managing diversity introductions ground rules course outline managing diversity background- drivers...

MANAGING DIVERSITY

•Introductions• Ground Rules•Course Outline•Managing Diversity•Background- Drivers•Defining Managing Diversity-Video•Four Layers of diversity

MANAGING DIVERSITY

COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE MATERIAL

• Prescribed Text: Managing Diversity, Gardenswartz and Rowe (1998): McGraw Hill.

• Reading List: Supplementary reading list to be supplied

• Other tools: Videos and exercises

Course Description

This course is designed to enable participants to understand and address diversity as it manifests itself in the context of the workplace.

Course Description (Cont.)

We will explore a range of concepts and issues related to diversity; these include understandings of culture (both societal and organizational), race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, and disability inter alia.

Course Description (Cont.)

Participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with and draw on cross-cultural theories, research and case studies involving interpersonal and inter-group relations.

Methodology

• interactive and experiential

• bring to the course and to class invaluable life experiences

• Reading prior to coming to class

Course Objectives

• Appreciate the effects of one’s own cultural roots, biases and stereotypes on perception and behavior

• Demonstrate an understanding of interpersonal and inter-group theories related to diversity

Course Objectives (cont.)

•Understand the challenges managers face as they work with diversity and cross-cultural organizational issues•Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of diversity on organizational effectiveness and profit

Course Objectives (cont.)

•Use the tools for assessing themselves and organizations in respect of diversity•Develop an intervention for diversity management within an organizational setting

EVALUATION

• Class participation and attendance • Individual assignment: Sources of

cultural programming • Individual assignment 2: case

study • Final Project : Group Assignment

Diversity Drivers:Overview

•Demographic changes •Affirmative action backlash•Uneven education •Globalization

Defining Diversity

Roosevelt Thomas

Four Layers of Diversity

•Personality•Internal Dimensions•External Dimensions•Organizational Dimensions

Personality

•Unique core of individual•Characteristics, warm, outgoing etc•Basically stable•Personality styles

Internal Dimensions

•Age•Race •Gender•Ethnicity•Physical ability•Sexual Orientation

External Dimensions

•Geographic location•Marital status•Parental Status•Appearance•Work Experience

External Dimensions (cont)

•Educational Background•Religion•Recreational Habits•Personal Income

Organizational Dimensions

•Functional level/classification•Management status•Union Affiliation•Work Location

Organizational Dimensions

•Seniority•Division/Department•Work content/field•Reward based membership

CHAPTER 4

Understanding the Range of Cultural Behaviors and

Expectations

Culture as Behavioral Software

•How to: -Interact -Solve problems -Control the world -give meaning to behavior

Sources of Cultural Programming

•Parents•Ethnicity- group affiliation•Race- racial group•Religion•Education•Professional field/work•Organizational affiliation

Understanding Cultural Programming

1. Sense of self and space2. Communication and

language3. Dress and appearance4. Food and eating habits5. Time and time

consciousness

Understanding Cultural Programming (Cont)

6. Relationships7. Values and Norms8. Beliefs and attitudes9. Mental processes and

learning10.Work habits and practices

1. Sense of Self and Space

•Personal space•Showing respect

2. Communication and language

•Verbal•Non-verbal -Half communication non-verbal -Smiles -Gestures: head, hands -Tone of voice

3. Dress and Appearance

•Dashikis•Sari•Head gear, e.g.. Forelocks, hats, braids, dreadlocks Mini skirts•Pants

4. Food and eating habits

•Vegetarians•Non-pork eaters•Use of hands •Use of utensils

5. Time

•Linear and finite•Elasticity•Punctuality

6. Relationships

•Family/kinship•Hierarchy•Loyalty

7. Values and Norms

• Group oriented -Communal -Conformity -Cooperation• Individualism• Respect

8. Beliefs and Attitudes

• Religion• Position of women• Social order and authority

9. Mental processes and learning

• Learning best through: Listening Pictures/diagrams Participation Didactic• Problem solving

10. Work Habits and Practices

• How work is viewed in different societies

• Type of work and status• Dependence/independence

(initiative, etc.)

Ways to learn more about other cultures1. Ask the employee2. Ask colleagues from other cultures-cultural

informants3. Tap community resources4. Read about various cultures5. Observe without judgment6. Share knowledge and experiences7. Conduct focus groups8. Use employee/customer survey data9. Experiment with new methods10. Spend in other cultures

Ethnocentrisms as sabotage of MD

• Considering own culture as superior

• Assigning negative value judgments to the other culture(s)

Prejudice

• Prejudice: Preconceived notions• Stereotypes -Seldom neutral -Often negative -Are rigid- ignore info to the contraryXenophobia

Assumption leading to self-fulfilling prophecies

• Seeing what we are looking for -validation of pre-conceived notions• Internalization of expectations -Behaving as others expect