Communicating Diversity Online

Subject to demographic changes and strong internationalization, more and more multinational corporations claim to have diversity management policies and are offering diversity sections within their corporate websites. This thesis critically analyses the online content of 25 multinational corporations considered as the best workplaces in 2012. By analysing their online communication strategy on diversity, the purpose is to understand how they define diversity and in which ways they communicate about it. Findings show that only one corporation actually defines diversity but that several dimensions of diversity are covered within the online content of the multinational corporations. Some companies appear to communicate more or equally on less-­‐-­‐-­‐visible differences, which seems to show a deeper understanding of diversity, while some others strongly rely on the social justice case. By analysing and comparing those contents on diversity, the study reveals how defining and communicating ‘diversity’ is complex as the quality and attention given to it varies among the companies. It also shows that mind-­‐-­‐-­‐set influences the way diversity is approached. Overall, this study extends and builds on existing scholarship in diversity management in general and corporate communication in particular.