DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATION

DESCRIBE
LO1
THE TWO MAJOR FORMS OF
WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

Diversity Management

Surface-Level Diversity

Deep-Level Diversity

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Describe the Two Major Forms of Workforce Diversity

Insert Exhibit 2.1

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Biographical Characteristics and How Are
They Relevant toOB
Age
⚫ Belief is widespread that job performance declines with
increasing age.
⚫ The workforce is aging.
Gender
⚫ Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions, and
unsupported opinions than whether women perform as well
on jobs as men do.
⚫ Few, if any, important differences between men and
women affect job performance.
⚫ Psychological studies have found women are more agreeable
and willing to conform to authority, whereas men are more
aggressive and more likely to have expectations of success,
but those differences are minor.
Biographical Characteristics and How Are
They Relevant toOB
Race and Ethnicity
⚫ Employees tend to favor colleagues for their own race in
performance evaluations, promotion decisions, pay raises.
⚫ Different attitudes on affirmative action or quota filling can
affect the performance of minority groups in the
organization.
Disability
⚫ A person is disabled who has any physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities.
⚫ The “reasonable accommodation” is
problematic for employers.
⚫ Strong biases exist against those with mental impairment.
Biographical Characteristics and How Are
They Relevant toOB
Sexual orientation
⚫ Federal law does not protect employees against
discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Gender identity
⚫ Often referred to as transgender employees, this topic
encompasses those individuals who change genders.

“Discrimination” is to note a difference between things.

Unfair discrimination is assuming stereotypes about groups and

refusing to recognize differences.
Define Intellectual Ability and Demonstrate
Its Relevance to OB
Ability is an individual’s current capacity to perform various
tasks in a job

Two types
⚫ Intellectual abilities
⚫ Physical abilities
Define Intellectual Ability and Demonstrate
Its Relevance to OB
⚫ Intellectual abilities are abilities needed to
perform mental activities—thinking, reasoning,
and problem solving.
⚫ Most societies place a high value on
intelligence, and for good reason.
 Number
Aptitude
Memory VerbalComprehension

Intellectual
Spatial Ability Perceptual
Visualization Speed

Inductive
Deductive
Reasoning
Reasoning

Exhibit 2.2

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Contrast Intellectual from Physical
Ability
Physical Abilities
⚫ The capacity to do tasks demanding stamina,
dexterity, strength, and similar characteristics.
⚫ The three main categories of physical ability are…
⚫ Strength
⚫ Flexibility
⚫ And Other characteristics
 Contrast Intellectual from Physical Ability

Insert Exhibit 2.3

Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education 2-16

Contrast Intellectual from Physical
Ability
⚫ Importance of ability at work increases difficulty in
formulating workplace policies that recognize
disabilities.

⚫ Recognizing that individuals have different abilities

that can be taken into account when making hiring
decisions is not problematic.

⚫ It is also possible to make accommodations for

disabilities.
Describe How Organizations Manage
Diversity Effectively

Attracting, Selecting,
Developing, and
Retaining Diverse
Employees

Diversity in
Effective Diversity
Groups
Programs

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Describe How Organizations Manage
Diversity Effectively

Effective Diversity
Programs
Teach Legal
Framework

Teach the Market

Foster the Skills Advantages
and Abilities ofAll
Workers
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CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
 Basic Assumptions of
Organizational Behavior (OB)
• Every field of social science has a philosophical foundation
of basic concepts that guides its development.
Organizational behavior is based on the basic concept of
human relations which is a noteworthy social approach
towards the establishment of inter-personal relationship
between superiors and subordinates. Organizational
behavior deals with a set of fundamental concepts revolving
around the nature of the people and organization.
Basic Assumptions of
Organizational Behavior (OB)
These concepts of organizational behavior are as follows:
1. The nature of people
• With regard to people, there are four basic assumptions: individual
differences, a whole person, caused behavior (motivation) and value
of the peers

