Diversity

By
Megha Singh
• Have you ever been the subject of a
negative reaction based only on your
membership in a group?

• How about a positive reaction for the

same reason?

• Why do people have negative

stereotypes about others?
Diversity refers to all the ways that
individuals are unique and differ from
one another.

Diversity Involves:
Recognizing our unique differences
Attracting people of all backgrounds
Recognizing how attitudes affect us all
Creating an environment where all can succeed
Acting to promote diversity
 Why should I understand
Diversity
• Because it can enrich your life – and your
world. Understanding and appreciating
differences helps.
• Individuals, who can gain new insights and
outlooks
• Communities, which can tap the varied talents of
their members.
• Groups, that appreciate diversity have the ‘leading
edge” in today’s “global market.”
 Elements of Diversity

• Age • Income
• Gender • Education
• Ethnicity • Marital Status
• Race • Religious Beliefs
• Physical Ability
• Geographic Location
• Sexual Orientation
• Parental Status
• Physical Characteristics
• Personality Type
 Primary & Secondary Dimensions of
Diversity
• Secondary dimensions are elements we have some
power to change. People are less sensitive about
secondary dimensions. We also have the choice of
whether to disclose this information or not; we can
conceal these characteristics.
• Primary dimensions are aspects of ourselves that we
cannot change. They are things people know about us
before we even open our mouths, because they are
physically visible (except sexual orientation). When
people feel they are being stereotyped based on
primary dimension, they can be very sensitive about it.
 Primary Characteristics:
Qualities We Are Born With
• Gender
• Eye Color
• Hair Color
• Race
• Birth Defects
 Secondary Characteristics:

• Religion
• Educational Level
• Parental Status
• Geographic Location
• Socioeconomic Status
• Sexual Identity
 What makes each person unique
• Biology, which determines gender, body size; skin, hair and
eye color.
• Ethnicity and culture, the customs, language and sense of
identity often shared by people with similar roots.
• Family life, including family size, values traditions and
social class.
• Beliefs, ones religion or philosophy of life
• Geography, how one feels about being from a certain
neighborhood, city or region.
• Experiences, in school, work, travel, recreation…and with
other people.
 Generalized attitude
PREJUDICE towards members of a
group.

Generalized belief
STEREOTYPE about members of a
group.
Behaviors directed
towards people on the
DISCRIMINATION
basis of their group
membership.
 Labeling = Stereotype, Prejudice, &
Discrimination

• Categorizing can be dangerous. Labels can

become too rigid and when there is no room
for growth the label becomes stifling, both for
the individuals who are labeled and for the
category itself.
• This leads to Stereotypes, Prejudice, &
Discrimination.
The Challenge of Workplace Diversity?

• The challenge lies in the continuous

improvement of the integration and social
acceptance of people from different
backgrounds.
• Our differing human characteristics influence
the way we think, act, interact, and make
choices.
• Often, these differences interfere with our
ability to support, trust, and respect each other,
and thus to effectively function together.
 Areas of Workplace Diversity
• Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
(Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors
including "race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
or national origin” into consideration in order to benefit an
underrepresented group "in areas of employment, education,
and business", usually justified as countering the effects of a
history of discrimination.)
– The active recruitment of women, minorities,
and other protected groups.
– The primary concern is meeting quotas, often
without concern for the survivability of these
individuals.
 Areas of Workplace Diversity
• Managing Diversity
– The organization is diverse by default, and now
it must deal with it.
– The goal is to fix, cover-up, and/or defer the
problem with a minimum of hassle.
– The effort is top management-driven, thus
forced throughout the organization.
– The concern is more for a change in behavior
than attitudes.
 Areas of Workplace Diversity

• Valuing Diversity
– The organization sees direct benefits from
incorporating diverse people and perspectives.
– INCLUSION: The goal is to change and/or
create a organizational culture that recognizes,
respects and encourages individual differences.
 Diversity-Related Problems
Increased ambiguity
Increased complexity and confusion
Difficulty to converge meanings and
Miscommunication
Lower cohesiveness
Harder to reach agreement
Harder to make decisions and agree on
specific actions

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 Diversity-Related Advantages
Expanding meanings and
Broader cognitive frame & resources
Multiple perspectives
Multiple interpretations
Richer alternatives & more ideas
Increased creativity and problem solving
skills
Increased flexibility

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 Managing Diversity Versus Affirmative
Action
• Affirmative action (AA)
– instituted to curb discrimination and correct the past
exclusion of women and minorities.
– nonetheless, employment discrimination still persists
• AA has not adequately improved the upward mobility of women and
minorities
– reverse discrimination exists when qualified males are
passed over for employment opportunities
• Managing diversity
– means moving beyond legislated mandates to embrace a
proactive business philosophy that values differences
– eliminates barriers that hinder attainment of full potential
 Managing Diversity Versus
Affirmative Action (cont.)

