• University of Exeter Business School
• Module

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Work

Module description

The module aims at providing an understanding of promoting fair treatment in the workplace. Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have become an essential aspect of managerial work and issues of growing concern for individuals in the workplace. The module will enable you to develop understanding of EDI, drawing on a range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, business management and economics and different individual perspectives. The module will help you identify how these differences emerge from different cultural perspectives. You will develop understanding of how such differences are reproduced within the organisational processes, open new globalised markets and networks to promote productivity and efficiency, and the capacity to analyse these matters critically..

Module aims - intentions of the module

• To help you understand management and business approaches that fail to reflect on the significance of a diverse and changing work environment.
• To provide you with an understanding of what makes up a diverse and inclusive organisation along with its members.
• You will learn about equality and diversity approaches conceptually, theoretically and through workplace interventions.
• The module aims to help you understand how people’s experiences at work differ in terms of gender, religion, social identity or class, ethnicity, disability, etc.
• The module will also explore policy interventions and government legislation based on EDI.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Evaluate and critically analyse essential concepts and theory in the field of equality, diversity, and inclusion
• 2. Recognise key concepts of EDI such as of biases, stereotyping, discrimination and social class and identity, and how they operate within workplaces.
• 3. Explore theoretical frameworks of EDI.
• 4. Discuss subtle and invisible forms of discrimination or stereotyping, such as in the employment practice in the workplace

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Explain how the concepts of EDI underpins to the broader discipline of Organisational Behaviour and HRM practices.
• 6. Engage in debates that could potentially challenge the simplistic understanding of EDI

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Develop arguments based on different concepts and theories of EDI and to make recommendations in respect of a changing work environment.
• 8. Identify links between HR operations and EDI for policy implementation in the workplace.

Syllabus plan

• Understanding the concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Understanding routinised practices and organisational process of EDI at work.
• Challenges related to gender, ethnicity, sex, religion and other cultural issues at work.
• Critical reflection of diversity and discrimination.
• Invisible and subtle forms of discrimination and stereotyping at work.
• Knowledge of diversity management by managers.
• Inclusive HR practises at work.
• An inclusive leader’s perspective on EDI.
• Trade unions and social dialogue.
• Equal employment opportunity and diversity management - UK government and organisational perspectives.
• Analysis of case studies related to EDI.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Group presentations will be considered as individual assignments.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

The following list is offered as an indication of the type and level of information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convenor.

• Ashley, L. and Empson, L., (2013) Differentiation and discrimination: Understanding social class and social exclusion in leading law firms. Human Relations.
• Chanlat, J., &Özbilgin, M. (Eds.). (2017). Management and diversity : Thematic approaches. Emerald Publishing Limited.
• Cortina, L. M. (2008). Unseen injustice: Incivility as modern discrimination in organizations. The Academy of Management Review
• Deitch, E. A., Barsky, A., Butz, R. M., Chan, S. Brief, A. P. and Bradley, J. C. (2003). Subtle yet significant: The existence and impact of everyday racial discrimination in the workplace. Human Relations.
• Ely, R. J. and D. A. Thomas (2001) ‘Cultural diversity at work: the effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes’, Administrative Science Quarterly
• Ferdman, B. M., Deane, B. R., Ferdman, B. M., & Deane, B. R. (Eds.). (2013). Diversity at work : The practice of inclusion. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
• Liebig, B., & Levy, R. (Eds.). (2015). Critical transitions : The production of gender (in-)equality in the life course. Emerald Publishing Limited.
• Ozbilgin, M. and Tatli, A. (2011) Mapping out the field of equality and diversity: Rise of individualism and voluntarism. Human Relations.
• Powell, A., Bagilhole, B., & Dainty, A. (2009) How women engineers do and undo gender: Consequences for gender equality. Gender, Work and Organization
• Tatli, A. (2011) A multi-layered exploration of the diversity management field: Diversity discourses, practices, and practitioners in the UK. British Journal of Management.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Equality, diversity, inclusion, organisational behaviour, HRM, management, globalisation.