ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests some examples of the sorts of institutional, cultural and political factors which may act as enablers or constraints on the development of American-style diversity management in Europe. There is insufficient space to list the intra-European differences of culture, history and institutions which might have some relevance to diversity management, but consider a number which spring to mind as the sorts of factors which might be relevant. One universal theory of convergence is 'industrialism'. Industrialism seeks to identify universal trends in industrial organisation, emphasising, for example, a technological imperative which leads to a single trajectory of development. The principle of French policy is to be 'colour blind'. According to this approach, multiculturalism or ethnic cultures should remain in the private sphere, and should not be recognised in the public domain. Immigrants are seen as guest workers without full social and political rights. Immigrants are awarded full rights but are expected to assimilate to cultural norms.
