arbiter
JournalsPricingAccount

The complex diversity in Australian manufacturing: why DEI strategies are a challenge

Akash Hettiarachchi et al.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion2026https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-09-2024-0415article
AJG 2ABDC B
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

Purpose Manufacturing is critical to sovereign capability and global economic competitiveness in any country. This paper analyses the current state of workforce diversity across various sub-sectors of Australian manufacturing. The findings enhance the understanding of diversity at the sub-sector level and highlight the complexities among sub-sectors, providing insights for future researchers, policy makers and HR strategy developers. Design/methodology/approach This study analyses Australian census data from 2006 to 2021 for a comparative analysis of workforce trends in gender, generation, ethnicity, disability and educational qualifications in Australian manufacturing and manufacturing sub-sectors. Findings The study highlights significant differences in workforce diversity across manufacturing sub-sectors, emphasising the need for targeted, sub-sector-specific Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies and strategies under Industry 4.0. It argues that sector-wide strategies are insufficient, advocating for tailored interventions to address unique DEI challenges in sub-sectors and the importance of addressing specific skill challenges associated with technological advancements in each sub-sector. Originality/value The study findings underscore the importance of diversity strategies for retaining the older workforce in certain sub-sectors, attracting younger generations to specific industries, achieving gender balance beyond merely increasing women’s participation in manufacturing and ensuring meaningful ethnic representation across sub-sectors.

Open paper page →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-09-2024-0415

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{akash2026,
  title        = {{The complex diversity in Australian manufacturing: why DEI strategies are a challenge}},
  author       = {Akash Hettiarachchi et al.},
  journal      = {Equality, Diversity and Inclusion},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-09-2024-0415},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

The complex diversity in Australian manufacturing: why DEI strategies are a challenge

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.