Increased Diversity of Workforce

1. Increased Diversity of Workforce Chapter 3 Daphne Harley, MPA Adjunct Faculty – PPA 530

2. Diversity creates Opportunity • Research needed: • to help practitioners understand, anticipate and address challenges • Identify key components of diversity • Provide current data on magnitude PPA 530

3. Changing U.S. Workforce • Gender Diversity • Dual – Income • Older Workers • Generational Differences • Racial and Ethnic Minorities PPA 530

4. Gay and Lesbians • Disabled Workers • Contingent Workers • Alternative Work Arrangements • Workplace Illiteracy PPA 530

5. Current Diversity Research • Data gap relative to women, minorities and disadvantaged • Trend is for less rather than more data on these topics PPA 530

6. Need for study of relationship of diversity dimensions & variables such as communication, conflict ,influence and decision-making. PPA 530

7. Research Findings • There are differences between various identity groups • Survey of 322 White & African-American managers • Ranked importance of several job characteristics: • Respect for others, job security, income & working conditions = Extrinsic factors PPA 530

8. Research Findings • Opportunity to take risks, work on important problems, supervise others, & develop personal contacts = Managerial factors • Working independently, & determining one’s own work method = Independence • Importance of task variety, feelings of accomplishment, and recognition for job well done = Intrinsic factors PPA 530

9. Research Conclusions • African-Am female and male managers place greater emphasis on Extrinsic and Independence factors than do White managers. PPA 530

10. African-Am female and White female managers place greater emphasis on Intrinsic factors than do males. PPA 530

11. What it Means • No significant differences between the two in regards to Managerial factors. • Differences influence how workers feel about workplace culture. For ex. • African-American employees historically by far the most critical of corporate treatment of minorities (usually centers on Issues of Extrinsic & Independence values) PPA 530

12. Other Studies • Explored racial & ethnic diversity and resistance to diversity. • White non-Hispanic males in companies with aggressive diversity programs feel frustrated, resentful and afraid. • They exhibit “first-born” behavior PPA 530

13. Other Studies – cont’d • Some think discrimination likely to increase as diversity increases • Literature review suggest the opposite – i.e. diverse group increase creativity • Homogeneous groups have higher job satisfaction & lower turn-over • Women in male dominated jobs treated with hostility by male co-workers. PPA 530

14. Other Studies- cont’d • When ratio of male to female is equal, men have lower job satisfaction & self-esteem, and more job-related depression. PPA 530

15. When women ratio higher, men have lower levels of psychological attachment to job, increased absences, and lower intent to stay. Same for Whites. • Token women are isolated, but token men are socially integrated into female group. PPA 530

16. Other Studies – cont’d • Gender Studies show men and women have different Learning styles • Men & women also have different management styles: • Competitive vs Cooperative • Vertical vs Horizontal hierarchy • Winning vs Quality Output • Rational & Objective vs Intuitive & Subjective • Authoritarian vs Participative Leadership PPA 530

17. Other Studies – cont’d • Study documenting Anglos vs Hispanic employees of local government agency: • Hispanic employees satisfaction with job policies, tasks, pay & co-workers increased with their level in the organization; • moving from less to more satisfied as they moved up into management. PPA 530

18. More Research • Hispanics fastest growing population, but limited studies document their experiences PPA 530

19. More Research Needed More study needed: Other ethnic groups Gay & Lesbian Disabled PPA 530