respecting employee diversity chapter seven copyright © 2012 john wiley & sons visit for the...

RESPECTING EMPLOYEE DIVERSITY

Chapter Seven

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons

Visit http://wileymanagementupdates.com/ for the latest in business news stories.

Chapter 7

Learning Objectives

Describe competitive advantages of diversity

Explain the most common types of workplace discrimination

Adopt best operational practices for managing diversity

Successfully implement a diversity initiative

Facilitate a variety of diversity workshops

Chapter 7: Collins, Business Ethics

Four Dimensions of Diversity

Permanent Dimension—refers to physical attributes or inclinations people are born with that do not naturally change over time

Evolving Dimension—individuals can be categorized according to evolving characteristics as well as permanent ones



Personality Dimension—personality theorists and researchers have reached a general consensus on a “Big Five Personality Model” consisting of five different personality aspects

Organizational Dimension—these defining characteristics, which can be either unchanging or evolving, include hierarchical status, work content, department, and seniority



Insert Exhibit 7.1


History of Ethnic and Religious Diversity and Discrimination

Population Diversity and GrowthThe transformation from an indigenous to a

nonindigenous population occurred through waves of new immigrants seeking to improve their living conditions, except for African Americans who arrived prior to the Civil War through captivity and enslavement


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Suggest including "in the United States" within the title


Each newly arriving immigrant group was met with prejudice and fear from many among the existing population

The success of Italian and Spanish explorers attracted explorers from England, the Netherlands, and France

Each European nationality ruthlessly competed against one another for the best trading posts and settlements



1845-49 three-quarters of a million poor Irish immigrants arrived, fleeing the potato famine

Irish immigrants were discriminated against not only because of their nationality, but also their religion: Roman Catholicism

Chinese people began arriving in the mid-1800s, drawn by the allure of getting rich from the California Gold Rush and jobs building the transcontinental railroad



Discriminatory Employment PracticesFrom 1776 until 1964 Caucasian males primarily

employed and serviced people from their own national heritage and religious group

Businesses began to diversify as they grew in size and expanded their markets

Nonetheless, managers tended to hire and promote those employees who shared a common gender, race, ethnicity, or religious heritage



Illegal (Undocumented) ImmigrantsA contentious aspect of local, state, and national

law is the treatment of undocumented, or illegal, immigrants

In 1921 the Emergency Quota Act placed limits on the number of immigrants admitted into the United States

Illegal immigrants account for 5.4 percent of the national labor force


Self-Categorization

According to self-categorization theory, individuals define themselves in relation to others based on a “self-identity” or “social identity” factor and form binding relationships with people who categorize themselves similarly

Individuals typically self-identify in terms of race, ethnicity, or gender


Workplace Discrimination

To discriminate means to make a distinction among possible options

Problems arise when dissimilar people are treated as inferior or excluded

Workplace segregation can reinforce prejudices toward members of other groups



Two Prominent Ethical PrinciplesFairness refers to making decisions

according to rules not based on personal biases

Respect for others refers to treating everyone with dignity



Insert Exhibit 7.2



Gender Discrimination IssuesGender discrimination refers to treating an

employee differently because of his or her gender

Stereotypes of women include being too physically weak, too sensitive, or too polite to perform certain job tasks

Men are stereotyped as being aggressive, less emotionally vulnerable, and task-focused rather than relationship-focused



Gender Discrimination-Pay InequalityThe Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits pay

discrimination based solely on gender considerations

Previously, different wages for the same job tasks were justified on the grounds that men were the heads of households whereas women were earning supplemental family income



Gender Discrimination-PregnancyIn 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy

Discrimination Act (PDA) to protect the civil rights of pregnant women

The PDA classified discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition as a form of gender discrimination



The PDA requires that employers provide appropriate job accommodations for pregnant women that do not cause undue hardship to the employer

The PDA did not require that any specific amount of leave be extended to childbearing women beyond existing company policies

Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 in part to address this issue



The FMLA ensures a total of 12 work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period, and the continuation of health care and other fringe benefits during this period for:

