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Juggling difference and sameness: Rethinking strategies for diversity in organizations

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  • Ghorashi, Halleh
  • Sabelis, Ida

Abstract

In this era of omnipresent diversity, we face paradoxical outcomes from practices, policies and the management of diversity in organizations. On the one hand, diversity is supposed to be adopted in terms of social justice and inclusiveness: embracing all talent and reaching out to diverse groups that traditionally were not part of the core of organizations. On the other hand, broad societal discourses of otherness are emerging, which severely limit chances for the inclusion of ‘others’. We propose to re-theorize and contextualize these phenomena; we aim to discuss alternative approaches of dealing with diversity by connecting strategic essentialism, contiguity, and space/time relations to exemplify the often hidden workings of the power dimensions involved.

Suggested Citation

  • Ghorashi, Halleh & Sabelis, Ida, 2013. "Juggling difference and sameness: Rethinking strategies for diversity in organizations," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 78-86.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:29:y:2013:i:1:p:78-86
    DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2012.11.002
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    Cited by:

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    10. van Amsterdam, Noortje & van Eck, Dide, 2019. "“I have to go the extra mile”. How fat female employees manage their stigmatized identity at work," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 46-55.
    11. Annette Risberg & Hervé Corvellec, 2022. "The significance of trying: How organizational members meet the ambiguities of diversity," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 1849-1867, November.
    12. Janssens, Maddy & Zanoni, Patrizia, 2014. "Alternative diversity management: Organizational practices fostering ethnic equality at work," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 317-331.
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    14. Ossenkop, Carolin & Vinkenburg, Claartje J. & Jansen, Paul G.W. & Ghorashi, Halleh, 2015. "Ethnic identity positioning at work: Understanding professional career experiences," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 515-525.
    15. Mie Plotnikof & Sara Louise Muhr & Lotte Holck & Sine Nørholm Just, 2022. "Repoliticizing diversity work? Exploring the performative potentials of norm‐critical activism," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 466-485, March.
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