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Article
Publication date: 3 April 2007

Edwina Pio and Neil Haigh

This paper seeks to present a rationale for a learning and assessment activity involving students in the construction of inspirational parables for diversity management within a…

1180

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to present a rationale for a learning and assessment activity involving students in the construction of inspirational parables for diversity management within a university business studies programme. The paper reviews processes from teacher and student perspectives, describes initial outcomes and foreshadows further exploration and research.

Design/methodology/approach

In small groups, students prepared a booklet that included their inspirational parables on ethnic minority migrant women in the workplace, justifications for the parables and a bibliography of related diversity management literature. A group presentation on the booklet was also required. Assessment criteria related to parable content, references, booklet and oral presentation and represented 30 percent of the overall course assessment.

Findings

Students' informal feedback and the teacher's observations indicate an overall positive response, with students highlighting surprise at their own creativity and the time they readily invested in the task, the enjoyment it gave them and their view that the task merited more weighting. Issues arising from the teacher's observations include group and self‐assessment options, time allocation and the possible influence on students of the teacher's ethnicity.

Originality/value

While there is increasing interest in the use of stories for teaching and learning purposes, most attention has focused on teacher rather than student story telling. Story writing by students to help them develop and demonstrate understandings, has received much less attention and there are few precedents for the parable story form being used for these two purposes in a university education context.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 49 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2006

Edwina Pio and Adrian Kwan

This article discusses the process of incorporating ethnic people in organizations to enhance business goals and the company's reputation for internationalism.

649

Abstract

Purpose

This article discusses the process of incorporating ethnic people in organizations to enhance business goals and the company's reputation for internationalism.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes the setting up and sustaining of the Asian Customer Care Centre of Telecom New Zealand.

Findings

Contends that incorporating ethnic‐minority individuals into the economic and social fabric of a nation is often seen as problematic, yet Telecom New Zealand is a testimony to playing the right ethnic cards for enhancing its reputation and achieving its business goals.

Practical implications

Provides insights into the Asian mindset and practical routes for achieving internationalism.

Originality/value

Encourages executives to experiment with innovative ways to encompass ethnic minorities to achieve business goals and strengthen the social fabric of a country.

Details

Human Resource Management International Digest, vol. 14 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-0734

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2006

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Abstract

Purpose

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

“It's good to talk” was the much‐quoted slogan of a series of advertisements for UK telecommunications company, BT. Simple, effective, to the point and – well, blatantly obvious. It is good to talk, and while the phone company was emphasizing giving friends and relatives a ring for a chat, rather than engage in a conversation with a business associate to share intellectual concepts, talking is a major component in what has become to be known as knowledge management.

Practical implications

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Samina M. Saifuddin, Lorraine S. Dyke and Maria Rasouli

The goals of this study were to examine the utility of social cognitive career theory in a South Asian context, extend SCCT beyond its individualistic roots to include social and…

Abstract

Purpose

The goals of this study were to examine the utility of social cognitive career theory in a South Asian context, extend SCCT beyond its individualistic roots to include social and contextual variables, and explore the possible differential validity of SCCT predictors for men and women.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved an in‐class survey of Bangladeshi undergraduate engineering students including 209 women and 640 men.

Findings

Despite stronger relationships between persistence and two predictors – social aspirations and self‐efficacy – for men, self‐efficacy, the core construct of SCCT, was the most important predictor of persistence for both women and men thus supporting the applicability of SCCT in non‐Western contexts.

Research limitations/implications

Several new measures were developed for this study which provide a basis for future research but will require further validation. The results demonstrated the applicability of SCCT in a non‐Western context but the amount of variance explained was modest. Thus, additional research into context‐specific factors affecting persistence is warranted.

Practical implications

The results suggest that interventions intended to enhance the participation of women in non‐traditional fields such as engineering should focus on enhancing self‐efficacy, potentially through creating a more supportive learning environment.

