Cultural Diversity

CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Promoting Organizational Diversity

Pierre A. AgamataORG6499: Cultural Diversity and Individual Differences

Dr. Orlando RiveroMarch 27, 2010

What is organization diversity?Table of Contents I. Organization diversity is

when managers and employees have the following:

(1) Interpersonal skills(2) Flexible thinking skills

and adaptability(3) Teamwork skills(4) Cultural awareness and

understanding(5) Self-evaluation skills(6) Diverse populations(7) Higher education

II. Meritocracy(1) Working hard = Ought to

have(2) Unearned Privileges(3) Realistic for the organization

III. A Closer Look: Prejudice and Discrimination

(4) Video: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/

(5) Teaching Children and Adults

What is organizational diversity?

Table of contents

IV. Paradigms – Models of Diversity(1) The 1st paradigm - Discrimination and Fairness

The 2nd paradigm - Access and Legitimacy The 3rd paradigm - Learning and Effectiveness The 4th paradigm -Valuing and Integrating

V. Quotes on Diversity

VI. Conclusion

Interpersonal Skills

I. Organization diversity is when managers and employees have the following:

(1) Interpersonal skills (Butcher, 2010).  Employees with positive interpersonal skills are able

to not only communicate effectively with their fellow employees but effectively communicate with their organization’s clients. Motivation, empathy, and effective conflict resolution are also key elements.  

Employees that possess emotional intelligence have innate ability to connect with others and bring others together as a team.

Flexible Thinking Skills and Adaptability

(2) Flexible thinking skills and adaptability (Butcher, 2010). 

Employees that possesses these skills are able to modify and transform their thinking abilities based on the situation or crisis at hand. 

These employees accomplish their goals because of their flexibility and adaptability.

Employees that possess emotional intelligence have an innate ability to connect with others and bring others together as a team.

Teamwork Skills

(3) Teamwork skills (Butcher, 2010).  An effective employee in an organization can operate

independently and as a team member in groups.   These types of employees have very little trouble in

accepting and respecting the differences of each team member.

Cultural Awareness and Understanding

(4) Cultural awareness and understanding (Butcher, 2010). 

An effective employee is able to understand the differences and similarities of a variety of cultures.

Distancing or estranging a group of employees from another culture is when managers and employees are not aware of the differences and similarities.

Self-Evaluation Skills

(5) Self-evaluation skills (Butcher, 2010).  Employees who are able to evaluate

themselves are able to identify their limitations and seek help from others who have more experience or better understanding on specific issues. 

Employee with these skills challenge themselves and are on top of cultural projects. 

Diverse Populations

(6) Diverse populations (Butcher, 2010).  Effective employees are focused on

diverse populations by effectively manipulating their marketing strategies.

Manager or employees in human resources are very effective in hiring the highest quality and the most diverse employees.

Due to the lack of discrimination in this environment most employees produce more.

Higher Education

(6) Higher Education (Butcher, 2010). Employees that believe in higher

education will usually have a Bachelor’s degree but will be motivated to obtain a Master’s degree or higher.

Employees who wish to become managers or supervisors should seek to get at least 12 units of cultural diversity courses and have at least five years of employment experience.

II. Meritocracy(1) Working hard = Ought to haveMeritocracy is a belief that if one works hard

he or she will deserve the benefits of that hard work. On the other hand, if one wishes not to work hard then he or she deserves the failures of not working hard.

Meritocracy

II.

II. Meritocracy(2) Unearned PrivilegesIn most cases and in most countries the most

wealthy people became wealthy based entirely in an inheritance. They didn’t earn any of it…it was just given to them (Butcher, 2010).

Meritocracy

II. Meritocracy(3) Realistic for the organizationThe responsibilities of leadership should

not be subjected to just one thing such as merit. The highest and the most expensive education doesn’t guarantee a natural leader. Even if the person has right credentials and merit for the job it doesn’t make him or her right for the job; temperment and personality are also important.

