Semiotic Analysis of Workforce Diversity
Refat, Ahmed M.
Refat, Ahmed M.
Publication Date
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Rights
The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.
Peer-Reviewed
Open Access status
Accepted for publication
Institution
University of Bradford
Department
School of Management. Faculty of Management, Law and Social Sciences
Awarded
2023
Embargo end date
Collections
Additional title
Abstract
Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this dissertation is to affect a paradigmatical shift in workforce diversity in response to the literature gap. Workforce diversity in the USA, a phenomenon often reduced to enumerable categories set forth by and in consequence of the Civil Rights Act. This Act outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex, race, colour, religion, pregnancy, national origin, age, and disability. These categories emerge from a Western, specifically Anglo-Saxon, perspective and are rooted in a nominalist presupposition that construes diversity as a collection of specific dimensions. Literature indicates a lack in diversity research, being narrowly focused on categorisable dimensions and causing conceptual fragmentation. Therefore, this dissertation studies diversity from a paradigm other than positivism and nominalism embedded in empiriometric models which are in no way equipped to understand the reality of diversity.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Peirce opposed nominalism and positivism. Thus, this thesis adopts semiotics, effectively shifting diversity from empiriometric paradigm to Peirce’s semiotic realism. Peirce held that humans are themselves signs, dynamically acting as mutual interpretants from their individual frames of reference. The data will be analysed within the Peircean Logic System to allow for extracting the signs in accordance with the Peircean triadic structure.
Findings: The interviews revealed differing attitudes and, therefore, radically opposed interpretations of diversity’s nature. Participants highlighted disparities in the creation of identities because of a fragmented approach to the terms used by the Civil Rights Act. Hence, this thesis gave diversity an essential definition as approbation of the other as other.
Version
Citation
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Thesis
Qualification name
DBA