The diversity management paradox – A discourse analysis of Finnish media texts The phenomenon called ‘diversity management’ originating in North America has recently emerged in Europe. Although the importance of a diverse workforce has been emphasised in Finland, research on diversity management has been rather limited. In this study, we examine the discursively constructed meanings of diversity and diversity management in Finnish media texts. On the basis of our analysis, we (re)constructed five discourses for understanding diversity and diversity management. Based on our analysis, we suggest that the significance of the diversity discussion in Finland lies primarily in encouraging businesses not only to increase but also to condone diversity. We contribute to the contemporary literature on discursive perspectives on diversity management by highlighting the significance of local contexts to management of diversity. While most of the five discourses emphasise the need for managing diversity, the legalistic discourse imposes limits on systematic and purposeful selection of a diverse workforce. The possibilities of diversity management are thus constructed as paradoxical: By actively managing diversity, organisational practices may be in conflict with regulations. Yet if organisations do not pay attention to diversity, this can be considered to be discriminatory practice.

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