Diversity management and gender equality outcomes in research, development and innovation organisations: Lessons for practitioners

Abstract

Understanding the impact of various diversity management (DM) practices in terms of their effectiveness in achieving desired outcomes within the organisation is a prevalent research gap in the general DM literature and the new stream of literature on DM in the research, development, and innovation (RDI) sector. Therefore, this article reviews the literature on gender diversity practices in RDI workplaces and how DM contributes to gender equality outcomes. For this purpose, we introduced a conceptual framework to demonstrate the interrelatedness of the forms and reasons for gender inequality, and the choice of DM practices and their outcomes. Moreover, we compiled an extensive list of DM practices for practitioners related to how to address the different forms and underlying reasons for gender inequality. Finally, by comparing the literature on DM outcomes in the business and the RDI sector, we concluded that research on measuring the outcomes of DM practices was less developed for RDI organisations, but gaps of knowledge on the outcomes of DM practices prevailed in both sectors. Organisational contexts in which specific diversity practices were implemented had a significant role in determining their effectiveness,highlighting the relevance of the institutionalist theory.