ABSTRACT
Increasing diversity in markets and economies and intensifying expectations for corporate social responsibility have made the diversity of the workforce a business imperative. This chapter provides an understanding of the importance of addressing diversity and inclusion (D&I) issues at the industry level, evaluates the hypothesis that D&I orientation differs across industries, and examines D&I trends and practices across industries. It addresses the question whether and how D&I orientations differ across industries in Japan using data on multiple industries in the manufacturing and service sectors over the period 2016–2020. The chapter elucidates the issues and challenges of human resource management in Japan by examining the trends and practices associated with diversity and inclusion. It sheds light on the role of industry-specific efforts and policies for promoting diversity and inclusion and reducing the gaps in the demographics of the workforce across industries. The chapter also outlines future directions for diversity management and inclusion initiatives in the Japanese context.
