What are the pros and cons of a business case approach to diversity management

Abstract or Introduction

In 1950 the global human population was 2.5 billion, in 2013 it has increased to 7.2 billion and by 2050 the UN predict it will reach 9.6 billion (The Economist , 2013). Shared with the statistic that since 2011, 52.1% (United Nations, 2012) of humans live in an urban area, highlighting the need for an increased and evolved ability to manage diversity. This global trend has created the most diverse workforce in modern times, generating pressure for companies, institutions and governments to implement practices which recruit, train, promote and retain individuals within the workplace (Bratton and Gold 2012; Kirton and Greene 2010). The strategic management of diversity in the workforce will be further discussed using a three stage approach, in order to fully analyse the pros and cons of a business case approach to diversity management.
The first stage will have two discussion points; firstly defining diversity to create a common understanding of the topic. Secondly it’s important to distinguish the difference between the terms of equal opportunity and diversity management, exploring how they have evolved from academic and practical perspectives. The second stage will focus on diversity management with particular emphasis on analysing the pros and cons of a business case approach. This critique will be supported by theories and contemporary resources to highlight the impact this approach can have on the stakeholders involved. The third stage will consider the implementation and industry type. This will highlight the limitation that by splitting diversity into different case types rather than focusing on an inclusive strategy causes fragmentation rather than concentrating on the individual contribution.