STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING HR DIVERSITY FROM RESISTANCE TO LEARNING

THE FRAMEWORK THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND INTENSITY OF DIVERSITY PRESSURES ON ORGANIZATIONS THESE INFLUENCE THE MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVES DIFFERENTLY DIFFERENT MANAGERIAL PERPECTIVES SHAPE VARYING ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSES THERE IS NO ONE BEST RESPONSE TO WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

1. RESISTANCE PERSPECTIVE FEW FELT PRESSURES DIVERSITY IS A THREAT RESPONSE IS -DENIAL -AVOIDANCE -DEFIANCE -MANIPULATION

RESISTANCE DIVERSITY IS NON-ISSUE NOT FOR US, NOT IN US HOW DO WE SUSTAIN HOMOGENEITY? HOW DO WE SUSTAIN STATUS QUO? REACTIVE RESPONSES TO SPORADIC AND LOW LEVEL PRESSURES

2. DISCRIMINATION AND FAIRNESS MODERATE PRESSURE TO INCORPORATE DIVERSITY EQUAL ACCESS AND FAIRNESS UNDER THE LAW DIVERSITY IS A PROBLEM TO SOLVE AA AND EEO POLICIES ARE PRIMARY RESPONSES DEFENSIVE TACTICS: –NEGOTIATE W/ MINORITY GROUPS –PACIFY DIVERSITY –LIMIT RESPONSES TO COMPLIANCE –SURFACE LEVEL DIVERSITY AS A DEFENSIVE STRATEGY

DISCRIMINATION AND FAIRNESS DIVERSITY IS HERE BUT DIFFERENCES ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS PROTECTED GROUPS ARE THE ISSUE HOW DO WE ASSIMILATE DIVERSITY? HOW DO WE ASSURE EQUAL TREATEMENT OF EVERYONE? HOW CAN WE BE ON SOLID LEGAL GROUND? MAY GENERATE BACKLASH, PRESSURES FROM MAJORITY, TOKENISM

3.ACCESS AND LEGITIMACY DIVERSITY IS NECESSARY FOR ACCESS TO CUSTOMER BASE DIVERSITY IS A BUSINESS NECESSITY “DIVERSITY LEADS TO BETTER BOTTOM LINE” AFFIRM, VALUE AND EMBRACE DIVERSITY RISK MASKING UNIFYING VALUES AND PRACTICES RISK PERCEPTIONS OF MANIPULATION BY THE DOMINANT GROUP FOR BOTTOM LINE CONCERNS

ACCESS AND LEGITIMACY DIVERSITY CREATES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES INCLUSIVENESS IS THE PRIMARY VALUE DIFFERENCES ARE EMBRACED AND CELEBRATED DIVERSITY AIDS ACCESS TO MARKETS FIND WAYS OF ACCOMODATING DIVERSITY

4. LEARNING PERSPECTIVE LEARN FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF DIVERSE WORKERS VALUE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES SATISFY MULTIPLE BUSINESS OBJECTIVES, LONG AND SHORT TERM NURTURE DIVERSITY AND HOMOGENEITY SIMULTANEOUSLY AS A UNIFYING FORCE CORE ISSUES OF RACE, GENDER, ETHNICITY ETC. ARE INCORPORATED IN BUSINESS OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ALONG WITH UNIFYING SIMILARITIES CONFLICT AND DEBATE ARE VALUED AND CHANNELLED INTO PRODUCTIVE EFFORT

LEARNING PERSPECTIVE TARGETS COSTS AND BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY AND HOMOGENEITY FOCUSES ON BUSINESS RELATED CORE DIFFERENCES PLURALISM IS THE MANAGING PARADIGM ACCULTURATION AND LEARNING FROM EVERYONE ARE THE MANAGEMENT METHODS BOTH ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ARE EMPHASIZED THE FIRM IS PROACTIVE AND STRATEGIC

STRATEGIC RESPONSES EPISODIC APPROACH FREESTANDING PROGRAMS SYSTEMIC APPROACH

THE EPISODIC APPROACH DISJOINTED PROGRAMS ISOLATED ATTEMPTS ONE TIME EFFORTS TOKEN SHORT TRAINING PROGRAMS NO CONNECTIONS W/ MAIN BUSINESS STRATEGIES FEW CHANGES IN BUSINESS POLICIES AND MAINSTREAM PRACTICES TYPICAL WHEN THE PRESSURES FOR DIVERSITY ARE LOW

THE FREESTANDING APPROACH FORMALIZE DIVERSITY INITIATIVES RUN PROGRAMS REGULARLY KEEP DIVERSITY PROGRAMS SEPARATE FROM MAIN BUSINESS STRATEGIES DIVERSITY PROGRAMS STAY UNCONNECTED LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY MAY BE THE PRIMARY MOTIVATORS WHEN DIVERSITY PRESSURES ARE MODERATE

THE SYSTEMIC APPROACH LINK DIVERSITY ISSUES/PROGRAMS INTO THE CORE BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES MAKE IT A LINE RESPONSIBILITY INTEGRATE INTO THE REWARD AND PUNISHMENT SCHEDULES MAKE IT COMPREHENSIVE, SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE INTEGRATE DIVERSITY PROGRAMS W/ EACH OTHER AND W/ OTHER CORE FIRM ACTIVITIES WHEN PRESSURE FOR DIVERSITY IS INTENSE