Managing diversity through human resource management: an international perspective and conceptual framework

TLDR

The study critically reviews the literature on managing diversity through HRM, discusses key issues and objectives, examines current practices, and proposes a strategic, tactical, and operational framework with implications for practice and research. The authors conduct a comprehensive literature review and develop a conceptual framework outlining HR diversity management strategies at strategic, tactical, and operational levels. The review reveals persistent inequality and discrimination, a predominant focus on compliance with EEO and affirmative action laws, limited attention to valuing and leveraging diversity, and a scarcity of literature on effective diversity management practices.

Abstract

This paper critically reviews the literature on managing diversity through human resource management (HRM). We discuss the major issues and objectives of managing diversity and examine the state of human resource diversity management practices in organizations. Our review shows that inequality and discrimination still widely exist and HRM has focused mainly on compliance with equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action (AA) legislation. Less attention has been paid to valuing, developing and making use of diversity. Our review reveals limited literature examining how diversity is managed in organizations through effective human resource management. We develop a framework that presents strategies for HR diversity management at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. Our review also discusses the implications for practice and further research.