DIVERSITY in

ORGANIZATION
O B J E C T I V E S
 Introduction
A. In this chapter, we’ll learn how individual
characteristics like age, gender, race, ethnicity,
and abilities can influence employee performance.

B. We’ll also see how managers can develop

awareness about these characteristics and
manage a diverse workforce effectively.
 What is DIVERSITY?

Meaning....
the practice or quality of including
or involving people from a range
of different social and ethnic
backgrounds and of different
genders, sexual orientations, etc.
Reference: Oxford dictionary
 Demographic Characteristics

Ø 1.Predicted change to the U.S. workforce has

happened. The predominantly white, male
managerial workforce of the past has given
way to a gender-balanced, multiethnic
workforce.
Ø 2.This permanent shift toward a diverse
workforce means organizations need to make
diversity management a central component of
their policies and practices.
Two major forms of workplace diversity

Differences in easily perceived

characteristics, such as gender, race,
ethnicity, age, or disability, that do not
necessarily reflect the ways people think or
feel but that may activate certain
stereotypes.

Differences in values, personality, and work

preferences that become progressively more
important for determining similarity as people
get to know one another better.
 Discrimination and Stereotyping

Discrimination means making judgments

about individuals based on stereotypes regarding
their demographic group.

Stereotyping is judging someone on the basis

of our perception of the group to which that
person belongs.
 S t e r e o t y p e t h r e a t

Stereotype threat describes the degree to which we agree

internally with the generally negative stereotyped perceptions
of our groups.

People become their own worst enemies when they feel a stereotype threat.
a.They may unconsciously exaggerate the stereotype.
b.They may over-identify with the stereotype.
c.They may over-compensate for the stereotype threat they feel.
d. They may perform differently when reminded of their stereotyped group.
 S t e r e o t y p e t h r e a t

Ø Stereotype threat has serious implications for the

workplace.

Ø Employees who feel it may have lower performance,

lower satisfaction, negative job attitudes, decreased
engagement, decreased motivation, higher
absenteeism, more health issues, and higher turnover
intentions.
 Reducing Stereotype T hreat

Ø increasing awareness of how stereotypes may be

perpetuated (especially when developing policies and
practices),
Ø reducing differential and preferential treatment
through objective assessments,
Ø confronting microaggressions against minority
groups, and
Ø adopting transparent practices that signal the value
of all employees.
Discrimination in the Wor kplace
 Forms of Discrimination

Discriminator y policies or practices Actions taken by

representatives of the organization that deny equal
opportunity to perform or unequal rewards for
performance.
Sexual harassment Unwanted sexual advances and other
verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that create a
hostile or offensive work environment.
Intimidation Overt threats or bullying directed at members of
specific groups of employees.
 Forms of Discrimination
Mockery and insults Jokes or negative stereotypes;
sometimes the result of jokes taken too far.

Exclusion Exclusion of certain people from job

opportunities, social events, discussions, or informal
mentoring; can occur unintentionally.

Incivility Disrespectful treatment, including behaving

in an aggressive manner, interrupting the person, or
ignoring his or her opinions.
 Biographical Characteristics

Biographical characteristics such as age, gender, race,

and disability are some of the most obvious ways
employees differ.
Variations in surface-level characteristics may be the
basis for discrimination against classes of employees,
so it is worth knowing how related they actually are to
work outcomes.
 Biographical Characteristics

AGE
q The relationship between age and job performance is
likely to be an issue of increasing importance during the
next decade for several reasons.
q Employers hold mixed feelings about older workers.
ü a.They see a number of positive qualities older workers
bring to their jobs, such as experience, judgment, a
strong work ethic, and commitment to quality.
ü b.But older workers are also perceived as lacking
flexibility and resisting new technology.
 Biographical Characteristics
o What effect does age actually have on turnover, absenteeism,
productivity, and satisfaction?
The older you get, the less likely you are to quit your job.

o Many believe productivity declines with age.

It is often assumed that skills like speed, agility, strength, and coordination
decay over time and that prolonged job boredom and lack of intellectual
stimulation contribute to reduced productivity.

o A final concer n is the r elationship between a ge and job

satisfaction, where the evidence is mixed.
A review of more than 800 studies found that older workers tend to be more
satisfied with their work, report better relationships with coworkers, and are
more committed to their employing organizations.
 Biographical Characteristics

SEX
q Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions, and unsupported
opinions than whether women perform as well on jobs as men do.
Ø a.The best place to begin to consider this is with the
recognition that few, if any, important differences
between men and women affect job performance.
Ø b.A recent meta-analysis of job performance studies
found that women scored slightly higher than men on
performance measures.
 Biographical Characteristics

