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BSBDIV601
Develop and Implement
Diversity Policy
Student Workbook
Acknowledgement
This workbook is developed by Rupali Virdi for Crown Institute of Business and Technology. CIBT
would like to acknowledge Rupali Virdi for her assistance with the development of this resource.
Copyright Statement
This workbook is copyrighted to Crown Institute of Business and Technology. All rights are
reserved for Crown Institute of Business and Technology. No part of this workbook may be
reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or
recording, or by any information retrieval system without written permission from Crown
Institute of Business and Technology.
The information contained in this workbook is drawn from sources believed to be reliable. CIBT is
not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from
this workbook.
Table of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Purpose of the learning resource ..................................................................................................... 5
Learning support materials ................................................................................................................... 5
Section 1: Research diversity ............................................................................................................... 10
Diversity:........................................................................................................................................... 10
Culture: ..............................................................................................................................................12
Multiculturalism: ...............................................................................................................................12
Diversity in the Workplace: ............................................................................................................. 13
Online Activity 1:............................................................................................................................... 17
Online Activity: 2 ............................................................................................................................. 23
Online Activity: 3 .............................................................................................................................. 23
Online Activity 4: True or False Quiz ............................................................................................... 24
Section 2: Daft Policy and Plan for Implementation ...................................................................... 25
Seven Ways to Better Communicate in Today's Diverse Workplace - Seven Tips for
Communicating In Today's Diverse Workplace ................................................................................. 35
Types of Feedback in the Workplace Diversity:........................................................................... 44
1. Preparation ............................................................................................................................... 45
2. Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 46
3. Clarifying Goals........................................................................................................................ 46
4. Negotiate Towards a Win-Win Outcome ............................................................................... 46
5. Agreement .............................................................................................................................. 46
6. Implementing a Course of Action ........................................................................................... 47
Online Activity: 5 .............................................................................................................................. 54
Online Activity 6 True or false Quiz.............................................................................................. 55
Section 3: Implement Diversity Policy ............................................................................................56
Online Activity 7: .............................................................................................................................. 72
Section 4: Review Diversity Policy .................................................................................................. 74
Online Activity 8 True or false Quiz..............................................................................................83
BSBDIV601A ~ Develop and implement Diversity policy .......................................................... 86
Critical Aspect of Assessment ..................................................................................................... 87
Introduction
This resource provides information on delivery and assessment to support class room and
distance/online delivery component of the unit.
This Section is organised session by session, so learners can, with the support of their trainer/
assessor, plan their learning and engage in activities. It is divided into sections which relate
directly to the learning elements for each unit. Each session contains:
Section 2Assessment
Assessment information
The assessment Matrix is prepared and shown in this section. It will be visual in this section how
all activities and assessments are related to the unit of competency. Following methods are used
to assess learners;
Oral Questioning Interview
Third Party Reports from Workplace supervisor
Portfolio
Written response
Assignment
These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio- socio
economic
omic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other
ideologies.
Diversity: Diversity can be defined as the difference and unique characters that when
added together in a business environment make up a workforce in an organisation.
Organisations are rapidly changing to accommodate
accommodate expanding markets, increasing
diverse workforce, and increasing public consciousness about how businesses should
operate. Consequently, employee wellness programs are receiving increasing attention.
There are some unique characteristics can be defined as:
a
Age
Gender
Race
Culture
Religion
Sexual orientation
Ethnicity
Physical disabilities
People with 160 ethnic origins and who speak more than 1000 languages make up
Australias population .Almost 25 percent of the population, or 4.4 million Australian
residents, were born overseas, more than half in non-English
non English speaking countries
.Approximately
ely 3.5 million residents are second generation
generation Australians, and or both
Women comprise 52 percent of the population and 42 percent of the workforce .The
number of female workers is growing faster than the number of male workers .Almost
50percent of the nearly 400 000 Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islander Australians are
under 21 .Their numbers are growing faster rate than non-indigenous population .
Australians are culturally ethnically and gender diverse .we are also diverse in age,
religion , sexual orientation , socioeconomic status ,education , family status and
physical and mental abilities .ours is one of the most diverse nations in the world .IF we
can learn to rise above the friction that these differences can cause and instead , work
with and benefit from them , organisations , the economy and the society as a whole will
benefit .
Multiculturalism has given the chance to build a remarkable nation, with a distinctive and
meaningful blend of cultures .the approach we adopt as a nation towards the many
diverse individuals who make up our society will be one of the critical factors
determining what Australia will offer its people for the rest of this century and beyond.
Ultimately the purpose of any business is to achieve the bottom line, i.e. make a profit.
In the end Diversity can then be judged by what is achieved.
Adding value to your product or service
Increase profits
Increased customer awareness
Culture: A crucial aspect and a chief bearing for the origin of diversity can be culture
.Culture can simply be defined as the way we do things around here .This definition is
applicable to the family society and the workplace .Generally culture will arise from three
special areas , they being values, attitudes and beliefs .they can be expressed as follows
Values: A set of enduring beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture
about what is good or desirable and what is not .Values can vary from culture to
culture and country to country.
Attitude: A tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain idea,
object, person, or situation .These can arise from upbringing, friends and
stereotyping.
Beliefs: Convictions and theories that something, some positions or approach in
life by an individual or group is true and correct.
These three elements, when combined create a culture. In a diverse workforce
this will be encountered on a regular basis .Therefore from a co-worker and a
management perspective sensitivity and acceptance of cultural difference is
important.
Diversity: the art of thinking independently together. Malcom Forbes
Multiculturalism: It is social situation in which all the different cultural or racial groups
in a society have equal rights and opportunities and none is ignored or regarded as
unimportant .It was from this situation that diversity in the Australian workforce was
formed. Diversity is generally wider in scope and includes age, gender, sexual
orientation, beliefs and political views .It generally applies to the workforce, whereas
multiculturalism is more how society works with and embraces racial and ethnic
differences in a nation.
BSBDIV601 Develop and implement diversity policy Student Workbook v1.0
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Cultural barriers: To allow diversity to succeed in the workplace and therefore garner
the advantages of it, it will be necessary to adopt an attitude of sensitivity and tolerance
.this has to be based upon the view that different cultures can have different
understandings of situations and behaviour .examples for this are as follows:
In many Asian cultures there is a deep reverence for higher management , where
as in Australian culture it can be one of marginal deference
In the Australian culture eye contact is important but in many other cultures
respect is given by averting ones eyes from the speaker
Ones personal space varies with their culture , some can be comfortable with
close proximity and for others this could be an invasion
The origin of ones culture will have a bearing on their attitude and approach to
gender and leadership .Some cultures are patriarchal whilst others are
matriarchal
The origin of ones religion can have an impact on how the workforce behaves
and operates in a business environment
Non verbal behaviour is important too .For example a relaxed body posture in the
Australian context is acceptable , but in others it may be offensive as this implies
disrespect
In Australia the giving of a business card is common practice, where as in other culture
this is an extremely significant activity that needs to be conducted with respect and
dignity.
