CD13114 pr(s).qxp - Chartered Institute of Personnel and ...

Defining diversity
User’s guide
Aim
To provide a working definition that encompasses the benefits of a
diverse workforce and that is understandable by all employees. To
increase understanding of the main differences between traditional
equal opportunities and managing diversity.
Rationale
A first stage in developing a diversity strategy is to achieve a
common understanding of what diversity and managing diversity
means. For these definitions to be meaningful, consideration must
be given to how the definitions will be used and to the culture of
the organisation in which they will be used. This tool provides
definitions in order to help you develop a definition of diversity and
managing diversity that will work for your organisation.
It also provides a useful exercise to help employees differentiate
between diversity and more traditional equal opportunities.
Procedure
• This tool is especially useful as an early session in the formation
of a diversity council or workgroup, or can be used by senior
management to help them achieve an understanding of
diversity.
• The group should debate the following question: how will the
definitions be used? Use the following prompts to facilitate this
debate:
• Will the definitions help employees understand what
diversity is and how it relates to them?
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A free sample chapter from Managing Diversity by Pearn Kandola. Published by the CIPD.
Copyright © Pearn Kandola 1998, 2006
All rights reserved; no part of this excerpt may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior
written permission of the Publishers or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom issued
by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
If you would like to purchase this book please visit www.cipd.co.uk/bookstore.
TOOL 1
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