Diversity in the Workplace

Dan Solarek
Myrna Rudder
Allen Rioux
Diversity in the Workplace
What should we
know about
diversity among
global cultures?
What should we
know about
diversity in the
workplace?
We will address both of these questions today We will address both of these questions today
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Major Topics
Language of Diversity
Dimensions of Diversity
Basic Demographics
Understanding Cultural Diversity
Lessons for the Workplace
Valuing and Managing Diversity
Discussion
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The Language of Diversity
Some Basic Definitions,
a Place to Start
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The Language of Diversity
Diversity is defined as a difference or
variety
the fact or quality of being diverse; different
a point or aspect in which things differ
variety or multiformity (not uniformity)
Charles Darwin saw in the diversity of species the
principles of evolution that operated to generate the
species: variation, competition and selection.
(Scientific American)
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Us
Race
the category to which others assign individuals
on the basis of physical characteristics and the
generalizations and stereotypes made as a
result
race is predominantly a social construct
only 2% of our genes are responsible for the visible
differences such as skin color
85% of human genetic variation exists within any
given population
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Us
Culture
the belief systems and value orientations that
influence customs, norms, practices, and social
institutions, including psychological processes
and organizations
the ways of life including arts, beliefs and
institutions of a population that are passed down
from generation to generation
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Us
Ethnicity
the acceptance of the group mores and
practices of one's culture of origin and the
concomitant sense of belonging
a term which represents social groups with a
shared history, sense of identity, geography
and cultural roots which may occur despite
racial difference
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Our Reactions to Differences
Stereotype
oversimplified conception: an oversimplified
standardized image of a person or group
based on the assumption that there are
attributes that members of the "other group"
have in common
Stereotypes can instigate prejudice and false
assumptions about entire groups of people, including
the members of different cultures, ethnic groups, social
classes, religious orders, the opposite sex, etc.
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Our Reactions to Differences
Prejudice
an adverse opinion or learning formed without
just grounds or before you acquire sufficient
knowledge
an irrational attitude of hostility directed toward
an individual, a group, or a race, or their
supposed characteristics
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Our Reactions to Differences
Discrimination
the act, practice, or instance of making a
difference in treatment or favor on a basis other
than merit
the act of discriminating categorically or by
group, rather than individually
the results of a prejudiced or prejudicial outlook,
action, or treatment
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Our Reactions to Differences
Inclusion
a sense of belonging: feeling respected, valued
for who you are
feeling a level of supportive energy and
commitment from others so than you can do
your best work
What we feel
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The Language of Diversity
Words Used to Describe Our Reactions to Differences
Diversity Consciousness
recognizing, appreciating, valuing, and
utilizing the unique talents and contributions
of all individuals
an inclusive organization
What the organization strives for
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Dimensions and Demographics
Realities of a Changing
Marketplace, Workplace
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Diversity in the Workplace
What are the
true dimensions
of diversity?
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Diversity in the Workplace
People of color are an increasing percent of
the workforce
Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority
group in workforce
Minorities are highly represented in lower-wage
service-sector jobs
More workers are from nontraditional families
Average age of workers is rising
Religious diversity of workers is increasing
More women are working
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Diversity in the Workplace
There is a business case for diversity
Inclusive organizational cultures value and
support diversity
Organizational subcultures can create diversity
challenges
Minorities and women suffer diversity bias in
many situations
Managing diversity for a positive outcome should
be top leadership priority
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Dimensions of Diversity
Gender
Age
Race
Ethnicity
Culture
Religion
Language/Accent
Disability
Height/Weight
Sexual Orientation
Education
J ob Title
J ob Function
J ob Skills
Union/Non-Union
Part-Time/Full-Time
Marital Status
Political affiliation
and more and more
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Primary Dimensions of Diversity
Aspects of ourselves which we cannot
change
examples:
age
gender
physical qualities (limitations?)
ethnicity
race
etc.
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Secondary Dimensions of Diversity
Aspects that we have some control over and
may change throughout our life
examples:
income
work background
marital status
geographic location
education
etc.
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The Village Earth
If we could shrink the
earth's population to a
village of precisely 100
people, with all the existing
human ratios remaining the
same, it would look
something like the
following.