Diversity in the Workplace: The challenge for management is to ensure that its
workforce is enlightened enough to be sensitive to the needs and concerns of other
cultures .there our actions and behaviours need to be inclusive .this can be achieved by:
Accepting and understanding the unique differences of a varied workforce
Treating co-workers with respect
Being sensitive to the behaviour of a diversified workforce
Ensuring that all staff are treated the same and fairly.
In order to consider how diversity affects your organisation, you need to have an
understanding of the various policies and procedures that exist within your organisation
and ask yourself:
How does Diversity impact on these?
How does our organisation as a whole consider different groups of people?
What sorts of changes do we need to make became a more inclusive
organisation?
How diverse is our workforce and could it be made even more diverse?
For most people, diversity is something which is difficult to reconcile .You try to treat
everyone the same, so why should an organisation specifically go out of its way to be
more diverse? After all, most people do want to be just treated the same as everyone
else? Why should policies be adapted? While everyone wants to be treated equally, this
equality may be different in different peoples eyes, so you want to be sure that
everyone is being treated in the way that they perceive as being equal. While everyone
may share similar trait, there are areas where do differ quite significantly:
How we behave
The values we hold
As a manager, you have an important role in ensuring that a diverse workplace is
achieved .A diverse workplace brings about with it a number of very important
advantages, which we will examine shortly .As a manager attempting to achieve a
diverse workforce :
You need to gain an understanding of how diversity affects every aspect of the
organisation
You need to be willing to make changes to an organisation to bring about this
diverse workforce
Understand that in order to mange a diverse workforce and make your workforce
more diverse you need to recognise that people are different and recognise ways
of acknowledging these differences
Thing about an organisation can make work easier for a diverse workforce
BSBDIV601 Develop and implement diversity policy Student Workbook v1.0
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Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371 CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D
North Sydney Campus: 116 Pacific Highway North Sydney NSW 2060 P 02 9955 0488 F 02 9955 3888
Sydney CBD Campus: Level 5, 303 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P 02 8959 6340 F 02 9955 3888
Determine ways in which diversity can assist in making your workplace more
productive and efficient
Language difficulties
Facilities to cater for those with disabilities
Ensuring that diversity is included within specified job descriptions .for example
you may state in a person specification that an individual requires the ability to
work within a diverse workforce
Making sure that your efforts in recruitment show that a real effort is being made
to ensure that a diverse workforce is recruited .Minority groups for example
should be considered rather than dismissed
Ensure that during the recruitment process, the pool of applicants shows a wide
range of people to be considered .there is a need to ensure that you look at
experience and skills but also consider those areas where the diverse applicant
could make a considerable difference to the organisation as a whole.
Understand any biases that you may have in order to ensure that these do not
affect decision made.
Understand the stereotypes that specific applicants may bring and ensure these
do not affect your decision making.
Making a decision regarding a diverse workplace where you want to treat everyone
fairly this is quite different however than treating everyone the same .Just think how
can you treat someone the same when they have different needs ?A diverse workforce
may bring about some major challenges including :
Take an example where you are changing a workplace policy and you decide that this is
best communicated by sending out an email to all staff members affected .The difficulty
with this is that it may impact on some people within your organisation.
Those with limited English skills may not understand what you have written
Blind staff members may not able to read this and require assistance.
So, you need to carefully consider the way that you act when you are working within the
diverse workforce .You need to look for areas where improvements can be made and
areas where thought needs to be given to determine better ways of working .Many
managers may think that in order to be diverse, we need to have a certain percentage of
disabled employees and a certain percentage of women and a certain percentage of
minorities. However this is not what diverse workforces are all about .Diversity is about
being inclusive rather than exclusive .You are attempting to bring people if they meet
your needs, rather than excluding them because of their differences.
Class Activity 1:
Consider each group and write down in what ways the group as a whole , or individuals
from the group, have influenced their own values ,philosophy ,or orientation to life .After
completion ,ask participants to share their most significant example
example and the discuss the
following with the group:
1. For which group was it easiest for you to see influences?
2. For which group was it most difficult?
3. Were there anywhere you could not find an influence?
4. What do you think might be the reasons for this?
All organisations, regardless of their size or shape, need to consult with their key
stakeholders whenever they are working towards developing their policies and
strategies .Diversity policy and strategy is no exception .The benefits that come with this
consultation process are significant in that they allow your policies to be better aligned
with what your organisation really needs .The major advantages of this consultation
process include:
The better the input that you receive from those involved in the process , the
better the need decision is likely to be .By looking at things from a wider point of
view ,you are likely to develop a better sense of what is required and make sure
more effective decisions based on this information
Involvement builds commitment, the more that you can get your team to commit
to a change, the more successful its implementation will be .The involvement will
help overall implementation of any change.
If you involve people in the development of a policy, they are likely to be more
satisfied with the end result.
Diversity consultation needs to be done for the right reason, do not do it just so you can
say, I consulted you .Do it because you understand the need for consultation to be
undertaken and use this to build strength within your organisation.
Diversity at Work offers diversity management training and consulting that provides
practical tools to realize the business benefits of diversity. By incorporating best
practices in diversity management, your organization will position itself as an employer
of choice and a leader in your sector and community.
Businesses flourish when they tap into the unlimited potential of diverse teams. Achieve
results in innovation, creativity, productivity and efficiencies by creating a workplace that
values and fosters an inclusive, diverse and culturally sensitive environment. Reach new
ethnic and niche markets and leverage diverse perspectives, experiences and
communities through multi-cultural marketing initiatives.
Diversity at Work believes individuals from diverse communities will have greater
opportunities to find meaningful employment and contribute to the economic success of
their community. Businesses will realize the economic and social benefits of creating
inclusive workplaces and of marketing services and products to a wider consumer and
business market
There are few reasons to get diversity working in the workplace because diversity
provide a major role in the organisation.
1. Fill job vacancies. Hiring from diverse groups can help you avoid a labour
shortage by creating a larger pool of candidates from which to draw.
5. Save money. Capitalize on the talents within your workforce and reduce
employee turnover by learning to manage and maximize diversity in your
workplace.
10. Develop and maintain a positive public image. Offering services and/or products
to diverse communities, your organization will stand out as a leader in your field
which can translate into positive media attention.
Above reasons provide the diversity to work in the organisation or business provides
competitive advantage of differentiation in your sector. Diversity at Work will show you
how important diversity is to the success of your business and how to successfully
manage it
What is stakeholder?
We have discussed why you need to consult, now lets examine who you should consult
with. Who are your stakeholders exactly? Your stakeholders are groups or individuals
within your organisation who actually have an interest in the work that you are doing
and the outcomes of this work .The major stakeholders in a large organisation can be
quite and can include, among others
Stakeholders in an organisation
Competitors Owners
Supplies Regulators
Investors Government
Why be Diverse:
There are some major issues which can arise if you decide to simply ignore diversity .It
can affect your organisation in terms of money and time and efficiency .You may not
bring in the best people simply because of biases that you may have against a specific
group of people .You may find that lack of diversity in the workforce makes individuals in
those minorities feel less needed and may cause additional workplace tension which
must be overcome .Legal action and complaints can arise which takes time and
resources to resolve.
