Career Progression of Equality and Diversity Professionals in U.K. National Health Service Organizations: A Knowledge Review

Abstract

This paper presents a knowledge review on the career progression of Equality and Diversity professionals within the British National Health Service. Adopting a multidimensional methodological approach, the review involved examining literature of published and unpublished literature including scientific journals, statistics, and national and international reports to highlight research gaps, consultation with experts, and documentary analysis of job advertisements. Thematic analysis was utilized to examine and report patterns within data generated from the multiple data collection methods. The review identified the concept of career undergoing a fundamental shift in strategy and consequent overhaul of traditional organizational structures in all sectors. New boundaryless organizations have presented the possibility of boundaryless careers, resulting in the renegotiation of the psychological contract between employee and employer. The knowledge review has identified that more needs to be addressed, from both employee and employer perspectives, to ensure that conditions are in place for such competences to flourish.