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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the multilevel factors that influence the way in which an organization approaches ethnic diversity management in France. Syed and Özbilgin’s (2009) relational framework was adopted to understand and contextualize ethnic diversity management in a car manufacturing company in France. Design/methodology/approach In total, 37 semi-structured in-depth interviews with employees of different hierarchical levels in a French organization have been conducted and analyzed using the Gioia method. Findings The findings show that the lack of clear laws and the universal citizenship model on macro-level coupled with the gendered industry and superficial engagement with ethnic diversity on meso-level overlooks the difficult situation of ethnic minorities in the workplace, especially women. However, the findings also stress that it is on individual level that resilience and agency can be expressed, which means that despite the perceived barriers on societal and organizational level, ethnic minorities are motivated to improve the way they are treated in organizations. Originality/value Ethnic minorities are an understudied dimension of diversity management in organizations. The findings underscore the importance of the intersection of ethnicity and gender as this affects the career development possibilities and daily work experience of ethnic minority women.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to paper investigates whether different perceptions exist with regard to diversity management within an organisation. Additionally, if such differences exist, what contextual factors influence these perceptions?Design/methodology/approachThe approach of this study is based on inductive and interpretative case research, which aims to compare diverse perceptions in two different organisational units of a company. For this purpose, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted.FindingsThe findings in this paper highlight the importance of contexts in the study of diversity management. That is, contexts such as workforce composition and power (e.g. organisational status) in an organisation as well as the social environment’s impact on social identity processes, which results in discrepant focusses on and recognition of diversity management within the same organisation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to research on a more nuanced approach to diversity by proposing an importance of contexts for the process of social identity and further perceptual discrepancy.Practical implicationsQualitative research on and findings about perceptual discrepancy help to close the gap between the practice and rhetoric of diversity management.Originality/valueDeparting from extant empirical research on diversity at the workplace, which relies predominantly on quantitative methods, a qualitative design of this study allows a refinement of previous findings. Also, this paper provides deeper insight into the sense-making process, resulting in different diversity perceptions by different employees according to their work and social environments or contexts.

International audience; Drawing on an extended case method approach consisting of observations, analysis of organisational documents and semi-structured in-depth interviews with first- and second-generation migrants working in a French car manufacturing company, this article examines how and why diversity management practices are perceived differently by first- versus second-generation migrant workers. Using social identity theory and equity theory as a theoretical framework, it was found that first- and second-generation migrants have different social expectations, which, in turn, influence their self-image, as well as their perception of organisational justice. The interaction between their social identity and their perception of justice affects how they appraise diversity management practices in their organisation. The study extends previous research on migrant workers and diversity management by building a conceptual model that outlines how and why diversity management practices are perceived differently by first- versus second-generation migrants.

International audience; Cross-cultural Competence (CC) of managers in globally dispersed MNE affiliates is one of the most effective means to overcome the liability of foreignness. Although managers high in biculturalism may have more resources than monoculturals to acquire (and deploy) CC in mitigating liability of foreignness, this has not been adequately examined. We contribute by examining the influence of two new antecedents of CC –biculturalism and Attributional Complexity. In four studies, we find that these antecedents are related to CC, effectiveness outcomes, and show incremental value over established personality traits in predicting them. We discuss contributions, limitations, future directions, and managerial implications.

Personal innovativeness is an important value-based human behaviour that is responsible for the ability to participate in the domain of technological innovations and to enhance economic growth. Our study investigates the technological innovativeness of millennials in a cross-cultural setting at the individual level. The research design includes technological involvement and knowledge and an individual-level measurement of five well-known cultural values as antecedents of technological innovativeness. Findings from structural equation modelling of 1527 millennials from six triad countries confirm that technological involvement and knowledge positively affect personal innovativeness in the technology domain. Above all, from a theoretical perspective on culture, individual measures of power distance, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation especially have a significant negative effect on technological innovativeness. Hence, in an international business context, individual cultural values play an important role for companies seeking, for example, an overseas location for their research and development (R&D) facilities or skilled and innovative personnel to persist in attaining and sustaining international competition. From a theoretical perspective on international business, this study also sheds light on the individual-level measurement of cultural values, taking the individual as the unit of analysis.