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Chapter 2: Diversity in Organizations

Two types of diversity

Surface-level diversity: biological, gender etc


Deep level diversity values, attitudes, personalities etc

Factors of diversity

Age
o Older workers bring experience, judgment, a strong work
ethic, and commitment to quality.
o Belief: job performance declines with increasing age.
o The workforce is aging - U.S. legislation that, for all intents
and purposes, outlaws mandatory retirement.

Sex
o Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions, and
unsupported opinions than whether women perform as well
on jobs as men do.
o Psychological studies have found women are more
agreeable and willing to conform to authority, whereas
men are more aggressive and more likely to have
expectations of success, but those differences are minor.
o Sexual orientation issues (e.g., domestic partner benefits),

gender identity
Race & Ethnicity
o Favor colleagues for their own race in performance
evaluations, promotion decisions, pay raises
o Different attitudes on affirmative action with AfricanAmericans preferring such programs than do whites.
o African-Americans generally do worse than whites in
employment decisions.
o No statistical difference between Whites and AfricanAmericans in observed absence rates, applied social skills

at work, or accident rates.


Disability
o A person is disabled who has any physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities.
o The reasonable accommodation is problematic for

employers.
o Strong biases exist against those with mental impairment
Tenure (In Korea/Asian context)

o People with job tenure (seniority at a job) are more


productive, absent less frequently, have lower turnover,
and are more satisfied.
o The issue of the impact of job seniority on job performance

has been subject to misconceptions and speculations.


Religion
o Although employees are protected by law regarding their
religion, it is still an issue in the workplace.

Ability
Definition: An individuals capacity to perform the various tasks in a
job.

Intellectual Abilities - The abilities needed to perform mental


activities
o General Mental Ability (GMA) is a measure of overall
intelligence.
o Wonderlic Personnel Test: a quick measure of intelligence

for recruitment screening.


o No correlation between intelligence and job satisfaction.
Physical Abilities - The capacity to do tasks demanding
stamina, dexterity, strength, and similar characteristics.
o Strength (Dynamic, trunk, static, explosive)
o Flexibility (extent, dynamic)
o And other characteristics (body coordination, balance,
stamina)

Pros and Cons of Diversity

Social categorization theory - Similarity leads to liking and

attraction
Information/Decision-Making Theory - Diversity leads to
better task-relevant processes and decision-making

How Organizations Manage Diversity Effectively

Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining Diverse


Employees
Diversity in Groups
Effective Diversity Programs
o Foster skills and abilities of all workers
o Teach legal framework
o Teach market advantages

Barriers and Challenges to Managing Diversity

Inaccurate stereotypes and prejudice


Ethnocentrism
Poor career planning
An unsupportive and hostile working environment for diverse

employees
Lack of political savvy on the part of diverse employees
Difficulty in balancing career and family issues
Fears of reverse discrimination
Diversity is not seen as an organizational priority
The need to revamp the organizations performance appraisal

and reward system


Resistance to change

Effects of Diverse Work Environments

Demographic fault-line - Hypothetical dividing lines that may


split a group into subgroups based on one or more attributes

Positive outcomes - members were open-minded, discussed


and shared information, and displayed integrative behavior

Hiring older workers

Benefits
o Less turnover
o Punctuality is a non-issue
o Need for motivation is less
o An end to workplace politics
o Good customer service skills
o Good role models
Implications
o Challenging work assignments that make a difference to
the firm
o Considerable autonomy and latitude in completing a
task.
o Equal access to training and learning opportunities when
it comes to new technology.
o Mentoring opportunities whereby older workers can pass
on accumulated knowledge to younger employees.
o Ensure that older workers receive sensitive, high-quality
supervision

o Design a work environment that is both stimulating and


fun.

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