So, lets now have a look in which you can try to improve overall performance in diversity
in your workplace .We will look carefully at the numbers of areas, ensuring that your
workforce is diverse and efficient.
Some staff members may think that diversity is all about checking the boxes .making
sure that you meet some specific compliance levels that the lawyers have set .However,
for Diversity policy to be most effective it should be about more than just making sure
that boxes are checked .
When looking at developing or reviewing your own diversity policy, you will find it very
useful to look at the diversity policies developed by other companies .In the past this
was very difficult as most companies would not publish this information, however with
an increasing importance being placed on being a diverse organisation, many companies
are now posting their diversity policy on their website. Often however, it is buried away
in a difficult to find the location-so a web search is the easiest way to find them. A simple
good research using google for Diversity policy resulted in the following. There are
number of diversity policies as per according to the companies .However examples can
be varied as Diversity policy indigenous programs , Institute of policy studies ,
Accounting for diversity policy design and development .All these examples varied as per
the requirements and needs of the company .For getting the right information explore
your company diversity policy regulations .
Also this can further be refined to cover your competitors by including their company
name in the web search .Also looking for a diversity
diversity policy as example for Coca Cola
resulted in
Online Activity: 2
Research and report on existing benefits and information in relation to diversity within Bounce
fitness. Your report should investigate current policy regarding diversity as well look at how this
policy is working within your organisation .Back up any statements you make with figures and
data gathered during your research ( which may include accessing diversity polices from other
organisations )
Online Activity: 3
As per the above activity analyse the existing policy, practices and information on the bounce
fitness website relating to diversity.
True False
1: A Diverse workforce means having a range of racial groups
working there
Answer may vary : Diversity encompasses a wider range of
groups than just racial groups
What is Policy?
A policy is a principle or protocol to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A
policy is a statement of intent, and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies
are generally adopted by the Board of or senior governance body within an organization
whereas procedures or protocols would be developed and adopted by senior executive
officers.. Policies can assist in both subjective and objective decision making.
making Policies to
assist in subjective decision making would usually assist
assist senior management with
decisions that must consider the relative merits of a number of factors before making
decisions and as a result are often hard to objectively test e.g. work-life
life balance policy. In
contrast policies to assist in objective decision making are usually operational in nature
and can be objectively tested e.g. password policy.
The term may apply to government, private sector organizations and groups, as well as
individuals. Presidential executive orders,
orders corporate privacy policies,, and parliamentary
rules of order are all examples of policy. Policy differs from rules or law.
law While law can
compel or prohibit behaviors (e.g. a law requiring the payment of taxes on income),
BSBDIV601 Develop and implement diversity policy Student Workbook v1.0
Page 25 of 76
Crown Institute of Business and Technology Pty Ltd ABN 86 116 018 412 National Provider No: 91371 CRICOS Provider Code: 02870D
North Sydney Campus: 116 Pacific Highway North Sydney NSW 2060 P 02 9955 0488 F 02 9955 3888
Sydney CBD Campus: Level 5, 303 Pitt St Sydney NSW 2000 P 02 8959 6340 F 02 9955 3888
policy merely guides actions toward those that are most likely to achieve a desired
outcome
Policies are a principle they define the types of actions that should be taken in a
particular type of event or occurrence .Policies should be used to guide the staff in your
organisation to achieving specific goals or objectives .It is a formal document that
outlines how to achieve specific ends and the steps that should be taken to get to those
ends .In essence, they assist an organisation by telling it how to do certain tasks.
Like most things within organisation, the development of a policy is a process, with
certain steps that must be taken in order to achieve that end goal .The development of
any policy should:
Educate your stakeholder and staff of issues and how they can deal with them
There are few steps need to take when you are developing a diversity policy:
You can make relevant changes while developing and reviewing the policy .This form can
be termed as Policy development process
The first step in the process is to look for a group to work on a given policy .This group
should be provided with a clear set of terms of reference which outlines what they may
do and what their desired outcomes are :
Have key members of staff as well as some of your key stakeholders involved in
the process.
Communicating outcomes
The next stage of the process should involve the team in attempting to gain an
understanding of exactly what is required of them, so they can prepare for the process
to be undertaken .By knowing exactly what is required, the team member can sit down
and look at exactly what the policy should involve, and this will act as a guide towards
establishing a process to be followed later in the process.
Ensure that you have a vision for where the organisation should be
Provide clear ideas to all members of staff about how policy will work to the
advantage of the organisation
Look at what training is required among your staff members for the new policy to
be most effectively implemented
Look at how any changes made can be communicated for the rest of your staff to
ensure they are fully aware of the changes that are being made
Assess how well the organisation is ready for the changes that you are proposing
to be made
Gather any information needed with regards to the environment within your
organisation is operating what demographics are present for example
Look at the perceptions that your staff have about diversity and look at how this
may affect your implementation
Next, we look at actually developing a policy for diversity .This should always be done in
reference to your organisation mission, vision, value statement, goals and objectives.
Look at policies from similar organisation for ideas on where to start, your policy need to
outline:
Responsibilities
Accountabilities
Review with your stakeholder and after consultation make revisions and go through
this process until agreement is reached
You should present your final policy stakeholders, managers and affected staff for their
comment .You should provide evidence for the need of your policy in the form of
demographic details and the like and attempt to gain agreement on your policy .Once
you have this, you may implement this policy .If agreement is not reached, go back a
stage and make any appropriate revisions.
Implementation begins with communication .Communication your end policy to the key
stakeholder and affected staff members .Go through how the policy will actually affect
their day to day work with them.
Make sure that the policy is readily available through the company intranet or
website as well as in desk manuals and any other method you feel is appropriate
.Often you may find it particularly useful to send out a memo outlining the policy
and attach a copy of the policy itself.
Because this is a diversity policy, be sure that any communication is inclusive and
easy to read .After all your diversity policy should be appropriate for a diverse
workforce.
Once you have communicated your policy changes and they have been approved, an
action plan should be put in place for the policy implementation .This should:
The final step of the process is to determine whether the implementation and the policy
have actually been successful .This will involve comparing policy itself to the end results
and looking to determine whether the goals set have actually been achieved.
Producing the diversity policy should be the first step as it allows as it reviewed and
revised based upon the input of the key stakeholders .This ensures that final policy is as
relevant and accurate as possible before it is released to the entire organisation.
Effective action plan allows the organisation to take proactive approach to the
management and implementation of the diversity policy .Action plans helps to ensure
that the key areas for the organisation- Risk management, promotions of the policy, time
frames, financial resources allocated responsibilities are given careful consideration
before the policy is launched .This should foster optimum conditions for it to be well
received.
Below is a sample diversity policy. Firms wishing to establish a diversity policy are invited
to use the ideas contained in this template and modify them to suit the individual
character of the firm
Diversity vision :
Recognises its talented and diverse workforce as a key competitive advantage. Our
business success is a reflection of the quality and skill of our people.
