Diversity Management as Window Dressing? A Company Case Study of a Diversity Charta Member in Germany

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the management of ethnic diversity and investigates Diversity Management practices in an organization which is a member of the Diversity Charta in Germany and even won a prize for its outstanding Diversity Management initiatives. However, this chapter illustrates that in this company Diversity Management can only be understood as window dressing, rather than as a serious attempt to manage diversity and particularly ethnic diversity. The case study data derives from a larger study, which examined the habitus of managing ethnic diversity in Germany. The case study data consists of observations, interviews with key internal stuff as well as employees, a focus group, documentary analysis of company data (policies, annual reports, brochures, as well as employee statistics), information about company history and lastly visual data in the form of pictures.

Citation

Vassilopoulou, J. (2017), "Diversity Management as Window Dressing? A Company Case Study of a Diversity Charta Member in Germany", Management and Diversity (International Perspectives on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 3), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 281-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-233320160000003012