How is Diversity management different from employment equity or affirmative action?
Employment Equity Originally, employment equity commenced in the 1970’s to address the imbalance of pay wages between men and women in many developed countries. This concept was then modified and expanded to address social inequities in employment around gender, race, and disability issues. What women and disadvantaged groups are arguing for is a culture change when is comes to issues of employment. Apart from being paid similar wages for similar work, at the core of this thinking is the ideology of including and valuing diversity in the workplace, backed by legislation against discrimination on the basis of difference or not ‘fitting in’. It recognizes the reality of the large number of minority groups in the workplace and the fact that the under utilization of their skills is counterproductive. It aims for “equity” (meaning appropriate different treatment and minimum, unreasonable differentiated impact) rather than “equality” (in the sense of identical treatment and the application o