From individual uniqueness to collective practice: a study on how workforce diversity impacts daily practices

Purpose This study explores how workforce diversity impacts daily practices in elderly care. It examines how diverse knowledge can become integrated into daily caregiving through specific processes and conditions. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a qualitative case study of two departments in a Norwegian elderly care facility, data were gathered through field observations and interviews with staff from diverse backgrounds. Findings The study demonstrates how different forms of knowledge, including cultural, professional and personal knowledge, and language capabilities combine via informal learning and collaborative problem-solving. Leadership support and team trust enable this integration, although language barriers, cultural stereotyping and resource constraints create challenges. Research limitations/implications The study is based on a single case in Norwegian elderly care. It theorizes how diversity becomes a resource through situated interactions, offering insights that are transferable to similar care contexts. Practical implications Organisations must establish conditions that enable knowledge-sharing across different experiences: leadership support for experimentation, spaces for informal learning and opportunities for reflection. Social implications This study shows how recognizing and integrating different perspectives in the workplace can lead to inclusive and collaborative practices. It indicates the social value of diversity not merely as representation but as a potential resource for collective learning and innovation in everyday work, with relevance for policy, management, and care quality. Originality/value This study contributes to both diversity management and service innovation literature by showing how different forms of knowledge blend and become integrated in elderly care practice. It moves past viewing diversity through demographic categories and shows how different backgrounds and knowledge serve as potential resources for the development of caregiving practices.