Diversity Management: a focus on Italy and Europe

As globalisation and internationalisation increase, diversity in society and in the workplace is steadily rising. Organisations who are able to effectively interpret the diversity and uniqueness of their workforce will have a significant competitive edge and find it easier to adapt the present and future professional environment. Although it is often governed by italian and international law and has its roots in fundamental human rights, the topic of diversity and inclusion is not always simple to put into practice. A worldwide pandemic, climate change, and political instability have all contributed to social and economic concerns that have exacerbated uncertainty in recent years. Due to these challenges, it is now easier to see how unequal society really is and how these new social contradictions have worsened certain differences and increased certain inequalities already present in our labour system, amplifying social fragility. The aim of this thesis is to reflect and share the deeper meaning of the concepts of diversity and inclusion, moving from the role of leadership, the starting point of diversity and inclusion initiatives, and the differences most commonly encountered in the workplace: disability, ethnicity, gender, age. The thesis's central issue, diversity management, is introduced in the first section of the analysis, presenting a summary of the diversity management category's conceptual and historical development. The study's second section focuses on the various approaches to diversity management. The handling of diversity management in Europe is described, together with a historical reconstruction of the evolution of the acceptance of the Charters of Diversity by the European countries. 4 The italian workplace is then examined to learn how companies try to accept diversity and handle it well. The Italian Diversity Charter, the Italian Charter for Equal Opportunities and Equality at Work, and the establishment of the National Anti-Racist Discrimination Office (UNAR) are analysed. The thesis concludes with a section that highlights notable and excellent examples of diversity management implemented effectively in the workplace. There are several goals for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) management that are connected to the pursuit of societal benefits and can be linked to ethical and justice issues (justice-case). However, businesses cannot forget a number of goals that are related to concerns about profitability and competition, linked to the pursuit of economic benefits (business-case).