The Political Economy of Diversity: Diversity Programs in Fortune 500                     Companies | Zendy

Ryan John | Zendy; Hawdon James | Zendy; Branick Allison | Zendy

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The Political Economy of Diversity: Diversity Programs in Fortune 500 Companies

Author(s) -

Ryan John,

Hawdon James,

Branick Allison

Publication year - 2002

Publication title -

sociological research online

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.593

H-Index - 49

ISSN - 1360-7804

DOI - 10.5153/sro.702

Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , politics , workforce , race (biology) , context (archaeology) , ethnic group , cultural diversity , sexual orientation , biology and political orientation , political science , economic geography , sociology , economic growth , gender studies , geography , economics , archaeology , law

Using data from a 1998 SHRM survey, this study examines the prevalence and natureof diversity initiatives in Fortune 500 companies. The rhetoric of diversity inindustry suggests that a diverse workforce is good for business. Diversity istypically defined in terms of such demographic factors as race, age, gender,ethnic background, and, to a lessor extent, sexual orientation. Our analysisshows that most Fortune 500 companies have some diversity initiatives, but thatthese initiatives are disproportionately aimed at certain minority groups. Thus,there appears to be a political economy of diversity in which some categories ofdiversity are valued over others. We place this analysis within the largercontext of a changing economic, occupational and political factors affecting thediversity movement.

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