Competence and Diversity: What Parallels Between Them? What Interconnections?

Abstract

In this chapter, we first show how the concept of competency, and management of or by competency, can be a factor in helping more people find employment, improve employability and develop competency, thus contributing to increased diversity in the workforce at every level of an organisation. We then examine a different part of the literature, more closely related to organisational learning, which finds that deviance and diversity can potentially boost competency. Subsequently, we look at diversity management first as an organisational competency, then as an individual competency. Concerning the reasons for the spread of management by competency and diversity management, we shall see that their respective advocates employ the same rhetoric of economic rationality, with both types of practice being justified by an objective change in the environment and, for this reason, presented as unavoidable and to some extent as simply “moving with the times”. In opposition to this supposed rationality as seen by companies, we will show that, in France, the two concepts of competency and diversity interact closely with institutional processes of mimetism, normalisation and coercion. In the final section, we shall look more closely at critical views of management by competency and diversity, as the criticisms of the two concepts are very similar and question their (possible) claims to be propelling society towards a fairer society.

Citation

Klarsfeld, A. (2017), "Competence and Diversity: What Parallels Between Them? What Interconnections?", Chanlat, J.-F. and Özbligin, M.F. (Ed.) Management and Diversity (International Perspectives on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 4), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 19-35. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-233320160000004003