This article gives an overview of diversity (management) frameworks and leadership.

It is particularly written regarding swiss companies with more than 5000 employees with a decent international competition such as Coop, Migros, Swisscom, SBB or Swiss Post. It does not cover multi national organisations such as Nestle.

The article first discusses different frameworks and theoretical approaches accordingly and then results in a tailormade framework for the mentioned swiss companies.

1. Brief overview on diversity frameworks

A framework of HR (diversity) management considers the strategic level, tactical level and operational level (Shen 2009, p. 245) if an organisation.

Western (Western, p. 59) identifies five areas regarding diversity frameworks to be aware of:

• The institution and context
• Embodied and cultural self
• Personality
• Expertise
• Role power

UCR describes seven steps to establish a framework of diversity as strategic plan (Moses, 2004):

• Developing a shared and inclusive understanding of diversity.
• Creating a welcoming campus climate.
• Recruiting, retaining, and successfully graduating a diverse student body.
• Recruiting, advancing, and retaining a diverse faculty and staff.
• Developing a curriculum that supports the diversity goals of the University.
• Diversifying university leadership and management.
• Organizing for change to support diversity goals.

Michigan Tech knows five points to develop a framework to set goals to strengthen the role as a leader in higher education and to position itself as a national school of choice (Michigan Tech, 2003):

Develop a shared and inclusive understanding of diversity.

• Create a welcoming campus climate.
• Recruit and retain a diverse workforce.
• Recruit and retain a diverse student body.
• Diversify University leadership and coordinate organizational change to support diversity goals.

Amstutz’ (2011) mind map describes areas of action to be taken regarding

• Competencies [to be developed].
• Minorities [to be aware of].
• Equality [to ensure].

Many swiss employer foresee actions to implement diversity although the definition or understanding of diversity may differ.

• Diversity through appreciation
• Diversity through equal development (in gender, language, culture and age)
• Social awareness
• Raise consciousness for the abuse of power
• Flexible work hours

The U.S Department of transportation introduces a complete diversity framework to be implemented through leadership (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2008), where as the bigger bar includes the previous level(s):

Stephen Martin says, that companies need to recognise that the most important issue is the output and not how it is achieved (Martin, 2006) rather than having a nice looking new chart just for having it.

Diversity - a different backgrounds of employees - might fail even on bigger companies with a high awarness of the topic.
If own (companys) values are not reflected carefully. Gender and race diversity are sure a high priority but as long as those groups are consistent with the corporate leadership model (Martin, 2006, p. 28).

Therefore the bias comes from a narrow interpretation of diversity: The frameworks are built on a companys own values from its origin.
In other words: only those employees perform well who anyway fit into the values anchored by the country of origin of a company (Martin, 2006, p. 33).

Interestingly, diversity is seen as a must for all companies or departments. It does not respect that diversity might be even hindering.
E.g a too high diversity in age could be a source of conflicts.

2. Leadership training on diversity for Swiss companies

Diversity can only appear if something is different from a certain point of view. Therefore, leaders and their team members have to be well aware of own values, cultural background and prejudices (Western, 2008, p. 58).

I am familiar with HR processes and strategic goals of a few swiss companies; cultural diversity – as such – is rarely a separate topic on the agendas but awareness related to sexual offence and age as well as a strategic implementation plans usually exists and - interesstingly - mentioned under the subject of diversity.

Apparently, diversity seems not happen within the recruiting process although all firms claim to search for a broad diversity. Unintentionally. People are chosen by how they fit to our existing company which – following deduction – denies a high diversity (compare Martin 2006, chapter 1). The statement: "We choose people that fit well in our culture" is often heard and exemplary. This mustn't be wrong per SE but it stands against the aim of beeing diverse.

Nevertheless, I have identified one major and one minor challenge regarding diversity within Swiss companies in the german speaking part. It refers to the particular employees above 45 years old and used to patriarchal structures.

As currently minor I see the low number of international employees from abroad - beside probably people from germany (but they adopt well as soon as they recognized the cultural gap - and there for sure is one!).

Though, trough upcoming huge projects (IT, logistics, ..), people from far east are likely to join. This isn’t covered by the current HR processes of the big classical swiss company. The processes are designed to cover mostly age, swiss cultures, swiss languages and part time models regarding diversity as mentioned.

To be ready with upcoming challanges, the following chapter has a few suggestions in line with Western (Western, p. 59).

2.1. Create a Sense of diversity

First, leaders need to be familiar with diversity and its occurrence. Trainings should be offered to all people in a leadership position. The training contains awarness training and explains about the advantages or disadvantages of diversity. The aim is to create a sense of diversity and cultural awareness with a certain knowledge about.

