Understanding and Defining Diversity Management in Polish Organizations
Understanding and Defining Diversity Management in Polish Organizations

Summary/Abstract: Although diversity management as a concept and a term is being used since the 1980's, it does not have one clear, unambiguous definition. The multiplicity of diversity and diversity management's definition exists and is being used in the academic debate but also in business practice. The main issues addressed in this paper are how Polish organizations define and understand diversity management and what consequences it may bring for practitioners but also for the academic debate. The paper presents results of 20 telephone-depth-interviews, which were conducted with representatives from companies, signatories of the Polish Diversity Charter in January and February 2017. The conducted research showed that only a few organizations have developed their own diversity management definitions. Some of the organizations conflated diversity management with other approaches like antidiscrimination, equal employment opportunities or affirmative actions. At the same time other organizations took over already existing definitions without adapting them to their specific needs. Some organizations did not conceptualize diversity management at all.

• Details
• Contents