MANAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEES' DIVERSITY AS A CHALLENGE IN SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

Diversity in the workplace, which has been growing in recent years in Europe, is not only a response to the on-going demographic processes (aging of the developed countries and migration movements), but is also dictated by the on-going globalization and increasing diversity of consumers' needs. The concept of diversity management is gaining more and more popularity in Poland. The number of companies undertaking diversity management activities is increasing, which is supposed to contribute to eliminating the phenomenon of discrimination in the workplace and building an organizational culture open to diverse employees. Enterprises should, therefore, manage diversity not only because discrimination is unethical and prohibited by law, but also because it can bring diverse benefits to the company. Differences between people affect how people behave, feel, act and how they are perceived. They also affect how people work. Taking them into account may allow the organization to use all the competencies and abilities of a team of employees, and thus obtain optimal results in both the quality and quantity of work. Also, public institutions promote diversity management, pointing to them as the desired norm of functioning of Polish enterprises. After all, with public organizations, which schools are, rests the responsibility for the future of every nation, because it is school that educates, communicates knowledge and prepares for life in the society of young people. That is why it is so important for school employees to fulfill their obligations as well as possible and be fully devoted to the needs of the profession. Due to the growing importance and timeliness of the analyzed issues, the aim of the article is to determine the significance and benefits of managing diversity in educational institutions, identify challenges and define the responsibility of managers in managing employees in a diverse work environment. The research method chosen by the authors is the analysis of the subject literature in the field of diversity management, as well as research carried out by various authors in the area of the discussed issue. The conclusions from the study led to the formulation of specific recommendations that may be useful for school principals and people interested in school management to improve the functioning of the diversity management system, and thus, to improve the efficiency of educational institutions.