What is this article about?

This article aims at providing an overview and understanding of the term workforce diversity. Different approaches to define workforce diversity have been developed, each influenced by socioeconomic trends and changes of that time, such as women rights, reduction of trade barrier and geographic boundaries.

What is diversity?

The term diversity refers to differences among people within one group, leading to perceive the other people as similar or different from oneself.

Considering another person as different can occur based on different factors. Some factors are easily observable, such as age, gender, race. Others are less observable, such as education or functional background. Also the degree of job-relevant skills is a factor in determining diversity. Demographic differences are perceived as less relevant within a work group.

Diversity can also be seen as a structural property of groups, implying that multiple composition of different social groups can have important consequences for the group, as well as for the individual. Those differences can lead to majority versus minority categorizations among group members.

In another approach to define diversity, specific diversity types have been proposed:

• Separation diversity, referring to different values, beliefs and attitudes.
• Variety diversity, referring to differences in knowledge and network.
• Disparity, referring to differences in valued resources, such as privilege and status.

How does diversity operate?

Research in diversity is grounded in social-psychological theories of intergroup relations. This also includes how uncommon characteristics among people lead to categorize people in groups. Based on this research, the Social Identity Theory and the Social Categorization Theory were developed, stating how people make sense of their environment.

The Social Identity Theory by Tajfel (1978) proposed that an individuals’ self-definition is shaped by their group memberships. Their self-concept can be increased through seeking distinctiveness, which is seen as positively valued. Individuals engage in social comparison to differentiate between groups. In-group is the group they belong to, out-group the group they do not belong to. This categorization leads to finding more similarities with the in-group and more differences with the out-group.

The Self-Categorization Theory by Turner (1985) proposes that social categories become more important. Individuals might depersonalize their identities and perceive themselves as more representative as a member of their group, than as themselves as an individual.

The similarity-attraction paradigm proposed that people have the tendency to be attracted to and seek interaction with people they perceive as similar as themselves.

What does diversity do?

Earlier research has shown that dissimilarity can be related to a lower attachment, lower personal liking and lower attraction towards outgroup members. This also includes lower trust, prosocial helping, resource allocation and performance evaluation.

Various factors have been researched as possible moderators between diversity and group social processes. Demographic differences have shown to negatively impact group communication. Also conflict as an moderator has been investigated. Differences in group members’ perception of the conflict leads to less effective group or individual performance.

Diversity among various levels and factors can impact the group performance, as well as an individual’s performance in a positive or negative way.

How to manage diversity?

Diversity can be used to benefit the group by using the talents of all group members. This can be facilitated by creating diverse workforces, encouraging positive relations between group members and creating an inclusive work environment.

Research has shown that minority, as well as non-minority, group members are more attracted to job applications that express a value in diversity. Members of a minority group are more attracted towards job interviews guided by a member of a minority group.

In recent years, diversity training has been developed, which consists of an intervention to decrease bias, to improve diversity attitude and to enhance positive group relations. Such diversity training has been implemented by many organizations and companies, with or without professional guidance. The effect of those trainings are still limited, leading to the conclusion that more evaluations from scholarly and practitioner perspective is needed.

Where should diversity research go?

Several future directions of possible research have been found by the authors.

Tapping into the complexity of diversity

Diversity is more than a way to classify and study people. In research it is crucial to move away from the traditional point of view on diversity, and towards capturing the full nuances of diversity and its effects. Expanding the conceptualization of diversity can help in this regard. Additionally, a more dynamic approach of diversity research could be beneficial.

Broader Exploration of Diversity Effects

Future research should also focus more on examining the physiological and psychological reaction of people to diversity. For instance, studies can explore how diversity affects interactional behavior and behavioral patterns. This should not only be focused on the organizational outcomes, but also on effects behind the business case, such as social justice, community development and environmental responsibility.

Understanding the P in diversity I-P-O models

In further research, multilevel models of diversity should be tested to examine diversity on a broader level. Hereby, different research approaches should be used, such as qualitative methods, induction or structural analysis.

Diversity models that are generalizable across contexts

Most research in the field of diversity has been conducted in the United States, which limits the global generalization of the findings. Moreover, research often has been conducted within business organizations. Researching diversity in different countries and within different contexts would positively enhance this field.