CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES OF

DIVERSTY IN ORGANIZATION
DR. FARRUKH SEIR
• Diversity refers to human
characteristics that makes
people different.
• Diversity in workforce respect
the employees unique attitude
and promote sense of corporate
identity.
WORK FORCE DIVERSTY
• PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT HAVING
1. DIFFERENT PHYSICAL AND
PSYCHLOGICAL MAKE UPS
2. DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTIS
3. DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
4. DIFFERENT CAPACITIES
5. DIFFERENT
BELIEFS,PERCEPTIONS
6. WEAKNESS AND STRNGTHS.
 DIVERSITY
Racial and ethnic group
Old and young workers
Gender
Education
Dual career families
Religion and culture
Disabilities
Immigrants
DIVERSITY IS AN
ASSEST
• CREATIVITY/ innovation
• COLLECTIVE WISDOM
• BETTER DECISION MAKING
• PROBLEM SOLVING
• FEXIBILITY
• Competitive advantage
• Cultural
• Organizational
• External Forces
• Important Ethical Issues
• Sexual harassment
• Discrimination in pay/ promotion
• Right of privacy
Changing Work Legislation
Force and Lawsuits
Demographics
(age, gender,
ethnicity, and
education)

Increasing
Diversity in
Today’s
Organizations

Competitive Rapidly
CHARACTERISTIC OF
DIVERSITY
• Age
• Organizational Adjustment
• Gender
• Religion
• Glass Ceiling Effect
• Ethnicity
• Education
• Other
MANAGING DIVERSITY

• The effective management of diversity is

done by first developing a multicultural
organization. Then individual and
organizational levels strategies and
techniques must be evolved
Managing diversity
• Set of activities and approaches
involved in integrating diverse work
force for competitive advantage of
organization.

• Using diversity as strength

• Top management commitment to

value diversity
challenges

• Environmental challenges

• Organizational challenges

• Individual challenges
Environmental
challenges
• Rapid changes
• Globalization
• Technology
• Work force diversity
• Changing nature of work
• Availability of skilled workers in
growing service industry
• Changing labor markets
• Family role
Organizational
challenges
• Controlling cost
• Improving quality
• Information technology
• Restructuring
• Outsourcing
• Team work
• Mergers and acquisitions
Individual challenges
• Remaining functional, useful and productive

• Social responsibility

• Empowerment

• Exploring better prospects

• Job insecurity
Conflicting areas
• Individuals vs group formations
• Resistance to change
• Group cohesiveness
• Interpersonal challenges
• Segmented communication net work
• Communication
• Lower cohesiveness
• Resentment
• Mistrust/Tension
• Stereotyping
• Competition for opportunities
• Glass ceiling effect
Organizational
approaches
• Diversity training

• Support groups

• Organizational activities

• Mentoring programs

• Research
Diversity training
• Training designed to change employees attitude
about diversity and develop skills needed to work
with a diverse work force.

• Awareness of values, stereotyping influencing their

behavior towards diverse groups.

• Cultural appreciation

• Isolation and intimidation of minority groups

Behavior based progrms

• Program focusing on changing the

organizational policies and individual
behaviors that inhibit employees
personal growth and productivity.

• Cultural immersions.
understanding culture values of
other groups
 DEVELOPMENT OF
MULTICULTURAL
• ORGANIZATION
Reflects the contribution and
interests of
diverse - cultural & social groups in its
mission, operations, products or services
• Acts on a commitment to eradicate social
oppression in all forms with in
organizations
• Includes the members of diverse cultural
and social groups as full participants,
especially in decisions that shape the
organization
INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO
MANAGE DIVERSITY
• Learning

• Empathy
 ORGANIZATIONAL
•
APPROAHES
Securing top management support
• Organizational assessment
• Developing employees
• Alternate work schedule
• Flex Time
Flexible Core period Flexible and
Starting Time ending time
7AM 10AM 3PM
HAND WIDTH

• Compressed Work Week

• Job Sharing
Diversity programs

• Top management commitment,

resources, interventions,
publicity, advocacy.
• Structured programs.
• Evaluation of programs.
• Seen as cultural change, not as
one shot program