• Competitive advantage through diversity

– original impetus to diversity workforces was social
responsibility and legal necessity
• today, many organizations are also approaching diversity from
a more practical, business-oriented perspective
– Ability to attract and retain motivated employees
• companies with reputation for diversity have competitive
advantage in the labor market
• companies will be sought out by most qualified employees
• employees who believe that their differences are valued may
become more loyal, productive, and committed
 Managing Diversity Versus
Affirmative Action (cont.)

• Competitive advantage through diversity (cont.)

– Better perspective of a differentiated market
• as the composition of the American workforce changes, so does the
customer base of these companies
– diverse customers may prefer to patronize such organizations
• a multicultural workforce can provide a company with greater
knowledge of the preferences and consuming habits of this
diversified marketplace
– Ability to leverage creativity and innovation in problem
solving
• people from different backgrounds hold different perspectives
• diverse work groups are freer to deviate from traditional approaches
 Managing Diversity Versus
Affirmative Action (cont.)

• Competitive advantage through diversity (cont.)

– Enhancement of organizational flexibility
• managing diversity requires a corporate culture that tolerates
different styles and approaches
• Challenges of a diverse workforce
– Lower cohesiveness - lack of similarity in culture
causes diverse groups to be less cohesive
– Communication problems - most common negative
effect
• diversity increases errors and misunderstandings
 Managing Diversity Versus
Affirmative Action (cont.)

• Challenges of a diverse workforce (cont.)

– Mistrust and tension - mistrust and misunderstanding
of those who are different because of a lack of contact
and low familiarity
– Stereotyping - inappropriately stereotype their
“different” colleagues rather than accurately perceiving
and evaluating those individuals’ contributions,
capabilities, aspirations, and motivations
• stereotypes affect how people are treated
 Benefits of Workplace Diversity
An organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its
ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits. When
organizations actively assess their handling of workplace diversity
issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits
are reported such as:
Increased adaptability
Organizations employing a diverse workforce can supply a greater
variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and
allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds
bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that
are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer
demands.

Broader service range

A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e.g. languages,
cultural understanding) allows a company to provide service to
customers on a global basis.
Variety of viewpoints
A diverse workforce that feels comfortable communicating varying
points of view provides a larger pool of ideas and experiences. The
organization can draw from that pool to meet business strategy needs
and the needs of customers more effectively.

More effective execution

Companies that encourage workplace diversity inspire all of their
employees to perform to their highest ability. Company-wide
strategies can then be executed; resulting in higher productivity,
profit, and return on investment.

Challenges of Workplace Diversity

Taking full advantage of the benefits of diversity in the workplace is
not without its challenges. Some of those challenges are:
Communication - Perceptual, cultural and language barriers need to be
overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of
key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale.

Resistance to change - There are always employees who will refuse to

accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is
changing. The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality silences new
ideas and inhibits progress.

Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies - This can be the

overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Armed with the results of
employee assessments and research data, they must build and implement a
customized strategy to maximize the effects of workplace diversity for
their particular organization.

Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace - Diversity

training alone is not sufficient for your organization’s diversity
management plan. A strategy must be created and implemented to create a
culture of diversity that permeates every department and function of the
organization
Recommended diversity in the workplace solutions include:

Ward off change resistance with inclusion. - Involve every

employee possible in formulating and executing diversity initiatives in
your workplace.

Foster an attitude of openness in your organization. - Encourage

employees to express their ideas and opinions and attribute a sense of
equal value to all.

Promote diversity in leadership positions. - This practice provides

visibility and realizes the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

Utilize diversity training. - Use it as a tool to shape your diversity

policy.
 So Celebrate Diversity

• Take pride in your own uniqueness

• Welcome others as individuals
• Enjoy your similarities and your differences

When you appreciate diversity, you enrich

your world!