1. Anand Vegesna, Director – HR, Air Liquide Engineering India
Managing
11/22/2018
Anand Vegesna, Director – HR, Air Liquide Engineering India

2. What is diversity?
Difference or a point of difference
Variety
Unlikeness
Dissimilarity
How can ‘differences’ be good for a team or an organization?
11/22/2018

3. Is diversity ‘good’?
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4. Is diversity ‘good’?
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5. Diversity at workplace means…
Bringing together people who are different in terms of…
Gender
Age
Nationality
Ability
Background
Race/ Religion
Culture
…..
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6. Culture Diversity Culture is defined as ‘collective software of mind’
Years of research by Geert Hofstede and Fons Trompenaars
Hofstede’s 5 cultural dimensions
Trompenaars’ 7 cultural dimensions
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7. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture
Power Distance
Individualism Vs Collectivism
Masculinity Vs Femininity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-term Vs Short-term Orientation
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8. Trompenaars’ Dimensions of Culture
Universalism Vs Particularism
Individualism Vs Communitarianism
Specific Vs Diffuse
Neutral Vs Affective
Time Orientation (Sequentialism Vs Synchronism)
Achievement Vs Ascription
Internal Vs External
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9. Learning from each other
One culture is not better than the other – they are just different
We can learn to value ‘time’; They can learn to value ‘relationships’
We can learn to respect ‘rules’; They can learn to be more ‘accommodating’
Understanding each other, recognizing and respecting the differences and working through them is key to success
Opens up several alternatives – the best one can picked based on the context
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10. A, B, C, D of ‘Managing Diversity’
A Company can make diversity work by
Acknowledging the importance of
diversity – put a policy in place
Building a diverse workforce –
Provide equal opportunity to
compete for a job/ position
Creating awareness among its
people – Offer Education/ Training
Programs
Dealing with differences constructively
– Recognize and resolve
11/22/2018

11. The ‘true sense’ of diversity
Differences are good
Diversity doesn’t happen naturally; needs to be consciously driven
Acknowledge the need, Build diversity, Create awareness, Deal with differences constructively
Diversity not for the sake of ‘diversity’ – it is meant for development of individuals, teams and organizations
11/22/2018

12. Thank You