dc.description.abstract | Diversity is a commitment to recognizing and appreciating the variety of characteristics
that make individuals unique in an atmosphere that promotes and celebrates diversity.
Diversity management practices involve the activities undertaken to encourage
employees to value diversity. The objective of the study was to establish diversity
management Practices in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The study adopted
a case study design. Primary data was collected from 12 respondents out of 13
respondents using an interview guide and this gave a response rate of 92%. The
population consisted of 42 officers who are members of the Departmental and Ministerial
committees on diversity management. Data was analyzed using content analysis. It was
established that the Ministry has policies and strategies on gender and disability
mainstreaming with sexual harassment clearly articulated in the gender based violence
policy. There was no policy on sexual orientation, ethnicity and age consideration and the
Ministry relied on the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Government circulars and Human
Resource Manual. The study established that gender mainstreaming, disability
mainstreaming, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation were ranked in order of importance.
It can be concluded that the Ministry needs to have in place policies on ethnicity, sexual
orientation and age consideration. The recommendations were that the Ministry should
make diversity management, a strategic matter and each employee made to account for
their involvement in diversity improvement programs as part of continuous performance
assessment. Stake holder involvement was found to be important. Sexual orientation
should be addressed and studies undertaken to establish how many officers are of non
conformist sexual orientation. The Ministry needs to drive all components of diversity at
the same level and not to leave behind the three that have been mentioned without
policies. The Ministry is encouraged to have a general value strategy to manage diversity.
The study also recommends that gender mainstreaming, disability mainstreaming,
ethnicity management, age consideration and sexual orientation need separate policies.
Further studies should be undertaken in other organizations in Kenya. | en_US |