The 7 Deadly Myths of Diversity

1. The 7 Deadly Myths of Diversity Dr. Belle Rose Ragins

2. Session Objectives • 1. Students will assess the diversity climate at their organization. • 2. Students will gain an understanding of : • the dimensions of diversity, • the business case for diversity, • the costs and benefits of diversity, • the myths and realities of diversity, and • the causes and outcomes of the glass ceiling. • 3. Students will gain an understanding of the barriers to advancement at their organization, and strategies that may be used to overcome those barriers. • 4. Students will gain information on “Best Practices” diversity programs.

3. Deadly Myth #1: Diversity is a Fad • Healthy Reality: Workforce 2000 is here to stay! • Two-thirds of our population and over 57% of the working population consist of women and and people of color.(Department of Labor, 1995) • Women are 52% of population and 47% of workforce (U.S. Census, 2000.) • People of color are currently 27% of the workforce, and will comprise 36% of the workforce by 2025 (Fullerton, 1999; U.S. Census, 2000). • Immigration will account for nearly two-thirds of the expected population growth in the next half-century(National Academy of Sciences, 1997). • This will add $10 billion a year to the nation’s economic output.

4. Census 2000People of color represent over 1/3 of U.S. population and have doubled over the past 20 years

5. Projected Census: 2050People of color will comprise nearly half of U.S. population; Latino & Asian-American populations will double

6. City of Milwaukee 2000People of color constitute 54.6% of population in the City of Milwaukee.African-Americans constitute 37% of population, but hold less than 7% of city’s professional, managerial and executive jobs (Milwaukee Urban League, 1998)

7. Demographic Changes in Other Dimensions of Diversity • 42% of employees will be 45 years of age or older by 2015 (Fullerton, 1999). • Employees with disabilities constitute 12% of workforce (U.S. Census, 2000.) • Gay men and lesbians constitute 4-17% of the workforce (Gonsiorek & Weinrich, 1991). • Islam will be the second largest religion in the United States by 2010 (Digh, 1998).

8. Deadly Myth #2: Valuing diversity is a “nice thing to do.” • Healthy Reality: Diversity is the right thing to do, but it is also a Business Imperative!(Copeland, 1988; Cox & Blake, 1991) • Competition for Talent in Workforce 2000 • Increased Productivity and Creativity • Marketplace Demands • U.S. Minority marketplace equals the GNP of Canada. • People of color spend $650 billion per year. • Older Americans spend more than 800 billion annually. • Globalization of Marketplace • Sensitivity of local cultural differences extends internationally. • System Flexibility

9. Deadly Myth # 3: Diversity only Relates to Race, Ethnicity and Gender • Healthy Reality: Diversity Extends to Many Differences, Even Though All Differences are Not Created Equal (Ragins & Gonzalez, 2002) • Scope of Diversity Efforts Must Be Inclusive of All Groups (Ragins 1995) • Diversity = Identity and Power • (Ragins 1997)

10. OBSERVABLE gender race ethnicity (sometimes) age (sometimes) physical ability/disability appearance NOT OBSERVABLE religious beliefs sexual orientation socioeconomic class mental ability some disabilities family status geographic location military experience language education work background, profession, rank values, beliefs knowledge, skills, abilities personality, cognitive and behavioral styles Dimensions of Diversity

11. Affirmative Action Legally driven. Quantitative. Assimilation model. Opens doors. Focus on subset of population. Target group benefits. Resistance based on fears of reverse-discrimination. (Source: Thomas, 1990) Managing Diversity Ethically and strategically driven. Qualitative & behavioral. Diversity model. Opens attitudes and systems Focus on entire population. All groups benefit. Resistance based on fear of change. Myth #4: Affirmative Action is the Same as Managing DiversityReality: Different Purpose, Scope & Outcomes

12. Deadly Myth #5: We Can’t Keep Good People! • Healthy Reality: People leave because they feel: • Undervalued, Excluded and Isolated • Strangers in a Strange Land • Turnover rate for women and employees of color twice that of white male counterparts • Women start their own businesses at 6 times the rate of men • Good people always move to better offers • Know your door: • What opened the door? Pushed them out? • What was done to keep them? • Do you have a revolving door?

