Addressing workplace inequality through diversity management efforts has long been a significant managerial challenge, often falling short of producing desired outcomes despite numerous initiatives. Although previous research has offered comprehensive insights into this issue, we argue that the ideological interplay between people management policies within a single organization may offer a new explanation. Corporate policies are instrumental in displaying and perpetuating the dominant ideologies. Through a detailed ideological analysis of diversity management and talent management policies at a global company, we have uncovered four patterns suggesting that diversity management policies were constructed largely within the ideological framework of talent management. These four patterns were: i) prioritizing organizational interests over employee interests; ii) applying separate processes to achieving the policy goals; iii) framing empowerment as employee voice rather than employee influence; iv) emphasizing the value of meritocracy. We conclude by providing three actionable recommendations for navigating the complexities of talent and diversity management, fostering truly inclusive and equitable workplaces.
