Abstract

Today’s modern organisations have no choice but to face choices regarding how to implement diversity initiatives and treat their stakeholders, given the globalized nature of capital markets. Unfortunately, their foci appear to be narrowly deployed at the ‘managing diversity’ level, or even the ‘acknowledging diversity’ level, but not getting to the necessary ‘inclusion’ level. This paper reports on an in-depth study which focused beyond multiculturalism to include psychological issues of diversity relating to identity, intention, expectations, power and inclusion. The study sought to investigate this premise through insights gained from the analysis of personal stories relating to individual experiences of diversity, and the outcomes provide new and deeper insights for the design, implementation and success of diversity initiatives.

Key words: Identity, intention, expectations, inclusion, psychological dimensions, power, South Africa.