ABSTRACT
Introduction The development of formal approaches to organizational equality policy in Britain dates back to the late 1970s, and was strongly influenced by the anti-sex and race discrimination legislation of the period. The legislation of the 1970s was pivotal in drawing attention to inequalities in employment and in placing equality issues on the policy agenda of employers (Liff, 1995), but the legislation is essentially liberal and as such, minimalist in nature (see the discussion in Chapters 5 and 6). By this we mean that it focuses on issues of equal access to and equal treatment in employment, avoiding the more sensitive political issues involved in the radical approach of ‘redistributing rewards’ or in shaping labour market outcomes. Following from this, organizational policies have traditionally
approaches. To examine the nature and content of equality and diversity policy and practice in dif-
ferent organizational contexts. To explore the role of key organizational actors in promoting equality and
diversity.
