• There are two illustrative examples of posthumanist
diversity:
• The recognition of the environment as a legal entity with
rights in Ecuador and Bolivia.
• The European regulation of algorithmic systems.
• These examples show how we can start to build a more
sustainable and equitable future by considering the
interests of all stakeholders, including humans, animals,
robots, and the natural environment.
Conclusion

• Diversity can have both positive and negative

consequences.
• The negative consequences of diversity can be
mitigated and the positive consequences fostered
if organizations manage diversity effectively.
• A positive diversity climate is important for the
effective management of diversity.
• We need to refocus our attention on the
deteriorating relationship between human
diversity, the natural environment and
technology.
• In subsequent chapters, we will revisit the
emergence of a post-humanist new deal in
workforce diversity.
Chapter 5:
The Dark Side of Diversity
• Diversity is not always framed as a positive
construct.
• There is an ideological divide in treating
diversity as a positive or a negative construct.
• Much of the negative framing of diversity
comes from historically anchored forms of
populism.
• Populist discourses have been fuelling social
tensions and moral panics that social and
workforce diversity poses threats to the
traditional ways of life, social and economic
well-being and political stability and
sustainability.
The Dark Side of Diversity
• Diversity can have negative consequences if not
managed well.
• These negative consequences can include
harassment, divisions, and tensions.
• The context in which diversity is situated can
shape the extent to which it is valued or
devalued.
• There is a backlash against diversity in some
quarters, which can lead to setbacks in progress
towards its legitimation.
• The term "woke" is often used to refer to strong
beliefs in social justice, and there is a backlash
against woke individuals and organisations.
Backlash, Resistance, and
Opposition to Diversity
• There is a backlash against diversity in some
quarters.
• This backlash can take different forms, including
affective, cognitive, and behavioral.
• The backlash against diversity is often rooted in
homophily and homosociality.
• The backlash against diversity is also often rooted in
fears of losing power and privilege.
• Certain social, economic, and political ideologies can
also foster backlash against diversity.
• Not all backlash against diversity is unhealthy.
• Some backlash against diversity is a response to
ineffective diversity interventions.
• A reflexive approach to the design and delivery of
diversity interventions can help organizations and
policymakers to learn from backlash and resistance to
diversity.
Totalitarian and Populist
Objections to Diversity
• Totalitarian regimes attempt to erase diversity and differences to
secure unanimous obedience to the state's power.
• Populism is a way of appealing to the majority, i.e. common
people, suggesting that they have a bad deal due to the poor
choices made by the established order.
• Populist views may undermine diversity, presenting diversity as
a conspiracy against the common people, a threat to social and
economic life, and a culturally corrosive phenomenon.
• Populism has been the main medium of communication by ultra-
right wing, ultra-left wing and ultra-nationalist groups that pit
common people against social and cultural others, i.e. diversity.
• Populism causes societal polarisation and fault lines in societies.
• Populism is often used to contest civil liberties and human rights.
• There is an important role that social movements, progressive
politicians and leaders could play in addressing the populist
responses to diversity.
• The populist backlash against diversity also requires responses
and resistance by diversity researchers and practitioners.
Workforce Diversity as a Threat

1. Workforce diversity introduces atypical workers, leading to fears and concerns at work.
2. Conservative groups may view diversity as a threat to established routines and cultures.
3. Framing Diversity as a Threat
4. Media's alarmist language fuels anxieties about diversity advancement.
5. Benevolent discrimination covertly presents diversity as a risk and burden.
6. Macro-Political Context
7. Anxieties about diversity impact national and social security perceptions.
8. Migrants and refugees framed as security threats due to economic, climate, and political concerns.
9. Organizational Level
10. Diversity perceived as a threat when certain roles become diverse.
11. Unregulated diversity leads to industrial conflicts and toxic workplace relations.
12. Social Cohesion
13. Diversity brings complexity to social cohesion in societies.
14. Strategies like multiculturalism and integration aim to address diversity divisions.
15. Solidarity
16. Increased diversity challenges industrial solidarity structures.
17. Embracing diversity can strengthen collective organization at work.
18. Trust
19. Trust deficit towards atypical workers limits their opportunities.
20. Intra-field struggles among diverse groups hinder support for each other.

