• What is Managing Diversity?

• Nature of Resistance to anticipate and plan for– Promotion Roleplay

Managing Diversity Initiatives

• Managing Diversity• Change organizational structure, policies, norms

& practices (e.g., hiring) to create fairness• Similar to strategies to reducing discrimination (See Stephan &

Stephan ch. 2)

• Valuing Diversity• Change employee attitudes and behaviors by

• Emphasis on equality/fairness values

• Providing training on awareness & skills– Similar to strategies on reducing stereotyping & prejudice (See

Stephan & Stephan ch 2)

Types of Diversity Initiatives

• Change structure by changing membership in the organization across all levels via• Recruitment & hiring (e.g., offer benefit packages

appealing to minorities so they would accept jobs in org and stay)

– E.g., elder care & child care for sandwich generation, for people with different values toward aging parents

– Promotion (e.g., Ensure minority representation on internal committees so they would progress to higher levels of org)

– E.g., to make decisions on purchasing benefit policies

Examples of Managing Diversity

• Change structure by changing membership in the organization across all levels via• Compensation for diversity-based performance

(Cox)

• Grievance procedure• Encouraging communication across & within all

levels (e.g., Carnevale & Stone)

• Be more flexible in social norms (e.g., Carnevale & Stone)

Examples of Managing Diversity

• Sponsor caucus, advisory & support groups for different groups – e.g., student groups at universities

• Create career development programs for minorities & women• e.g., mentoring

• Community outreach to enhance organization’s image and attract minority applicants, customers• E.g., IBM’s Aboriginal initiative

Examples of Managing Diversity

• Examples of Managing Diversity Initiatives

• Nature of Resistance to anticipate and plan for

Managing Diversity Initiatives

• Mandatory nature – Positive (e.g., rated as more successful, Rynes &

Rosen, 95) – Negative= less popular

• Change is experienced as threatening, provokes anxiety, resentment, hostility (Stephan & Stephan Ch 2)

– Can be possibly overcome with training (see Valuing Diversity initiatives)

• Perception of demographic change in org composition as zero-sum game (see also Plous)

Individuals’ Resistance to Diversity Initiatives

• Traditional hierarchical structures• Standardized procedures, conformity norms• Selection & promotion based on ‘fit’

• Remember Brief et al article!

• Informal networks of communication that exclude visible minorities

• Token representation of VMs as sufficient justification for not implementing Diversity Initiatives

• Limited time for change to occur

Organizational Barriers to Diversity Initiatives

Connect to Plous arguments

• What is Managing Diversity?– Examples of Managing Diversity Initiatives– Some discussion of how it is different from Valuing

Difference Initiatives

• Nature of Resistance to anticipate and plan for– Individual & Organizational Barriers

• Put it to practice: Promotion Role Play

Managing Diversity Initiatives

• Managing Diversity• Change organizational structure, policies, norms

& practices (e.g., hiring) to create fairness• Similar to strategies to reducing discrimination (See Stephan &

Stephan ch. 2)

• Valuing Diversity• Change employee attitudes and behaviors by

• Emphasis on equality/fairness values

• Providing training on awareness & skills– Similar to strategies on reducing stereotyping & prejudice (See

Stephan & Stephan ch 2)

Types of Diversity Initiatives

• Org emphasizes fairness/equality values– Via mission statement, sponsoring equity

endevours etc.

• Provides diversity training to• Increase awareness (sensitivity)

• Cultural & historical information about groups• Know about, and counteract stereotypes

• E.g., Board games

• Improve skills• Interpersonal, conflict management, language skills,

mentoring

• Change attitudes & feelings• Hardest to do

Valuing Diversity

• What is culture? • Beliefs, norms, customs, knowledge, habits of a

group• See “What are transparent aspects of culture” in

cultural circles)

• Why is learning about cultural differences important for diversity training?• Increases awareness of role of culture in social

behaviors (e.g., choice of partner; amount of eye-contact)

• Awareness can increase accepting which can improve interactions between people of different cultural groups

Types of Diversity Training

• Increase cultural identity• E.g., Pie chart, Backgrounds, Cultural circles

• Highlight differences in communication styles • E.g., Bafa Bafa

• Inter cultural conflict resolution• E.g., Owl sensitivity

• Interpersonal stereotyping• E.g., Diversity and perception, Car radio etc.

