“Doing the Right Thing” and “Making a Difference”: The Role of Personal Ethical Values in Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

This article focuses on the salience of personal ethical values for diversity work. Theory and practice of diversity management (DM) are located in a wider business ethics agenda which acknowledges the rhetorical value of the business case for diversity, but which also integrates the moral responsib...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of business ethics Vol. 193; no. 1; pp. 179 - 191
Main Authors Greene, Anne-marie, Kirton, Gill
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Business and Management
Business Ethics
Consultants
Education
Equality
Ethics
Inclusion
Management
Motivation
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Original Paper
Philosophy
Positioning
Quality of Life Research
Social justice
Values
Workplace diversity
Personal ethics
Social justice
Diversity and inclusion
Business case
Consultants
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Summary:This article focuses on the salience of personal ethical values for diversity work. Theory and practice of diversity management (DM) are located in a wider business ethics agenda which acknowledges the rhetorical value of the business case for diversity, but which also integrates the moral responsibilities attached to people management. Drawing on findings from a qualitative study of external diversity and inclusion (D&I) consultants in the UK, the analysis reveals the extent to which personal ethical values act as motivators for and influences on DM work. The research finds that the unique positioning of external D&I consultants facilitates a productive tension towards their work with organizations, allowing them space and opportunity to navigate ethical tensions such that they stand as particularly valuable equality practitioners.
ISSN:0167-4544
1573-0697
DOI:10.1007/s10551-023-05514-w