Chapter 14 Managing Diversity

1. Chapter 14 Managing Diversity

2. Objectives • Explain the broad definition of diversity • List the reasons why diversity is a business issue • Discuss ethnicity, gender, age, and culture in terms of workplace diversity • Define ethnocentrism

3. …Objectives • Provide examples of stereotyping and bias • Explain what happens to minority tokens in organizations • Understand how to design an inclusive workplace

4. Diversity Defined • Diversity • Differences and similarities with respect to ethnicity, race, culture, gender, age, functional background, educational background, lifestyle preferences, organizational tenure, personality, and ways of thinking

5. Why Is Diversity Important? • Increased variety of viewpoints • Ability to reach additional customers • Attracting and retaining the best talent • Decreased costs of turnover • Linkages to profitability

6. Aspects of Diversity • Ethnicity • By 2010, 34% of the U. S. workforce will be composed of non-Caucasians • Gender • Women make up 46% of the labor force and hold 50% of the managerial and professional positions • Age • By 2012, workers 55 and older will comprise 19.1% of the U. S. workforce • Culture • Increasing use of multinational teams and globalization of the workforce enhances the importance of culture

7. Barriers and Aids to Women’s Advancement in the Workplace • Women executives cite the following barriers to their advancement • Lack of general management or line experience • Exclusion from networks • Stereotyping and preconceptions about women’s roles and abilities • Women executives cite these reasons for their successful advancement • Consistently exceeding performance expectations • Successfully managing others • Developing a style male managers feel comfortable with • Expertise • Seeking out difficult, visible assignments

8. Generations and Their Work Expectations

9. Culture • Provides ready-made solutions for basic human problems and a sense of identity • Limits ability to appreciate alternative behaviors • All cultures have positive and negative aspects • Best understood as a series of trade-offs

10. Ethnocentrism - Defined Ethnocentrism is defined as the exaggerated tendency to think the characteristics of one’s own group or race are superior to those of other groups or races • Everyone possesses a degree of ethnocentrism, but it must be curbed to work effectively with people from other groups or races

11. Developmental Model Of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) This model is a taxonomy that describes how people react to cultural differences and develop intercultural competence

12. …Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) Defense One's own culture is the only real one. Other cultures are avoided and treated with disinterest Denial One's own culture is the only good one. Other cultures are criticized as inferior and differences are denigrated Minimization Elements of one's own culture are viewed as universal. Other cultures assumed to be basically similar; cultural difference is overly simplified Ethnocentric Stages

13. …Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) Acceptance One's own culture is just one of a number of equally complex worldviews. Other cultures are treated with respect and curiosity Adaptation One's worldview is expanded to include perspectives from another culture and learning to behave appropriately in that culture Integration The experience Of different cultural worldviews are incorporated into one’s identity Ethnorelative Stages

14. Stereotyping - Defined To stereotype is to assign identical characteristics to any people in a group regardless of the actual variation among members of the group • The prejudice that accompanies stereotypes prevents us from judging individuals fairly on their own merit

15. The Minority Experience • Minorities in both cultures and organizations often pay a high price for their “differentness”

16. What Happens to Tokens? Perceptual Tendency Result Performance pressure Receive more attention Exaggerated, polarized differences Contrast with majority Assimilation via stereotyping Role encapsulation 14 -16

17. Managing Diversity Effectively • Allows minorities and eccentric people to feel comfortable and contribute fully at work • Permits organizations to benefit from diverse viewpoints • Makes it easier to serve a diverse group of customers • Helps the organizations attract and retain high-quality minority employees

18. Characteristics of anInclusive Organization Capitalize on advantages of diversity Distribute organizational resources equitably Pluralistic organizational culture Fully integrated minority members in informal networks Widely shared ability to influence decisions

19. …Characteristics of anInclusive Organization Absence of prejudice and discrimination Policies, practices, and procedures are flexible and responsive to needs of all employees Minimum inter-group conflict among diverse groups Majority and minority members are equally identified with organizational goals

20. Steps to Creating anInclusive Organization • Tangibly demonstrate top management commitment to diversity • Establish unambiguous, explicit, and focused qualifications criteria used in selection decisions and clearly communicate those criteria • Develop strategies to recruit a diverse workforce • Remove barriers to achievement and advancement

21. …Steps to Creating anInclusive Organization • Encourage the development of a superordinate goal and a group identity • Establish appropriate training programs • Align organizational reward systems with recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing a diverse workforce • Monitor the effectiveness of diversity initiatives

22. Diversity/Intercultural Competencies • Tolerance of differences • Tolerance of ambiguity • Open-mindedness • Positive attitudes toward people and experiences • Patience • Personal self-awareness • Behavioral flexibility • Empathy • Interpersonal sensitivity • Good communication skills, including active listening • Ability to connect with others