Is committed to seeking out and retaining the finest human talent to ensure top business
growth and performance. Diversity management benefits individuals, teams, our
company as a whole, and our customers. We recognise that each employee brings their
own unique capabilities, experiences and characteristics to their work. We value such
diversity at all levels of the company in all that we do.
Believes in treating all people with respect and dignity. We strive to create and foster a
supportive and understanding environment in which all individuals realise their maximum
potential within the company, regardless of their differences.
We are committed to employing the best people to do the best job possible. We
recognise the importance of reflecting the diversity of our customers and markets in our
workforce. The diverse capabilities that reside within our talented workforce, positions
To anticipate and fulfil the needs of our diverse customers, both domestically and
internationally, providing high quality products/services.
competitive.
Recruitment
As a global player, recruits people from all around the globe. We believe that our
employees from many different cultural, linguistic and national backgrounds provide us
with valuable knowledge for understanding complex international markets. We have
established outreach programmes to identify talented women and individuals from
under-represented backgrounds for recruitment. We provide 2scholarships for
promising young women and under-represented status students with the potential to
become high achieving professionals in
Rewards excellence and all employees are promoted on the basis of their performance.
All managers are trained in managing diversity to ensure that employees are treated
fairly and evaluated objectively.
Community programmes
Recognises that there are distinct demographic groups that have long been
disadvantaged. We recognise that racism, ageism, sexism and other forms of
discrimination are problems both for our organisation and society as a whole.
Is committed to tackling cultural stereotypes both within and outside our organisation.
We have clear reporting procedures for any type of discrimination or harassment
combined with follow-up procedures to prevent future incidents.
Diversity bodies
Our commitment to diversity is led by our diversity champions who come from all levels
of the company, from top management to the shop floor. The diversity champions make
up a diversity committee, which is responsible for ensuring that our diversity policy is
articulated in the day to day running and the strategic direction of the company.
Diversity practices
Open communications
Childcare assistance
Mentor programmes
Skills required to consult with a range of stakeholders about the draft diversity policy
1: Communication skills:
Communication skills are verbal and non-verbal words, phrases, voice tones, facial
expressions, gestures, and body language that you use in the interaction between you
and another person.
Verbal communication is the ability to explain and present your ideas in clear English, to
diverse audiences. This includes the ability to tailor your delivery to a given audience,
using appropriate styles and approaches, and an understanding of the importance of
Seven Ways to Better Communicate in Today's Diverse Workplace - Seven Tips for
Communicating In Today's Diverse Workplace
1. Learn how the source culture best receives communications. Deborah Valentine, of
the Management Communication Department at Emory University's Goizueta Business
School in Atlanta, advises managers to analyse their audience to find the best way to
communicate a message.
"Different cultures like to receive informationand trust information they receive from
different sourcesin different ways," she says.
People from some cultures don't trust information that comes directly from a manager,
for example, preferring that the word comes instead from a leader of the employee
group, a headman, or shop foreman.
Some workers don't feel comfortable being singled out for praise in front of the entire
employee groupa typical way to dish out praise in the U.S. For these workers, quiet
praise in a private office is much preferred.
"It's very important that incoming employees be taught in orientation sessions and in
ongoing training what the company's expectations are, that they be acculturated to the
way that company does things," Valentine says.
Henry Miller, an executive search consultant with the Philadelphia office of Hedrick &
Struggles International, points out that many misconceptions about conduct in the
workplace can be avoided by ensuring that rules are defined and observed even during
the interview process.
"It is also important to state with no ambiguity the policies and procedures adhered to in
the U.S.," he says. "Addressing this area prior to coming on board will avoid pain on both
sides later. Accepting some cultural nuances is important, but be careful not to adversely
affect your existing culture by 'customizing' what is acceptable or appropriate behavior
by individuals."
3. Train the non-foreign-born, too. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has training
programs to ensure that its employees not only understand the mission of the company,
but also the significance of diversity, both within the workplace and among clients.
"We train people to get into the shoes and the mindset of the person opposite them,"
says James Lowry, vice president and director of diversity at BCG. "The biggest mistake
people make is to look at issues only through their eyes. There are major and minor
cultural differences, and we cannot be effective in our area of business if we don't
understand them and embrace them."
Managers also need to be taught that there is an acculturation process and should
understand how that may affect employees. "Managers must be aware that immigrants
go through stages of culture shock," Valentine says. "A manager who is not aware that a
person is going through these stages is not as well prepared as he or she needs to be."
As someone who has gone through the acculturation process himself, having moved
from Australia to the U.S. several years ago, Cane agrees.
"Employers need to understand that culture shock is real, and while there is little one can
do, just evidence of understanding will help," he says. "It is not easy being placed in a
foreign culture and being removed from the support network that you're used to.
Anything that an employer can do, such as being very flexible with time off and being
willing to provide 'local' information and contacts, will help build a good relationship
with the employee as well as minimizing the stress that the employee is subjected to."
4. Assign mentors and take care of the spouses. Managers need to understand the
important role they play in helping a new employee become an important contributor,
no matter what her country of origin.
But the issue is especially important for foreign workers with different cultural
expectations.
"As consultants in leadership issues," Miller says, "the best advice we could provide is to
take two approaches. Firstly, assign a mentor in the business operation, preferably a
well-respected person from the department who can assist in helping ease integration.
Secondly, if a spouse or family is involved in the move, become involved in making them
feel comfortable with the change."
Recent figures suggest that a failed expatriation can cost a company as much as $1
million and that 44 percent of expatriations fail because the spouse has been unable to
adjust.
Effective mentoring can be critical. Valentine says, "Using peer groups, with one
experienced employee mentoring a new employee from a different cultural background,
BSBDIV601 Develop and implement diversity policy Student Workbook v1.0
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will enable a person from a background unused to going to a manager to turn to the
peer counselor to help mediate a situation."
Lowry has helped implement mentoring programs throughout BCG. "We try to mentor
people of all backgrounds on the way we conduct studies and the way we look at and
analyse issues," he says. "In addition, every professional has someone who guides them
in the culture and in their professional skill development, and we have an evaluation
process that parallels that. Our younger professionals are assigned a sponsor manager,
who mentors and coaches that person in a way that will make them effective."
Coca-Cola is another company that has put a formal, one-on-one mentoring program in
place.
"We wanted to create the best and most desirable working environment for our
employees," says Dwight Williams, media relations manager at Coca-Cola. "This program
can help promote employee satisfaction and development by forming one-on-one
relationships that facilitate networking, coaching, counselling, and career and life
lessons. It's a win-win for our employees and our organization."
"The idea of the open door is so foreign to about three-fourths of the cultures of the
world that it doesn't even translate," Valentine says. "And the downside is that
sometimes the manager, by encouraging an employee from a different culture to talk
directly to them, is seen as weak."
"Many times if you are dealing with a group and you're trying to get feedback, one idea
is to use an elected representative who is empowered to report problems and
suggestions to the department head," Valentine suggests.
Keep in mind that the best way to bridge the communication gap is to set a good
example, says Miller. "Do not wait for them to come through the open door, go to them.
