Organizational DiversityLeah Snider

Diversity in Retail

Divide in the Retail industry

Women and Diversity in Organizations- Today’s Org. Problems

Glass Ceiling

Color Discrimination

Mommy Track

Lean in

Greater difficulty climbing the ladder

Greater difficulty getting a job

This graph shows the majority of retail workers are white, non-hispanic. The minority of retail workers are Asian, non- Hispanic.

This graph shows the amount to Female workers in the retail industry. The most women the work in retail are Black, non-hispanic.

Minorities in RetailDiversity in the retail industry is comparable to the labor force as a whole, with White, non-

Hispanic workers accounting for two-thirds of those employed in the industry and the other one-third composed of people of color.

Another similarity to the overall workforce is a persistent opportunity gap for the Black and Latino retail workforce.

Our research indicates that, like in other sectors, people of color are overrepresented in the positions with the lowest pay and the least stability and underrepresented in management positions

(Ruetschlin, 2015)

Diversity in RetailThere are more than 15 million people working in retail jobs today, accounting for more

than 1 out of every 10 employed workers in the country and 1 out of every 6 private sector jobs added to the economy last year

Among Black workers, retail is second only to the broadly inclusive Education and Health Services industry as a source of employment.

More than 1.9 million Black workers are employed in the retail industry, as are 800,000 Asian American workers, more than 2.3 million Latino workers, and nearly 10 million White, non-Hispanic workers who make up the largest share of retail employment.

Yet despite a high and growing demand for retail workers, jobs in the industry frequently fall short of meeting workers’ needs.

(Ruetschlin, 2015)

Diversity in RetailAcross the economy, Black and Latino workers are less likely to work

in professional, management, and related occupations—the highest paid occupational category in the labor force.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013 Black workers were 11 percent of those employed, but held just 7 percent of management jobs.

Barriers in Organizational Systems Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination

Women and ethnic minorities experience limited access to or excluded from informal communication networks

Critical because of the widespread informal information communication

Socialization, decision making, conflict management

Minority Employee Networks (affinity groups)-Members of a particular gender or ethnic background meet

Found that minority employees experience most success when they develop a differentiated network consisting of both majority and minority members and of individuals on a wide range of hierarchical levels

Barriers in Organizational Systems Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-

This legislation prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires that organizations make “reasonable accommodations” for disabled workers

The ADA has had historical effects on access in public and workplace but scholars and activists note that there is still work to be done

Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)-Antidiscrimination laws regarding sexual orientation

Why Diversity is GoodManaging diverse groups poses communication challenges

When first formed, diverse groups can be inferior

Over time, groups develop both communicative strategies and wider range of alternatives

Why Diversity is Good- Cox and Blake1.Cost Argument

a. As organizations become more diverse, the cost of a poor job in integrating workers will increase

2.Resource-Acquisitiona. Companies will develop reputations as prospective employers for women and

ethnic minorities

3.Marketing Argumenta. For multinational organizations, the insight and cultural sensitivity that members

with roots in other countries bring to the marketing effort should improve that effort in important ways

4.Creativitya. Diversity of perspectives and less emphasis on conformity

5.Problem Solvinga. Better with a wide range of perspectives and more critical analysis of issue

6.Systems Flexibility a. The increase of fluidity should create greater flexibility to react to environmental

changes

QuestionsIn the retail industry, Black and Latino workers are

less likely to work in professional or management jobs. Why do you think that is?

QuestionsAccording to Cox and Blake diversity is a good thing.

In your work experience, how has diversity helped you?

To this day, women are only making 70 cents to a man’s dollar. Do you think that is fair?

Work CitedRuetschlin, C., & Asante-Muhammad, D. (2015, June 2). The Retail Race Divide: How the Retail Industry Is Perpetuating Racial

Inequality in the 21st Century. Retrieved March 30, 2016, from

http://www.demos.org/publication/retail-race-divide-how-retail-industry-perpetuating-racial-inequality-21st-century