Telling and selling the value of diversity and inclusion—External consultants' discursive strategies and practices

TY - JOUR

T1 - Telling and selling the value of diversity and inclusion—External consultants' discursive strategies and practices

AU - Kirton, Gill

AU - Greene, Anne Marie

N1 - Funding Information: This research was carried out with a British Academy grant. We are grateful to all the consultants who participated in the interviews. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

PY - 2019/12/19

Y1 - 2019/12/19

N2 - On the basis of a qualitative study of a subgroup of diversity professionals, external diversity and inclusion (D&I) consultants, we explore D&I consultants' discursive strategies and practices situated within organisational structures, relations, and interactions of power and knowledge. Theoretically, the research reveals how D&I consultants' own discursive strategies interact with existing organisational and societal discourses of diversity, incrementally shaping their continual evolution. A classification is developed, which sets out four approaches taken by consultants with regard to their discursive strategies in relation to clients. The findings suggest that HR practitioners need to work in tandem with external consultants to develop strategies to improve the status and legitimacy of diversity work if the field is to progress the organisational D&I agenda.

AB - On the basis of a qualitative study of a subgroup of diversity professionals, external diversity and inclusion (D&I) consultants, we explore D&I consultants' discursive strategies and practices situated within organisational structures, relations, and interactions of power and knowledge. Theoretically, the research reveals how D&I consultants' own discursive strategies interact with existing organisational and societal discourses of diversity, incrementally shaping their continual evolution. A classification is developed, which sets out four approaches taken by consultants with regard to their discursive strategies in relation to clients. The findings suggest that HR practitioners need to work in tandem with external consultants to develop strategies to improve the status and legitimacy of diversity work if the field is to progress the organisational D&I agenda.

KW - discourse

KW - discursive strategies

KW - diversity and inclusion consultants

KW - diversity management

KW - diversity professionals

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070864304&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/1748-8583.12253

DO - 10.1111/1748-8583.12253

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85070864304

SN - 0954-5395

VL - 29

SP - 676

EP - 691

JO - Human Resource Management Journal

JF - Human Resource Management Journal

IS - 4

ER -