Abstract
PurposeThe theoretical conceptualization of boundaries is proposed as a useful approach to study diversity in organizations.Design/methodology/approachTwo types of diversity in health-care organizations – functional diversity and social category diversity – are compared, drawing on two extensive studies of Israeli hospitals. One study addresses the boundary between the medical professions and complementary medicine and the other examines the boundary between Israel's Jewish ethnic majority and the Arab minority.FindingsWith regard to functional diversity, boundary-work is used to draw, redraw, and maintain the boundary between biomedicine professionals and complementary medicine practitioners. With respect to social category diversity, boundary-work is employed to blur the boundary between Jewish and Arab professionals working within the organization and the ideal of professionalism is used as a boundary object to blur this ethno-national boundary.Originality/valueThis typology is offered in the hope of providing greater theoretical insight into the study of organizational diversity in the context of power relations.
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