21. The case against diversity is complex, shaped by various factors.

22. Understanding and addressing underlying conditions is vital for embracing diversity positively.
Illustrative Case: Denial of
Institutional Racism in Britain
• In 1993, Stephen Lawrence, a young black British teenager, was
murdered in a racially motivated attack.
• British police failed to bring the murderers to justice, and the case
was only reopened after a long struggle.
• An independent inquiry led by Lord McPherson concluded that the
police had been guilty of institutional racism.
• This led to the development of several equality duties to public
sector organisations to end systemic and institutional discrimination.
• However, in 2021, the Conservative government commissioned a
report that announced that Britain no longer had institutional
racism.
• The report, by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities
(CRED), pushed the agenda for fairness and equity and individual
responsibilisation as opposed to institutional change.
• The CRED report was met with widespread criticism, including from
the CIPD and the UN.
• It is important to understand how such a warped turn in public policy
happened in Britain.
• Ozbilgin and Slutskaya (2017) warned earlier that neoliberal politics
in Britain have been pushing responsibility for equality, diversity and
inclusion to the individual level, ignoring the role that organisations,
systems and institutions play in perpetuating inequalities.
Conclusion

• The demand for equality, diversity and inclusion at work has

grown significantly in recent years.
• However, this has also led to backlash and resistance from some
quarters.
• This backlash is framed at macro, meso and micro levels as a
threat, resisted and denigrated across different contexts and
regulatory and governance systems.
• Overcoming backlash to workforce diversity requires action at all
levels.
• At the macro level, there is a need to strengthen the legal
backing of diversity interventions.
• Social movements play a significant role in responding to the
backlash against workforce diversity.
• At the organisational level, diversity interventions may receive
backlash. It is important to design interventions with participant
needs in mind and coupled with organisational change initiatives.
• At the micro-level, individuals have a role in responding to the
backlash against workforce diversity along affective, cognitive
and behavioural dimensions.
Chapter 6: The Management of
Diversity
• All societies and organisations have always managed diversity,
sometimes with contempt, caution and scepticism and
sometimes with interest, curiosity, support and solidarity.
• In the last thirty years, diversity has become a management
and leadership concept that is widely recognised and used
internationally.
• The move from equal opportunities, human rights and
employee welfare programmes to diversity management has
been considered a paradigmatic shift by some scholars, while
others attributed this shift to changes in the macro socio-
political and sociodemographic context and liberalisation of
difference in the context of the workforce.
• Whatever the reasons for it may be, diversity management is
now an established field of professional work.
• In many global and national organisations across all sectors of
work and industry, there are units or individuals responsible
for diversity and inclusion.
• In this chapter, we explore the professional practice of
diversity management.
The Strategic Approach to
Managing Diversity
• Diversity management has become a strategic
concern for organisations today.
• This is because demographic diversity has
grown significantly due to several global
changes.
• Organisations can adopt a universal, localised,
or transversal approach to diversity strategy.
• The transversal approach is the most common
approach, as it allows for both consistency and
localisation needs.
• Another approach is to use transformative
strategy-making, which deliberately brings in
diversity and inclusion to foster designs that
transform organisations with diversity across
levels and demographic backgrounds in mind
The Process Approach to
Managing Diversity
• The process approach to diversity management explains the conditions which make
diversity management possible, including leadership support, a supportive
organisational culture and climate, a conducive socio-political context and the
maturity and resourcefulness of the diversity management efforts in the
organisation.
