Synonyms
Definition
Diversity is defined as the state of being different or varied. When speaking of diversity in an organizational context, one typically refers to a varied combination of demographic attributes, characteristics, and expertise contributed by individuals. Diversity in the corporate context recognizes that restriction to individuals from part of the talent pool only equates to a restriction of skills and knowledge at the same time.
In short, diversity embraces difference(s) and propagates the inclusion of so far underrepresented groups, be they women or ethnic, religious, national, or sexual minorities, as well as individuals of different professional or educational backgrounds, on teams and on all hierarchical levels of the organization. While the definition of diversity can hence comprise a broad variety of differences, each of which poses very different challenges, the most commonly understood dimensions of diversity both in the literature and in...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References and Readings
Carter, D. A., Simkins, B. J., & Simpson, W. G. (2003). Corporate governance, board diversity and firm value. Financial Review, 39, 33–53.
Cox, T. H., & Blake, S. (1991). Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness. Academy of Management Executive, 5, 45–56.
Dass, P., & Parker, B. (1999). Strategies for managing human resource diversity: From resistance to learning. Academy of Management Executive, 13(2), 68–80.
Eagly, A. J., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C., & Van Engen, M. L. (2003). Transformational, transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles: A meta-analysis comparing women and men. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 569–591.
Erhardt, N. L., Werbel, J. D., & Shrader, C. B. (2003). Board of director diversity and firm financial performance. Corporate Governance, 11(2), 102–111.
Lorbiecki, A., & Jack, G. (2000). Critical turns in the evolution of diversity management. British Journal of Management, 11, 17–31.
Milliken, F. J., & Martins, L. L. (1996). Searching for common threads: Understanding the multiple effects of diversity in organizational groups. Academy of Management Review, 21, 402–433.
Richard, O. C., Murthi, B. P. S., & Ismail, K. (2007). The impact of racial diversity on intermediate and long-term performance the moderating role environmental context. Strategic Management Journal, 28, 1213–1233.
Robinson, G., & Dechant, K. (1997). Building a business case for diversity. Academy of Management Executive, 11(3), 21–31.
Van der Walt, N., Ingley, C., Shergill, G. S., & Townsend, A. (2006). Board configuration: Are diverse boards better boards. Corporate Governance, 6(2), 129–147.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Keinert-Kisin, C. (2013). Diversity. In: Idowu, S.O., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Gupta, A.D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_42
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28036-8_42
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28035-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28036-8
eBook Packages: Business and Economics