Michelle LiButti

Course Analysis

MOL 627

Throughout this course I have learned many new things. I have a better understanding of
what diversity means and why leaders and organizations need to embrace diversity. I was able to
gain knowledge of how an organization can benefit from entering the international market and
was pleased to participate in a research project of a local company who had done this. I was able
to gain insight into my own thoughts, feelings, perceptions and behaviors by completing
assessments, which I found very interesting and helpful. My new knowledge and understanding
will definitely benefit me in my current leadership role, as well as any future roles to come.
In the beginning of the course, we learned the definition of diversity. Diversity is defined
as real or perceived differences among people in race, ethnicity, sex, age, physical and mental
ability, sexual orientation, religion, work and family status, weight and appearance, and other
identity-based attributes that affect interactions and relationships (Bell, 2012). Cox and Blake
propose there are six specific business related reasons why organizations should value diversity:
cost, resource acquisition, marketing, creativity, problem solving and system flexibility (Bell,
2012).
I learned that diversity is causing leadership to be redefined. Todays leaders have to be
able to operate with agility, humility and individuality (Coleman, Gulati and Segovia, 2012).
Leaders need to be diverse themselves in order to effectively lead subordinates, as well as to
serve the diverse array of customers to be able to meet their needs. Leaders must embrace
individuality and share their own experiences with others including personal information about

their background (Coleman, Gulati and Segovia, 2012). This will help them to lead by example.
Leaders must also expand their definition of diversity.
One of our assignments showed us that researchers have found that people are less
willing to express traditionally prejudiced beliefs than in the past, but their behavior does not
agree with espoused beliefs. Such disparities in expressed beliefs can undermine diversity in
organizations. I learned that there are organizational measures that can be implemented to
investigate whether there are inconsistencies in expressed beliefs, behaviors and outcomes
related to diversity in organizations. The organization can chose to become an official
Affirmative Action employer. If they do not want to do this, they can at least use some of the
methods that Affirmative Action employers use to investigate diversity issues within their
company. Affirmative Action will help to identify who is being underutilized and take steps to
correct or reduce this (Bell, 2012). Part of that corrective action plan could include developing
additional training programs and developing different methods of recruiting. We learned that the
hiring process is an important place to start to look at what types of people are being hired.
There are certain terms that are used to define what barriers are present in organizations
that prevent women, minorities and people with disabilities from being moved into higher level
positions. The first term is the glass ceiling. The second term is the glass wall. The third is the
glass escalator. Each term has their own unique way of keeping people from moving up within
the workplace. A glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women, people of color and
people with disabilities from progressing beyond a certain level in organizations (Bell, 2012).
Glass walls refers to invisible horizontal barriers that constrain women, people of color, and
people with disabilities to certain occupations and positions within organizations (Bell, 2012).

Glass escalators refer to mens rapid ascent into management and higher-level positions after
entering female dominated occupations (Bell, 2012).
We learned about FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) and BFOQ (Bona Fide
Occupational Qualification Exception). FMLA is an act that allows for eligible employees to
take up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave per year to care for personal or family needs (Bell,
2012). It was interesting to learn that in a limited number of circumstances, discrimination on
the basis of sex, religion, and age is not illegal (Bell, 2012). BFOQ refers to certain situations in
which employers may require that all employees hold a certain characteristic (Bell, 2012). In
order to use the BFOQ exception, an employer must prove that no member of the group they are
discriminating against could perform the job (findlaw.com, 2015). The most common exceptions
are generally granted for religion and gender (findlaw.com, 2015).
We learned about the importance of communication in diverse settings. Cross
communication is important because we are using so many different forms of communication as
we become more diverse and expand across different locations. It is important that we
understand the differences in verbal and non-verbal communication across cultures. We learned
about English-Only rules and did research on a case filed by the EEOC. It is important that
leaders enforce English Only rules for safety and efficient operation of the organization. This
applies in situations such as communication with customers, co-workers, and supervisors who
only speak English. Also in emergency situations where people have to speak a common
language for safety reasons. This also applies when there are cooperative work assignments
where English promotes efficiency and to assist a supervisor to monitor an employees
interaction with other co-workers and customers in order to assess their performance.

We learned that historical beliefs have shaped the negative perceptions of mothers related
to being employed. Historically, men have been viewed as economic providers and women
viewed as caretakers of the home and family. Employers view women as less committed to work
because of their commitments to their family. These beliefs and views are also affected by
publications and media which falsely report that women are less interested in careers than men
and prefer to be homemakers. Personal knowledge of a mother who has chosen to stay home
also affects these perceptions. Leaders play an important role in changing this mind set and
promoting a culture where women are seen as equals to men. I think that a leader first has to be
knowledgeable, open-minded and flexible in order to avoid these perceptions. I also think that
organizations can help in shaping different attitudes and can assist employees in coping with
work and family issues.
I learned more about EEOC through the different cases we had to research. I was
shocked and saddened by the number of cases that are there showing current discriminatory acts.
I find this to be absurd, which just reinforces the need for more diversity education and training.
I also learned that The EEOC has issued guidelines on religious exercise and expression
including harassment, reasonable accommodation, dress and grooming, and employment
policies/procedures. I enjoyed completing the assignment where we had to interview someone
who was discriminated against for their religion. I think that this really drove home the point that
these incidents still occur and that I need to be aware of what I am doing as a leader and be
responsible for knowing the laws in order to not discriminate, even if it werent purposely.
I learned that some cities and states have legislation discrimination based on sexual
orientation that is not covered under federal legislation. There are factors that affect the passage
of such legislation in some areas and not others. I was able to find out what legislation the state