13. Deadly Myth #6: Diversity Training is Enough • Reality: Need a Multi-Level Approach to Change(Ragins, 1995), 19 • CULTURAL • Values, Assumptions & Beliefs • STRUCTURAL • Glass Ceilings and Walls. • BEHAVIORAL • Behaviors, Attitudes & Perceptions (Training) • Effective change efforts requires changes in all three levels. • Levels are interdependent and synergistic in influence.

14. Deadly Myth #7a: It’s A Pipeline IssueSister Myth #7b: Changing Culture Takes Time • Healthy Reality: Time heals all wounds but hasn’t broken the glass ceiling. • Women are 46% of workforce and hold 40% of managerial positions, but hold only 5% of executive positions. • Women comprise 2.4% of highest ranks in Fortune 500 companies and are only 1.9% of top earners (1998 Catalyst census). • People of Color hold 2.6% of executive positions. • Pay gap between male and female managers increased between 1995-2000(NY Times, 2002: GAO report) • Pipeline argument leads to passive approach. • Healthy Reality: Culture changes with leadership, accountability and commitment.

15. Breaking the Glass Ceiling: How They Did It • Catalyst survey of 461 female executives - Vice Presidents or above of Fortune 1000 companies(Ragins, Townsend & Mattis, 1998). • Asked to rank 11 strategies; 4 strategies for reaching the top: • 1. Consistently exceeding performance expectations(99% rated as critical or fairly important.) • 2. Developed a professional style with which male managers are comfortable(96%) • 3. Sought difficult or highly visible stretch assignments(94%) • 4. Developed mentoring relationships • (91% had a mentor)

16. Beyond Performance: Walking the Fine Line • ".... the guys can yell at each other all the time, shake hands and walk out the door, and it's perfectly comfortable for them--but on the rare occasion that I raise my voice, it's not accepted in the same way." -- Personnel Director, retail organization. "how to interact with men who had never dealt with women before, and how to be heard, and how to get past what you looked like, and what sex you were, and into what kind of brain you had.... I had to learn how to offer opinions in a way that they could be heard because I wasn't necessarily given the right to have an opinion." -- Vice President, (consumer products company)

17. "Don't be attractive. Don't be too smart. Don't be assertive. Pretend you're not a woman. Don't be single. Don't be a mom. Don't be a divorcee.” (write-in responses) • "Do not make waves. Do not disagree and be correct (kiss of death !). [Working] longer, harder, smarter means nothing if you have a mind of your own and express your own ideas and opinions.” (write-in responses) • "With 13 men on the management committee, and I'm the only woman....it was very awkward at first. But it's been over two years now, and what I have found is that they are never truly comfortable because it's not a hundred percent men. And that's not because they don't like me, or they don't like the fact that a woman's there. It's that there's always that certain guard that what they might say in a roomful of men will be taken wrong when a woman is there." --SVP, health care organization.

18. Summary: The 7 Healthy Realities of Diversity • #1: Diversity is here to stay • #2: Represents a competitive advantage • #3: Diversity extends beyond race and gender • #4: Diversity is not affirmative action • #5: Turnover is due to chilly cultures • #6: Training is good, but not enough. • We must change culture through shattering the glass ceiling. • #7: Culture changes with leadership, accountability and commitment.

19. Breaking the Glass Ceiling at Your Organization • Break up into small groups and brainstorm answers to the following questions: • 1. What are 5 barriers to advancement faced by people of color at your organization? • 2. What are 5 barriers to advancement faced by female employees at your organization? • 3. Develop 5 strategies that could be used that would help break down these barriers. • Select a spokesperson to take notes and report on the group’s answers.

20. Dr. Belle Rose Ragins: Diversity Programs • Diversity Audit: staffing, attitudes, climate • Selection & Recruitment • Promoting High Potential Employees • Succession Planning • Performance Appraisal & Compensation Systems • Benefits and Work Structure; Work/Life Programs • Career Development, Mentoring & Networking • Diversity Training • Monitoring and Measurement • See: Best Practices Handout

21. CONCLUSIONS • The KEY to diversity is understanding: • The effects of being different, • The tenacity of discrimination and stereotypes, • The subtleties of a chilly climate, • The cultural assumptions that pervade corporate culture, practices and policies. • Programs without these insights will be ineffective. • Leadership, Accountability and Measurement.

22. Questions? • Ragins@uwm.edu