This is an exciting time for research in HRD, diversity and equality. The current business environment brings with it challenges, from operating in a world with new technological tools and changing composition of employment practices. Managing effectively talent, utilising diverse skills, and recognising differences is key to achieve organisational goals in the future. Organisations and wider institutions have been asked to identify new ways to manage diversity, equality and differences in the workplace in response to the changes in our society. Hence, there is a need to explore further how organisational practice and function reinforces inclusion, acceptance and recognition at individual, group and organisational level. Nevertheless, Covid-19 has brought new challenges as to how remote work reinforces or not hidden inequalities and how organisations could support employee needs while working from home. We certainly need to explore further whether the ‘new norm’ reinforces cross cultural discrimination, workplace stigmas and management/employee trust withdrawal. We know that positive actions encourage the establishment of positive employment relationship and offer opportunities to translate diversity policies into improved performance. However, we have a long way to achieve greater inclusion, which promotes visible and non-visible differences.

Therefore, this conference stream is very timely as contributors can offer new insights into areas of diversity management, equality, inclusion, HRD and critical diversity management, hidden inequality, remote work and representation, welfare equality, leadership and organisational decisions and voluntary and involuntary disclosure of difference in relation to organisational realities and employment practices. We welcome contributions from different theoretical, practical and conceptual perspectives. Our scope is to explore new ways of managing and addressing equality and diversity issues, challenge current thinking and mobilise individual action towards developing inclusive working environments in the future.

Dr Stefanos Nachmias and Dr Andrea Subryan