Agency of Diversity Managers in Organizational Change
This paper summarizes and analyzes the conceptual framework developed by Tatli and Ozbilgin (2009) for understanding the agency of diversity managers in organizational change. The framework centers on three core concepts: situatedness, relationality, and praxis. It embeds the diversity manager's agency in three historically formed social structures—cultural and demographic labor market dynamics, institutional structures governing diversity and equality, and the broader business environment. The paper also examines how organizational policy shapes managerial effectiveness, and how micro-, meso-, and macro-level relationality alongside reflexive praxis inform the diversity manager's capacity to exert influence in an increasingly globalized workplace.
- Introduction: Overview of Tatli and Ozbilgin's three-concept framework
- Social Field: Cultural, Demographic, and Institutional Structures: Labor market dynamics and institutional equality structures
- The Business Environment and Globalization: Globalization's role in driving diversity management needs
- Situatedness in the Organizational Field: Organizational policy constraints on diversity manager effectiveness
- Relationality and Praxis in the Conceptual Framework: Micro, meso, macro relationality and reflexive praxis explained
- Conclusion: Synthesis of all three concepts in globalized workplaces
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper stays closely tethered to its primary source, using direct quotations strategically to demonstrate engagement with the original theoretical framework rather than simply paraphrasing.
- It progresses logically through each concept—situatedness, relationality, and praxis—building a cumulative understanding of the framework before synthesizing all three in the conclusion.
- The author connects abstract theoretical constructs (e.g., doxa, capitals) to concrete organizational realities, making the framework accessible without oversimplifying it.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates effective source synthesis in an article review format. Rather than merely listing what the source says, the author explains why each element of the framework matters, interpreting the significance of situatedness within historical social structures and showing how relationality and praxis interact. This interpretive layer distinguishes a strong article review from a simple summary.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction that identifies the three central concepts and states its purpose. It then moves through the social field elements—cultural/demographic dynamics, institutional structures, and business environment—before addressing situatedness at the organizational level. The final substantive section covers relationality and praxis together, culminating in a synthesis that links all three concepts. The structure mirrors the logical sequence of Tatli and Ozbilgin's own framework, making it easy to follow.
Introduction
The article by Tatli and Ozbilgin (2009) identifies three concepts that are essential for understanding the diversity manager's agency in the organizational change process: (1) situatedness, (2) relationality, and (3) praxis. This three-dimensional conceptual framework, used to chart the manager's agency, embeds it "in the process of organizational change" (Tatli & Ozbilgin, 2009, p. 247). This paper provides a synopsis of the article and describes the authors' conceptual framework in detail, discussing all three concepts in order to develop a deeper understanding of the agency of diversity managers in organizational change.
Social Field: Cultural, Demographic, and Institutional Structures
Tatli and Ozbilgin (2009) state that "in our framework, social field of diversity management refers to three historically formed structures at the social level: cultural and demographic dynamics in the labour market; institutional structures regarding diversity and equality (legislation and institutional actors); and the business environment" (p. 248). The conceptual framework developed by the authors is thus rooted in the history of social structures in labor, in institutions, and in business.
The first of these—the cultural and demographic dynamics in the labor market—"frame the diversity concerns in a society" (Tatli & Ozbilgin, 2009, p. 248). Considering the various historical trajectories of different societies, it is important to recognize that some demographics "are socially constructed as the majority or mainstream while others are relegated as minorities or are marginalized" (Tatli & Ozbilgin, 2009, p. 248). Because of this difference, the process of diversity management will vary with the cultural dynamics that exist in the society and labor market in which the organization is situated. Furthermore, the manner in which the labor market is constructed bears directly on the management of diversity, as the former shapes the need for the latter.
The conceptual framework is also shaped by the institutional structures of diversity and equality—especially within the context of legislative and institutional acts. As Tatli and Ozbilgin (2009) put it, "the institutional structures that reproduce or combat inequality in the area of employment affect the handling of workforce diversity at the organizational level" (p. 284). This means that diversity managers must be aware of the employment laws in their society—those laws which provide regulatory guidelines on employing persons and preventing discrimination. Likewise, diversity managers must be aware of the role that unions and other professional and legal entities play in representing different stakeholders in the industry.
The Business Environment and Globalization
The business environment also helps to define the authors' conceptual framework. Tatli and Ozbilgin (2009) state that "the globalization of business and changing patterns of work organization, production, and competition have led to the rising need for diversity management" (p. 284). As more and more markets from around the world become interconnected and various players are integrated into the organizational structure as stakeholders—"consumers, shareholders, employees, the state, trade unions, and diversity and equality institutions"—the need for diversity management of these myriad parts becomes apparent (Tatli & Ozbilgin, 2009, p. 284).
Conclusion
In this manner, the concepts of relationality and praxis are implemented within the authors' conceptual framework, joining the concept of situatedness to provide the meaning and structure attending to the agency of diversity managers in a workplace environment that has become increasingly globalized and diverse today.
References
Tatli, A., & Ozbilgin, M. (2009). Understanding diversity managers' role in organizational change: Towards a conceptual framework. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 26, 244–258.
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