a) Individual Differences
People have much in common but each person in the world is also
individually different. The idea of individual differences comes
originally from psychology. From the day of birth, each person is
unique and individual experiences after birth make people even
more different. So, management can get the subordinates motivated
by treating them individually and differently. Only one measure of
motivated all people working in an organization. Some are motivated
by money, but some other by status and any other. Hence, overall
motivation plan is needed to deal with subordinates individually.
Therefore, individual differences mean that management can get the
greatest motivation among employees by treating them differently on
(human dignity).
The nature of people
b) A Whole Person
Some managers think that they have employed a person just
for his labor, skills or brain. So, they are concerned with his
labor of work only but he has to employ a whole person rather
than certain separate characteristics. Managers have to do a
lot with a person’s personality, personal life,
knowledge, development and other things. Though a person’s
different traits may be separately studied, but in final analysis,
they are integral part of one system making up a whole
person. Skill does not exist apart from background or
knowledge. Home life is not totally separable from work life
and emotional conditions are not totally separable from work
life and emotional conditions are not separable from physical
conditions.
 The Nature of people
c) Caused Behavior (Motivation)
We know that behavior has certain causes. These may related to a
person’s needs, and/or the consequences that result from acts. In
case of needs, all normal human behavior and his/her course of
future actions, both are caused by a person’s need structure. This
fact leaves management with two basic ways to motivate people. It
can show them how certain actions will increase their need
fulfillment, or it can threaten decreased need fulfillment unless they
follow a required course of action. Clearly a path towards increased
need fulfillment is the better approach. Motivation is essential for the
operation of organization. No matter how much machinery and
equipment an organization has, these things cannot be put to use
until they are released and guided by people who have been
motivated. The management can create a suitable environment in
the organization, conductive to the fulfillment of individual needs
within the overall structure.
 The nature of people
d) Value of the Person (Human Dignity)
Value of the person is more an ethical philosophy than a
scientific conclusion. It confirms that people are to be treated
differently from other factors of production because they are
of a higher order in the universe. It recognizes that people are
of a higher order, they want to be treated with respect and
dignity, and should be treated this way. Every job, however
simple, entitles the people who do it to get respect and
recognition of their unique aspirations and abilities. The
concept of human dignity rejects the old idea of using
employee as economic tool. Therefore, treatment of the
working staffs as a respectable human being, appreciation of
their skills and recognition of their personality are very
important basis of human relations.
•
 2. The nature of organization
• With regard to organizations, the key assumptions are that
they are social systems and that they are formed on the basis
of mutual interest.

a) Mutual Interest
Organization theory tells us about the mutuality of interest
between individuals and organization. In the other words,
mutual interest is represented by the statement
“Organizations need people, and people also need
organizations”. Organizations have a human purpose. They
are formed and maintained on the basis of some mutuality of
interest among their participants. People see organizations as
a means to help them reach their goals while at the same
time, organizations need people to help reach organizational
objectives.
The nature of organization
a) Mutual Interest
If mutuality is lacking, it makes no sense to try to assemble a
group and develop co-operation, because there is no common
base on which to build. Mutual interest provides a super-
ordinate goal that unites the variety of needs that people bring
to organizations. The result is that people are encouraged to
attack organizational problems rather than each other. So, the
management should try to co-ordinate the common goals and
to motivate individual in a nice manner because members will
like to continue within the organization as long as they feel
that their interest are being served by attaching to the
organization.
 2. The nature of organization
b) Social Systems
Organizations are social systems, consequently activities
therein are governed by social laws as well as psychological
laws. In other words, each organization is a social group
having small number of groups. As people have needs, these
organizations also have their needs, status and role. In fact,
two types of social systems exist side-by-side in
organizations.
The nature of organization
b) Social Systems
One is the formal (official) social system, and the other is the
informal social system. The existence of a social system
implies that the organizational environment is one of dynamic
change, rather than a static set of relations as pictured on an
organization chart. All parts of the system are inter-dependent
and subject to influence by any other part. Everything is
related to everything else. The idea of a social system
provides a framework for analyzing organizational behavior
issues. It helps to make organizational behavior problems
understandable and manageable.
 Understanding Human Behaviors in
Environmental Preservation.
• J Environ Sci Public Health 2017; 1 (2): 120-133

