Gender and Diversity in the Workplace AECO 380

Dr. Jennifer VanGilder

Definition of Diversity

• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

– Differing from one another

– Composed of different or unlike elements or qualities

Changing Demographics of Population

By the year 2050– 52% Non-Hispanic White (down from 75.1% in

2000)– 25% Hispanic (up from 12.5% in 2000)– 13% Black (up from 12.3% in 2000)– 8% Asian American (up from 3.6% in 2000)– 1% American Indian (Up from 0.9% in 2000)

Diversity Facts

• Minorities now account for 85% for the net growth of the nation’s labor force

• Women now comprise 37% of the labor force

If we divided the world's population by 60 million, there would be 100 humans

of who:

• 57 are Asian • 21 are Europeans • 14 are Hispanics from the Western Hemisphere • 8 are Africans • 51 are females • 70 are non-white • 70 are non-Christian; 30 are Christian

• 6 individuals control 50% of the world's wealth -- all Americans

• 30 are unable to read • 50 suffer from malnutrition • 1 is near death and 1 is about to be born • only 1 has a college education

Facts Continued…

• Over the next 20 years the US population will grow by 42 million people– 47% Hispanic– 22% Black– 18% Asian– 13% White

Diversity…Not a new trend

• Miami is 2/3 Hispanic

• San Francisco is 1/3 Asian American

• California State Bakersfield has minority majority standing

Cultural Lenses

• Rigid Lenses – Stereotypes

• Open Lenses– Interaction

• “An individual may assume they understand another person’s culture, but these assumptions are usually what keep the two apart”

Development of Multiculturalism

• Canadians– Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988– Enacted to recognize and support different

cultures• Switzerland

– Alternative view– Be like us and you can be one of us

Why do we need diversity training?

• Growing Global Marketplace– Opens the door for diversity

• Diversity training can…– Increase Productivity– Decrease Turnover– Reduce Conflict

• All lead to the common goal of what???– PROFIT

Why study diversity?• Increasing immigration patterns• More women in the workforce

– 40% of women in 1970s worked– 60% of women in the 1990s worked– 72% of women in 2001 worked

• Changes in civil rights legislation– Disabilities– Homosexual and bisexual

Does it make a difference?

• “Diverse teams are more effective and creative in an increasingly competitive economy” Honoring Diversity in the Workplace

• “Development of the future workforce is a critical issue for high tech companies. We must find ways to remain creative and innovative, and diversity of thought is fundamental to creativity.”Rich Templeton, Texas Instruments

Questions to address

• Why has the composition of the labor force been changing so rapidly?

• What are the major diversity issues?• How can we deal with these issues on a

professional level?

Examining the Intersection of

Gender and Work

Powell ix-xx

Women and Work

• Labor Force participation of women has been expanding over the last several decades.

• 1970 study– 15% of surveyed high school senior women

expected they would be working at age 35– Surveyed again at age 35 over 40% of the women

were working – Problems???

• If you don’t expect to work….you will not be prepared to work

Female Labor Force Participation Rates

• Definition:– Percentage of all women working or seeking work

• 43% in the 1970s• 60% in 1998• Almost 72% in 2001

– Lower for married females (almost 61%)• Male labor force participation rates decreased from

80 to 74% during that same period.• Mississippi, Arizona, and West Virginia have the

lowest rates for women

Why the change?• Are men getting lazy???• Change in attitudes about women working• More divorces• Things cost more money (dual income

family)

Women are becoming more numerous in what used to be

labeled “male jobs”•Examples…

•How does this impact society?

Some facts…

• Females comprise– 1% of automobile mechanics– 4% of airline pilots and navigators – 10% of electronic technicians

• Nontraditional employment for women is defined as occupations or fields of work where women comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed.

Nontraditional Job Choice Facts

• More than 80 percent of employed women work in only 5 percent of all jobs

• Women can earn up to 30 percent more plus benefits in jobs dominated by males

The “Female Occupation Formula”

• Occupations which employ 90% women almost always have in common certain characteristics that women seem to find desirable

• Characteristics usually make the wage lower

• What are these characteristics??

1. Ability to Psychologically “check out” at the end of the day• (cashier vs. lawyer)

2. Physical Safety • (receptionist vs. fire fighter)

3. Indoors • (secretary vs. garbage collector)

4. Low Risk of Job Loss • (file clerk vs. entrepreneur)

5. Desirable or Flexible Hours• (nurse vs. doctor)

6. No Demands to Relocate • (corporate secretary vs. corporate executive)

7. High Fulfillment• (child care vs. coal miner)

8. Contact with People • (hostess vs. trucker)

Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar• Librarian• Farmer• Cook

• Physical Therapist• Police Officer

• Real Estate Salesperson• Secretary

• Insurance Salesperson• Truck Driver• Radiologist

In-class activity #3• Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar Jobs• Three tasks:

– Identify each occupation as a blue collar job (male job) or pink collar job (female job)

– Include one aspect of that job that brought your group to this conclusion

– Approximate the percentage of that occupation that is the majority gender

• Extra Credit Opportunity for Group– 1 point for identifying blue or pink collar correctly– 2 points for being within 4 percentage points of actual

composition