Ask them about their concerns and questions. Nothing is more credible than setting the
example. An open door goes both ways."
"U.S. business is driven by sport and war metaphors because the rules of business
tended, for years, to mirror the rules of engagement," comments Valentine, who, with
Sherron B. Kenton, co-authored the book Crosstalk: Communicating in a Multicultural
Workplace. "Using metaphors may be problematic with people from other cultures, even
English-speaking employees, since they don't necessarily use the same metaphors."
"Slang and colloquialism are definite challenges in all areas of communication," Miller
says. "I had a U.S. client who had been waiting for a signed acceptance letter from a
candidate in the U.K. The U.S. client had expected to receive the fax the previous day
and had left instructions and numbers via voice mail for the candidate. The candidate
called me and said everything was fine, but he had a disturbing message from the U.S.
client talking about needing a 'John Hancock' in order to formalize the relocation
package. The confused candidate did not know any John Hancock and asked how John
fit into the process.
Cane says, "When communicating with my Chinese staff, I am very careful to keep my
spoken and written language very simple, avoiding jargon and colloquialisms at all costs.
I learnt very early on that using such language was met by polite smiles and a look that
said, 'I have no idea what you mean.'"
7. Play by the rules and stick to business. Finally, the best way to create an environment
that people of all cultures and ethnicities can participate in is to ensure that the
company's mission and goals are communicated clearly and that the workplace is driven
by business requirements rather than personal preferences, says R. Roosevelt Thomas,
Jr., a writer of many books on diversity, including Building a House for Diversity, and
president and founder of The American Institute for Managing Diversity in Atlanta.
"It is important that managers and the people within the mixture make decisions that
are not based on personal preferences, traditions, or conveniences, but rather on what is
the mission and vision, and what are the requirements necessary for achieving that
mission and vision," he says.
Building a productive workplace with employees from many backgrounds can enrich a
company on many different levelsbut it's not a process one can take for granted.
"Ethnic and cultural diversity canenrich our lives if we are open to the possibilities of
reaching out and learning new ways of communicating," the authors of Crosstalk write.
The bottom line? Diversity makes good business sense in today's globalized world.
Says BCG's Lowry, "We have to understand different markets and we have to have
people of diverse backgrounds to understand those markets. So you're better off, from a
strictly business perspective, to get a mix in your workforce.
Culture is basically:
Relative
Learned
Cultural awareness becomes central when we have to interact with people from other
cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in a different ways. What is considered
an appropriate behaviour in one culture is frequently inappropriate in another one.
Misunderstandings arise when I use my meanings to make sense of your reality.
The nature of our workplaces has changed. We have moved away from the
monochromic make-up of our offices to one that is now coloured by team members
from all over the world. With this new multicultural make-up come differences in cultures
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which in turn bring differences in areas such as communication styles, approach to time,
managerial styles and a plethora of other cross cultural differences.
Cultural awareness is now crucial if multicultural teams within businesses are going to
maximise their potential. Although cross cultural differences do not always cause
obvious problems, it is their more subtle manifestations that can and do lead to a lack of
clear communication and poor performance.
3: Ability to listen:
communication - we all ask and are asked questions when engaged in conversation.
Praise positive statements about a person. Most employees will respond to praise with
an increase in self-esteem, self-efficacy and/or confidence.
The three types of feedback can have varying effects on the employee. In order for
feedback to have the greatest impact on performance, managers should increase the
amount of constructive feedback they give while decreasing the amount of criticism.
Praise should also be given to employees, but should not be an essential component of
the feedback process.
7: Negotiation skills: There are different type of negotiation skills we can consider while
implementing the diversity policy in workplace. Negotiation is a method by which people
1. Preparation
2. Discussion
3. Clarification of goals
4. Negotiate towards a Win-Win outcome
5. Agreement
6. Implementation of a course of action
1. Preparation
Before any negotiation takes place, a decision needs to be taken as to when and where a
meeting will take place to discuss the problem and who will attend. Setting a limited
time-scale can also be helpful to prevent the disagreement continuing.
This stage involves ensuring all the pertinent facts of the situation are known in order to
clarify your own position. In the work example above, this would include knowing the
rules of your organisation, to whom help is given, when help is not felt appropriate and
the grounds for such refusals. Your organisation may well have policies to which you can
refer in preparation for the negotiation. Undertaking preparation before discussing the
disagreement will help to avoid further conflict and unnecessarily wasting time during
the meeting.
2. Discussion
During this stage, individuals or members of each side put forward the case as they see
it, i.e. their understanding of the situation. Key skills during this stage
are questioning, listening and clarifying. Sometimes it is helpful to take notes during the
discussion stage to record all points put forward in case there is need for further
clarification. It is extremely important to listen, as when disagreement takes place it is
easy to make the mistake of saying too much and listening too little. Each side should
have an equal opportunity to present their case.
3. Clarifying Goals
From the discussion, the goals, interests and viewpoints of both sides of the
disagreement need to be clarified. It is helpful to list these in order of priority. Through
this clarification it is often possible to identify or establish common ground.
5. Agreement
Agreement can be achieved once understanding of both sides viewpoints and interests
have been considered. It is essential to keep an open mind in order to achieve a
solution. Any agreement needs to be made perfectly clear so that both sides know what
has been decided.
Managing Diversity:
We are generally aware that the first step in managing diversity is recognize it and
learning not to fear it.
Since everyone is the product of their own culture, we need to increase both self-
awareness and cross-cultural awareness. There is no book of instructions to deal with
cultural diversity, no recipe to follow. But certain attitudes help to bridge cultures.
Admit that you dont know. Knowing that we dont know everything, that a situation
does not make sense, that our assumptions may be wrong is part of the process of
becoming culturally aware. Assume differences, not similarities.
Suspend judgments. Collect as much information as possible so you can describe the
situation accurately before evaluating it.
Systematically check your assumptions. Ask your colleagues for feedback and
constantly check your assumptions to make sure that you clearly understand the
situation.
Become comfortable with ambiguity. The more complicated and uncertain life is, the
more we tend to seek control. Assume that other people are as resourceful as we are
and that their way will add to what we know. If we always do, what weve always done,
we will always get, what we always got.
Celebrate diversity. As a company find ways of sharing the cultures of your diverse
workforce, i.e., in 2002 Deutsche Bank carried out multiple initiatives around the theme
of tolerance: diversity, identity, recognition which they called Initiative Plus 2002.
They encouraged employee projects and organized an annual colloquium of global
experts.
From a Managerial perspective the policy must achieve inclusion at all levels .Therefore
the policy must be directed at several levels, they being
The attitude of the staff will from the foundation of the organisational culture .One issue
is whether in the recruitment process HR should knowingly employ someone who is
prejudice against another race or religion .or is this discriminatory? However, the attitude
of an organisation can be moulded if higher management is seen to embrace and value
diversity as an organisational principle
The policy needs to reflect the organisational values as well as legislative compliance
requirements .In some countries this is not an issue however with a multicultural country
Specifically management can undertake the following activities to ensure that diversity is
embraced.
