Chapter 11 Managing Employee Diversity. Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: Explain the meaning and benefits of.

Chapter 11

Managing Employee Diversity

Learning ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to:

Explain the meaning and benefits of employee diversity.

Develop an awareness of the unique perspectives, problems, and issues of diverse employee groups.

Understand demographic trends in the labor force and their managerial implications.

Describe the challenges firms may face in the management of diversity.

Describe various approaches that managers may use to enjoy the benefits of employee diversity and meet the challenges associated with diversity.

If effectively managed, diversity can provide: A powerful competitive edge

The ability to foster creativity

Improve problem solving

Provide greater flexibility

Make the firm more attractive to a broad labor market

Diversity It describes a wide spectrum

differences between people.

Groups of individuals share characteristics that distinguish them from other groups.

The differences between groups are smaller than the differences within groups.

Classifying people into group types often leads to false stereotypes because it incorrectly assumes that group averages apply to all individuals in the group.

Examples of Diversity All stand Born and raised in the US, please sit. Parents born and raised in the US, please

sit. At least one set of grand parents born and

raised in the US, please sit. We are a nation of immigrants!

Another example of diversity Raise your hand if you are descended from

someone who came to the US from Southern Europe - Italy, Spain Northern Europe – Germany, Scandinavia,

UK Eastern Europe including Russia South Asia East Asia Africa

Advantages of Employee Diversity

BetterBetterMarket AccessMarket Access

Improved Improved International International CompetitionCompetition

Multiplicity of Multiplicity of Points of ViewPoints of View

Better Team Better Team PerformancePerformance

The Challenges of Diversity

Pressures Pressures Toward Toward

HomogenizatioHomogenizationn

Lower Lower CohesivenessCohesiveness

Interpersonal Interpersonal Conflict and Conflict and

TensionTension

Confusing Confusing Diversity With Diversity With

Affirmative Affirmative ActionAction

Pressures for Homogenization Natural tendency for groups or

organizations to become demographically homogenous

Ethnocentrism – “the sun always shine on the (British) empire”

Glass ceilings affect women and minorities Segmented communication –

communication flows far greater within than between groups

Confusing diversity with affirmative action Affirmative action is a government

mandate Diversity is fact of work life. Note . . .

Management Is Everyone’s Business 11.3 Management Close-up 11.1 on the Hispanic

market Issues to Consider in Diversity Training Figure

11.6

The U.S. workforce is a mosaic of diverse cultures and groups

African African AmericansAmericans

Asian Asian AmericansAmericans

Disabled Disabled AmericansAmericans

Foreign-Born Foreign-Born AmericansAmericans

Hispanic Hispanic AmericansAmericans

HomosexualsHomosexuals

Older WorkersOlder Workers

WomenWomen

Diversity Today African Americans

11.3 percent of U.S. population 11.8 percent of workforce

Asian Americans 3.6 percent of population Wide variety of races ethnic groups and nationalities

including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Pakistani.

Disabled Americans 50 million Americans suffer from some form of disability Between ages 16-64 55.8% are employed Accommodating disabled employees is less expensive

than people think

Foreign-born Americans About 10 percent of U.S. population About 820,000 immigrants enter the U.S. legally

every year At least 11 million undocumented immigrants

Hispanic Americans About 28 million people (10 percent of U.S.

population) Actual number is around 40 million people People with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and

Cuba

Homosexuals Estimated to be between 1 to 10 percent of the

population No federal laws to protect homosexuals

Diversity Today (Cont)

Older Workers The average age of the U.S. workforce is expected

to reach 42 by 2010. Negative stereotypes: inflexible, resisting to

learning new skills, and coasting until retirement

Religious Diversity Primarily Christian faith A growing non-Christian minority

Women Half of the labor force is female Glass ceiling and sexual harassment issues at work

Diversity Today (Cont)

Building on Diversity Top management commitment

Linking diversity initiatives to business strategies and objectives

Management responsibility and accountability

Diversity audits

Developmental activities

Encouraging diversity networks

Accommodating family needs

Top Management CommitmentQuestion to improve diversity:

How can we develop all employees so that they are ready for opportunities that arise in the company?

How can we be sure that minorities and women gain access to better jobs, as they become available?

How can we make sure that we give minorities and women opportunities without discriminating against white men?

How can we show all employees that we value their contributions?

How can we change attitudes of both employees and customers?

Will the same approach work for new employees and those with many years of service?

Linking Diversity to Strategies and Objectives It should be key components of corporate

mission statements

Inclusion in corporate handbooks

Examples: Diversity briefing for senior

management Networking groups Linking diversity performance to other

corporate objectives Benchmarking with other companies

Management Responsibility and Accountability

“Diversity is not likely to become part of management and employee priorities without real accountability for specific

objectives.”

360-degree feedback – multirater feedback from peers, suppliers, other levels of management, and internal and external customers

Employee surveys

Performance appraisals

Self-evaluation

Diversity Audits Can help reveal possible

sources of bias

Indicators or factors used in the audit can also be used to measure whether corrective actions have the desired effects

Issues to Consider in Diversity Training Diversity is about each person coming to

terms with attitudes, beliefs, and expectations

It is big enough to include everyone No is the target to blame Human beings are ethnocentric The human species resists change Human beings find comfort and trust in

likeness It is difficult for people to share power

Developmental Activities

Diversity Diversity TrainingTraining

Senior Senior MentoringMentoring

ApprenticeshipsApprenticeshipsDiversity Diversity

Learning LabsLearning Labs

Encouraging diversity networks Offers a nurturing

environment to people

Company leaders may encourage employees to become part of international teams

Accommodating Family Needs Day-care assistance Flexible work schedules

and arrangements Compressed work weeks Job sharing Telecommuting Care assistance for

elderly dependents

Paid time off to care for family members who are ill

Paid parental leaveKeeping relocations to a minimumGiving a high priority to finding a position for spouse within the firm

Job search assistance to relocated spouses

Accommodating Family Needs (Continued)

Individual/Collaborative Learning Case 11.1 . . . P. 461 Write down your thoughts individually on

the challenge posed by the Exercise. Label these as INITIAL THOUGHTS.

Verbally present your thoughts to your group and discuss.

Individually, write down your ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS.

Blackgold Case A