Managing Corporate Virtue

Based on an in-depth study carried out in the business districts of New York City and Paris, Managing Corporate Virtue looks beyond the whirlwind of public rhetoric about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and examines corporate diversity practices from behind the scenes. By focusing on the experiences of the workers entrusted with implementing diversity initiatives in large workplaces, Laure Bereni identifies common aspirations, frustrations, challenges, and strategies in the field. By comparing the history and form of these efforts in New York and Paris, she reveals the ways in which DEI initiatives are shaped by legal frameworks, public policies, and cultural legacies. Ultimately, the book highlights the inherent organizational fragility of corporate diversity practices, but also affirms their potential for resilience in the face of political headwinds.