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Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt IW-Trends No. 4 25. December 2014 Diversity Management

Empirical Evidence on the Active Fostering of Cultural Variety in German Companies

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Diversity Management
Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt IW-Trends No. 4 25. December 2014

Diversity Management

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

Empirical Evidence on the Active Fostering of Cultural Variety in German Companies

According to the Federal Statistical Office, in 2012 there were some 16 million people from migrant families living in Germany. Almost every fifth member of the workforce has their roots in another country. The numbers highlight the importance of cultural diversity for the German labour market. Although the present study shows that cultural diversity is not (yet) a burning issue for almost half of companies (46.8 per cent), many different di-versity management measures are already being implemented. Common examples are cul-turally mixed teams, training courses in developing intercultural competences and foreign postings. They are to be found primarily in larger companies, including firms where fur-thering cultural variety is not yet an obvious priority. The main motive for companies to become active in this field is usually a wish to promote creative processes by networking employees with different cultural values, biographies and experiences (61.6 per cent). Second comes the desire to enlarge the pool of job applicants by systematically addressing skilled workers from abroad (47.9 per cent). And indeed, the policy seems to pay off: there is a robust positive correlation between a company’s innovation performance and if and how it uses diversity management measures to mingle different cultures.

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Diversity Management
Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt IW-Trends No. 4 25. December 2014

Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt: Diversity Management – Empirische Evidenz zur aktiven Förderung der kulturellen Vielfalt in deutschen Unternehmen

IW-Trends

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

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Possible Developments in the Supply of Skilled Workers up to the Year 2040
Wido Geis-Thöne IW-Report No. 11 7. April 2021

Possible Developments in the Supply of Skilled Workers up to the Year 2040

The German labor market is on the verge of a fundamental upheaval. While the number of people in the labor force has risen steadily in recent decades, it is likely to drop significantly as soon as the baby boomers retire.

IW

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Wido Geis-Thöne IW-Trends No. 1 8. February 2021

The Social Situation of Young People from Non-German-Speaking Families

An analysis of the microcensus shows that in 2017, around 2.4 million children and adolescents in Germany lived in non-German-speaking households. This corresponds to 17.7 per cent of all minors (under the age of eighteen) and 47.0 per cent of those with a ...

IW

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