• Once the antecedents of diversity management are in place, diversity management
activities could be developed. These activities could range from writing of policy,
and definitions, to conducting surveys, collecting data to understand the particular
needs of the organisation, giving training and education to staff to raise awareness,
and developing the organisation's systems and structures to accommodate diversity
effectively and changing the culture and fundamental assumptions of the
organisation to in line with the needs of the workforce diversity.
• The third aspect of the process model is the consequences of diversity management.
Effective management of diversity could alleviate negative consequences of
workforce diversity, such as exclusionary and discriminatory practices and backlash
and resistance to diversity. The literature on diversity management stipulates that
once an organisation engages with diversity beyond training and education and
considers diversity as a way to change, the organisation may accrue some benefits
such as improvements in performance, reduction in reactions to diversity
programmes, improvements to innovative potential and employee engagement and
commitment.
• The process approach of diversity management involves the exploration of
antecedents, correlates and consequences of diversity. It could help organisations
prepare their climate, culture and leadership support for workforce diversity
interventions and also engages with the impact of these interventions. If successful,
the process model could engender further support for diversity interventions.
The Contextual Approach to
Managing Diversity
• Context gives meaning and purpose to diversity
management interventions.
• Context has four dimensions: time, place, culture, and
symbols.
• Temporal context shapes the way that diversity
interventions are path-dependent.
• Spatial context or geography also gives meaning to diversity
management.
• Cultural context is a significant determinant of diversity
management.
• The symbolic context refers to the symbolic mechanisms
that exist to establish the implicit value of any phenomenon.
• The contextual approach to diversity management would
help organisations craft a diversity management approach
tailored to their specific location, present priorities in their
diversity journey, normative expectations and power
relations and structures that need negotiating.
The Multilevel Approach to
Managing Diversity
• Diversity management has been theorised from micro,
meso, and macro levels of analysis.
• Single-level studies provide a sharper focus on aspects
of diversity management, but they suffer from some
limitations.
• Multilevel approaches are particularly useful in exploring
contexts underexplored in diversity scholarship.
• The nested multilevel approaches provide an
understanding of diversity management in its specific
context.
• Even when multilevel investigations are conducted,
cross-level concerns remain under-explored.
• The multilevel approach to diversity management
transcends the limitations of single-level studies, but it
brings theoretical and methodological complexity.
The Relational Approach to
Managing Diversity
• The relational approach to diversity management combines a
multilevel approach with a relational understanding.
• Relationality is a process through which any social phenomenon
gains meaning in its relationality to another phenomenon.
• Studies using the relational perspective of diversity management
typically attend to the idiosyncratic historical, cultural, spatial, and
symbolic context in which their diversity phenomenon resides,
showing its interplay and situatedness across multiple levels of
analysis.
• The relational approach also explores diversity management beyond
dominant West European and North American theorisations,
allowing for insights into how diversity management operates in the
Global South and less charted territories.
• At the institutional level, the relational approach manifests at the
point of individuals encountering institutions in their life course.
• The relational approach to managing diversity is now widely
adopted to explore diversity management in uncharted territories
and to cover the interplay between diversity management with its
macro context and the individual agency of the diversity actors.
• The relational approach also reveals the dynamics of power in
diversity management.
The Maturity Approach to
Managing Diversity
• The maturity approach to diversity management refers to the path
dependence of diversity management interventions.
