Re-examining workplace equality: the capabilities approach (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Importance of Equal Opportunities at Work: Why should we care about it
Advances in Management & Applied Economics, 2014
Modern societies recognize gender inequalities as a significant social problem and implement human resource policies intended to reduce such issues. Gender equality in labour market is an important issue of development effectiveness since societies that discriminate have a negative effect in their economic growth, weaker governance and a lower overall quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to present the critical parameters for an effective Human Resources Management policy and to highlight the importance of gender equality at work in modern economy and the implications for work and social practices. Data on micro and macro economic indicators, employment rate and gender equality were gathered from published works, national and international databases. The results indicate that gender inequality varies among countries but the problem exists irrespective of the wealth of the society as expressed by the Gross National Income. The challenge for modern societies, countries, European and international institutions is to protect the minorities and prevent gender inequalities at work, particularly when societies experience financial hardship. JEL classification numbers: E2, J3, J7, M12
L egislation in the 1970s, supported by organisational developments in the 1980s, brought considerable changes to the ways in which women and ethnic minorities were treated in the workplace. The legislation for the first time provided a legal redress against separate pay scales for men and women and the exclusion of people from particular occupations on the basis of their gender or ethnicity. There remains widespread public commitment to this form of equality, at least as judged by attitude surveys. Equal treatment principles enshrined in anti-discrimination laws have been supported at the organisational level by formal equal opportunities policies which detail procedural approaches intended to translate equality objectives into management practices. As a result there is now much greater understanding by managers of equality issues and how discrimination occurs and should be prevented. But we also know that such policies and procedures are not always followed in practice. Reports of industrial tribunal cases continue to provide evidence of managers making clear that they consider certain jobs to be unsuitable for women, and of employees ostracising fellow workers on the basis of different ethnicity. These things happen in organisations which appear at a formal level to have exemplary policies. Indeed studies have shown that such occurrences are not due simply to misunderstandings or limitations of the policies but also to deliberate avoidance or distortion by managers .
Managing diversity and equality in the workplace
Cogent Business \& Management
This paper investigates the relationship of performance appraisals, sociocultural issues, affirmative action (AA), and organizational capabilities in managing diversity and equality in the workplace. Firstly, performance appraisals were found to be a major source of discrimination especially due to raters influence on the actual process. Sociocultural issues had major role as some managers went out of their way in helping their subordinates, especially in paternalistic countries, whereas some left it to workers themselves. AA was laid out to ensure that organizations meet statutory requirements but it often came down to managerial commitments. Finally, this paper found that organizations have to develop capabilities so as to encourage diversity and equality in the workplace.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work
`Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work, edited by Mustafa F. Ozbilgin is a fascinating and useful collection of articles that cover varied perspectives on this thriving topic. Theoretical issues and policy problems, equal opportunity and diversity management, sociological and psychological approaches, history and present management and trade union efforts, and much more are all covered. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of several articles on men, masculinities, equality and diversity, a refreshing recognition of the importance of men and masculinities in the success or failure of equality and diversity efforts. Although the collection covers the UK in the most detail, chapters on the US, Germany, South Africa, and Japan provide a multinational perspective. It's the kind of book I'd like to have at hand when I'm writing about organizations, gender, equality and diversity.' - Joan Acker, University of Oregon, US With over thirty chapters, this book offers a truly interdisciplinary collection of original contributions that are likely to influence theorization in the field of equality, diversity and inclusion at work. Many chapters in the book offer comparative perspectives through cross-national and multi-level analyses. The volume adopts a critical perspective as it focuses on relations of power in exploring equality, diversity and inclusion at work. Specifically, the authors examine areas such as cultural conflict, gender inequity and politics, work-life balance, affirmative action, trade unions and diversity and diversity interventions and change. This timely book with chapters that are contributed by internationally eminent scholars provides an invaluable resource for researchers, policy makers and students in this field.
Equality, diversity and inclusion at work: yesterday, today and tomorrow
Centuries of human rights activism and decades of political, demographic and social changes have been driving the agenda for equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the world of work. This long period of transformation has witnessed substantial progress as traditionally excluded and marginalised groups made inroads into the fields of education and employment, from which they were previously excluded. In many industrialised countries, these positive changes in access to education and work have led recent generations of young women and men to feel that equality of opportunity has been largely achieved. Consequently, cohorts of students in higher education believe that their prospects of work and employment are without bias or prejudice. Some students find discussions of inequality and discrimination as irrelevant to their career plans. Unfortunately, much of this optimism is misguided. Despite a long history of progress towards EDI at work, multiple forms of inequality, discrimination and exclusion continue to mark the experience of individuals across their life course. This edited volume consisting of an introduction and 31 contributed chapters is a collective attempt at examining the continued relevance of studying EDI at work. In this introductory chapter, I first defi ne the EDI field at work. The chapter goes on to outline some salient frameworks for studying EDI across time and space. Then I explain the rationale for the volume, its structure as well as an overview of each chapter.
