Diversity Management Put to the Test: The Case of Crédit Agricole SA

The institutional pressure of laws and associations, as well as the search for economic performance, combined with various expectations, create a gap of perception between the idea of an ideal policy and the reality of diversity felt by the actors within their organisation.This gap leads to forms of demotivation and demobilisation, unfavourable to the development of a diversity policy which would claim to be efficient.

How could we actually limit the unavoidable slowdown of the diversity management? Once the reasons why the actors of an organisation such as Crédit Agricole S.A. are restrained in developing an inclusive type of diversity management are analysed, this thesis brings tangible solutions to manage diversity in a way which is closer from the actors' expectations. From a triangulation of data analysis within the framework of a qualitative methodology, inclusion has not necessarily appeared as the actors' main expectation. Participative observation, the main case study highlighted with 3 complementary cases, 55 interviews (15 about diversity + 40 related to the handicap dimension), allow thus to bring managerial propositions to meet the main expectation of the actors which is the need to dialogue, in the sense of talk. The first step involves identifying the actors likely to be demotivated in order to mobilize them by allowing them to speak again afterwards. Allow them to speak does not necessarily involves setting up formal procedures, but more precisely taking time to exchange, creating a sharing time  and thus establishing a better quality of life at the workplace.