British diversity professionals as change agents - Radicals, tempered radicals or liberal reformers?

Gill Kirton, Anne Marie Greene, Deborah Dean

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper explores the role of diversity professionals involved in the development and implementation of organizational equality and diversity policy. The paper draws on in-depth qualitative research with diversity professionals in a broad range of British organizations in the private and public sectors. The analysis unravels who diversity professionals are, how they understand the concepts of equality and diversity and how they develop strategies of change in order to pursue their objectives. The conceptions of 'liberal' and 'radical' equal opportunities actors (Jewson, N. and D. Mason, 1986, 'The Theory and Practice of Equal Opportunities Policies: Liberal and Radical Approaches'. Sociological Review 34(2): 307-34) and 'tempered radicals' (Meyerson, D. and M. Scully, 1995, 'Tempered Radicalism and the Politics of Ambivalence and Change.' Organization Science 6(6): 585-600) are used as frameworks for this analysis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1979-1994
Number of pages16
JournalInternational Journal of Human Resource Management
Volume18
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2007

Keywords

  • Change agents
  • Diversity
  • Equality
  • Power

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