Diversity and Inclusion in the Context of Work: How Do Managers and <scp>HR</scp> Managers Understand and Practice Diversity at the Workplace?

ABSTRACT Diversity and inclusion in contemporary workplaces have gained momentum as being a critical mechanism of management and human resource management practice. Whilst diversity and inclusion management have become commonplace in many organisations, little is known about what managers and human resource managers understand about the complexities of diversity management and how they action diversity and inclusion practices. Our study was underpinned by organisational theory to unpack the structures and work practices that inform diversity at the workplace. A total of 23 Australian organisations, in the state of Victoria, participated in a qualitative study to examine the perspectives of managers and human resource managers on their understandings of diversity management and practices within their respective organisations. Findings within the organisations indicate there is no collective strategic approach to diversity, mostly due to different hierarchical pressures and challenges. In most organisations, there are siloed, industry‐specific practices and a deficiency of common understandings of what and how to manage the complexities of diversity management. More needs to be known about diversity management for managers and HR managers to build and maintain diverse and inclusive workplaces.