There would be:
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The Village Earth
57 Asians
21 Europeans
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
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The Village Earth
6 people would possess 59% of the entire
world's wealth and all 6 would be from the
United States
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near
birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college
education
1 would own a computer
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Diversity Bias
Assumptions of Superiority
Im better than you
My country/group/etc. is best
Assumptions of Correctness
This is the way it should be
My way is the right way
Assumptions of Universality
Were all the same
Everybody is just like me
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The Culture Dimension
One Size Does NOT Fit All
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Thoughts on Culture
Everyone creates culture
Individuals
Groups
Families
Organizations
Culture is what everyone knows that everyone else
knows
It is a way of understanding and living in the world
Cultures are defined by their differences from other
cultures
The greater the difference, the more defined the culture
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Thoughts on Culture
The most important aspects of culture are those not
talked about
People from different cultures experience different
realities
Most cultures accept differences in power and status,
and consider it normal
e.g., primates always rank order
Most cultures
value conformity
reward compliance
punish dissent
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Hierarchy of Cultures
World Culture
Humanity
Major Culture (e.g., U.S. culture)
A regional or national group with a common culture
Subculture (e.g., various immigrant groups)
A cultural group within a major culture
Corporate Culture
An organization within a major culture or subculture
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A Model of Cultural Dimensions
Dr. Geert Hofstede, a psychologist from
the Netherlands, conducted a decade of
research beginning in the 1970s.
His research was done with employees
of IBM only, which allowed him to
attribute the patterns to national
differences in culture, largely eliminating
the problem of differences in company
culture.
He created a model of cultural
dimensions that has become an
internationally recognized standard.
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A Model of Cultural Dimensions
Holstede initially identified four distinct cultural dimensions that
served to distinguish one culture from another, later added a fifth
dimension
Power/Distance
Individualism
Masculinity
Uncertainty/Avoidance Index
Long Term Orientation
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Holstedes Five Value Differences
Portions of the list documenting
the data
Taken from Holstedes web site
The complete list is available on
that web site
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Hofstedes Five Value Differences
Power /Distance (PD)
This refers to the degree of
inequality that exists - and is
accepted - among people with
and without power. A high PD
score indicates that society
accepts an unequal distribution
of power and people understand
"their place" in the system. Low
PD means that power is shared
and well dispersed. It also
means that society members
view themselves as equals.
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Hofstedes Five Value Differences
Individualism (IDV)
This refers to the strength of the ties
people have to others within the
community. A high IDV score indicates
a loose connection with people. In
countries with a high IDV score there
is a lack of interpersonal connection
and little sharing of responsibility,
beyond family and perhaps a few close
friends. A society with a low IDV score
would have strong group cohesion,
and there would be a large amount of
loyalty and respect for members of the
group. The group itself is also larger
and people take more responsibility for
each other's well being.
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Hofstedes Five Value Differences
Masculinity (MAS)
This refers to how much a society
sticks with, and values, traditional male
and female roles. High MAS scores
are found in countries where men are
expected to be tough, to be the
provider, to be assertive and to be
strong. If women work outside the
home, they have separate professions
from men. Low MAS scores do not
reverse the gender roles. In a low MAS
society, the roles are simply blurred.
You see women and men working
together equally across many
professions. Men are allowed to be
sensitive and women can work hard
for professional success.
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Hofstedes Five Value Differences
Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI)
This relates to the degree of anxiety
society members feel when in
uncertain or unknown situations.
High UAI-scoring nations try to avoid
ambiguous situations whenever
possible. They are governed by rules
and order and they seek a collective
"truth. Low UAI scores indicate the
society enjoys novel events and
values differences. There are very
few rules and people are encouraged
to discover their own truth.
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Hofstedes Five Value Differences
Long Term Orientation (LTO)
This refers to how much society
values long-standing - as opposed to
short term - traditions and values.
This is the fifth dimension that
Hofstede added in the 1990s after
finding that Asian countries with a
strong link to Confucian philosophy
acted differently from western
cultures. In countries with a high LTO
score, delivering on social
obligations and avoiding "loss of
face" are considered very important.
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DIVERSITY AMONG GLOBAL CULTURES
Hofstedes Five Value Differences
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Lessons for the Workplace
How Does All of this Apply to the
Workplace?
