Workforce Diversity as a Guiding Light towards SHRM: Exploring managers' views regarding workforce diversity, its impact on Recruitment and Selection Practices, and the role of Sustainable HRM within Organizations

Abstract

The goal of this research is to explore the managers’ views concerning the challenges and benefits of workforce diversity within their organizations; what kind of workforce diversity practices managers implement during recruitment and selection processes; whether these practices are related with SHRM; and how managers perceive the role of SHRM for their organizations. This study takes place within the same International Hotel Chain but in two different countries - Greece and Belgium. This is a qualitative study and the data was collected by conducting interviews. The size of the sample was totally eight people distributed in two Hotels, where the participants were four managers for each one of the Hotels – four in Greece and four in Belgium. The findings reveal that both Hotels have applied ordinary and some innovative workforce diversity practices during R&S processes. The implementation of diversity management as a strategy consists of a “common denominator” for both Hotels. The societalizing of R&S processes via workforce diversity in combination with the “strategic” perspective of HRM & Diversity Management consist of the ways through which the managers adopt the concept of SHRM practices for their Hotels. Additionally, a brand-new perspective emerges for contributing towards SHRM practices – “Human Perspective”. The sustainable R&S practices of both Hotels increase their sustainability and employees’ performance. however, factors such as home-culture and external conditions can influence managers’ perceptions regarding the implementation of SHRM practices for Hotels. This study is expected to contribute to the theoretical body of knowledge regarding the SHRM Framework and Diversity Management as well as providing managerial proposals for increasing organizations’ effectiveness and sustainability.