Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Policies: Insights from a Foreign Firm in the Nigeria Banking Sector

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter analyzes the influence of inclusion, equal opportunity and antidiscrimination policies on the strength of diversity in a foreign firm domiciled in a developing country.

Design/Approach

It used a questionnaire to collect fact from the depth of employees’ experiences of diversity management in practice to understand its implication for the strength of diversity in the workplace. It questioned the nature of the constructs on diversity in line with the effect of equal opportunity in the workplace.

Methodology

The component factor analysis extraction method obtained valuable constructs from the stated dimensions of items in the questionnaire. The regression technique was used to analyze the influence of these constructs on the strength of diversity in the workplace.

Findings

The results revealed that inclusiveness is necessary to intensify the strength of diversity in foreign organization in a developing nation, with the need to deepen alternative equal opportunity policy and diverse work culture awareness. Power relations strategies foster staff welfare, but weaken compensation by merit heighten employees’ sentiments.

Limitations

Data were only collected from the companies head office; its branches were not covered.

Implications

Employees detect biases in equal opportunity policies beyond the guises of control power relation. Thus, besides a policy for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, an alternative equal opportunity policy is essential to intensify diversity.

Originality

It empirically probes foreign organizations in a developing country staff response to changes in the workplace due to the cautious implementation of inclusion, equal opportunity and antidiscrimination policies to foster diversity.

Citation

Agbontaen, O.O. (2019), "Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Policies: Insights from a Foreign Firm in the Nigeria Banking Sector", Diversity within Diversity Management (Advanced Series in Management, Vol. 21), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 239-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1877-636120190000021013