This is the observation made by the Reunion organization of the National Union of Liberal Professions (UNAPL), in view of the results of a study carried out in January 2024 on the adaptation of management to the diversity of populations.
“This remarkable work is essential, because inclusion is the basis of team well-being and also company performance. We are dealing with a crucial question of the attractiveness of our liberal professions in a very specific territory in terms of diversity”, Judge Abdullah Lala, president of UNAPL Meeting. The study “Adapting management to the diversity of populations of island companies” is financed by the Fund for the Improvement of Working Conditions. To carry it out, the UNAPL Réunion team has written two interview guides : one for the leaders, one for employees. A total of 150 contacts were made and 50% of interviews lasted one hour, sign of the importance of this question for the participants.
A collective project
For most of the managers interviewed, diversity is conjugated in the plural. Which explains that, often, actions are not formalized. On the other hand, the size of companies favors proximity relationships. Two thirds of the companies studied are VSEs with fewer than 10 employees. The fact remains that a majority of the managers interviewed testify to the importance in their eyes of adapting to the religious and cultural practices of employees.. Excluding public holidays, days off are offered on the occasion of certain religious holidays. Dietary preferences are also taken into account. In certain health professions, and more specifically in pharmacies, the cultural diversity of the teams appears to be an asset in enabling it to better meet customer expectations, itself diversified.
Fertile soil for success
The values supported by diversity promote the conditions for reinforced cohesion in teams and also better employee engagement.. Nearly a third of managers consider that supporting inclusive practices in the company improves working conditions. Less tension and stress for teams, including for the manager. The organization of work is discussed calmly, taking into account the expectations of individuals and the interests of the work community.. The impact is considered real on the agility and creativity of the company, on team autonomy, as well as the company’s brand image. And the manager feels supported in his management : 80% of managers surveyed do not have to manage conflict related to diversity within their team. In fine, all these factors contribute to the overall performance of the company (economic performance, social and societal), say the leaders interviewed.
Men and women : inequality in diversity
In this apology for diversity, women nevertheless remain very poorly represented in managerial positions (19% only) and, On the other hand, dominant in the “employees” category. The managers interviewed say they are implementing various actions to better reconcile professional and private life.. These actions mainly concern schedule flexibility, flexible organization of leave, especially for caring for sick children, the chosen teleworking and, in activities operating on Saturday or Sunday, collective consultation to organize working time.
