Legitimizing a Diversity Policy in a Challenging Environment: A Case Study of a French Business School

Legitimar una política de diversidad en un entorno desafiante: el caso de una escuela de negocios francesa

Magalie Marais (), Cédrine Joly, Maryline Meyer, Mélanie Jaeck (), Myriam Kessari (), Meena Andiappan and Lucas Dufour
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Magalie Marais: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School
Cédrine Joly: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School
Maryline Meyer: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School
Mélanie Jaeck: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School
Myriam Kessari: UMR MOISA - Marchés, Organisations, Institutions et Stratégies d'Acteurs - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement
Meena Andiappan: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School
Lucas Dufour: Groupe Sup de Co Montpellier (GSCM) - Montpellier Business School

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Abstract: This paper explores how a diversity policy is legitimized along moral, pragmatic and cognitive dimensions in a challenging environment (conflicting demands with regard to diversity). In this case study-based paper, we use evidence gathered from 92 interviews with members of key stakeholder groups, observation, and secondary data sources in a French business school. We find that perceptions about the legitimacy of a diversity policy may be ambivalent when legitimacy is evaluated along several dimensions. We conclude that legitimizing a diversity policy requires step-by-step management, with the organization selecting and combining various legitimization strategies over time.

Keywords: Legitimacy; diversity policy; legitimization strategies; challenging environment; case study; business school; Legitimidad; política de diversidad; estrategias de legitimación; entorno desafiante; estudio de casos; escuela de negocios; Légitimité; politique de diversité; stratégies de légitimation; environnement difficile; étude de cas; école de management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Published in Management international = International management = Gestión internacional, 2020, 24 (1), pp.56-71. ⟨10.7202/1069094ar⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02998363

DOI: 10.7202/1069094ar

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