Diversity in the workplace: a comparative study of diversity management in today's Irish workplace.

Finnerty, Elizabeth (2004) Diversity in the workplace: a comparative study of diversity management in today's Irish workplace. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This dissertation explores the concept of diversity management in the workplace, with particular emphasis on organisations in Ireland today. The principal objectives of this study was to develop a conceptualised view of diversity initiatives in the Irish working environment and to examine why business perceive diversity management as being an important contributor to their competitive advantage in today's economic environment. Because the area of diversity and diversity management is so broad, there was a need to focus mainly on the areas of cultural diversity/ethnicity and disability.

The methodological framework consisted of a combination of primary and secondary research. Secondary research examined literature, through books, Internet, business journals, articles, etc. Primary research, on the other hand, adopted a combination of both quantitative (based on a questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methodologies. Results from analysis of the research data indicated certain trends in relation to diversity management initiatives in the Irish workplace, namely 'work-life balance' initiatives, gender equality and disability. Also, findings established that, as with literature review on US perspectives, legislation was the primary driving force behind diversity management in organisations in Ireland. Other findings in relation to the research indicated bottom-line benefits to organisations related to employee morale, enhanced organisational profile and enhanced management/employee relations. This findings relating to management/employee relations had not been one of the findings of the literature review. However, findings in relation to financial benefits to organisations were difficult to establish in the Irish context. This may be mainly due to the fact that there is very little research in the Irish context on this aspect of diversity management and diversity management concepts and will be an area for future research.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management > Diversity H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Timothy Lawless
Date Deposited:	11 May 2010 11:02
Last Modified:	22 Sep 2014 09:24
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/191

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