Meritocracy

A CLOSER LOOK: PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

III. A Closer Look: Prejudice and Discrimination(1) Video:

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/ More information on Jane Elliot:

http://janeelliott.com/index.htm(2) Discussion (20 minutes)

A. What are the effects of racism?B. Can people today be persuaded to believe or do something that is wrong?C. Should this type of lesson on racism be presented in today’s classroom in all educational levels?

A CLOSER LOOK: PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION

III. A Closer Look: Prejudice and Discrimination

(3) Teaching children and adults - Teaching children and adults about racism,

prejudice, discrimination is the responsibility of employees and managers of any organization. - People need to understand the history of prejudice and discrimination in the United States.- Recognizing that all people are and look different.

Paradigms – Models of Diversity

IV. Paradigms – Models of Diversity (Butcher, 2010)

(1)The 1st paradigm - Discrimination and Fairness

- Paradigm number one emphasizes on equality and fairness for women and minorities by allowing equal opportunities for everyone within an organization.  It allows for women and minorities to feel accepted and being part of the larger of picture of things.

Paradigms – Models of Diversity

IV. Paradigms – Models of Diversity (Butcher, 2010)

(2) The 2nd paradigm – Access and Legitimacy

- The second paradigm allows for a group to have an identity through a process of representation and assimilation.

Paradigms – Models of Diversity

IV. Paradigms – Models of Diversity (Butcher, 2010)

(3) The 3rd paradigm - Learning and Effectiveness

- The 3rd paradigm combines paradigm one and two because it deals with the internal workings of the group .

Paradigms – Models of Diversity

IV. Paradigms – Models of Diversity (Butcher, 2010)

(3) The 4td paradigm – Valuing and Integrating

- The 3rd paradigm combines paradigm one and two because it deals with the internal workings of the group .

V. Quotes on Diversity

The responsibilities of a diversity manager and a proactive employee are many but one main responsibility is “’Consulting’ in one form or another…‘To be a resource to the organization's diversity initiative. To establish policy in this arena, ask tough questions, and jog managers and employees to be accountable for an inclusive work environment’"(White, 1999, p. 42).

Question or thoughts??

V. Quotes on Diversity

Today many organizations are utilizing diversity managers, skilled communications personnel, and utilizing “three theoretical paradigms for understanding diversity: discrimination-and-fairness, access-and-legitimacy, and learning-effectiveness. These models are also useful for understanding public agencies’ approaches to diversity and provide the basis for developing strategies to benefit from a diverse workforce” (Selden & Selden, 2001, p. 309).

Questions or thoughts??

V. Quotes on Diversity

“Changes in company policies and practices may also provide a more attractive working environment for women and minorities and, thereby, result in increased applications from these groups. For example, the adoption of a strong policy against sexual harassment, or family-leave policy, may make a company a more desirable work-place for some women” (Coil & Rice, 1991, p. 560).

Questions or thoughts??

VI. ConclusionPromoting organizational diversity in any

organization requires each employee and the manager to develop a set of skills for their own professional development. As a result a dynamic group develops with a each member providing his or her own cultural identity to the team. Included in this team is not only an employee’s merit but the individual employee’s personality. Equipped with the knowledge of prejudice and discrimination a paradigm of diversity develops within the group. The result is a team of employees sharing and implementing ideas of cultural diversity among each other as well as with their clients.

References

Selden, S.C. & Selden, F. (2001). Rethinking diversity in public organizations for the 21st century: Moving toward a multicultural model. Administration and Society, 33 (3), 303-329.

Bucher, R. D. (2010). Diversity consciousness: Opening our minds to people, cultures, and opportunities. (3rd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

White, M. (1999). A day in the life of diversity manager. Diversity Factor, 7(2), 42-43

Coil III, J. & Rice, C.M. (1991). Managing Work-Force Diversity in the Nineties: The Impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Employees Relations Law Journal, 18 (4), 547-565.

The End