Originality/value

The current study is one of the first to assess the applicability of SCCT in a non‐Western context and to examine the differential validity of SCCT predictors for women and men.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Faiza Ali

Informed by a relational theorisation of equal opportunity, this paper seeks to focus on multi‐level experiences and observations of women working in Pakistan's formal employment…

3536

Abstract

Purpose

Informed by a relational theorisation of equal opportunity, this paper seeks to focus on multi‐level experiences and observations of women working in Pakistan's formal employment sector considering issues and challenges facing them at three levels of analysis, i.e. macro‐societal, meso‐organisational and micro‐individual.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on in‐depth qualitative interviews with 30 working women in Lahore, the paper examines multi‐level issues of women working in Pakistani organisations.

Findings

The study reveals that focusing exclusively on organisations and holding them solely accountable for equal opportunity may be inadequate as organisational structures and routines of equal opportunity are affected by both macro‐societal factors (e.g. legal, socio‐cultural) and micro‐individual factors (e.g. intersectionality, agency). In particular, the study highlights unique socio‐cultural and structural challenges facing working women in Pakistan and the ways in which these women are able to negotiate and overcome some of these challenges.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on six Pakistani organisations located in Lahore, Punjab, and may not be generalized to represent issues and challenges of equal opportunity in other provinces of Pakistan.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that employers may pay special attention to socio‐cultural issues facing women to promote gender equality at the workplace.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the equal employment opportunity literature by exploring gender equality issues in a Muslim majority country's context.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Romie Frederick Littrell and Andy Bertsch

This paper aims to present a meta‐analysis of available statistical data and literature for gender‐related practices concerning women in business and education across countries…

2496

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a meta‐analysis of available statistical data and literature for gender‐related practices concerning women in business and education across countries, comparing the patriarchal belt and South Asian countries in the belt to the rest of the world. The purpose of the project is to investigate the progress of enhancement of opportunities for women to engage in non‐agricultural work in the belt, and, as women’s participation in tertiary education is touted as an impetus in enhancing women’s opportunities, investigate its effect.

Design/methodology/approach

The existence of a belt of countries from North Africa through Bangladesh and rural China is well known, with societies demonstrating a consistent pattern of restriction and suppression of women. No development of theory treating the patriarchal belt as a whole has been published. The authors earmark this as a future endeavour. They employ ten years of statistical summaries of percent of women in the non‐agricultural labour force and ratios of women to men in tertiary education provided by the United Nations in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals to compare changes in these activities in countries in the patriarchal belt, South Asia, and the rest of the world. The method is to carry out statistical comparisons of trends derived from annual averages for the two measures.

Findings

The literature review indicates that for millennia in the patriarchal belt societal practices have institutionalised women’s lack of access to participation in the labour market and generally from participating in much of public life. The analyses indicate that participation in non‐agricultural employment has decreased over the past decade in the belt compared to the rest of the world. Opportunities for women to participate in tertiary education have on average been increasing during this period for most countries of the world including those in the patriarchal belt. However, this circumstance has not led to increased participation in the non‐agricultural work force.

Practical implications

The practical implications seen are that the UN Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG) are important to improving the lot of individuals, some goals that purport to lead to improvements in human and gender rights in regions such as the patriarchal belt may have no real effect, and other, more useful goals need to be investigated. Economically, the exclusion of women from voluntary productive labour as detrimental to the development of a nation is seen.

Social implications

In the patriarchal belt societal practices institutionalise negative discrimination concerning women, often codified in laws that prohibit women from participating in much of public life or fully competing in the labour market. The evaluation of these conditions using European and North American standards proposes that these women are abused and denied their rights. Nonetheless, initiatives such as agreements on the UNMDG appear to have no effect, and other solutions need to be pursued.

Originality/value

The originality and value of this paper is that it investigates the complete set of patriarchal belt countries, across countries that include both Muslim and Hindu majorities. It concludes that while religions tenets are employed to justify patriarchal practices, long‐standing tribal practices appear to be far more influential.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Jawad Syed and Faiza Ali

The aim of this paper is to examine contextual emotional labor, which is a long‐term emotional experience in response to conflicting demands of societal and organizational…

1394

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine contextual emotional labor, which is a long‐term emotional experience in response to conflicting demands of societal and organizational contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on qualitative interviews with Muslim female employees in two textile firms in Lahore, Pakistan, the paper explores the nature and extent of contextual emotional labor associated with these women's decision to step into “the male domain”.