• Group stereotyping • E.g., Gender & language, Cross-gender role-play

• Understand power differences & gain empathy• E.g., Disability Exercise

Goals of Diversity Training Exercises

• What are goals of the online-discussion group in a class?• Highlight differences in communication styles

• Of People’s preference for communicating orally vs. online

• Inter cultural conflict resolution

• Increase cultural identity• Learn about each other’s culture

• Interpersonal stereotyping• E.g., Bec. you are muscular you must be athletic

• Group stereotyping• E.g., Bec. you are Chinese you must be conservative

• Gain gain empathy• For people who are too shy to speak out in class

Identifying goals of an example training exercise

• Tansik & Driskill 1977• 20 hrs of lectures, case studies, role-playing• Small changes right after, positive changes 5 weeks

after, negative attitudes 12 weeks after

• Sorcher & Spence 1982• 10 week prog of watching videotapes of effective

behaviors, role playing with reinforcement • No changes immediately or 6 weeks after, but

positive changes 20 weeks after

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Dunnette & Motowildo (1982)• 3-days of small group discussions, readings,

seminars, videos on sexist attitudes & behaviors• No changes for men, but positive changes for

women

• Alderfer (1992)• Upward mobility program, balanced composition

of promotion committees, workshop had lectures, role-plays and experiential activities

• Increases in minorities in management ranks • Dominant group members evaluated program

more negatively than minority group members

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Ellis & Sonnenfield (1994)• 1 day of watching videos of culturally insensitive

behaviors and discussing them• 59% evaluated seminar positively

• Tan, Morris, & Romero (1996)• 3 days of case studies, simulations, videos,

discussions• Increased knowledge of

• diversity issues • barriers to change• sensitization to and knowledge of how to prevent

negative effects of prejudice & stereotypes

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Hanover & Cellar 1998• Videos, role playing, examination of diversity

practices, action planning• Increased ratings on diversity practice measures

(e.g., open discussions of group differences, discouraging comments perpetuating stereotypes)

• Rynes & Rosen 1995• 33% of HR managers surveyed rated diversity

programs as successful but 18% rated them as unsuccessful

• Mandatory prog were rated as more successful

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Layng 1998• Analysis of commonly used video in diversity

training programs• Introduced new stereotypes to replace old ones• Too much focus on incompetence of White male

managers can alienate intended audience• Suggests that diversity leads to communication

problems

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Trainers do not like sharing techniques

• Trainers do not know evaluation techniques

• Evaluation requires time and money

• Some evaluations take more time away from trainees’ jobs, are resisted by organizations

• Showing no change (or negative change) is disadvantageous to trainer

Why such few Evaluations of Training Programs

• Changing established norms & practices of adults in organizations is difficult

• Limited time for change to occur

• Teach legal & inter group aspects of diversity

• Participants are resistant to change

Challenge for Diversity Trainers

• Include • Majority and minority members • Members from all organizational ranks• Diverse trainers on teams

• Emphasize similarity & differences within groups

• E.g., cultural circles

• Know legal issues• E.g., discrimination scenarios exercise

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training

• Anticipate • Conflict between majority & minority groups• Resentment from dominant groups• Negative reactions re: slow pace of change from

minorities

• Avoid displays of favoritism

• Present diversity policies in ways palatable to all participants

• E.g., business case

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training

• Focus on training skills bec. employers are legally responsible for employee behaviors

• Cover a broad range of groups

• Attend to trainees • Inter group relations• Age, status, strength of ethnic identities

• Similar to strategies to reduce negative intergroup contact

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training

• Decide on how to confront • Prevalent organizational values• Value differences between groups

• Be thoroughly prepared

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training

• Majority members may feel additionally threatened (as being attacked)

• Minority members may feel uncomfortable when focus of attention during training

Resistance to Diversity InitiativesIndividual Barriers

• Mandatory nature can be positive and negative• People who need it most get it but popularity may

be reduced

• Change is experienced as threatening, provokes anxiety, resentment, hostility

Resistance to Diversity InitiativesIndividual Barriers

• What is Managing Diversity?

• Nature of Resistance to anticipate and plan for– Promotion Roleplay

Managing Diversity Initiatives