CHAPTER FIVE Flashcards
What is workforce diversity? What are the different types of workplace diversity?
Workforce diversity → ways in in which people in an organization are different from and similar to one another
This recognizes that managers and organizations should view employees as having qualities in common as well as differences that separate them
Surface level diversity → includes easily perceived differences that may trigger certain stereotypes but don’t necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel
As people get to know one another these surface-level differences become less important and deep level diversity – differences in values, personality, and work preferences becomes more important. As organizations seek to improve workplace diversity, the focus is on developing appreciation and acceptance at a deep level.
What are the benefits of workplace diversity and explain?
People management
Organisational Performance
Strategic
Explain the characteristics of the U.S. population:
Since 2014, racial and ethnic minority babies have become the majority in the US. By 2044, this trend is predicted to make non-Hispanic whites the minority in the country. By 2060, Hispanics alone will go from 11 percent of the population to over 28 percent.
Total population of the United States: the total population is projected to increase to 438 million by the year 2050, up from 327 million in 2018; 82 percent of that increase will be due to immigrants and their US-born descendants
Racial/ethnic groups: the components of that population are projected to change as well, the main changes will be in the percentages of the Hispanic and white population
An aging population: the US population is aging, boomers continue to age and are slowly outnumbering children as the birth rate has declined steadily over the last decade
Organizations need to recognize that they can’t expect employees to assimilate into the organization by adopting uniform attitudes and values. Instead, there needs to be acknowledgment and appreciation for the differences that people bring to the workplace.
What are the 2 demographic shifts that could change/reshape societies, economies, and markets over the next century?
Total World Population→ the total world population in 2018 is estimated at over 7.6 billion individuals, however that number is forecasted to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 and 9.8 billion by 2050
An aging population → the world’s older population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Today 8.5 percent of people worldwide are aged 65 and over. An aging world population will bring about a lot of changes, where young workers will be in short supply and advanced nations will be reliant on immigrants from developing countries to fill job openings.
What are the types of workplace diversity? explain
Age
Gender
Race and Ethnicity
Disabilities
Religion
LGBTQ
What are the challenges
when trying to manage diversity?
Despite the benefits that workforce diversity brings to organizations, managers still face challenges in creating accommodating and safe work environments for diverse employees.
There are three main challenges: personal bias, the glass ceiling, and pay inequity
Personal Bias
Everyone has biases, often hidden from others. Employees can and do bring such generalizations about various groups of people with them into the workplace. These ideas can lead to prejudice, stereotyping which causes discrimination to occur.
Bias → tendency or preference toward a particular perspective or ideology, “one-sided” perspective that cause for people to have opinions about people or things
One outcome that comes from bias is prejudice, which is a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgment toward a person or a group of people, it can be based on all the types of diversity.
A major factor in prejudice is stereotyping, which is judging a person on the basis of one’s perception of a group to which he or she belongs
Both prejudice and stereotyping can lead to someone treating others who are members of a particular group unequally, which is what we call discrimination – when people act out their prejudicial attitudes toward people who are the targets of their prejudice
Glass Ceiling
Metaphor used to describe an invisible barrier that limits the level to which a woman or another member of a demographic minority can advance within the hierarchy of an organization. The idea of ceiling means something is blocking upward movement, and the idea of glass is whatevers blocking the way isn’t immediately apparent. Whatever is believed to be the reason, decision makers in organizations need to shatter the glass ceiling.
Pay Inequities
Two factors seem to explain most of the difference with the issue of pay inequity between men and women: the kind of job and the women’s desire for flexibility. The good news about the goal of gender pay equity is that it’s improving. But it still has a way to go. Additionally, as seen by the Salesforce example, success requires both an organization’s top management commitment and ongoing evaluations.
What are workplace diversity initiatives that can take place?
TOP MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
Top management commitment is an important factor in achieving a diverse workforce, it all starts at the top. When top management makes it a priority and designs reward systems to reflect it, employees throughout the organization will take notice. Top management needs to make sure that diversity and inclusion are part of the organization’s purpose, goals, and strategies. Diversity needs to be integrated into every aspect of the business—from the workforce, customers, and suppliers to products, services, and the communities served.
MENTORING
Mentoring is a process whereby an experienced organizational member (mentor) provides advice and guidance to a less-experienced member. They provide two unique forms of mentoring functions: career development and social support
DIVERSITY TRAINING
Diversity training ideally should focus on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. The program provides a review of diversity issues nas the value of diversity, followed by exercises to help individuals become aware of their own cultural values and unconscious biases. Diversity training has been found to have a positive effect on knowledge, attitudes, and actions, but in different ways. After training, people remember the new knowledge; but their beliefs and behaviors tend to revert back, over time, to how they were before the training.
EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS
An employee resource group is a voluntary, employee-led subgroup within an organization that shares distinctive qualities, interests, or goals. They are a sounding board for common concerns, but they also help attract and recruit diverse talent, increase employee engagement and even run mentorship programs