Findings

The study identifies contextual emotional labor as an integral part of Muslim female employees' work in the formal employment sector resulting from an ongoing tension between the display rules of the workplace and Islamic female modesty.

Research limitations/implications

Scholars may wish to investigate the nature and form of contextual emotional labor in diverse geographic, cultural and religious contexts in order to refine the findings and theoretical implications of this study.

Practical implications

Organizations may consider placing Muslim women in those roles in which there is lesser likelihood of conflict between their organizational and societal display rules, while not compromising their career. On a societal level, policy makers and religious scholars may consider findings ways to promote an enlightened interpretation of religious principles and their gender egalitarian practices to alleviate the contextual emotional labor experiences by female employees and other relevant groups.

Originality/value

The paper offers original empirical research on an under‐explored topic and geographical area.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Vasanthi Srinivasan, L.S. Murty and Monisha Nakra

This paper seeks to explore career centrality, belief in gender disadvantage, and career success definition as the determinants of career persistence among women software…

1370

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore career centrality, belief in gender disadvantage, and career success definition as the determinants of career persistence among women software professionals in emerging economies like India. The control variables used are marital and parental status.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was administered to 190 software women professionals and statistical analyses were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Belief in gender disadvantage and objective success definition are differentiators for career persistence while career centrality is not. Marital status and parental status are relevant control variables.

Research limitations/implications

Further exploration is needed of the dimensions of career centrality constructs and control for demographic variables.

Practical implications

Organizations should consider investments in child care support and other flexible work options so that women continue to remain in their careers.

Originality/value

This is the first known study to explore career persistence among women with a focus on culture unique to Asian countries like India.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Raza A. Mir

This paper seeks to analyze the manner in which an immigrant community (South Asian Shia Muslims) deploys religious institutions as a coping mechanism to survive in a demanding…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to analyze the manner in which an immigrant community (South Asian Shia Muslims) deploys religious institutions as a coping mechanism to survive in a demanding and culturally alien environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is derived from an ethnographic examination of a community of South Asian Shia Muslims in the United States.

Findings

The paper focuses on three elements of organizational coping. First, communities struggle with the promises and perils of transnationalism. Second, the coming of age of children, whose life experiences do not involve dislocation, produce interesting generational engagements. Finally, the community is often challenged by the nuanced task of political engagement with the broader society.

Research implications

An in‐depth focus on employment‐related experiences of Shia Muslim diaspora in the West may be a fruitful area for future research.

Practical implications

Employers and governments ought to pay attention to internal heterogeneity of Muslims in understanding and managing diversity.

Originality/value

This is a seminar paper on Shia Muslim diaspora in the USA and relates the study to the realm of workplace diversity.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

Afghanistan is an ethnically diverse country which has suffered from many negative consequences caused by mismanagement of diversity, low levels of education, and political…

2696

Abstract

Purpose

Afghanistan is an ethnically diverse country which has suffered from many negative consequences caused by mismanagement of diversity, low levels of education, and political acrimony among different groups. The paper seeks to discuss how cultural and ethnic diversity can lead to civil unrest and make management of a country more complex. When diversity is not managed well, its consequences can be high levels of conflict, animosity, discrimination, corruption, and distrust among different ethnic groups.

Design/methodology

This is a conceptual paper. It covers the realities of ethnic, religious and language diversity in Afghanistan based on first hand observations and experience along with findings from the literature.

Findings

The paper suggests that diversity education along with an ethical climate is especially crucial for Afghanistan if the aim is to create an inclusive culture where everyone's voice is heard, understood and integrated for implementation. A diversity continuum model for inclusivity is created for managers, expatriates, diversity officers, government officials, and educators so they can use it for their training and development programs in their efforts to create a fair work climate in Afghanistan.

Research limitations

This paper is limited to personal observations and experiences along with a review of literature from experts who write about diversity and corruption.

Practical implications

Managers, employers, and employees can use this material for training to create diversity awareness, provide diversity management skills, and to reduce unfair, discriminatory, and corrupt practices.

Social implications

Employees of all ethnicities should know their rights and work toward the creation of an inclusive culture in Afghanistan.

Originality

This is an original paper and the inclusivity model is created by the author for this study.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

11 – 20 of 28