• The maturity approach posits that the depth of diversity
interventions is contingent upon several factors, such as the support
for diversity in the socio-political context, resourcing of diversity and
the maturity of diversity management in the organisation.
• If diversity has limited support in the macro context, it is poorly
resourced and is a new journey for the organisation, organisational
efforts may focus on shallow-level activities such as information
giving and receiving, such as employee surveys, writing a diversity
policy and offering training.
• However, if there is strong support, high resourcing levels and much
maturity in diversity management, organisations could take
interventions which transform cultures, structures and institution-
making practices in line with the demands of a diverse workforce.
• The maturity approach to diversity offers the potential for
organisations to understand the depth of their diversity
interventions as contingent upon external and internal support and
enablers.
• The maturity approach could help organisations craft practical and
realistic agendas for diversity interventions in line with their unique
external and internal resources and constraints.
Illustrative Case: Diversity
Management Failures
• Diversity management interventions have been shown to be
ineffective when they focus on training and individual development
rather than organisational transformation.
• Studies have shown that interventions that focus on tackling
individual biases instead of institutional forms of discrimination are
doomed to fail.
• Instead, interventions that transform institutional systems, structures,
and temporal and spatial arrangements have generated positive
outcomes.
• Neoliberalism, a political and economic ideology, has contributed to
the failure of diversity management by promoting deregulation,
individualism, and financialisation.
• The deregulation of organisations and markets has caused the shifting
of responsibility for promoting diversity to the voluntary interventions
of organisations.
• The individualist tendencies in the neoliberal context have also served
to tarnish the effectiveness of diversity management.
• Finally, the financialisation of the neoliberal system has tied diversity
management to single bottom-line arguments, which has proved too
narrow for organisations to manage diversity effectively.
Conclusion
• Diversity management is a complex and
multifaceted process.
• There are a number of different approaches to
diversity management, each with its own
strengths and weaknesses.
• Diversity management interventions should be
tailored to the specific context of the
organisation and should be based on a clear
understanding of the political and economic
landscape.
• Diversity management is not a quick fix, but it
can be an effective way to create a more
inclusive and productive workplace.
Chapter 7: Regulating Diversity
in and Around Organizations
• Regulation is defined as an assertion of rules to
change behavior.
• Regulation may happen at multiple levels, and it is
also not limited to the relationship between the
government, organizations, and individuals.
• Regulation takes place in a multilayered way
ranging from self-regulation, i.e. individuals
regulating their own choices and chances, to
regulation in groups and social and legal regulation.
• Regulation may take voluntary or coercive forms,
involve multiple parties such as individuals, their
reference groups, institutions, such as family, law,
health care, education, and employment, among
others, organizations in the public, private, and
voluntary sectors, and national and international
level social and political agencies.
 Regulation of Diversity: A
Multilevel Framework
Regulation of diversity happens at multiple levels, including the
individual, meso, and macro levels.
There is an intricate interplay between these levels of regulation
that shapes beliefs and practices of diversity.
Voluntary, social, and coercive regulation are three forms of
regulation based on the level of enforcement.
Micro Level Regulation
Individuals may introduce ideas, values, and concerns about forms
of diversity.
Individuals are capable of self-regulating, learning about diversity,
and changing their behaviors.
Self-regulation is fundamental to the regulation of diversity in
organizations.
Meso Level Regulation
Teams and organizations regulate their and employees' behaviors
and establish normative structures.
 Regulation of Diversity:
A Multifaceted Framework

