Diversity Management and the Scandinavian Model: Illustrations from Denmark and Sweden

Desired diversity and symptomatic anxiety: theorising failed diversity as Lacanian lack

“…Gender diversity -along with ethnic diversity -is the typical contextual translation of diversity in Denmark. The former is likely to be associated with women's access to top management (Romani et al 2016), whereas the latter was adopted due to perceived integration needs as a direct response to recent immigration waves (Holck and Muhr 2017). In our case, as the conversation matured, the specific gender focus was replaced by a broader and more general discussion about diversity.…”

Unequal solidarity? Towards a norm-critical approach to welfare logics

“…The term was adopted from an American context and implemented in this particular socio-historical moment in Denmark (Boxenbaum, 2006;Holvino & Kamp, 2009;Rennison, 2009;. The definition of the concept of diversity management, however, tends to adjust to the local context within which it is used (Boxenbaum, 2006;Romani et al, 2016;. Accordingly, diversity management in Denmark picked up a specific negative connotation due to it being adopted as a response to a sudden wave of immigration and the challenges that arose with this.…”

“…Accordingly, diversity management in Denmark picked up a specific negative connotation due to it being adopted as a response to a sudden wave of immigration and the challenges that arose with this. For this reason, diversity management (in Danish: mangfoldighedsledelse) has been used to describe the tools needed to help ethnic minorities integrate into the labour market (as opposed to, for example, gender diversity, which is more likely to be associated with women's access to top-management positions) (Romani et al, 2016). The "objects" of diversity management, then, are also mainly perceived to be people with non-Western backgrounds, i.e.…”

“…The centrality of equality relates to the early development of the welfare model, which has been promoted since the late 1940s on the basis of an imagined community of a national culturally homogeneous population, while strongly downplaying differences to ensure commitment to the universal principles of redistribution (Romani et al, 2016). This leads to our first assumption, namely that the welfare model is built on the logic of equality as sameness (Jöhncke, 2007).…”

“…Ethnic diversity in the Danish labour market is increasing. However, despite several decades of active labour-market policies aimed at integrating ethnic-minority citizens, minorities are overrepresented in low-skilled and temporary jobs, underrepresented in management positions, and more likely than members of the majority ethnic group to face unemployment (Andersen et al, 2015;Ejrnaes, 2012;Rennison, 2009;Romani et al, 2016; see also Ortlieb & Sieben, 2013;Siim, 2013 for international comparison). These macro trends are also reflected in the micro situation in organizations, as unequal opportunity structures, and the inequality that accompanies them, often endure, even in organizations committed to diversity and equality (Acker, 2006(Acker, , 2012Holck, 2016;Holvino & Kamp, 2009;Larsen, 2011;Marfelt and Muhr, 2016).…”