As far as practicable and reasonable , ensures all areas of the organisational have
equitable distribution of diversified staff in tasks, projects and organisational
activities
Identify opportunities to promote the advancement of diversity
Promote and acknowledge diversity successes
The drafting of the policy needs to be cognisant of the legislative compliance issues in its
industry and business environment .This is a legal issue and can have an adverse impact
on the business if the compliance requirements are not met or adhered .However for
most business there are several laws and acts that support diversity .They are :
Equal employment for Women in the Workplace (EOWW) : which was enacted in
1999 and its purpose was to provide a legal position for ensuring that women
were treated fairly and equally in the workforce .This act was formerly known as
Affirmative Action .
The Anti-discrimination Act is designed to prevent against the following :
Age, Gender, Sexual orientation, Disabilities, Race and ethnicity ,Martial Status ,
Parental Status ,Religion etc. In addition to these, individual states have additional
legislative recruitments that support the above federal laws.
Focus:
Diversity policy should focussed on more than just minorities it is about everyone
Diversity includes making sure that you get the best people for the job regardless of
their:
Race
Religion
Sex
Disability
Age
Background
Personality
Diverse workforces mean focusing on getting the best people ,not the so called right
people because they fit in to little box which is currently entered
The culture:
Diversity can be affected quite significantly by culture, not individual culture but
organisational culture .Not all workplaces are immediately ready to accept the changes
that a diverse workforce can bring about.You may need to work in order to achieve
some of these changes .Some staff may not be ready to accept someone in a wheelchair
working alongside them .As abhorrent as this may seems to you, you need to understand
everyone is different.
Changing a workplace culture can be very difficult but ensuring that your workplace is
ready for a diverse workplace can make the change process much easier
Assumptions
We all have biases. We all think in stereotypes whether we like it or not .Earlier in this
section we stated that in order to change your thinking you actually need to be aware of
what these are .Take the time to actually think these through and work on changing the
way you think and incorporate this in to your diversity policy.it may read something like
the policy on the next page.
Diversity Vision
XYZ understands that in order for an organisation to have a workforce that is effective
and allows for a greater amount of competitive advantage. It is critical that the
workforce is as diverse as possible .The success that we achieve as a business is
grounded in our people .The more effective our people are, greater our business success
will be .We need to find, recruit and hold on to the best people possible and use this to
our competitive advantage .This Diversity policy will allow us, as an organisation to
ensure that we recognise all staff members of their age, race, sex or religion.
This organisation understand that everyone must be treated equally especially with
regard to respect and dignity and we will work to ensure that all staff treat all people
with respect and dignity .We will work to create a working environment in which all staff
are supported and encouraged to work at the height of their potential and to ensure
that all staff are able to develop their skills and knowledge in order to facilitate our
organisation reaching and achieving its goals and objectives
Diversity in Recruitment
XYZ company is a large , multinational organisation and so needs to ensure that it is able
to recruit people from all over the world .Having individuals with the a range of language
skills , cultural perspectives and background allows us , as an organisation , to ensure
that we are able to understand our market and ensure that our customers receive the
best possible service .Our organisation will strive to have diversity in everyone that we
recruit and ensure that our selection panels are made up of diverse group of people
XYZ rewards excellence and all employees are promoted on the basis of their
performance .All managers are trained in managing diversity to ensure that employees
Diversity Bodies
Within our organisation , we have appointed Diversity Champions , who have role of
ensuring that everything we do as an organisation is aimed at ensuring that we are
inclusive and have a diverse workforce .Each of your diversity team will be a part of our
diversity committee who will meet monthly to discuss any issues and who on an annual
basis will revise this policy
Diversity Practices :
Our organisation requires that all staff undergo diversity training during their induction
process and this training is aimed at ensuring that staff are aware of the issues
surrounding diversity in the workforce and to examine skills needed to manage diversity
,In recognition of our diverse workforce and their specific needs , we have introduced a
numbers of arrangements to make work easier .These include :
Online Activity: 5
How well do you manage diversity? Think of yourself in your role as it relates to
diversity .Then answer the following questions and when finished discuss your answers
with the group.
Have I identified issues which should be discussed at meetings with regards to diversity?
Once the policy has been developed, its implementation within the organisation is crucial
.This can be achieved via several communication techniques .Schedule an information
session where all key stakeholders are present.
A copy of the policy included in the induction package presented to new recruits
and transferred staff on arrival
The induction training for new staff include a HR briefing on organisational
diversity policy
Diversity training for organisational staff be conducted on a regular basis
The policy be supported by the positing of diversity signs and posters around the
organisations
For in house management training to include diversity
Strategic management planners include aspects of diversity in their
th organisations
Mission Statement and Vision
Take the time to look at your organisational chart and determine exactly where any
diversity responsibilities may lie .This should allow you to really determine the links
within your organisation with regards to diversity and also managerial responsibilities
.The organisational chart is useful for determining . Different communication channels
that could be used to promote the policy throughout the organisation .WHAT channels
of communication are present, we can use numbers of channels For example:
The objective is to organize each individual's desktop with minimal cost, time and effort
to be more productive, cost efficient, timely, and competitive.
An intranet may host multiple private websites and constitute an important component
and focal point of internal communication and collaboration. Any of the well-known
Internet protocols may be found in an intranet, such as HTTP (web services), SMTP (e-
mail), and FTP (file transfer protocol). Internet technologies are often deployed to
provide modern interfaces to legacy information systems hosting corporate data.
Intranets are sometimes contrasted to extranets. While intranets are generally restricted
to employees of the organization, extranets may also be accessed by customers,
suppliers, or other approved parties. Extranets extend a private network onto the
Internet with special provisions for authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA
protocol).
Conference or seminar:
Web conferencing refers to a service that allows conferencing events to be shared with
remote locations. These are sometimes referred to as webinars or, for interactive
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Induction Training:
Just as in schools, sometimes the work place may have bullies, who may give the new
employee the wrong impression of the company or organization at first. These programs
can play a critical role under the socialization to the organization in terms of
performance, attitudes and organizational commitment.
Dean Acheson famously quipped that "A memorandum is not written to inform the
reader but to protect the writer". Charles Peters wrote that "bureaucrats write
memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because
the memos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy."
implementation is being used to facilitate a Diversity Policy within the workforce .Such
processes involve formally established work systems and methods as well as formally
established workplace relationships for individuals and groups .It is vitally important that
you attempt to recognise the potential problems which could exist and implement to
solve these by implementing relevant processes
1: Initial evaluation: During the initial evaluation you should collect data regarding the
organisations current diversity policy and processes, people involved with the
processes, goals and overall approached towards achieving success. Collect information
to answer the question, How do things work now ?
2: New Processes Development: After collecting information about the current policy
and goals that are used for diversity, begin developing and new processes for ensuring
the Diversity Policy works more effectively, consistently and efficiently.