SEX
q Yet biases and stereotypes persist.
Men are more likely to be chosen for leadership roles.
q Women still earn less money than men for the same positions, even in
traditionally female roles.
Working mothers also face “maternal wall bias” by
employers, which limits their professional opportunities, and
both men and women face discrimination for their family
caregiving roles.
q Many countries have laws against sexual discrimination.
 Biographical Characteristics
Race and Ethnicity
q Research into effects of race and ethnic diversity.
ü Employees tend to favor colleagues of their own race in performance
evaluations, promotion decisions, pay raises.
ü African Americans and Hispanics perceive discrimination to be more
prevalent in the workplace.
ü African Americans generally do worse than whites in employment
decisions and are often discriminated against even in controlled
experiments.
ü While better representation of all racial groups in organizations
remains a goal, an individual of minority status is much less likely to
leave the organization if there is a feeling of inclusiveness, known as a
positive diversity climate.
 Biographical Characteristics
Disabilities
o With the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, individuals
with disabilities became an increasing number in the U.S.
workforce.

o A person is disabled who has any physical or mental impairment

that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

o Research on workers with disabilities have found:

a. They receive higher performance evaluations based on
lower performance expectations.
b. They are less likely to be hired.
 Biographical Characteristics
Hidden Disabilities
o Hidden, or invisible disabilities, generally fall under the category of
sensory disabilities, chronic illness or pain, cognitive or learning
impairments, sleep disorders,and psychological challenges.

o As a result of recent changes to the Americans with Disabilities

Act Amendments Act of 2008, U.S. organizations must
accommodate employees with a very broad range of impairments.

o However, employees must disclose their conditions to their

employers in order to be eligible for workplace accommodations
and employment protection.
Other Differentiating Characteristics

1.Tenure
a.The issue of the impact of job seniority on job
performance has been subject to misconceptions
and speculations.
b.Tenure, expressed as work experience, appears to
be a good predictor of employee productivity.
Other Differentiating Characteristics

2.Religion
a.Although employees are protected by U.S. federal
law regarding their religion, it is still an issue in the
workplace.
b.Religious discrimination claims have been a growing
source of discrimination claims in the United States.
Other Differentiating Characteristics

3.Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

a.Federal law does not protect employees against
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
b.Recent developments suggest that we may be on the cusp
of change.
c.Many organizations have implemented policies and
procedures protecting employees on the basis of sexual
orientation.
d.Companies are increasingly putting in place policies to
govern how their organizations treat transgender
employees.
Other Differentiating Characteristics

4.Cultural Identity
a.People choose their cultural identity, and they also choose
how closely they observe the norms of that culture.
b.Cultural norms influence the workplace, sometimes
resulting in clashes.
c.A company seeking to be sensitive to the cultural identities
of its employees should look beyond accommodating its
majority groups and instead cre a t e a s much of a n
individualized approach to practices and norms as possible.
1.Having discussed a variety of ways in which
people differ, we now look at how a manager can
and should manage these differences.

2.Diversity management makes everyone more

aware of and sensitive to the needs and
differences of others.
 Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining
Diverse Employees

q One method of enhancing workforce diversity is to target recruiting

messages to specific demographic groups underrepresented in the
workforce.
q The selection process is one of the most important places to apply
diversity efforts.
a.Managers who hire need to value fairness and objectivity in
selecting employees and focus on the productive potential of new
recruits.
q Individuals who are demographically different from their coworkers may
be more likely to feel low commitment and leave, but a positive diversity
climate can help.
q All workers appear to prefer an organization that values diversity.
 Effective Diversity Programs

Effective diversity programs have three components:

1. They teach managers about the legal framework for equal
employment opportunity and encourage fair treatment of all
people regardless of their demographic characteristics.
2. They teach managers how a diverse workforce will be better
able to serve a diverse market of customers and clients.
3. They foster personal development practices that bring out
the skills and abilities of all workers, acknowledging how
differences in perspective can be a valuable way to improve
performance for everyone
 Effective Diversity Programs
q Much concern about diversity has to do with fair
treatment.
q Organizational leaders should examine their workforce to
determine whether target groups have been
underutilized.
q If groups of employees are not proportionally
represented in top management, managers should look
for any hidden barriers to advancement.
q Communications should focus as much as possible on
qualifications and job performance; emphasizing certain
groups as needing more assistance could well backfire.
 Summary and Implications for Managers

Ø This chapter looked at diversity from many

perspectives, paying particular attention to three
variables—biographical characteristics, ability, and
diversity programs.
Ø Diversity management must be an ongoing
commitment that crosses all levels of the
organization.
1. Understand your organization's anti-
discrimination policies thoroughly and share them
with your employees.
2. Assess and challenge your stereotype beliefs to
increase your objectivity.
 Summary and Implications for Managers

3. Look beyond readily observable

biographical characteristics and consider the
individual’s capabilities before making
management decisions.
4. Fully evaluate what accommodations a
person with disabilities will need and then
fine-tune a job to that person’s abilities.
5. Seek to understand and respect the
unique biographical characteristics of your
employees; a fair but individualistic approach
yields the best performance.