Teacher(s)
Language
French
Main themes
The aim of this pluridisciplinary course is to enable students to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of diversity as it is experienced and managed in organisations, using a variety of approaches (legal sciences, anthropology, sociology, communication). The aim is to equip students with analytical frameworks to engage with the complexity of diversity issues and senses of uneasiness, conflicts, demands, and compromises that can emerge in given contexts.
Diversity management issues can manifest differently across professional environments and invite a range of interpretative frameworks to distil the complexity, without becoming reductive. This also enables students to comprehend systemic sociocultural factors, and to apply theory to practical cases.
The first part of the course deconstructs the concept of diversity and how it is defined in terms of different dimensions (gender identity, class, ethnicity and race, age, disability, religion, sexuality, etc.). The origins of when diversity became an ongoing concern in public policy are considered and situated alongside related concepts (e.g. equality, equity, inclusion, discrimination) and phenomena (e.g. belonging, identity, culture clashes, issues of ‘norms', conflicts).
The second part presents legal aspects and frameworks that inform public and organisational policies (discrimination, racism, sexism, workplace safety, fair process, etc.).
The third part revisits models of (co-)management and governance of diversity in organisations. Issues concerning diversity are related to different forms of organisation and governance (public, private, ASBL cooperative, etc.), and different cultures and values of companies, while being cognisant that the cases in this course are Eurocentric, and framed by assumed political secularism and democratic pluralism.
Diversity management issues can manifest differently across professional environments and invite a range of interpretative frameworks to distil the complexity, without becoming reductive. This also enables students to comprehend systemic sociocultural factors, and to apply theory to practical cases.
The first part of the course deconstructs the concept of diversity and how it is defined in terms of different dimensions (gender identity, class, ethnicity and race, age, disability, religion, sexuality, etc.). The origins of when diversity became an ongoing concern in public policy are considered and situated alongside related concepts (e.g. equality, equity, inclusion, discrimination) and phenomena (e.g. belonging, identity, culture clashes, issues of ‘norms', conflicts).
The second part presents legal aspects and frameworks that inform public and organisational policies (discrimination, racism, sexism, workplace safety, fair process, etc.).
The third part revisits models of (co-)management and governance of diversity in organisations. Issues concerning diversity are related to different forms of organisation and governance (public, private, ASBL cooperative, etc.), and different cultures and values of companies, while being cognisant that the cases in this course are Eurocentric, and framed by assumed political secularism and democratic pluralism.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 | Apply their advanced knowledge to critique the behaviour of individuals and groups when confronted with unfamiliar cultures, in the broadest sense; |
| 2 | Apply their advanced pluridisciplinary knowledge to critique identity and explain issues associated with diversity (and intersectional critiques) in organisational settings, and distinguishing between concepts precisely. |
| 3 | Continue developing systemic approaches to the studied phenomena, and confidently dealing with complexity; |
| 4 | Analyse and be critical of actual situations in a reasoned way (through case studies involving diversity); |
| 5 | Confidently use tools from several disciplines to interpret relational and organisational responses constructed by actors in situations; |
| 6 | Adopt a critical and reflective attitude towards oneself and others in situations involving diversity. |
Content
Diversity management to attract and retain the best employees as norms and expectations have fundamentally changed across generations, requires a radical rethinking of leadership strategies and new ways of working. Moreover, the social licence for organisations to operate ethically across a multiplicity of different contexts around the world is increasingly scrutinised and subject to collective pressures to adapt. While public and political discourses appear polarised with increasing frequency, in the global competition for talent, professional organisations have more than just a moral imperative to be at the forefront in embracing and fostering diversity. This is not to underestimate systematic and institutionalised forces counterweighing these efforts, nor the apprehension when challenged to lean into our own discomfort.
Teaching methods
Interactive workshops and problem-based learning, with preparatory readings.
Evaluation methods
Diversity audit (8 marks) and organisational strategy (12 marks), in English or in French.
Other information
This course is bilingual (EN-FR)
Online resources
Course materials are posted on the course's moodle page.
Bibliography
Bendl, Regine, and others (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Diversity in Organizations (2015; online edn, Oxford Academic, 19 Jan. 2016).
Roberson, Quinetta M. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Diversity and Work, Oxford Library of Psychology (2013; online edn, Oxford Academic, 1 Oct. 2013).
Roberson, Quinetta M. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Diversity and Work, Oxford Library of Psychology (2013; online edn, Oxford Academic, 1 Oct. 2013).
Faculty or entity