• Numerous theories and concepts exist for few of these theories

are reviewed below alongside their application to
environmental preservation. These theories and concepts
enhance further understanding as to why people participate in
different environmentally influencing behaviors. It is however
evident, that no single theory, gives a perfect explanation of
the complete interactions and relationships among variables
influencing Human Behavior in Environmental Preservation.
 Theories: Environmentally Responsible
Behavior (ERB)
• To properly examine the concept of Environmentally
Responsible Behavior (ERB) there are theories that can aid its
understanding

1. Primitive models
Primitive models are the traditional, ERB field’s
precursors entertained beliefs that were not founded on
rigorous experimentation. These models were founded
on the assumptions that educating the public on various
ecological and environmental issues could alter human
behavior.
3 Theories: Environmentally Responsible
Behavior (ERB)
2. Behavioral change model
This reasoning was directly associated with the supposition
that if people were better informed, they would become more
aware of environmental problems and consequently, would be
motivated to behave in an environmentally responsible
manner. Many other similar models, as will be discussed
subsequently, linked knowledge to attitudes and attitudes to
behavior.
Thus, as evident in Figure 1, when knowledge increases,
environmentally favorable attitudes that lead to responsible
environmental actions are developed.
3 Theories: Environmentally Responsible
Behavior (ERB)
3. Theory of environmentally responsible behavior (ERB)
The ERB theory was proposed by Hines, Hungerford and
Tomera . The model argues that possessing an intention of
acting is a major factor influencing ERB. The Model of
Responsible Environmental Behavior indicates that the
following variables; intention to act, locus of control (an
internalized sense of personal control over the events in one’s
own life), attitudes, sense of personal responsibility, and
knowledge suggested whether a person would adopt a
behavior or not.
Figure 2 presents the interactions likely to develop ERB. This
model considers the major variables that play a part in the
individual process of ERB adoption. According to the model,
the internal control centre has a very considerable impact on
the intention of acting, which determines an individual’s ERB
substantially. This model also highlights the existence of a
relationship between the control centre, attitudes of
individuals and their intention to act. The authors asserted
that the control centre directly affects an individual’s attitudes
which can lead to an improved intention of acting and
improved behavior. Thus, the theory concentrates more on
existing interactions between parameters that influence a
person’s behavior than on the singular impact of a single
variable.
3 Theories: Environmentally Responsible
Behavior (ERB)
4. Reasoned/Responsible action theory
This theory was proposed by Ajzen and Fishbein. The Reasoned
Action Theory assumes that human behavior is grounded in rational
thought, and the model uses the Principle of Compatibility, which
predicts that attitudes reflect behavior only to the extent that the two
refer to the same valued outcome state of being (evaluative
disposition). The theory stipulates that the intention of acting has a
direct effect on behavior, and that it can be predicted by attitudes.
These attitudes are shaped by subjective norms and beliefs, and
situational factors influence these variables’ relative importance.
Reasoned Action Theory accounts for times when people have good
intentions, but translating intentions into behavior is thwarted due to
lack in confidence or the feeling of lack of control over the behavior.
Figure 3, illustrates these relationships graphically.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• First-day morgue syndrome
When people become nervous, they freeze up and act like they
are dead.

• Fears
Many people are concerned that they will say or do the wrong
thing in social situations.

• Double standards
People expect others to understand their inconsistent behavior, but
feel that everyone else should be consistent.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• Paradox
People often engage in behaviors that lead to undesirable
responses. They repeat the behaviors and act surprised by the
undesirable response that follows.

• Positive double bind

If you want to do something, you often don’t need to. If you don’t
want to do something, you probably need to.

• Risk taking
The more risk you take, the greater your return in many
situations. There is, however, a risk of vulnerability by taking too
much risk.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR
• Observing yourself
Explore your reactions to new experiences without judgment .

• The ninety-percent rule

People can only be right 90% of the time on 90% of topics for 90% of
the people.

• Playing the devil’s advocate

Spending time focusing on the 10% of the concepts that do not fit into
the 90% rule

• Choice and balance

The more you vary your responses to match the situation (choice), the
more likely you will be in balance.