Gender Diversity and Inclusion at Work: Divergent Views from Turkey

The purpose of this book is to investigate gender diversity practices and discourse developed by listed companies in Turkey. It pursues this aim by advancing knowledge about business relations affecting workplace gender diversity. The research builds on Bourdieu’s field approach and implements a Thematic Analysis following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) guidelines. The findings of the book are based on data collected from unstructured interviews and secondary sources such as the official documents of national and international organizations, newspapers, legislation, and web pages of the related parties. The findings suggest that the implementation of gender diversity practices may require a transformation of perspective and the conditions regarding the political, economic, and cultural realm for realization of a pervasive movement. Due to the conservative and patriarchal culture, authoritarian rule and neoliberal policies, gender diversity and inclusion are not seen as issues that should be resolved through the commitment and collaboration of a field. Consequently, diversity management practices are instrumentalized by the business community as a means for corporate communication and image building rather than actively building a diverse workforce.