Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998 Industrial-Organizational Psychology Learning Module Diversity in the Workplace

Lesson Objectives n Understand why diversity in the workplace matters n Know the different types of diversity n Understand the challenges raised by workplace diversity n Know how I-O psychologists help organizations manage diversity Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998 At the end of this lecture, you should:

Why does diversity in the workplace matter? n The service economy u interactions between people are key u customer base is more diverse u similarities between people ease process n Globalization of business u doing business with people from around world n The changing labor market n Company mergers and buy-outs Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

Types of Diversity n Gender diversity u more women in workforce today than ever F better educated than ever u stereotypes still remain F glass ceiling, etc. n Age diversity u as population ages, more older workers are available u re-entry of middle-aged women to work u retirees returning to supplement pension u internships bring in more younger employees Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

Types of Diversity n Cultural diversity u affects values, view of the world u more than 40% of new entrants into U.S. workforce from non-“majority” groups F about 22% new immigrants F about 20% African-American or Hispanic u growing international business u employees maintain ties to national and cultural heritage Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

Other Types of Diversity (You May Not Have Thought Of) n Family situations u single employees (mothers and others) n Physical and psychological disabilities u Americans with Disabilities Act n Sexual orientation n Political views n Personal idiosyncrasies Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

Challenges of Diversity n Availability challenge u in past employers could control diversity F more people than jobs u qualified employees have become scarce F employers must become more flexible F realize “Different does not mean deficient” n Fairness challenge u in past, typically viewed as equal treatment F Equal Employment Opportunity u now employers must embrace new diversity F essentially focus on “differences” Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

Challenges of Diversity n Synergy challenge u more and more group-based work u diversity can create positive and negative conflict F can facilitate creative problem-solving F can close down communication F can derail group processes u group leaders must minimize destructive conflict and maximize diversity of input Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

How do I-O psychologists help organizations manage diversity? n Providing managers with training u how to recruit/hire diverse employees u how to orient/integrate new employees n Providing all employees with training u realizing the differences that exist u learning how differences affect working environment u how to maximize productivity without ignoring employee differences Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998

International Meeting Discussion Questions n What words would you use to describe the others you met? n What were your interactions like? n What norms did you observe in the other groups? n How well do you think you did? n How would this apply to work settings? u for different age groups, cultural groups, or genders? Prepared by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology - SIOP © 1998