Gender and Diversity at Work: Changing Theories. Changing Organizations
Extended Deadline for Submission: September 30, 2007
Guest Editors
Jean Helms Mills
(Saint Mary's University)
Gloria Miller
(University of Regina)
gloria.miller@uregina.ca Albert J. Mills
(Saint Mary's University)
Managing diversity at the workplace presents as many dilemmas as triumphs, and is constantly fraught with innumerable tensions, conflicts, and contradictions. . . . Yet, much of the management literature on workplace diversity (with few exceptions) tends to ignore or gloss over these dilemmas while continuing to stress the potency of workshops and
training to accomplish the goals of workplace diversity. . . . Given the magnitude of the diversity movement, it is quite surprising to find that few scholarly attempts have been made to understand exactly what it offers and how it might be influencing organizational change (Prasad and Mills, 1998: 5)
What does it really mean to say that an organization itself, or an organizational policy, practice or slot in the hierarchy, is
"gendered"? In simpler terms, how do we know a gendered organization when we see one? This question is an important one, not only for the sake of theoretical and conceptual clarity, but also because the lack of precision with which the concept has been defined in much empirical work has potentially profound implications for the prospect of meaningful social and
organizational change. (Britton, 2000: 419).
In recent years there has been debate not only around the application of theories of gender and diversity to organizational change but also around contestation of the theories, or key aspects of the theories, themselves. That has been particularly the case in regards to `diversity' and `diversity management' but also, to some extent, feminist theories of gender at work. In this special issue we are looking for papers that explore the relationship between theories of workplace discrimination
and organizational change. In particular we encourage submissions from a variety of perspectives and methodological approaches that reflect on theories of gender and/or diversity and their potential to engender organizational change. Papers can include, but are not limited to:
· Accounts (or analyses) of on-going programs of organizational change aimed at addressing discrimination
· Meta analyses of extant theory within a given area of gender or diversity research.
· Case studies of diversity change programs
· Assessments of the relationship between gender and diversity theory, organizational change, and methodology.
· Theoretical contributions to existing debates around gender, diversity, and organizational change.
· Socio-historical accounts of anti-discrimination practices and policies over time
· Cross-national comparative analyses of feminist (or diversity focussed) strategies of change.
All submitted papers must adhere to format guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA format). Please visit the CJAS website at: cjas.mcmaster.ca for further APA guidelines. Please email submissions to
cjas@mcmaster.ca to the attention of the guest editors and indicate in the subject heading that the submission is intended for the Special Issue on
Gender and Diversity at Work: Changing Theories. Changing Organizations.
All submitted papers to CJAS will undergo a blind peer review.
NOTE: Papers that are not accepted for the special issue but which successfully make it through the peer review process will be considered for publication is a regular issue of the journal.