Diversity Management in a Technological Context

Diversity management has an important role to play in South Africa. Because of its rich cultural history and apartheid legacy, diversity management issues arise as a concern more often than in other countries. Due to apartheid, South Africa was internationally isolated for many years, which gives issues around global competitiveness even more significance. In the South African context, the engineering sector is regarded as a motor for the country’s development, in which the management of diverse workforces is highly relevant. This has to be seen in light of a serious challenge facing the sector, where diversity management requirements have to be reconciled with a skills shortage that significantly afflicts the engineering sector. In this book, the practice of diversity management in Siemens South Africa serves to demonstrate that diversity management in the country is clearly centred on the contexts of race and race relations. Furthermore, the case study presents a comprehensive example of how a diverse workforce can be managed in a South African engineering company.