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In diverse societies such as South Africa, organizations continue to face inclusion challenges when implementing change. This study proposes a different method and new dimension of diversity management within the cognitive diversity construct, namely human niche theory, to tackle the diversity dilemma of exclusivity. The research question asked whether human niche theory, as a defined concept within cognitive diversity, could be utilized by managers to enable inclusion and promote sustainable organizational change implementation. Conceptually, this paper relates human niche theory to seven themes in the change process, namely, communication, training, motivation, resources, control, monitoring, and feedback. An exploratory single case study in a multicultural South African automotive organization that implemented a company-wide technology change project was used as a unit of analysis. The single case study revealed a new understanding of change implementation processes using the human niche theoretical framework related to radical technological change implementation. Data collection included in-depth interviews, focus group sessions, solicited company data, field notes, and observations. Content and comparative data analysis were used to present findings. This research showed that managers’ awareness of human niche theory in terms of cognitive diversity could assist in managing diversity, enabling inclusion, and change effectiveness in the organization, while minimizing emotional exclusion.

Orientation: Diversity management, focusing on developing and appreciating diverse ideas and building relations among diverse employees, and new electronic human resource management (e-HRM) approaches to employees, often leave employees feeling disrespected and indignant. Thus, instead of human resource practitioners, harnessing the strategic role of e-HRM towards value creation for people and organisation, e-HRM has taken a dehumanising turn. Research purpose: This research questioned how technological changes affecting e-HRM could optimise and enable diversity. Motivation for the study: Current literature does not adequately address this e-HRM dilemma impacting on HRM. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative exploratory case study was used to determine how and to what extent the application of e-HRM technology implementation impacted on diversity management. The human niche and ecological model theories help explain the nature of employees’ interactional relationships and coping mechanisms when intervening factors such as e-HRM are introduced respectively. Main findings: The research revealed disconnectedness between e-HRM, individuals and groups, affecting efficiency. Further research is required to improve humanistic approaches for e-HRM implementations. Practical/managerial implications: Application of human niche theory may guide a more participative approach from the onset. Leaders and managers who follow a pure transactional approach may fuel employee isolationism and hamper diversity management through technology in e-HRM. Contribution/value-add: Our findings provide insight into the unintended consequences of diversity. We indicated how e-HRM systems can lead to relational breakdown in a developing country context. Technology should be integrated in managing diversity, and not just focused on operational efficiencies.

Chapter 1 sets the stage for the way this book examines capitalism and its exploration of the social, political, and economic context of individuals’ and firms’ place within the societal setting. In this chapter, we provide the methodological orientation of our compilation and examination of the research addressing the theme Capitalism and the Social Relationship: An Organizational Perspective. We will also examine the nature of capitalism’s emergence as a global system and its current state, which impacts on the way organizations operate. Additionally, we will explore the inherent contradictions in the global capitalist system, created by outsourcing and offshoring, which have led to domestic imbalances for some countries, displacing individuals, and changing organizations. Finally, we will examine how the global capitalist system, as viewed by different political perspectives, addresses and resolves its inadequacies and how organizations are influenced by changes resulting from interactions within the capitalist system.

The drift towards new forms of delegation of control over crucial resources from public entities to private firms is a phenomenon can be directly linked to the wide spread of privatization policies in Western economies. In the literature, deciding whether privatizing or not state-owned enterprises is typically presented as a technical point that must be subject to an economic evaluation: the emphasis is put on the "the ante fact". In our study we want to discuss “the ex-post” in terms of effects produced on the relationship between consumers and providers. To interpret this dimension we introduce the concept of neo-medievalism. The context is offered by Italian market where, recently, many industries, and in particular many public utilities were privatized, in the name of a higher level of efficiency.