Business & Society ETLW 302 Tara Ceranic Salinas, PhD

Employees + Diversity

Implicit attitude An attitude is a positive or negative evaluation of some object. An implicit attitude is an attitude that can rub off on associated objects. “Implicit” is used because these powerful attitudes are sometimes hidden from public view, and even from conscious awareness.

Implicit stereotype A stereotype is a belief that members of a group generally possess some characteristic An implicit stereotype is a stereotype that is powerful enough to operate without conscious control.

IAT: Implicit Association Test The unwilling-unable distinction is like the difference between purposely hiding something from others and unconsciously hiding something from yourself. IAT makes it possible to penetrate both of these types of hiding. Measures implicit attitudes and beliefs that people are either unwilling or unable to report.

Workplace Diversity Primary dimensions of diversity: Age, ethnicity, gender, mental/physical abilities, race, sexual orientation Secondary dimensions: Communication style, family status, first language Workplace diversity = challenges + opportunities for businesses

Attempts to level the playing field for everyone

14th Amendment (1868) Post Civil War (Reconstruction) Citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War It is also what was used to give corporations the rights of people…

Equal Pay Act Federal law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex Administered/Enforced by the EEOC

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin Ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1965) Enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination Investigates complaints of job discrimination based on: Race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, age (40 or older), or genetic information

EEOC 2011: included "sex-stereotyping" of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals as a form of sex discrimination illegal Civil Rights Act of 1964 2012: expanded protection provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to transgender status and gender identity

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 The (previous) 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination resets with each new paycheck affected by that discriminatory action

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire By the end of 1997, Ledbetter was the only woman working as an area manager and the pay discrepancy between Ledbetter and her 15 male counterparts was stark: Ledbetter was paid $3,727 per month; the lowest paid male area manager received $4,286 per month, the highest paid, $5,236

How are we doing at actually leveling the playing field? Do historically disadvantaged groups need additional protection and support in order to achieve equality?

Fast Forward 50 years from the Equal Pay Act… Pay Gap = disparity between the wages of white men, minorities and women $10,784 The median earnings of full-time female workers is 77 percent of the median earnings of full-time male workers

One year out of college

Why is this happening?!

Problems with the measurement Are we comparing individuals working for the same # of hours? Does it include bonuses? How do we compare across fields? Larger #s of women enter the “helping” professions which pay lower wages

When comparisons are made between men and women who work 40 hours per week, women make 87% of men’s earnings, according to the Labor Department. When economists compare men and women in the same job with the same experience, the analysts find that they earn about the same.

Solutions? Actively nurturing solidarity amongst women in organizations Female mentorship Negotiation

Cat’s Paw

How does all of this impact you? You will be making hiring decisions and conducting interviews and there are some things you CAN’T ask about

What you can’t ask Are you a U.S. citizen? Are you authorized to work in the U.S.? What religion do you practice? What days are you available to work? How old are you? Are you over 18?

What you can’t ask Do you have/plan to have children? Are you available to work overtime on occasion? Can you travel? If you get pregnant, will you continue to work, and will you come back after maternity leave? What are your long-term career goals?

What you can’t ask How do you feel about supervising men/women? Tell me about your previous experience managing teams Do you smoke/drink? In the past have you been disciplined for violating company policies forbidding the use of tobacco/alcohol products?

Managers also have to deal with how their employees treat each other

Sexual & Racial Harassment When any employee experiences repeated, unwanted sexual attention or when on-the-job conditions are hostile or threatening in a sexual way Ethnic slurs Derogatory comments Other verbal or physical abuse based on race Reasonable person standard

How Diversity = Advantage Equal employment opportunity = more employees from different backgrounds Important as pool of skilled labor grows more diverse Diverse employees = better service for diverse customers Global marketplace demands differences Avoids need for lawsuits

Buying power by 2015 Hispanic: $1.5 trillion African-American: $1.2 trillion Asian-American: $775 billion Native American: $90.4 billion LGBT: $712 billion

What Can Business Do to Manage Diversity? Companies concerned with their reputation must go beyond the law to prevent discrimination, sexual and racial harassment Must implement policies/practices that make the workplace fair and accommodating to all employees

Useful programs need a culture shift Don’t ask: How can we train diverse employees in order to succeed and thrive in our organizational culture? Ask: How do we need to change to make our workplace one that actually embraces diversity in approach, in culture, and in opportunity?

Businesses need to treat diversity problems the same way they would treat, say, a drop in profits — all hands on deck to fix the issue immediately. Hold people accountable, question current practices and measure everything.

What do some actual programs/codes look like? Break into groups Find the code for any organization you are NOT doing your project on What do you think?

Unintended Consequences Organizations that put diversity initiatives into place do so with good intentions. They recognize that discrimination is a problem and that embracing diversity has substantial social and economic value. Simply advertising oneself as an equal-opportunity or diversity-friendly employer, however, does not solve the underlying problem of discrimination.

Diversity Analysis Paper DO NOT USE the SHRM template (or any other template)