Understanding Discrimination at Work: MBM Thesis Compares Dutch and Nigerian Companies

Obumneme Ejiofor’s Study Focused on Banking and Retail Sectors

Having worked in Human Resources in both Nigeria and the Netherlands, Wittenborg graduate Obumneme Ejiofor observed how the Diversity & Inclusion department is an integral part of HR in most Dutch companies. This inspired him to conduct his thesis research on this topic, in order to obtain an MBM degree in Human Resource Management.  

“I got really intrigued and decided to learn more about the prevalence of discrimination in the Netherlands. On top of that, I thought that it would be interesting to see how it compares to a developing economy that is also constituted of workers from multiple backgrounds but does not have the Diversity & Inclusion department integrated into its companies. And, more importantly, I wanted to understand the effect that discrimination has on employee job satisfaction in both of these countries, and what factors can mitigate these effects,” he explains.

Obumneme’s study focused on Nigerian and Dutch companies from the banking and retail industries, and he chose these sectors because they are well-represented in both countries, providing a good basis for comparison.  

The research employs a quantitative method, based on a structured questionnaire that was answered by a total of 339 participants, out of which 155 are from Nigeria and 184 from the Netherlands. To reach these respondents, Obumneme contacted them on LinkedIn and also relied on the assistance of their professional associations.  

The study finds that, in Nigerian workplaces, discrimination based on age was the most prevalent, closely followed by ethnicity and religion. In Dutch companies, however, discrimination based on race and ethnicity/nationality was the most prevalent type. Furthermore, Nigerian employees reported higher satisfaction levels in their relationships with coworkers compared to Dutch professionals, who reported lower levels. The Netherlands also recorded higher levels of dissatisfaction concerning the employees’ relationship with their bosses/supervisors. In both countries, employees are dissatisfied with promotion/recognition and pay.

Obumneme highlights that the study revealed the existence of more subtle discriminatory practices in both countries other than the traditional ones, such as race and nationality-based discrimination. “The research finds that the Netherlands recognises discrimination at work as a problem and there is a lot of awareness about it in the country, which is shown by the fact that many organisations have implemented diversity & inclusion departments, among other measures. This was not the case in Nigeria, where the prevalence of discrimination is not subtle and discrimination is not regarded as an issue by most organisations,” he underlines.  

According to the researcher, the most unexpected finding for him was that Nigerian employees showed higher levels of satisfaction concerning their relationship with coworkers and bosses than Dutch respondents. In his view, a qualitative study will be needed in the future to provide a deeper understanding of this issue.  

Currently, Obumneme is working in HR at an international company, as a Compensation & Payroll analyst. “I have integrated quite fast into Dutch society, and I was already speaking some Dutch in my first year in the Netherlands. Even though I work for an international company, everything there is done in Dutch, and I am pretty comfortable with that. I don’t know what the future holds, but I plan on staying in the Netherlands and continuing my career here,” he says.  

WUP 10/1/2023

by Ulisses Sawczuk

©WUAS Press