Approaches to Diversity Definitions of Managing & Valuing Diversity

1. Beyond the Golden Rule Carnevale & Stone • Approaches to Diversity • Definitions of Managing & Valuing Diversity • Positive Organizational Conditions • Organizational Barriers • Before Implementing Diversity Initiatives • Examples of Diversity Initiatives

2. Approaches to Diversity • Compliance • Affirmative Action or Equal Employment legislation • Reactive, ‘punitive’ • Value Diversity • Manage Diversity

3. Definitions • Diversity • Differences among people based on their group identification • Culture • Values and practices of a group of people who interact over time • Acquired through socialization in family settings • Shapes individuals’ self perceptions and world view

4. Definitions • Valuing Diversity (VD) • Treating others as they wish to be treated -- according to their values (platinum rule) • Values • Standards used to determine the rightness of something • Managing Diversity (MD) • Implementing initiatives across all organizational levels • VD & MD imply transformation of org culture • See also Stephan, Cox defn

5. Positive Organizational Conditions • Upper mgt has flexible & open-minded view of characteristics of a good manager • Employees of different backgrounds know & behave in ways that allow them to enter power circles

6. Organizational Barriers • Formal & informal obstacles • Subtle prejudices • (Similar to Brief et al, Stephan) • Poor career development planning • Hostile working climate in upper management • Unawareness of political skill in non traditional employees • Perceived comfort of being with similar others • Work-family imbalance

7. Before Implementing Diversity Initiatives • Get leadership commitment • Buy in vs. commitment • Going through the motions vs. being personally involved • Do not proceed without commitment • Plan a strategy to get commitment • Steps to ensure commitment • Ensure accountability • Leadership involvement in planning

8. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Communication • Training and Education • Employee involvement • Career planning & development • Performance & Accountability • Culture change • Which of the above are MD vs. VD? • See Stephan, Cox

9. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Communication Activities • Senior-management communications • Diversity mission • Organizational Mission statements • Diversity policy • Articles in organizational newsletters

10. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Training & Education • Skills & awareness training for employees, board of trustees, • Incorporate into mainstream training prgs • See also Stephan ch 4

11. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Employee involvement in • Task forces • Focus groups • Networking groups • Diversity councils • Corporate/Business unit advisory committees

12. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Career development & planning • Mentoring • Specify career paths • Developmental programs for non traditional employees • Educational programs • e.g., MBA, remedial etc • English as a second language programs

13. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Performance & accountability • Quantitative & qualitative measures of diversity performance • Link measures of diversity performance to other corporate objectives • Performance evaluation measures include diversity measures • Reward behaviors that reinforce diversity

14. Examples of Diversity Initiatives • Culture change • Conduct research to diagnose internal processes • Benchmark against other companies • Corporate strategies • Link diversity principles to benefits supporting diverse needs • Recruitment policies • Flexible work schedules • Child and elder care • Pay equity • Benefits for gay & lesbian partners • Retention of older workers • Mental and physical disability

15. Training & Education • Awareness • Increase awareness of diversity issues, reveal unexamined assumptions, stereotyping tendencies • Skills • Provide skills to deal with workplace diversity effectively

16. Objectives of Awareness Training • Information about diversity • About different identity groups • Awareness/sensitivity to biases or assumptions • Via experiential exercises • Assess attitudes & values • Correct stereotypes/myths • Treat others as individuals not as groups • Encourage individual/group sharing • Effective intercultural communication

17. Objectives of Skills Training • Build new skills for diversity interactions • Intercultural communication skills • Flexibility/Adaptability • Reinforce existing skills • Facilitation skills • Make an inventory of methods of skill building • Also need • Candor • Egalitarianism

18. Beyond the Golden Rule Carnevale & Stone • Approaches to Diversity • Definitions of Managing & Valuing Diversity • Positive Organizational Conditions • Organizational Barriers • Before Implementing Diversity Initiatives • Examples of Diversity Initiatives