Shifting the Paradigm: Diversity Communication on Corporate Web sites

In recent years, diversity has been one of the prominent issues that companies have addressed on their Web sites. Yet, few studies have investigated public relations efforts on diversity communication via corporate Web sites. Using S&P 500 companies as a sample, this study examined how corporate-level public relations efforts position diversity in Web communication with the public. The results of this study suggest that diversity communication on the S&P Web sites reflected a diversity management paradigm, positioning diversity as requisite variety and competitive advantage. Occasionally, diversity was linked to corporate social responsibility. Based on the results, this article argues that, beyond requisite variety or moral responsibility, diversity should be conceptualized as a core company value established through dialogue.