Why diversity management is important and how to institutionalize a diversity management program Diversity means having a workforce comprised of two or more groups of employees with various racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, national origin, handicap, age, and religious backgrounds. In creating diverse groups of employees, differing perspectives, knowledge, value systems and other characteristics can contribute to building strong and creative teams of people. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Diversity Management and Affirmative Action Programs Diversity cons Stereotyping – eg. ‘Older people cannot work hard’ Discrimination Tokenism – appoint small groups for high-profile positions. Ethnocentrism – look at other social group less favourable than one’s own Gender-role stereotypes – to associate women with certain non-managerial jobs Stereotyping is a process in which someone ascribes specific behavioral traits to individuals based on their apparent membership in a group. Discrimination means taking specific actions toward or against the person based on the person’s group. Tokenism occurs when a company appoints a small group of women or minorities to high-profile positions, rather than more aggressively seeking full representation for that group. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view members of other social groups less favorably than one’s own. Working women also confront gender-role stereotypes, the tendency to associate women with certain (frequently non-managerial) jobs. Diversity benefits include measurable profitability and growth where diversity is managed proactively. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Diversity Management Diversity Pros Bring Ideas – knowledge and life experiences to provide a pool of new ideas Social Responsibility – hiring physically disabled show a CSR Source of human resources – talented people come from wide variety of background Adequate manpower for public holidays – Malaysian context: multiracial cater diff public holidays. Marketing Strategy – hire employees to cater different customers’ backgrounds Business Communication – with vendors & customers Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Diversity Management and Affirmative Action Programs Managing diversity Encouraging inclusiveness Multicultural consciousness Being sensitive to and adapting to individual cultural differences. Managing diversity means maximizing diversity’s potential advantages while minimizing the potential barriers. Barriers such as prejudices and biasthat can undermine the functioning of a diverse workforce. Top-down programs typically, start at the top with strong leaders or a CEO who champion the cause of diversity. Assessing the situation using metrics, employee attitude surveys and focus groups will enable effective tracking. Other effective management includes” Providing diversity training and education. Changing the culture and management systems. Evaluating the diversity management program. A big part of managing diversity involves overcoming barriers to inclusion such as learning about other cultures and helping all employees to better understand the causes of prejudice. For you as an individual, to improve your multicultural consciousness, Take an active role in educating yourself. Put yourself in a learning mode in any multicultural setting. Move beyond your personal comfort zone. Don’t be too hard on yourself if misunderstandings arise. Realize that you are not alone. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Managing Diversity Maximizing diversity’s potential advantages while minimizing the potential barriers. Barriers such as prejudices and bias that can undermine the functioning of a diverse workforce. Top-down programs – 5 sets of voluntary organisational activities: Strong leadership Assess the situation - use metrics, employee attitude surveys and focus groups. Providing diversity training and education Change Culture and Management Systems Evaluate diversity management program Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler FIGURE 2–8 Strategies That Overcome Barriers to Inclusion At the Personal Level Inclusive Strategies Barriers to Inclusion Become aware of prejudice and other barriers to valuing diversity Learn about other cultures and groups Serve as an example, walk the talk Participate in managing diversity Stereotypes, prejudices Past experiences and influences Stereotyped expectations and perceptions Feelings that tend to separate, divide At the Interpersonal Level Facilitate communication and interactions in ways that value diversity Encourage participation Share your perspective Facilitate unique contributions Resolve conflicts in ways that value diversity Accept responsibility for developing common ground Cultural differences Group differences Myths Relationship patterns based on exclusion Figure 2-8 illustrates strategies for overcoming barriers to inclusion, such as learning about other cultures and helping all employees to better understand the causes of prejudice. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Human Resources Management 12e Gary Dessler FIGURE 2–8 Strategies That Overcome Barriers to Inclusion (cont’d) At the Organizational Level Inclusive Strategies Barriers to Inclusion All employees have access to networks and focus groups All employees take a proactive role in managing diversity and creating a more diverse workplace culture All employees are included in the inner circle that contributes to the bottom-line success of the company All employees give feedback to management All employees are encouraged to contribute to change Individuals who get away with discriminating and excluding A culture that values or allows exclusion Work structures, policies, and practices that discriminate and exclude Figure 2-8 illustrates strategies for overcoming barriers to inclusion, such as learning about other cultures and helping all employees to better understand the causes of prejudice. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Multicultural Consciousness Take an active role in educating yourself. Put yourself in a learning mode in any multicultural setting. Move beyond your personal comfort zone. Don’t be too hard on yourself if misunderstandings arise. Realize that you are not alone. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education

Review Diversity management and Affirmative Action programs Diversity benefits Managing diversity Diversity management and affirmative action programs such as stereotyping and discrimination. Diversity benefits include measurable profitability and growth where diversity is managed proactively. Managing diversity effectively for the purposes of: Inclusiveness Multicultural consciousness EEO vs. Affirmative Action Reverse discrimination Equal employment opportunity aims to ensure that anyone has an equal opportunity based on his or her qualifications. Affirmative action goes beyond this by having the employer take actions (in recruitment, hiring, and so forth) to eliminate the current effects of past discrimination. Employersmay begin to achieved such aims by recruiting minorities online and overcoming employee resistance through education, communication and transparent selection procedures. In terms of reverse discrimination, Courts have been grappling with the use of quotas (or de facto quotas) in hiring, particularly with claims of reverse discrimination (discriminating against nonminority applicants and employees). Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education