2.2. Self-awareness

Leaders have to be very well aware of their own values, biases and cultural backgrounds. Regular exchanges to compare self-perception with foreign-perception is recommended. A few companys have this trainings it is not institutionalized in the context of diversity. It would make sense to have it implemented as a yearly or bi-yearly workshop.The aim is to be clear about how expertise, role power, personality, context and one-self sees diversity and where own responses or reactions come from and to show positive expectations towards others.

3. Framework DESIGN

Nevertheless all the frameworks of chapter 1 may differ in describing how to implementation can be done, they all influence business in a similar systematic in regard of the St. Galler Management Modell (Rüegg-Stürm, 2002, p. 22). The diversity frameworks are carried out by the strategy, structure and culture of an organisation at which it is anchored in its strategic management, normative management and operative management.

The aim of the below scaleable framework is to improve the the awarness of an organisation. If awarness is established a positive momentum of feedback might lead to learnings. Out of learnings mistakes or corrections within the strategy can be done and then lead to more success. It is not covered within this article but we might assume that this also leads to more innovation due to vanishing "invisible" obstacles, limitations and boarders.

My framework suggestion, inspired by chapter 1 is visualized in figure 2. The operationalisation is done by team training (not just leader training) as suggested by Martin (2006, p. 31). It is driven by the overall strategy broken down to the HR strategy.

Though, If more foreign employees are expected - e.g for project work - care centers, single point of contact or similiar is recommendet. This might go beyond the initial framework implemented in a firm.

Through the suggested trainings a cultural change can by carried out. This is not only to raise awarness but could also be used in changing environments where strong support of a majority of employees is needed. It gives the chance to meet fears and to react towards a high and broad commitment.

Bibiliography

Amstutz, N. (2011, 05 07). Leadership Managing Diversity. Diversity , 1.

Bischoff, A. K. (2005). «A-Care»: Gesundheitsversorgung und -kosten von Asylsuchenden in Basel. Basel: Universitat Basel & Universitätsspital Basel.

Domening, D. (2001). Handbuch für Lehre und Praxis in Pflege und Geburtshilfe: Profesionelle transkulturelle Pflege. Bern: Hans Huber.

Dzau, V. J. (2011). Diversity at Duke Hospital.

Holcim LTD. (n.d.). Sustainable development: Employment practices. Retrieved 06 01, 2011, from Sustainable development: Employment practices: http://www.holcim.com/en/sustainable-development/social-commitment/employment-practices.html

Hyslop, M. (2008, 11 19). Gazette.net: Hospitals adapt to patient diversity. Retrieved 05 31, 2011, from Gazette.net: Hospitals adapt to patient diversity: http://www.gazette.net/stories/11192008/montnew204205_32472.shtml

Martin, S. (2006, Spring). Internationalising corporate leadership competencies through 'behavioural diversity'. (I. International, Ed.) Competency & Emotional Intelligence, 13(03), pp. 28-34.

Michigan Tech. (2003, 03 04). Michigan Technological University: Diversitycenter. Retrieved 05 29, 2011, from Michigan Technological University: Diversitycenter: http://www.diversitycenter.mtu.edu/DiversityFramework/Default.htm

Moses, Y. T. (2004, 05). University of California Riverside. Retrieved 04 29, 2011, from University of California Riverside: http://chancellor.ucr.edu/documents/diversity.doc

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. (2010). Medical leadership competency framework. Coventry CV4 7AL: NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. (2011). Medical leadership competency framework. Retrieved 30 06, 2011, from Medical leadership competency framework: http://www.institute.nhs.uk/assessment_tool/general/medical_leadership_competency_framework_-_homepage.html

Rüegg-Stürm, J. (2002). Das neue St. Galler Management-Modell. Bern: Paul Haupt.

Saladin, P. B. (2009). Diversität und Chancengleichheit: Grundlagen für erfolgreiches Handeln im Mikrokosmos der Gesundheitsinstitutionen. Bern: Eine Publikation des Bundesamtes für Gesundheit BAG & H+ Die Spitäler der Schweiz.

Schwartz R.H, S. D. (1993, Spring). Managing diversity in hospitals. Health care manage review, pp. 51-6.

Shen, J. C. (2009, 02). Managing Diversity through human resource management: an international perspective and conceptual framework. The International Journal of Human Resource Management(2), pp. 235-251.

Special Advisory Group on Improving Hospital Care for Minorities. (2009, 06 03). American Hospital Association: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Retrieved 05 30, 2011, from American Hospital Association: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities: http://www.aha.org/aha_app/issues/Disparities/index.jsp

U.S. Department of Transportation. (2008, 09 28). Office of the Secretary: Departmental Office of Human Resource Management. Retrieved 05 31, 2011, from Office of the Secretary: Departmental Office of Human Resource Management: http://dothr.ost.dot.gov/Toolkit/Leadership_Compentency_Framework.doc

Western, S. (2008). Leadership: A critical text. London: Sage Publications LTD.

• < Zurück