Diversity management, equal employment opportunity and the compartmentalisation of identity: some Australian case study evidence

Recent years have seen a trend towards the use of 'diversity management' in favour of longer-used terms such as equal employment opportunity. Some feminists have criticised this move as a retreat from equity and social justice principles in the workplace. The change of terminology has brought with it a broader, more individualistic notion of human difference, in which the business case for employee diversity is more prominent. This may be necessary to deal with backlash from dominant groups, shore up employer support and recognise the complex nature of social identity amongst workers. But it may also conceal systemic discrimination against members of disadvantaged groups. This paper reports on case study research in two Australian based companies which have very different policies in this area. It concludes that diversity management does fail to adequately address systemic discrimination, however, there is value in broader definitions of human difference which transcend single categories such as gender and race