What is Diversity?
Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity is the social
identities that can affect workplace
interactions and require new ways
of interacting among individuals
and groups and systematic changes
in the ways that organizations
function (Harvey, 2005, p3).
Why is Diversity Important to
YOU?
Improved understanding of those you
work for, with, and around
Cohesive Atmosphere / Enhanced
Teamwork / Higher Morale
Increased Efficiency / Quality /
Productivity within your work group
Removal of barriers keeping you from
achieving your goals
Diversity in the Workplace
Recruiting, hiring and training and
retaining the best people we can
find…..
The Modern Workplace
Employees are the most important resource
for most firms in the Virtual State
Management needs to build cooperative
environment at the workplace to ensure
customer service and high value-added
work in service industries and
manufacturing firms
….. the two factors above are strongly
affected by workplace practices, employee
rights and ethical issues in the workplace
Diversity is….
One of the most commonly used
ways to define diversity is through
demographic and/or psychographic
variables, and this is the basis for
legal definitions in the United
States and in Canadian
employment statutes.
Cont.
Loden (1996) Defines the dimensions of
diversity in terms of core characteristics or
primary dimensions (such as race, age,
gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
mental/physical abilities) that we cannot
change and are more important to construct of
our self and secondary dimensions (such as
religion, communication styles, education,
income, geographical location) that are usually
viewed as more changeable and less influential
to our self-identity.
Diversity is….
Diversity is a mix of people in one
social system who have distinctly
different socially relevant group
affiliations. (Cox and Beale, 1997, p1)
The Pillsbury Company, which is
known for its workplace diversity
initiatives, describes diversity simply
as “ all the ways in which we differ”.
Diversity is….
Thomas (1999, p28) moves diversity
away from an us versus them issue by
incorporating similarities as well as
differences into his definition:
“individuals who are different in some
ways and similar in others”.
…the many unique and varied
characteristics, perspectives and
experiences that shape each of us as
individuals. Pfizer
Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity is the social
identities that can affect workplace
interactions and require new ways
of interacting among individuals
and groups and systematic changes
in the ways that organizations
function (Harvey, 2005, p3).
Understanding Cultural Historical
and Workplace Context
North American culture is built on the myth
that we are all immigrants and that
everyone has equal opportunities to
succeed if he /she just works hard enough.
Understanding individual and group
identities: Privilege and Oppression
Social identity theory, Based on the
work of Tajfel (1981) and Tajfel and
Turner (1986), is a term used to
describe how people define
themselves in terms of the individual
importance of their socio-cultural
categories.
Oppression
Oppression theory holds that in every
society there are constraints, often
unconscious, in terms of social
inequality and group memberships
that shape a person’s life choices.
Privilege
One can be considered as having
privilege, an assumption that
everyone experiencing the world with
same, often unearned advantages
that we do.
Dominant or agent group
Dominant or agent groups are the
privilege groups and they are the
ones with the most power and
privilege and have the luxury of
seeing themselves as individuals.
Subordinate or target groups
Subordinate or target groups are
more often oppressed by others on
the basis of their membership in
social groups.
Prejudice
Prejudice is an attitude, usually with
negative feelings, that involves a
prejudgement about the members of
a group.
Stereotypes
Stereotypes are formed when we
ascribe generalizations to people
based on their group identities and
the tendencies of the whole group
rather than seeing a person as an
individuals who may or may not have
this tendencies.
Understanding Workplace
Diversity
Affirmative action
Valuing Diversity
Managing Diversity
Affirmative action
Affirmative action took its name from
the legislation beginning with the
passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964.
The Americans with Disability Act
VALUING DIVERSITY
(Thomas, 1991; Loden & Rosener, 1991)
A philosophy
Requires consciousness raising
Goals:
Increase acceptance and understanding
of differences between people
Minimize blatant examples of racism and
sexism in the workplace.
Primarily a function of awareness
training and management support
Managing Diversity
Education and awareness around diversity issues
Skills and awareness training
Leadership and management development
Baking the objectives of diversity into the
corporate culture.
Diversity efforts is linked with strategic mission,
and goals of the organization.
Goals –
To start to walk the talk by informing
everyone of the organizations commitment
and to set some new behavioral standards.
Managing Diversity
Managing diversity means that
diversity is process requiring changes
in the organizational culture to enable
all workers to achieve their full
potential.
Today there is an added emphasis on
linking these managing diversity
efforts to ”the business case for
diversity”.
Managing diversity
“A comprehensive managerial process
for developing an organizational
culture that works for all employees”
Seeks to “create a level playing field for all
employees without regard to cultural
distinction.”
Goes beyond affirmative action or valuing
diversity.
Roosevelt Thomas
Three Views of Workforce Diversity
Honors differences among
people, but asks everyone
Managing to accept the core values
of the organization
Optimize the contribution
of the entire workforce.
Workforce
Diversity
Managing
Valuing
For
Embracing diversity
and building a Changes to the
diverse workforce organization's culture and
values suitable to the
heterogeneous values of
diverse groups
Diversity Drivers:Overview
Businesses need the best people to
effectively compete in today’s markets.
People today demand greater flexibility and
control over their work lives including a
better work life balance.
Growing professionalism of staff requires
better management techniques.
More complex jobs = higher training costs
and therefore makes retention even more
important.
Today’s workers have greater mobility and so
its important to be an employer of choice.
Creating a Shared Understanding in the
Workplace Requires Belief in Five
Principles
Employees have a fundamental right to a
safe workplace.
Personal morale and productivity improve
when all members of a work group are
valued and respected.