'Workplace Inequality', In M. Bal (2024 ed.)
Encyclopaedia of Organizational Psychology, 2024
Organizations and society are confronted with fundamental socio-political, cultural, and economic challenges because of poorly construed and implemented Equality Diversity and Inclusion measures. Whilst Organizational Behavior research has adopted a traditional approach seeking to highlight the business case benefits and focused on quantifiable outcomes measurements, recent research has questioned this dominant, neoliberal capitalist-based strand, which has perpetuated managerial hegemonic power and employer-employee conflicts. Emerging Employment Relations scholarship has identified and added additional EDI categories including further neurodiverse, social and workplace groupings, and suggested further methodological tools, including intersectionality, institutional, relational, and agentic frameworks to repair the damages. Human Resource Management research has focused on how to implement standardized regulatory mechanisms related to Affirmative Action and Social Justice models on recruitment, pay and reward. However, such western-centric approaches, models, constructs, and analysis levels have exposed greater 'psychological' and workplace, individual and group inequalities, marginalized employees and highlighted the contested and contestable nature of EDI. Alternative, non-western calls intensify.
“Equality Theory” as a Counterbalance to Equity Theory in Human Resource Management
Journal of Business Ethics, 2012
This conceptual paper revisits the concept of equality as a base of distributive justice and contends that it is underspecified, both theoretically and in terms of its ethical and pragmatic application to human resource management (HRM) within organizations. Prior organizational literature focuses primarily upon distributive equality of remunerative outcomes within small groups and implicitly employs an equity-based conception of inputs to define equality. In contrast, through exposition of the philosophical roots of equality principles, we reconceptualize inputs as de facto equal and consider the systemic application of distributive equality in the form of status leveling practices. Ethical ramifications of distributive equality so viewed are explored. We conclude by arguing that, to implicitly insert a stronger ethics focus into the study and practice of HRM, perhaps there should be ''equality theory'' competing with equity theory for recognition in managerial and scholarly discourse.
Equality, Diversity and Disadvantage in Employment
Equality, Diversity and Disadvantage in Employment, 2001
She is currently undertaking EU-funded cross-national research into the working lives, training and development of older workers. Previously she researched and lectured in Sociology and Human Resource Management at Staffordshire University. Her principle areas of interest lie in equal opportunities, organisations, the impact of new technologies, power and social change and the restructuring of the NHS. She has published on flexibility and training for older workers, direct mail, new technology and the problem of privacy, and on disability and access to employment.
Organisational justice and employee responses to employment equity
2009
2.5. CODES OF GOOD PRACTICE 2.5.1. Disability in the workplace 2.5.2. Preparation, implementation and monitoring of employment equity plans 2.5.3. Integration of employment equity into human resources policies and practices 2.5.4. Key aspects of HIV/AIDS and employment 2.5.5. Handling of sexual harassment cases in the workplace 2.6. IMPLEMENTING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE EEA (55 OF 1998) 2.6.1. The consultation requirement 2.6.2. The analysis requirement 2.6.3. The employment equity plan requirement 2.6.3.1. Affirmative action measures requirement 2.6.4. The reporting requirement 2.7. OTHER EQUITY LEGISLATION 2.7.1. The Skills Development Act no 99 of 1998 2.7.2. The Promotion of equity and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act no 4 of 2000 2.7.3. The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act 5 of 2000 2.7.4. The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 2.8. CHAPTER SUMMARY iii CHAPTER BARRIERS TO AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS IN THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY 3.1. INTRODUCTION 3.2. BARRIERS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EE 3.2.1. Barriers on an individual level 3.2.1.1.
The Politics of Equal Opportunity
Gender, Work and Organization, 1997
This paper reviews changes in the concept of 'equal opportunities' over the last twenty years and discusses the implications for women's experiences in the workplace. The shift to notions of diversity and difference as the motif for equality initiatives reflects the right-wing critique of bureaucratic control and regulation of labour markets, embodied in 1970s' EO policies. 'Diversity' symbolizes the employer's freedom from constraint in selecting and deploying the best 'talent' regardless of sex, ethnicity or disability. Ironically the radical feminist agenda, which asserts women's differences from men and their potential for creating a better world, has been adapted to the concerns of liberal feminism with providing a rationale for the promotion of women into management, on the grounds that women's nurturing capacities contribute to the diversity needed by post-modern organizations. A case study of a transnational computer and measurement systems manufacturer is used to illustrate the limited capacity of a market-driven version of diversity to dismantle the hierarchical gender order and its tendency to reinforce the ideology of competitive individualism with its white, male norms. In conclusion it is argued that we need to move beyond the ultimately limiting debate about whether women are the same as or different from men to a renewed concern with the material conditions of women's lives and with the construction of equality initiatives which address the continuing exclusion of many women from adequate standards of living.