Árendás Zsuzsa, Fejős Anna, Messing Vera: Do the Roma fit into corporate diversity? The inclusion of Roma in private sector firms in Hungary

 

Diszkusszáns: Tardos Katalin

Időpont: 2021. december 7. 11:00 

Helyszín: Online

Zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88321765720?pwd=aXZCS2o3eHhraUt1QU5zdG00TVRDdz09 

Meeting ID: 883 2176 5720

Passcode: 290682

 

A tanulmány angol nyelvű absztraktja:

The goal of this article is to explore corporate policies and practices to examine their potential in empowering the Roma in Hungary. By analysing interviews and facilitated group discussions with HR professionals at MNCs, investigates leading multinational companies’ (MNCs) diversity concepts, and firm-level initiatives that target the employment of Roma within the broader diversity/equality frameworks in the country. The novelty of the paper is twofold: it focuses on equality and diversity practices in Central East Europe, a highly understudied region, and it provides insights into the hiring processes of the business sector concerning the Roma, the largest racialized minority of the region. The study draws on a placement project and its impact assessment aimed at building a bridge between companies and Roma youth with secondary school or higher education. The empirical data reveal a strong company preference towards the equal treatment (ET) approach, in line with the legal requirement of anti-discrimination. Although most companies have developed diversity employment principles, these do not include the Roma along other vulnerable groups. The few efforts to support the Roma show low level institutionalization and depend on the individual dedication and awareness of a few professionals. Our findings are of high relevance in a challenging political and economic environment in Hungary marked by an unfolding social crisis related to the pandemic, and uncertainties deriving from democratic backsliding.