Findings tensions and inconsistencies at macro and

Findings – Tensions and inconsistencies at macro and meso levels impact on diversity management
at a micro level. The authors demonstrate how power and context are intertwined in the biopolitical
positioning of subjects in terms of gender and indigeneity. The contested legacy of indigenous-colonial
relations and societal gender dynamics are “ played out ” in a case from the accounting profession.
Research limitations/implications – Within critical diversity studies context and power are linked
in a reciprocal relationship; analysis of both is mandatory to strengthen theory and practice. The multi-
level analytical framework provides a useful tool to understand advances and lack of progress for
diversity groups within specific organizations.
Originality/value – While many diversity scholars agree that the analysis of context is important,
hitherto its application has been vague. The authors conduct a multi-level analysis of context,
connecting the power dynamics between the levels. The authors draw out implications within one
profession in a specific country socio-politics. Multi-level analyses of context and power have the
potential to enhance the theory and practice of diversity management.
Keywords Gender, Context, M ā ori, Diversity management, Multi-level analysis,
Aotearoa New Zealand
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
A core feature of contemporary diversity studies is attention to ongoing contextual
processes (Zanoni et al. , 2010). In this paper we engage directly with the challenge of how
context matters in terms of power. As Ahonen et al. (2014, p. 264) argue persuasively
“ context is not a ‘ variable ’ or ‘ background ’ , but a complex array of power relations,
discursive practices and forms of knowledge that need to be analysed ” . These power
relations need to be taken into account to better understand the ambiguities of
implementing workplace diversity within local contexts. We situate our work within
critical diversity studies by demonstrating how the historical and socio-political contexts
may be operationalized using the setting of Aotearoa New Zealand. While other country
contexts have been analysed in diversity research (e.g. Ozbilgin and Tatli, 2008; Klarsfeld
2010), the link between country context and the intergroup power dynamics is often
broadly sketched. Within this paper we aim to analyse how context and power are
intertwined and explore tensions and inconsistencies that can arise in local diversity
management discourses for two groups: women and indigenous M ā ori.
Scholars have called for multi-level diversity studies (Pringle, 2009a; Zanoni et al. ,
2010) arguing that diversity practices are shaped by the historical, social organizational
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
An International Journal
Vol. 34 No. 6, 2015
pp. 470-482
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
2040-7149
DOI 10.1108/EDI-05-2015-0031
Received 20 August 2014
Revised 15 June 2015
Accepted 21 June 2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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factors and the interactions among them. As Syed and Ozbilgin (2009, p. 2436) suggest,