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The American Corporate Mind
As Driven By The Major American Culture
Thinks in black & white
Loves individuality and
self-reliance
Likes informality
Can only speak English
Very direct. Get to the
point.
Demands honesty at
the bargaining table
Hates silence
Persistent. Dont take no
for an answer.
One thing at a time,
sequentially
A deal is a deal, no
matter what.
My mind is fixed.
Magic Words: Freedom,
democracy, America,
competition
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The Challenge of Workplace Diversity
The challenge lies in the continuous
improvement of the integration and social
acceptance of people from different
backgrounds.
Our differing human characteristics influence
the way we think, act, interact and make
choices.
Often, these differences interfere with our ability
to support, trust, and respect each other, and
thus to effectively function together.
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The Challenge of Workplace Diversity
All of this isnt
just an exercise
in political
correctness
There are many
good business
reasons for a
diverse
workforce
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Business Case For Diversity
Arguments in the Business Case for Diversity
Cultural diversity builds strength for dealing with global
markets.
Ethnic diversity builds strength for dealing with diverse
customers.
Diverse work teams are high in creativity and innovation.
Diverse workforces attract new highly talented
members.
To be successful in working with and gaining value
from diversity requires a sustained, systemic
approach and long-term commitment.
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Business Case For Diversity
Success is facilitated by:
a perspective that considers diversity to be an
opportunity for everyone in an organization to
learn from each other how better to accomplish
their work
a supportive and cooperative organizational
culture
group leadership
business processes and individual skills that
facilitate effective group functioning
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Diversity In The Workplace
Leadership Approaches to Diversity
Over the years, there have been three major
approaches related to workplace diversity
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Approaches to Workplace Diversity
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
The active recruitment of women, minorities,
and other protected groups
The goal is to meet certain legal imperatives:
EEOC
Department of J ustice
Civil Rights
The primary concern is meeting quotas, often
without concern for the survivability of these
individuals
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Approaches to Workplace Diversity
Managing Diversity (negative, reactive)
The organization is diverse by default, and now
it must deal with it.
The goal is to fix, cover-up, and/or defer the
problem with a minimum of hassle.
The effort is top management-driven, thus
forced throughout the organization.
The concern is more for a change in behavior
than attitudes.
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Approaches to Workplace Diversity
Valuing Diversity
Appreciation:
the organization sees direct benefits from
incorporating diverse people and perspectives
Diversity Consciousness / Inclusion:
the goal is to change and/or create a organizational
culture that recognizes, respects and encourages
individual differences
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Approaches to Workplace Diversity
Managing Diversity (positive, proactive)
the organization is diverse by choice
the effort is organization-wide, embraced at all
levels
the concern is more for a change in attitudes
that leads to a change in behavior
emphasis is on building an inclusive work
environment that allows everyone to reach their
potential
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Approaches to Workplace Diversity
An Evolution Over Time
PRACTICE FOCUS DRIVER BENEFITS FOUNDATION
Affirmative
Action
(Remedial)
Equal
Opportunity
Laws Targeted
groups
Assimilation Model
Valuing
Diversity
Appreciation
of Differences
Ethics All Employees Diversity Model
Managing
Diversity
Building skills
and changing
Policies
Corporate
Strategy
Organization
and all
Employees
Synergy Model
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The Inclusive Workplace
It is important to understand the differences and
similarities between inclusion and diversity
Diversity describes the spectrum of human
similarities and differences. It refers to the
composition of people associated with the
organization.
Inclusion, on the other hand, describes the way an
organization configures opportunity, interaction,
communication, information and decision-making to
utilize the potential of diversity. It refers to the
organizational environment.
Workplace Diversity Network, 2000
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Attributes of an Inclusive Workplace
A demonstrated commitment to
diversity
A holistic view of employees
Access to opportunity
Accommodation of diverse
physical and developmental
abilities
Wide-spread communication
and information sharing
Shared accountability and
responsibility
A demonstrated commitment to
continuous learning
Participatory work organization
and work progress
Alignment of organizational
culture and process
Collaborative conflict resolution
processes
A demonstrated commitment to
community relationships
Workplace Diversity Network (2000)
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Diversity is a Positive Force
Without differences or variety among people
in the world, the ability to grow and learn
would be limited.
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Discussion
Your questions and comments are welcome
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