Chapter

Managing Diversity

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Chapter 4 Learning
Objectives

Link affirmative action programs to

employee diversity programs to ensure
the two support each other
Identify the forces that contribute to the
successful management of diversity in the
firm
Reduce potential conflict among
employees resulting from cultural clashes
and misunderstandings

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Chapter 4 Learning
Objectives

Draw a profile of employee groups

that are less likely to be part of the
corporate mainstream and develop
policies specifically targeted to these
group needs
Implement HR systems that assist
the firm in successfully managing
diversity

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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What Is Diversity?

Diversitycharacteristics that make

people different from one another, including

Characteristics a person has little or no
control over, and
Characteristics that can be adopted

Stereotyping
Why Manage Diversity?

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Affirmative Action vs. Managing

Diversity

Affirmative Action

Government program
Designed to increase minority hiring

Managing Diversityrecognizes

Changing nature of workforce makeup

Diversity impacts performance
Inclusiveness - making all employees
feel they are an integrate part of the
organization.
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Demographic Trends

Very rapid growth in minorities since

1990 & expected to continue
Two basic reasons:

Immigration
Baby boom generation

White Americans expected to be

minority in 20 years
All ready are in 19 of top 25
metropolitan areas
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Diversity
Trends
Diversity
Trends

Interracial Marriages continue to grow and

this will eventually decrease stereotypical
classification of people into racial groupings.

Business owners and business leaders are

increasingly women and persons of color.

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Diversity as an Asset

Diversity can have positive, negative,

or neutral effect on firm performance

Benefits

Increased creativity
Better group problem-solving
Greater system flexibility
Better information
Enhanced marketing
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Challenges in Managing
Diversity

There are numerous

challenges to manage
diversity.
A company must be aware of
those challenges in order to
be prepared to reduce
conflict in the workplace

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Challenges in Managing
Diversity

Diversity vs. Inclusiveness

Individual vs. Group
Fairness
Universal Management
Cultural Relativity

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Challenges in Managing
Diversity

Resistance to change
Group cohesiveness and
interpersonal conflict
Segmented communication
networks
Resentment
Retention

Glass Ceiling

Competition for opportunities

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Diversity in Organizations

There are a number of groups in

the workforce that are
underrepresented and may not
feel part of the mainstream of
the organization.

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Diversity in Organizations

African Americans
Asian Americans
People with disabilities
The foreign born
Homosexuals
Latinos (Hispanic Americans)
Older workers
Religious Minorities
Women
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Diversity in Organizations
Factors affecting womens
earnings and mobility
Biological constraints and
social roles
Male-dominated corporate
culture
Exclusionary networks
Sexual harassment
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Improving Diversity
Management

There are many ways to increase the

effectiveness of diversity management
within an organization.

Create a system that helps to enhance

the workforce, limit conflicts and utilize
the diverse skills and perspectives of
the workers.

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Improving Diversity
Management

Must have top management support

Creating an Inclusive Organizational Culture
Diversity Training Programs
Support groups
Accommodation of family needs
Senior Mentorship Programs
Apprenticeships
Communication Standards
Diversity Audits
Management responsibility and accountability

Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Some Warnings
Avoiding the appearance of white
male bashing
Avoiding the promotion of
stereotypes

Cultural determinismassumption
that
You can infer someones
motivations,
interests, values,
and behavior
Based on group membership
Inclusiveness training
Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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Summary and Conclusions

When diversity successfully
managed, it can lead to a
competitive advantage
But many challenges in managing
diverse employees
Must be careful not to engender
resentment or promote stereotypes
Treat everyone as an individual

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may

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electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher. Printed in the United States of
America.

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