Diversity management in construction organisations

Diversity is increasingly present in the world and in organisations. Respect for differences has been the subject of legislation and group demonstrations, and is proving to be a major challenge for companies dealing with a heterogeneous work environment. Managing these differences correctly can go a long way towards gaining a competitive advantage in the market, as well as stimulating creativity, innovation, improving problem-solving, attracting labour and strengthening the company's image. On the other hand, organisations that don't give due consideration to the issue of diversity run the risk of increasing their absenteeism rate, turnover, dissatisfaction, wear and tear on the organisational climate, exclusion of minorities, among other factors. Given this context, the aim of this study is to investigate diversity management in organisations in the construction industry, seeking to understand how managers and employees perceive diversity in the context in which they work; to identify the types of diversity; to verify the existence of programmes and practices in favour of diversity in organisations and to find out how the relationship between the different groups in the organisational environment takes place.