Type of
Enforcement Examples
Regulation

Diversity codes of
Not enforced
Voluntary conduct, diversity
by law
awards

Anti-discrimination
Enforced by
Coercive laws, affirmative action
law
policies

Enforced by Social media, social

Relational
relationships pressure
Voluntary Regulation of
Diversity
• Voluntary regulation of diversity is a
form of regulation that is not
enforced by law.
• Organizations are responsible for
crafting their own diversity
interventions.
• The voluntary regulation of diversity
has been criticized for its failure and
ineffectiveness in promoting equality
and inclusion.
Coercive Regulation of
Diversity
• Coercive regulation of diversity is a form
of regulation that is enforced by law.
• Coercive regulation of diversity can take
many forms, including affirmative action
programs, diversity quotas, and reporting
requirements.
• Coercive regulation of diversity can be
effective in changing entrenched forms of
inequality and discrimination, but it can
also receive backlash and resistance.
• The choice between voluntary and
coercive regulation of diversity depends
on the relational regulation context.
Relational Regulation of
Diversity
• Relational regulation refers to the normative
pressures that impose diversity-related duties
and expectations on organizations.
• Relational regulation includes social regulation,
employee networks-based regulation, employee
collectives and trade unions-based regulation,
and community and customer based regulation.
• Relational regulation is important for
organizations to regulate diversity management
effectively, as voluntarism may not be sufficient
to push organizations to take diversity concerns
seriously.
• Relational regulation is sensitive to the needs
and relative power, and influence of key actors
in the diversity industry.
The New Deal for Regulating
Diversity: Towards Posthuman
Diversity
• The traditional deal between
humans, nature, and technology has
failed.
• A new deal is needed that takes into
account the interconnectedness of
human diversity, biodiversity, and
techno-diversity.
• This new deal should incorporate
nature into regulatory frameworks
and promote even relationships
between humans and technology.
Human Diversity: Intersectional
Solidarity
• Human diversity is supported by social
movements that are distinct from those that
promote biodiversity and techno-diversity.
• Intersectional solidarity is the collaboration
between individuals and groups across categories
of diversity to support progressive agendas for
change.
• Intersectional solidarity offers human diversity
concerns to be taken up by wider groups of
people as part of progressive agendas.
• Organizational efforts to regulate diversity across
human diversity, biodiversity and techno diversity
could also be bridged to see possibilities of more
appropriate design that can accommodate these
three strands of diversity to provide a level
playing field between them.
Biodiversity: Empowering
Environment as a Legal Entity
• The relationship between humans and nature is uneven,
with humans often dominating other life forms.
• This uneven relationship has led to the extinction of
many species of life.
• There is a need to question the old deal between
humans and other species of life and explore new ways
of organising this relationship.
• One way to do this is to afford nature legal status,
similar to the legal status that corporations have.
• This would allow nature to be protected against
encroachment and would give non-human life forms
more rights.
• There are a number of ways to implement this at the
macro, meso, and micro levels.
• By taking these steps, we can create a more sustainable
and egalitarian future for humans and nature.
Techno Diversity: Challenging
Ownership and Value Chains of
Technology
• Techno diversity refers to the emergence of new and disruptive
technological innovations, such as artificial intelligence, complex
algorithmic systems, and the gig economy.
• These technological innovations have had a significant impact on
workforce diversity, both positive and negative.
• One of the most pressing concerns about techno diversity is the
ownership and value chain of these technologies.
• Currently, the vast majority of the value created by techno
diversity is accrued by investors and owners, while the
stakeholders who help to design and develop these technologies
often receive little or no compensation.
• This has led to a growing inequality between the haves and have-
nots, as well as a number of other negative consequences for
workforce diversity.
• There are a number of potential solutions to this problem,
including:
• Moving from diversity-led co-design to diversity-led ownership
• Recognizing the key problem of algorithmic governance for
equality, diversity and inclusion: the lack of responsibility and
legal personhood afforded to AI systems
• Regulating the ownership and value chains of techno diversity
Illustrative case: Responsibilisation
in a Neoliberal Context for
Posthuman Diversity
• The neoliberal economic system has led to the
deregulation, individualisation, and competition of
diversity.
• These three values have led to the deterioration of
work conditions, employment, and labour market
participation of individuals from historically
disadvantaged groups.
• Individuals from these groups are responsibilised for
their diverse identities and are expected to manage
their career and life projects without social and
economic safety nets.
• This has led to the disenfranchisement of under-
represented and marginalised groups.
• There is a need for institutional and national
responsibilisation to challenge the focus on
individual responsibility for workforce diversity.
Conclusion

• The future of workforce diversity will be shaped

by changes in the demographic, social,
cultural, and political context and shifts in the
moral landscape.
• Diversity is regulated at multiple levels and
facets, from the individual to the international.
• The new deal between human diversity,
biodiversity, and techno diversity can build
intersectional solidarity between social
movements and offer diversity-led and
sustainable solutions to several global
challenges.
Questions for
Discussion

How can we better manage diversity in

order to minimize conflict and maximize
cooperation?

What are the specific ways in which

diversity can impact the environment
and technology?

What are the ethical implications of

diversity?
Thank you. Please feel free to ask any
questions to me via
[email protected] 😄