Diversity is different than EEO and AA
Diversity is not a human resources issue
Diversity goes beyond race and gender.
Cont.
Diversity means many things to many people
– but one thing is certain.
Creating a culture of inclusion that
celebrates and leverages diverse
perspectives is a central objective of
the country’s most forward thinking
corporations.
Diversity vice EEO/AA
EEO - Laws that guarantee all people the right to apply
and be evaluated for employment, regardless of their
race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, or
disability.
Affirmative Action - Workforce profile improvement
through recruiting, retention, and promotions
Diversity – Represents the unique values, culture and
characteristics of all individuals; includes everyone.
Three R’s
EEO = Requirements
Affirmative Action = Representation
Diversity = Relationship
Principles of
Diversity Management
Establish a business strategy for effectively managing
a diverse workforce
Create a positive work environment
Promote personal and professional development
Empower all people to reach their full potential
Attract talent
Remove barriers that hinder progress
Potential Benefits of an Effective
Diversity Management Program
Improve organizational performance
Help prevent unlawful discrimination or
harassment incidents
Improve workplace relations
Build more effective work teams
Improve organizational problem solving
Improve customer service
Enhanced recruitment efforts
Possible Barriers
Limiting area of consideration
Lack of diverse applicant pool in STEM positions
Lack of diversity at the senior ranks
Categorizing people into certain positions
Always recruiting from same source
Grooming/developing only one person
Pre-selection
“Golf course” meetings
Institutional Theory
According to Jepperson (1991, p.149) institutions
have been variously defined as “Socially constructed,
routine-reproduced programs or rule systems.”
Institutional rules are created due to the institutional
pressures and organizations institutionalize these new
rules in their lives in order to obtain social legitimacy.
From the institutional theory perspective,
organizations are interacting with their wider
environment in certain fashion in order to be
perceived as acceptable by other elements in that
environment (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983; Meyer and
Rowan, 1977).
Institutional Theory
According to new institutional
sociology (NIS), organizations are
embedded within larger inter-
organizational networks and cultural
systems. This institutional
environment has influences on the
organization’s input and output
markets, and on its beliefs, norms
and historical traditions (Yazdifar and
Tsamenyi, 2005).
Institutional Theory
From institutional theory perspective, in
order to investigate the management
practices, the following two points should
be clarified (Hassan, 2005):
The process of isomorphism
The process of institutionalization
Both processes explore the inter-linkages
between organizational change and the
wider social and institutional context
wherein these systems are embedded
The process of isomorphism
The processes of isomorphism represent the central
forces explaining why several practices are developed.
NIS theorists argue that organizations institutionalize
its different practices through the process of
isomorphism. Here, isomorphism means the concept
that best captures the process of homogenization
(DiMaggio and Powell, 1991, p.66). There are three
mechanisms through, which institutional isomorphism
occurs and each has different background (DiMaggio
and Powell, 1991).
Coercive isomorphism
Mimetic isomorphism
Normative isomorphism
Coercive isomorphism
Coercive isomorphism triggers from
political influence and the problem of
legitimacy. It is duality to both the
formal and the informal pressures
exercised on organizations by other
organizations upon which they are
dependent (DiMaggio and Powell,
1983, p.150) and by cultural
expectations in the society within
which organizations operate.
Mimetic isomorphism
Mimetic isomorphism is the force that
drives organizations to imitate other
organizations’ practice or practices. Usually
when there is a great uncertainty about
what is the correct way to behave,
organizations tends to copy those
organizations’ practices which they seem
successful and worthy (Scott, 1995, p.43).
Henceforth, institutions choose many
practices by mimicking other institutions.
Normative isomorphism
Normative isomorphism stems from the
professional organizations (Hassan, 2005).
It arises when professionals operating in
organizations, who are at the same time
members in professional groups, are
subject to conform to a set of norms and
rules developed by their professional
groups (Abernethy and Chua, 1996, p.574).
Usually these norms and rules are
elaborated through educational and
professional training processes.
The process of
institutionalization
Institutional rules are created due to the
institutional pressures mentioned above
and organizations institutionalize these new
rules in their lives in order to obtain social
legitimacy. From the institutional theory
perspective, organizations interact with
their wider environment in certain fashion
in order to be perceived as acceptable by
other elements in that environment. The
underlying drivers of institutionalization
arise because of seeking social legitimacy
and isomorphism (DiMaggio and Powell,
1983; Meyer and Rowan, 1977).
Dialectical view of Institutional
theory
Contradictions Mobilizations in
that are coming relation to totality
from internal and
external sources
Social Attempt to change
construction of present Status for
diversity in the emancipation
organizations of the employees
Attempt succeeds
Attempt if the forces
towards Praxis received more
power than of
existing Social
order.
According to dialectical view, an organization is a part of the
larger society. The social world is changing continuously through
interacting with each other, and based on the contradiction, people
attempt to construct the social order. In the organizational setting,
the process stars with contradictions, which are coming from both
the internal and the external sources. Henceforth, mobilization
process is taking place. These mobilizations may be taken palace
outside or inside the organization. Henceforth, they attempt to
change the present order, and this attempt is only become
successful if they gain more power than the existing social order in
organization. Later, towards praxis, the organization takes some
initiatives to change the current order and construct new social
order for them. However, from dialectic perspective the whole
process should be rational-purposeful, and it should bring
emancipation of human being. In our study, it will help us to
understand how the diversity process is constructed in an
organization, and how the process of restructuring is going on for
the emancipation of employees.
