Diversity management initiatives - from implementation to results

Abstract: In today’s globalized world, with moving workforces, there is high pressure from the society for working with diversity management. The executives of diversity play an important role in whether an initiative will be successful or not, which is why the focus has been on the executives’ perspective and intentions on the initiatives. This thesis aims to investigate diversity management initiatives in three different Swedish companies and investigate the process of the initiative and its results. Qualitative interviews with both executives and employees, has contributed to a practical and adequate perspective. The interviews showed that the process and chosen approach in each one of the initiatives are different from one another, although all of them have had successful outcomes. Today’s focus on measurability and increasing results are affecting the possibilities to implement an initiative, as the connections between a successfully implemented diversity initiative and results are somewhat weak. Implementing diversity initiatives are often about changing company culture and employee’s attitudes, which is a rather time and resource consuming process. This combination of pressure on results and measurability in combination with a time and resource consuming process may prevent the willingness to introduce diversity initiatives, since the outcomes are not always clear. The thesis suggests that it may take a while before you see results of a diversity initiative and that the results may not always be measurable, since it is often a change of attitudes. Important factors are a dedicated executive and effort from employees and a realistic expectation on what can be achieved.