3: New Processes Implementation: After the policy is developed and approved, put the
policy in policy and begin working with it .This stage not only gives people an
opportunity to begin learning the new policy and understand its importance with regards
to Diversity, but is also a chance to provide feedback, recommendations and identify any
problems which leads on to the secondary evaluation.
5: Policy Formalisation: After completing the secondary evaluation, you should formalise
the policy and put it in to place for regular use by the organisation. At this point, your
staff will begin to rely on the policy daily to ensure that the organisation is more diverse.
Ongoing Evaluation
To ensure long term Success, ensure that you conduct periodic evaluations of the policy
over time .The Diversity policy you develop for your organisation (and any consultation
that you undertake) should be aimed at meeting all objectives.
The Processes which your organisation chooses to develop must meet a number of
different requirements, and in this doing this you can ensure that the processes you use
to implement the systems will best meet the organisations requirement.
Stakeholders are those individuals and groups , both inside and outside an organisation ,
which have some direct interest in that organisation and its behaviour , actions ,
products or services .Stakeholders may include owners, shareholders, suppliers ,
customers , special and interest groups , statutory agencies and other regulatory bodies
outside and organisation and managers , employees , other human resource , employee
organisation, and other employee representative within an organisation .
It is vital that when developing the process and policies for diversity in your organisation
that you consult a wide range of stakeholders .Consulting the various stakeholders will
ensure that they are kept fully aware of any changes which you are proposing to
introduce, give them the opportunity to comment on your proposed changes, ensure
that the proposed processes will meet their needs, as well as not offend them in any
way.
Stakeholders provide you with your staff, customers and support so it is vitally important
that all of these people and organisation are happy with any proposed changes .Of
course ,the processes regarding diversity are unlikely to be of importance to your
customers or suppliers : so you need to ensure that you identify the key stakeholders
with regards to decisions .In the main this will be your stakeholders ( who will want to
know why the money is being spent )managers ( who will be approving the processes )
and your employees ( who , along with the managers , will be using the services )
Consultation may be informal ( for example talking with those who may be suing the
process ) or it may be very formal utilising an official consultation process whereby you
use interviews focus groups and questionnaires to gain the opinions of those individuals
concerned .Whatever method of consultation you decide to use , ensure that you gain as
much information from the stakeholders as you can , and also gain as much feedback as
you can both positive and negative , so that you can make any required changes .
Benchmarks or tools in Diversity Policy:
Benchmarks can be used to determine short-term and long-term diversity and inclusion
goals.
Use your organisation's benchmark scores to determine which of the categories are
most important or strategic to focus on, and then set goals for increasing your
percentage/scores.
Benchmarks that can be used to determine whether the diversity policy has been
effectively implemented or whether it is still not having the impact intended.
Exit Interviews:
More so, an organization can use the results from exit interviews to reduce employee,
student, or member turnover and increase productivity and engagement, thus reducing
the high costs associated with turnover. Some examples of the value of conducting exit
interviews include shortening the recruiting and hiring process, reducing absenteeism,
improving innovation, sustaining performance, and reducing possible litigation if issues
mentioned in the exit interview are addressed. It is important for each organization to
customize its own exit interview in order to maintain the highest levels of survey validity
and reliability.
The exit interview fits into the separation stage of the employee life cycle (ELC). This
stage, the last one of the ELC, spans from the moment an employee becomes
disengaged until his or her departure from the organization. This is the key time that an
exit interview should be administered because the employees feelings regarding his or
her departure are fresh in mind. An off-boarding process allows both the employer and
employee to properly close the existing relationship so that company materials are
collected, administrative forms are completed, knowledge base and projects are
transferred or documented, feedback and insights are gathered through exit interviews,
and any loose ends are resolved.
Common questions include reasons for leaving, job satisfaction, frustrations, and
feedback concerning company policies or procedures. Questions may relate to the work
environment, supervisors, compensation, the work itself, and the company culture.
Examples:
"What are your main reasons for leaving?"
"What did you like most/least about the organization?"
"What, if improved, would have caused you to stay at the organization?"
"Would you recommend the organization to others as a good place to
work/study/join?"
It's often hard to do so. Most of us instinctively have negative reactions to complaints,
whether they're internal (from co-workers, employees or managers) or external (from
customers).
And if the complaint is about something we did or created, or someone that we are
responsible for, we can often become defensive, or view the complaint as unjustified or
not our fault. But, what exactly is a complaint? And should we view them as something
negative? In their classic customer service book, "A Complaint Is a Gift," Janelle Barlow
and Claus Moller define a complaint as "a statement about expectations that have not
been met."
The main problem is that, in many organizations, feedback is reserved for the annual
review, and a once-a-year appraisal is not sufficient to spur behavioural change or
improvement, says Ipe. She points to a study done by Watson Wyatt Worldwide that
showed 43 percent of employees across private sector organizations in the United States
feel they don't get enough guidance to improve their performance.
Feedback must also follow certain dictates to be useful, says Ipe. Feedback needs to be
specific, timely, accurate, actionable, and meaningful, she says. She uses the acronym
STAAM as shorthand for those five characteristics.
Just saying, 'You're doing a good job' doesn't really mean anything and won't add to
performance," she explains. "You did a great job yesterday when you responded quickly
to customer concerns and found a creative solution to the problem' is far more effective.
The best formula is to offer STAAM-type feedback in both formal review sessions and on
a spontaneous, ongoing basis -- say, after an employee runs a meeting, turns in a report,
or completes an important project, Ipe notes. While the timeliness of informal feedback -
- which can occur immediately after an employee has performed a particular task -- can
make it more effective than an annual appraisal, the importance of the formal review is
not to be discounted.
Staff Surveys:
While implementing in diversity policy staff surveys play vital role in organisations.
When managed well, staff surveys can assist in increasing staff retention rates , lowering
absenteeism, improving productivity , enhancing customer relations , and increasing
profitability .When staff surveys are acted on by management , it can reinforce to
employees that their input by the organisation and help improve morale and loyalty All
valuable outcomes in todays candidate short market
The staff survey process often presents a number of challenges: high costs, a time
consuming process, poor response rates, and administrative challenges and producing
quality reports and charts .So how does one overcome these hurdles to implement and
effective employee feedback program?
It must be retrievable at a later date so that the business dealings can be accurately
reviewed as required. Since business is dependent upon confidence and trust, not only
must the record be accurate and easily retrieved, the processes surrounding its creation
and retrieval must be perceived by customers and the business community to
consistently deliver a full and accurate record with no gaps or additions.
Most company records have specified retention periods based on legal requirements or
internal company policies. This is important because in many countries (including the
United States) documents are required by law be disclosed to government regulatory
agencies or to the general public.
Likewise, they may be discoverable if the business is sued. Under the business records
exception in the Federal Rules of Evidence, certain types of company records,
particularly those made and kept with regularity, may be considered admissible in court
despite containing hearsay.
Good record keeping can help you protect your business, measure your performance and
maximise profits. Records are the source documents, both physical and electronic, that
specify transaction dates and amounts, legal agreements, and private customer and
business details. Developing a system to log, store and dispose of records can benefit
your business by allowing you to:
Most businesses use an electronic record keeping system to make it easier to capture
information, generate reports, and meet tax and legal reporting requirements.
