The dynamic capabilities approach as the bridge between employee diversity and innovation

Abstract

Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic but also dynamic yet consistent changes like the technological revolution have transformed the business environment but also the context for Human Resources Management. The diversification of the workforce is a fact, yet organizations very often struggle to fully use the potential of their diverse workforce. The article shows a new approach to diversity management, through the lens of dynamic capabilities, on the example of innovations show how to use diversity for organizational benefits. To examine how diversity may influence innovation an exploratory, qualitative research has been designed. Nineteen in-depth-interviews with board members and directors of IT companies have been conducted. The results show, that when focusing on innovation functional diversity, or more broad verity, are of primary importance. The analysis of the interviews allowed for the identification of three dynamic capabilities: acquiring, conversion, and application of variety which transform diversity into innovation. The article shows, to fully draw from diversity a new approach to diversity management is required. It contributes to the ongoing debate on the future and new directions for diversity management and fills an existing theoretical and research gap by adding the dynamic capabilities approach to the discussion

Keywords:

• Diversity
• diversity management
• dynamic capabilities
• innovation
• IT sector

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Center under Grant DEC-2019/03/X/HS4/001134/2.

Notes on contributors

Jolanta Maj

Jolanta Maj (PhD in social sciences) is a researcher of diversity management at the Wrocław University of Science and Technology. Her expertise includes issues in diversity management and its place in organizational management, diversity management instruments, and the influence of diversity on organizational outcomes. She is particularly interested in the impact of diversity and inclusion on business innovation and efficiency. She has experience in studying companies in the IT sector, as well as specific groups of employees: people with a migrant background or representatives of different age groups. Her research was funded by the National Science Center. She has carried out research in cooperation with the University of Mannheim and the University of Bremen.