of New York has passed and I have been introduced to a sexual orientation non-discrimination
act passed in New York State as well.
After conducting research, I was able to locate information on my current organizations
policies/procedures on partner benefits and sexual orientation discrimination. I have a greater
understanding of how to enroll a domestic partner and what criteria define one. I also have a
better understanding of the sexual orientation discrimination policy and the social media policy
of my current place of employment at Rochester Regional Health System. I thought it was
interesting to research those two policies and become more familiar with them.
I learned that there are major US federal laws regarding the rights of people with
disabilities in the workplace are Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (RA), Title I of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Americans with Disabilities
Amendments Act (2008). The ADA and RA both prohibit discrimination but in addition, the RA
requires the federal government to take affirmative action for the hiring, placement and
advancement if people with disabilities.
I learned a lot about the role that leaders can play in regards to diversity and ethics.
Leadership ethics involves personal moral behavior and moral influence. Leaders can influence
followers in positive and negative ways. Leaders can be toxic, engage in destructive behaviors
and can exhibit dysfunctional personal characteristics. Those types of behaviors can cause harm
to followers and the organization as a whole, including how the company responds to diversity.
Leaders can have a negative effect on diversity based on their poor ethical standards and misuse
of powers. This could cause them to influence discriminatory acts and non-adherence to diversity
laws and policies. Leaders have influence over followers in positive (casting light) or negative
(casting shadows) ways. Through the self-assessments I was able to gauge some of the

leadership influences in my organization, and was pleased with the results. I also learned a little
more about my leadership style as well. Through assessment I was able to see that I mostly like
the referent and expert forms of power and that my reproductive imagination score was
significantly higher than the other two. As far as the propensity to morally disengage, I scored
very low, which was not surprising to me, as I try my best to uphold high ethical standards, and
that comes both from within, and influence from the above leaders that I have been working
with.
I learned that leaders must demonstrate character traits such as justice, humility,
optimism, courage and compassion (Johnson, 2015). They must make wise choices and master
the ethical challenges of their roles (Johnson, 2015). Maintaining high ethical standards is
important to leaders that face diversity in their organization for many reasons. Leaders act as
role models for the rest of the organization. How followers behave depends in large part on the
example the leader sets (Johnson, 2015). As previously stated, leaders can influence followers in
positive and/or negative ways. When we function as leaders, we take on a unique set of ethical
burdens in addition to a set of expectations and tasks (Johnson, 2015). These involve issues of
power, privilege, information, consistency, loyalty, and responsibility (Johnson, 2015). How
leaders handle the challenges of leadership determines whether they cause more harm than good
and whether they cast light or shadow (Johnson, 2015). Shadow casters include unhealthy
motivations, selfishness, faulty decision making, failure of moral imagination, moral
disengagement, lack of expertise, and contextual pressures (Johnson, 2015).
I learned about the five principles to help resolve diversity related conflicts: pause,
connect, question yourself, get genuine support, and shift your mind set. These principles are
important for diversity because they help us to gain insight into our own behavior as well as look

at how we communicate with others. It is important to keep these in mind when trying to
promote a diverse environment. Diversity tension is the stress and strain that accompanies
mixtures of differences and similarities. The above principles, as well as other solutions will help
to rectify these tensions.
The companies that I researched involving ethical scandals were Enron and Tyco. The
other two companies that I chose to research for the whistleblowing assignment were GM and
Enron. I thought these were interesting assignments and I feel that I learned more about how to
be an ethical leader.
I learned about the 5 ethical perspectives Utilitarianism: Do the Greatest Good for the
Greatest Number of People. Kants Categorical Imperative: Do Whats Right No Matter the Cost.
Justice as Fairness: Guaranteeing Equal Rights and Opportunities Behind the Veil of Ignorance.
Pragmatism: Ethics as Inquiry and lastly Altruism: Love Your Neighbor.
I learned about the Four Decision Making Formats: Kidders Ethical Checkpoints, The
SAD formula, Nashs 12 questions and the Case Study Method. Currently I am involved in a
treatment team and we rely on the Case Study Method.
I revisited the importance of a code of ethics. First, a code of ethics describes an
organizations ethical stance both to members and the outside world. Newcomers look to the code
for guidance about an organizations ethical standards and values. Second, a formal ethics
statement can improve the groups image while protecting it from lawsuits and further regulation.
Third, referring to a code can encourage followers and leaders to resist unethical group and
organizational pressures. Fourth, a written document can have a direct, positive influence on
ethical behavior.

I learned about the advantages and disadvantages of ethical diversity. Ethical diversity
enables all employees to achieve their full potential and contribute to organizational goals and
performance. It incorporates the five ethical principles that we learned about and helps to
overcome barriers to diversity that happen through routine practices that organizations may not
even consciously be aware of. It also helps to decrease stereotyping, prejudice and
ethnocentrism. It can also foster the development of diversity programs and initiatives which can
continue to support an ethically diverse environment at all times. Disadvantages include the
abuse of power and that privilege is not always equitable. In addition to casting shadows through
deception, global leaders can also cast shadows by withholding information. Economic and
social disparities make it hard for leaders to act consistently.
I learned that an expatriate is an employee sent by his or her employer to work in a
foreign country (Waggoner, 2015). The firm is normally referred to as the parent company, while
the country of employment is known as the host country.
Through the completion of the individual project I learned about the benefits of a
diversity and inclusion program. I liked the idea of creating my own program and someday hope
that it will become a reality for my organization, as we certainly can benefit from it. I also
enjoyed the team project, which gave me a lot of new information about entering the
international market.
Overall I have learned many new things in this class and have already noticed that I am
more aware of situations and I am noticing certain things within my organization that I did not
see before (both positive and negative). I will continue to self-assess and review course
materials as necessary to make sure that I am remaining an ethical leader who promotes diversity
and inclusion and is fair to all.