If you are unsure whether to keep certain records, retain them and seek advice from
your accountant or financial adviser.
Online Activity 7:
Lets try assess your organisation .Think about your organisation and its reaction to
diversity that is present. How Comfortable is with the following forms of diversity? How
does discomfort present itself?
Age
Gender
Sexual orientation
Physical ability
Ethnicity
RACE
Personal habits
Religion
Education background
Appearance
Parental status
Marital Status
Role of women
Ethical values
Treatment of Elders
Personal health
Language differences
4.1. Gather and analyse information about diversity, the policy and its implementation
4.2.Consult
Consult key stakeholders to provide feedback on the policy
4.3.Develop and approve recommendations for changes to the policy
4.4. Refine policy
Implementation is only the start .It is necessary of the organisation to keep abreast
ab of
diversity
iversity both from an internal and external aspect .This includes regular review and
refinement of the diversity policy , obtaining feedback from all stakeholders examining
relevant diversity information the organisation has collected , building awareness of
changes to government legislation.
It is important that senior management has a good working knowledge of the diversity
policy and they therefore need to be made aware of any potential changes .This will also
help to ensure that the diversity policy is
is aligned with the organisation strategic plan and
objectives .For the diversity policy to be taken seriously senior management must lead by
example and demonstrate commitment to it.
We will also advise as to whether improvements can be made to your existing policies.
Through our international experience and associations we are able to measure your
organisation's policies against international benchmarks and to take account of changes
and adaptations that are occurring both locally and in other countries. Our legal team
will ensure that your policies are in alignment with all relevant Federal and State
legislation.
The policy documents on which Diversity Consulting is able to assist your organisation
includes the following:
Diversity Policy
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Discrimination and Harassment Policy
Bullying Policy
Flexible Work Options Policy
Code of Conduct
Grievance Resolution
Dispute Resolution
Disciplinary Procedures
To document how existing policies, procedures, guidelines or schedules which have been
processed through the Policy Framework are reviewed.
For the purposes of this document, the word policy is to be read to include policy,
procedure, guideline and schedule. The Policy Framework requires that amendments to
existing policies are subject to the same review and approval process as for new policies
establish why , and what changes need to be made in order for the process to be more
effective .when we evaluate the implementation of our process we examine four key
areas .
Those areas also need to be evaluated after the implementation, to ensure that the
process as a whole is meeting its objectives, time frame, and budget and resources
allocation.
Objectives : As we previously mentioned , if the process or policy that you have
put in place does not meet its required objectives ,then it is ineffective .A policy
can only be regarded as being effective if it actually meet the objectives that you
set for it .If it does not there is simply no point .when evaluating the newly
implemented process, carefully consider if it is achieving what you hoped it
would achieve .If it does not , look for any changes you can make to ensure that
it does meet this requirement .
Time frame: Did the process become fully implemented within the specified time
frame? If it did not, what reasons can be found for the delay in full
implementation .This type of information is particularly useful for improving the
implementation of further policy and processes in the future .Time is money in
business and if a process took too long to get fully implemented, it is likely that it
overran its budget.
Budget: As well as budget for implementation, your process will likely have a
budget for day to day running .This should be evaluated once the process is in
place and running efficiently .You may find that the budget you set for the
process is too high or too low. Can you justify the higher budget? Or will you
need to reduce the budget?
Resource Allocation : Again , you will have attempted to estimate the resources
required for the operation of the process or policy , you should now evaluate
whether enough was allocated ,or whether you will need more than you
anticipated .You may find the process is used more than you expected , and so
justification for more resources can be found
A thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of the policy or process will also encompass
the following points:
Description of the process in use by its participants :Good ideas do not always
yield good results .You negotiation or consultation policy or process may look
perfect on paper , but in operation it may be less than perfect .Therefore you
should attempt to gather information about the process in use .This can be useful
if you hope to replicate the process elsewhere or for finding improvements to
the process .You should examine areas such as :
This type of information will allow you to judge how effective the process is in operation
.This information can be gathered from interviewing staff members involved, as well as
those participating in the program .You may find that there are problems with levels of
participation or with how the process is being seen by the employees .By evaluating the
process in this way, you can find the required improvements
Diversity meetings are a key part of a diversity awareness program .Diversity meetings
are also one of the best methods to motivate workers to get diversity out of the
classroom and into the field .These meetings can be formal or informal and can a variety
of topics.
The use of formal meetings is a very effective way of discussing and announcing changes
to your overall policy changes .They are also useful for providing informal training which
may assist your team members in developing their skills with regard to diversity. These
meeting are important to the success of workplace diversity policies because they
impact all of the following:
BSBDIV601 Develop and implement diversity policy Student Workbook v1.0
Page 82 of 76
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Diversity Meeting can help to nip problems in the Bud: A Diversity meeting is the
time to pinpoint minor issues before they result in real problems .It also presents
a good opportunity to discuss issues that are inherent in the organisation and the
experienced employees are likely to take for granted.
Diversity Meeting get you actively involved: In a sense, diversity meetings put you
on the spot, that is, they demand feedback .They get you thinking about diversity
and encourage you to come up with ideas and suggestions for preventing and
minimising issues with which you are most familiar.
When a meeting is being planned, and if you have an issue that you would like to be
addressed, be sure to inform your relevant managers so that it can be brought up
.During the meeting , be sure to give your point of view on all topics that directly concern
you , as this is your chance to make a difference in your working environment .Listen
carefully to the views of others , and try not to be dismissive , all viewpoints are relevant
should be discussed in a fair and even handed manner .
Unit Descriptor: This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge
required to research diversity, draft policy, plan for implementation, and implement
diversity policy. No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to
this unit at the time of endorsement. Elements and Performance Criteria
Required Skill
culturally appropriate communication skills to relate to people from diverse backgrounds
and people with diverse abilities
high level research and analytical skills to review business needs and to determine how
diversity approaches apply
interpersonal skills to consult and negotiate with people at all levels, and to present ideas
for change and foster support for them
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Required Knowledge:
business operations including:
familiarity with structure, roles and responsibilities
business plans and strategic direction
issues that can be linked to diversity
Reference list
http://www.yourdiversityatwork.com/diversity/
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/stakeholder.html#ixzz2Y2Q4m6MS
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/3266.html
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/questioning.html
http://www.diversityconsultingcompany.com/products_dibt.html
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter7_section8_main.aspx
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/diversitypolicy
http://www.unh.edu/hr/sites/unh.edu.hr/files/pdfs/constructive-discipline-and-corrective-
action.pdf
http://www.dtwd.wa.gov.au/dtwd/detcms/apprenticeships-and-training/training-and--
diversity-policy -Implement=Article-id-8022123
http://oqi.wisc.edu/resourcelibrary/uploads/resources/Creating%20Measures%20of%20Suc
cess%20for%20Your%20Plan.pdf
http://www.jcu.edu.au/jobs/docs/JCUDEV_008295.html