Questioning impact: interconnection between extra-organizational resources and agency of equality and diversity officers

Abstract

This paper examines the change agency of equality and diversity (E&D) officers with a specific emphasis on the role of extra-organizational influences and resources. The paper is informed by qualitative material collected through interviews with E&D officers from 20 higher education institutions in the UK. The paper offers an evidence-based analysis of the utility of extra-organizational mechanisms and intervention programmes for organizational E&D agenda and for the agentic influence of E&D officers. The paper contributes to both academic literature and policy-making. We present original empirical insights into the change agency of E&D officers by exploring the impact of extra-organizational bodies as potential mechanisms for support and influence. At the policy level, the paper provides evidence on the value of extra-organizational resources and tools that are produced by policy bodies in promoting progressive E&D agendas in organizations.

Walking the Talk on Diversity: CEO Beliefs, Moral Values, and the Implementation of Workplace Diversity Practices

“…Although previous work has suggested that CEO commitment and support are important for effective diversity management (Gilbert and Ivancevich 2000;Rynes and Rosen 1995) few studies have empirically tested this proposition and, in particular, the mechanisms by which this occurs. Given the more operational nature of their work role, a number of researchers (e.g., Abramovich and Traavik 2017; Guillaume et al 2014;Tatli and Özbilgin 2009;Tatli et al 2015) have called for a stronger emphasis on the role of HR and line managers in implementing diversity management practices. Our findings build on recent work indicating that despite CEO directives, HR managers exercise discretion over whether and how to implement diversity initiatives (e.g., Wangrow et al 2014).…”

“…While CEOs play a lead role in initiating and supporting change, HR managers play a critical role in effecting and implementing change (Gioia and Chittipeddi 1991). As key partners in organizational change, comparatively little attention has been cast on the role of HR managers in the implementation of diversity management initiatives, prompting calls for more research on the role of middle-managers in diversity management implementation (Guillaume et al 2014;Tatli and Özbilgin 2009;Tatli et al 2015). Diversity management initiatives such as making EEO/AA hiring decisions can be politically and emotionally charged (Edelman et al 1991;Roberson 2006), and managers who are tasked with their implementation often face significant resistance, including in some cases, very negative reactions from both employees and other managers (Zanoni and Janssens 2004).…”

Accidental activists: headhunters as marginal diversity actors in institutional change towards more women on boards

“…How can bold change agents legitimise diversity agendas and mobilise more marginal protagonists? We argue that diversity scholarship would benefit from a more distributed perspective on change agency (only recently developed by Tatli et al, ), to explore how coalitions of more or less committed actors might advance this agenda.…”

“…Therefore, diversity scholarship has largely focused on internal diversity actors, unpacking the discourses and strategies they use to sell and implement diversity, and portraying them as proactive and mission driven. Although recent studies highlight the importance of extra‐organisational bodies in progressing diversity in general (Tatli et al, ), and at board level (Seierstad et al, ), there is limited insight into the role of external diversity actors such as headhunters whose mandate is not diversity but who may get co‐opted into diversity work.…”

‘We can talk the talk, but we’re not allowed to walk the walk’: the role of equality and diversity staff in higher education institutions in England

“…However, it has been argued that the business case for diversity does not address real inequalities in the workplace (Tatli, 2011) or demonstrate a real commitment to progressive change (Tatli et al, 2015). Furthermore, the emphasis and level of investment in equality and diversity issues in the workplace may be dependent upon whether individual managers view it as a worthwhile cause, rather than as compliance to legal requirements (Bhopal, 2018;Klarsfield et al, 2016).…”