Comparative Methodological Critique

Comparative Methodological Critique

Hoque, K. and Noon, M. (2004), Equal opportunities practices in Britain: Evaluating the 'empty shell' hypothesis", Work, Employment and Society, Vol. 18 (3):481-506

vs.

Ogbonna, E. and Harris, L. (2006) "The Dynamics of employee relationships in an ethically diverse workforce, Human Relations, Vol. 59 (3): 379-407

The aim of this paper is to compare two academic research articles, one informed by qualitative and another one by quantitative research designs, with focus on the methodological factors. Both papers tackle the issues of ethnic diversity and equality within the workplace, by describing the working lives and the problems that workers with diverse ethnic origins have to face and the attitudes of the companies approaching these aspects. The authors are trying to address the matter by examining the continuos fluctuations of work-related relations within a highly ethnical diverse workforce, while of particular importance being the fact of assessing the actual implementation of equal opportunities policies adopted by the companies in the UK. These research projects add to the growing number of studies which draw a picture on the very delicate matter of discrimination in the workplace and equal opportunities policies and practices that organisations uphold in order to create a more global working environment. Being a subject of vast proportions and of increased current interest, both approaches took their own strategy in unveiling the nature of work attitudes of employees with different ethnic backgrounds and demonstrating the improvements organisations have made or are expected to make towards establishing good practice.

Article 1: qualitative approach

The paper is concerned with ethnical diversity as being a reason for discrimination in the workplace and it also aims at addressing the implications of such ethnic diversity on the existing studies and also on the ethnic minorities concept itself....