Gevolgen van marktdifferentiatie voor diversiteit, inclusie en kansengelijkheid in kindercentra: een vergelijkende casestudy

Abstract

Is it possible to distinguish different organizational designs of childcare centers? If so, do different organizational designs differ in diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy? This study explores in a qualitative case study amongst thirteen childcare centers on their design and strategy. More specifically, are attention for differences in ethnicity, color and social-economic backgrounds of staff, clients and children (diversity) and efforts to ensure sense of belonging and uniqueness (inclusion) of everyone involved part of the organizational strategy? By interviewing location managers, information on organizational strategies, design and D&I strategy was obtained. Analysis indicates the existence of different D&I strategies, which are related to different organizational designs, in accordance with characteristics from a configurational organization theory. D&I strategy in organizational strategy and design was found mainly as a ‘multicultural-loving’ strategy in most expensive market-oriented childcare centers, and mainly out of necessity embedded in cheapest public childcare centers. However, D&I strategy was also related to client diversity, showing segregation and inequality. This exploration provides questions for further research on organizational designs and its relation to D&I strategy at different organizational levels.