A Study on Competencies for Managing Workforce Diversity: Evidences from Multi National Enterprises in Switzerland

Managing diverse teams has become an important issue in the globalized business world. This paper aims to explore management competencies that facilitate the diverse team´s performance. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with eight managers and eight team members who lead or work in a diverse team in Switzerland. The results confirmed the five competencies managers need to possess in order to manage diversity effectively, namely Intrapersonal Competence, Interpersonal Management Competence, Leadership Competence, Actional/Business Management Competence, and Diversity Management Competence. The analysis highlighted some unique requirements that standing out in the Swiss Context. Some gaps of competencies that managers think are important and what team members think or expect from their managers were observed and underlined.