The care of a newborn baby, a newly adopted child, or a new foster child

The care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition

An employee’s serious health condition



Gender Discrimination-Glass CeilingGlass ceiling refers to situations in which the

hierarchical advancement of a qualified woman or minority group member is prematurely stopped at a lower level because of gender, racial, or ethnic discrimination



Gender Discrimination-Reverse Gender Discrimination

Reverse discrimination refers to discriminating against a dominant or majority group member in favor of a historically disadvantaged or minority group member



Race and Ethnicity Discrimination IssuesRacial and ethnic discrimination refers to

treating an employee differently because of his or her race or ethnicity

The lack of daily social interactions among races and ethnicities fosters stereotypes and prejudices

Racial and ethnic minorities are much more likely to perceive discrimination as a problem than the Caucasians wielding managerial power



Religious Discrimination IssuesReligious discrimination refers to treating an

employee differently because of his or her religious beliefs

Employers must provide religious accommodations that are reasonable and do not cause a burden to the employer

Employers are also expected to provide flexible scheduling for religious holidays and respect religious clothing and grooming policies



Age Discrimination IssuesAge discrimination refers to treating an

employee differently because of his or her age

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 prohibits dismissing, or not promoting, anyone age 40 or older because the individual is considered “too old” for the job



Disability Discrimination IssuesCongress passed the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to prohibit discrimination against a qualified worker with a disability who can perform the job task with or without reasonable accommodation

The legislation defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual”



Sexual Orientation Discrimination IssuesSexual orientation discrimination is not covered

by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Nonetheless, more than 15 states and 150 municipalities have passed laws prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination

Some companies prove “domestic partnership” benefits to same-sex or different-sex couples, although they are not required to do so by federal or state law



HarassmentHarassment is defined as “unwelcome conduct

that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information”

Harassment becomes unlawful when the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive



Dating, Sexual Harassment, and Hostile Work Environment

Dating is based on mutual consent; sexual harassment is not

Sexual harassment includes unwelcomed sexual comments, jokes, leering, pictures, or physical touching

When quid-pro-quo sexual harassment or a hostile environment occurs, the employer must immediately notify the accused person to stop the offensive behavior



Retaliation for Discrimination ClaimsAll EEO laws carry a stipulation that it is

illegal to take retaliatory adverse action against someone who complains to an employer, manager, or law official about a discrimination issue


Competitive Advantages of Diversity Management

1. To attract and retain diverse customers2. To attract and retain diverse employees3. To achieve cost reductions4. To enhance decision making, problem

solving, and creativity5. To increase stakeholder goodwill


Best Operational Practices for Managing Diversity

Diversity officer/committee/officeRecruiting and hiringPersonnel policiesDispute resolution mechanismsRetention and promotionsPerformance appraisalsTerminations and downsizing


Implementing a Diversity Initiative

1. Present a business case for the diversity initiative

2. Create a shared vision statement3. Respectfully build from the past4. Create a sense of urgency5. Empower a change agent


Implementing a Diversity Initiative (cont’d)

6. Gather political support7. Craft an implementation plan8. Develop enabling processes9. Evaluate the progress10. Reinforce the change


Diversity Training

Diversity necessitates expanding an employee’s comfort level beyond his or her own race, ethnicity, or gender

Helping employees overcome their biases against diverse people requires training

Exhibit 7.3 highlights some common diversity training problems that can arise from within, or between, dominant and subordinate workplace groups


Diversity Training

Insert Exhibit 7.3


Diversity Discussion Guidelines

Many employees are not comfortable discussing diversity issues

Initial employee tension and resistance can be defused by a warm-up activity in which participants agree on discussion guidelines

If the organization lacks discussion guidelines, have participants independently develop a set of rules governing how participants should treat one another during the discussion


Diversity Training Exercises

Chapter Seven includes several examples of diversity exercises that are informative, relevant, and useful

These include activities that foster awareness, explore what it is like being prejudged, and how everyone is unique


respecting employee diversity chapter seven copyright © 2012 john wiley & sons visit for the...

Documents

religious diversity

business ethics slide

diversity initiative

religious heritage chapter

seniority chapter

enslavement chapter

settlements chapter

history of ethnic