Intersectional identities and career progression in retail: The experiences of minority‐ethnic women

Contributing to scholarship on diversity and inclusion (D&I) and careers within UK retailing, this paper documents the lived experiences of minority-ethnic women working in retail. Given the extensive research on both the career obstacles faced by women in a highly feminized sector and the disadvantages experienced by minority-ethnic workers in the UK labor market more broadly, consideration of social identity categories beyond gender and their impact on retailing careers in the existing literature is limited. Here we use intersectionality theory to explain how individual-level identity categories, such as gender, ethnicity and religion, intersect with wider organisational practices, which disadvantage the career progression of minority-ethnic women in UK retail. In a service-driven sector dependent upon consumers, we conclude that there is a need to consider intersectional identity experiences and power relations within the customer-employee relationship, as this disproportionately affects minority-ethnic women and the realization of their career goals in retail

Evaluation of ICD-9-CM codes for craniofacial microsomia

Craniofacial microsomia (CFM) is a congenital condition characterized by microtia and mandibular underdevelopment. Healthcare databases and birth defects surveillance programs could be used to improve knowledge of CFM. However, no specific ICD-9-CM code exists for this condition, which makes standardized data collection challenging. Our aim was to evaluate the validity of existing ICD-9-CM codes to identify individuals with CFM

Community-based care vs. centralised hospitalisation for MDR-TB patients, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

CAPRISA, 2015.Abstract available in pdf

Attitudes of employers and high school teachers toward skills needed for the workplace

This study bad several purposes: determine perceptions of teachers and employers about the importance and use of competencies and skills needed by high school graduates to be effective in the workplace of the future; determine points of agreement between the two stakeholders; and use findings to generate new philosophies of curriculum and instructional strategies at Walled Lake Central High School. A survey developed by Neal (1996) measuring the competencies and skills defined by the Secretary\u27s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) was completed by high school teachers and employers in one metropolitan community. Skill areas included basic skills, thinking skills, personal qualities, resource skills, systems and technology skills, informational skills and interpersonal skills. Findings of the study indicated that teachers representing different disciplines equally perceived the importance of the skill areas. However, systems and technology skills were perceived significantly more important by counselors and administrators than by classroom teachers. Findings also indicated that employers representing different occupations had similar perceptions of the importance of skills with the exception of basic skills, which was perceived significantly more positive by employers representing finance, insurance and real estate. There was significant disagreement on importance of information and resource skills, with teachers perceiving these skills more important than employers; otherwise, there was agreement on importance of the five remaining skills. The one significant finding of the study was that employers perceived the frequency of using the skill areas more positively than did teachers. Of the seven skill areas the only agreement was on the frequency of using informational skills. Although there were differences in perceptions of teachers based on staff development experiences and perceptions of employers based on relationships with the school district, these differences were not significant. The major conclusion determined from this study was although teachers and employers agreed on importance of skills for the workplace they are seldom included in instruction. This conclusion directly impacts the need for integration of workplace competencies into public school curriculum and teacher education programs. The involvement of employers in curriculum development is also needed to improve school-to-work transition

Understanding inclusion in the retail industry:incorporating the majority perspective

Purpose The aim of this paper is to move away from the focus upon the drivers of diversity to consider the drivers of inclusion in the workplace. The research outlined addresses this by considering the views of all employees, not just those who would be considered members of minority groups. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on an extensive set of case study data from a range of methodological sources. The case study is of a major high street retailer. Findings Findings focus upon what leads to employees feeling included in the workplace. In addressing this we explore both the drivers of, and barriers to, inclusion. We argue that inclusion is complex and that individuals may feel included by some aspects of organisational culture whilst simultaneously feeling excluded by others. Practical implications The implications of our results for HR practitioners are that organisations need to pay attention to general HR policies as ways of enhancing inclusion, for example development practices, but also pay attention to the different needs of diverse groups. Originality/value The paper is original in that in recognising that equality, diversity and inclusion are all closely related, we demonstrate that an understanding of the effectiveness of diversity strategies needs to be fundamentally informed by a consideration of inclusion which can only occur through an engagement with employee's understandings of organisational culture and their place or otherwise within it. Without this employee engagement, many well-intentioned diversity initiatives may go awry. Moreover, the value of the research is that it demonstrates that in order to be successful an inclusion strategy needs to embrace both minority and majority perspectives