This research focus traces back to a project conducted at Freie Universität Berlin and co-financed by the European Social Fund: “Diversity and Diversity Management in Berlin companies” (project lead: Renate Ortlieb and Barbara Sieben, 2007-2008). Aim of the project was to create a knowledge base on diversity and diversity management in Berlin companies. The focus was on the integration of people with a migrant background. From a diversity perspective the main question was, to what extent companies’ personnel structures reflect the ethnic diversity of the Berlin labour market and which HR practices we find to correspond. Moreover, in the result report (Anders et al. 2008) we pointed out starting points for designing a diversity-oriented Human Resource Management and created a knowledge base from that socio-political, economic and labour market actors may profit the same as the Berlin economy.
An innovative contribution to the research of diversity management developed within the project context. Based on resource dependence theory we conceptualized a typology of diversity strategies (Ortlieb/Sieben 2013) that by its focus on business logics may explain the variety of reasons to leverage ethnic diversity in an organization or to refrain from it. We examined empirically the relation of diversity strategies with competitive strategies (Ortlieb/Sieben 2008) as well as impacts on migrants’ employment and career chances (Ortlieb/Sieben 2010).
From a SHRM perspective, we explored performance impacts of ethnic diversity within a particular organizational context, the assignment of migrants to customer contact jobs (Ortlieb et al. 2014). The results reveal the relevance of equality and diversity practices and institutions for realizing the business case of ethnic diversity.
Moreover, we used the case study of a multinational company to analyse from a structuration theoretical perspective how organization become inclusive – and what limits inclusion. Three areas of organizational practices – personnel recruitment and selection; training and development; meals and parties – turned out as relevant in the making of inclusion. However, the interplay of specific rules and resources also contains social practices of differentiation and hierarchization that limit inclusion.
Selected contributions:
Ortlieb, R., & Sieben, B. (2014). The making of inclusion as structuration: Empirical evidence of a multinational company. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 33(3), 235-248. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2012-0052
Ortlieb, R., Sieben, B., & Sichtmann, C. (2014). Assigning migrants to customer contact jobs: A context-specific exploration of the business case for diversity. Review of Managerial Science, 8, 249-273. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-013-0106-4
Ortlieb, R., & Sieben, B. (2013). Diversity strategies and business logic: Why do companies employ ethnic minorities? Group & Organization Management, 38(4), 480-511. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601113497094
Ortlieb, R., & Sieben, B. (2011). Frauen mit Migrationshintergrund: Zwei soziale Kategorien im Fokus der Personalforschung und -praxis [Women with migration background: Two social categories focused by human resource management research and managerial practice]. In G. Krell, R. Ortlieb, & B. Sieben (Hrsg.), Chancengleichheit durch Personalpolitik (6. Aufl., S. 231-238). Gabler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-6838-8_23
Ortlieb, R., & Sieben, B. (2010). Migrant employees in Germany: Personnel structures and practices. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: An International Journal, 29(4), 364-379. https://doi.org/10.1108/02610151011042411
Ortlieb, R., & Sieben, B. (2008). Diversity strategies focused on employees with a migration background. An empirical investigation based on resource dependence theory. management revue, 19 (1+2), 70-93.
Anders, V., Ortlieb, R., Pantelmann, H., Reim, D., Sieben, B., & Stein, S. (2008). Diversity und Diversity Management in Berliner Unternehmen. Im Fokus: Personen mit Migrationshintergrund. Ergebnisse einer quantitativen und qualitativen empirischen Studie [Diversity and diversity management in Berlin companies – focused on persons with a migration background. Results of a quantitative and qualitative empirical study]. Hampp. https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-324641
Letzte Änderung: 29. September 2022