1. Business Information Management II
Diversity at Work
Business Information Management II

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3. Goals for This Lesson
Students will understand multiculturalism in the workplace.
Students will learn to accommodate cultural diversity of customers.
Students will learn strategies for handling conflicts in a culturally diverse workplace.
Due to increased globalization in business today, it is essential that our American workforce be trained and familiar with how to effectively work in culturally-diverse situations.

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What is diversity?
School
Work
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Culture or Language
Culture Culture comes in many shapes and sizes. It includes areas such as politics, history, faith, mentality, behavior and lifestyle.
Language The business world is littered with poor translations that have caused great embarrassment to their perpetrators due to their lack of cultural sensitivity.
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Warm –up: In groups of 2, read and answer the following on 1 PPT slide. Turn in to drop box. Be ready to present your findings
Using the blue strips of information - Provide a paragraph response discussing the scenario, whether it was a:
culture or a language barrier
the negative consequences to the company
and what could have been done differently.
Student groups will present their summaries to the class.
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Terms to know
Tolerance
Culture
Diversity
Logistics
Supply chain
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8. Types of Diversity Cultural, ethnic background Age Gender
Many types of diversity exist in the workplace. Employees must be understanding of this diversity to be able to value each other as employees and to provide fair and equitable customer service.

9. Barriers to Communication
Language
Cultural Differences
Poverty
Trust, fear
Many times communication is not effective due to issues such as language and cultural differences. Also, sometimes people in poverty may feel a lack of trust or fear which can inhibit communication.

10. Tips for Effective Listening
Pay attention
Eye contact
Show that you are listening
Inviting posture
Provide feedback
Respond to statements
Postpone judgment
Do not interrupt
Respond appropriately
Show respect to speaker
Effective listening is an important skill in breaking down barriers to communication. When you pay attention by making eye contact and show that you are listening by demonstrating inviting posture, you show respect to your speaker. Hold your comments until the end and then respond to either ask questions or clarify information.

11. Strategies Know your own culture Develop listening skills
Utilize nonverbal communications
There are strategies to try to break down barriers in communication. Sometimes when we know our own culture or our own differences that can help. If we utilize listening skills communication can become more effective. Nonverbal communication is extremely important because often times some facial expressions or gestures can seem universal, such as a smile.

12. Strategies for Conflict Resolution
Examine the facts in a situation
Sensitivity training
Keep discussions professional
Recognize miscommunications
Personal thoughts about different types of diversity issues should remain on neutral ground and not on work time
Encourage the value of diversity and learning opportunities
With so much diversity in the workplace, there are bound to be conflicts. Different strategies exist to handle and minimize these conflicts. Staying to the facts, keeping personal comments for your own personal time, and being professional will help. Be aware of possible miscommunications and encourage the values in diversity and benefits that can result from diversity.

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Review Questions:
Why is the workplace so much more diverse than in the past?
Why is understanding diversity important to a business?
What kinds of diversity exist in a business?
What are three ways to handle conflicts at work which may result from diversity?
Answers:
Due to advances in technology, the world seems to have become “smaller” due to globalization. Many businesses have employees and customers internationally.
If employees understand the different types of diversity within their business, they are happier an more productive as employees. This increased morale expands to creating satisfied customer. Understanding the diversity of customer also helps companies know what products services they will like as well.
Ethnic, language, gender, and age are the main types, but there are many other differences including religion.
Employees should practice sensitivity training, discussions should revolve around facts more than emotions, and benefits of diversity should be stressed.
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Assignment Toyota’s Diversity Strategy
Divide into groups of 2
SELECT one of the nine principles of Toyota's Diversity Strategy (use the above web site reference page #4 list of principles).
You will educate your audience on your topic so please be descriptive and impress us.
Create an animated PowerPoint to include the following points:
explanation of the principle
summary of the main points
benefits of the principle to Toyota, its employees, and customers.
Turn into drop box
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