Towards Inclusive Organizations

Book excerpt: Diversity arising from the mixing of peoples from different cultural backgrounds has long been an issue in nations such as the United States and Australia, and in recent decades, European nations have reached unprecedented levels of cultural diversity due to increased migration. This phenomenon of increasing cultural diversity at the national level sets the context for current social science research on the consequences of diversity for social integration, institutional functioning, and interpersonal relationships. This book reviews theory and research in social and organizational psychology on the management of diversity in work organizations. The book shows how diversity management takes place across multiple levels: at a national level, at an organizational level, between work groups and teams, in interpersonal relations, and at the level of individual experiences. Each chapter summarizes relevant empirical research, and considers how the dynamics of workgroup relations are likely to be affected by cultural differences among group members. The contributors also describe the variables which organizational leadership should be sensitive to in designing and implementing policies and practices for inclusive organizations. Towards Inclusive Organizations will be essential reading for researchers and advanced students in social and organizational psychology.