RMIT International University Vietnam

Assignment cover page

Course code BUSM3310
Course Human Resource Management
Location Ha Noi
Title Theoretical reflection – Individual
Student name Nguyen Le Duc Huy
Student ID S3978053
Lecturer Dr. Jung Woo Han
Word count 1661
I. Question 1:

Gardenswartz & Rowe (2009) (The Concept of Diversity, n.d.) identified four degrees of
diversity: organizational dimensions, external dimensions, internal dimensions, and personality.

The factors that make up the organizational dimensions, which comprise the top layer, include
management position, union membership, work location, seniority, divisional department, job
content/field, and functional level classification. The organization where one works has influence
over the diversity aspects of this layer. People can only have a little impact on this layer since the
organization where they work has authority over it.

The external dimensions are the next tier. The external dimension displays the qualities of an
individual's life choices. The person has more power over these traits than the organization
dimension. Personal habits, leisure habits, religion, educational background, work experience,
attractiveness, status, marital status, geographic location, and income are all features in this layer.
Meanwhile, the interior dimensions are the layer over which an individual has the least degree of
influence.

Individuals have no influence over these qualities in the internal dimension of variety. These
qualities, such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, and physical ability, are assigned at birth. These
qualities are frequently the root of bias and discrimination. Personality is at the heart of the Four
Layers of Diversity Model.
The characteristics and consistent traits that make up a person's personality are thought to
determine some consistency in the way that person behaves in any given situation and over the
course of time. The personality of a person is influenced by the other three layers of the model.
The other layers assist in influencing the person's perspective, temperament, and actions as they
engage with their surroundings.

People from various backgrounds are brought together via diversity, and they each provide
important skills that enable businesses to compete and thrive (Fassinger, 2008). Employee
relations, competitive advantage, and market entry are just a few instances where the advantages
of diversity may be seen. A diverse workplace where workers may interact and share ideas
fosters organizational growth and wellness. Better employee relations may result from the
exchange of ideas since it develops an atmosphere of cultural acceptance (Chavez & Weisinger,
2008). Individuals feel strongly connected to a business when they believe their ideas and
cultures are valued. Aside from positive employee relations, diversity may provide organizations
with a competitive advantage. It is relevant to week 4 HRM of culture and diversity on how to
create a welcoming, captivating, and compassionate work environment that enhances both the
firm’s profitability and the satisfaction of those who work for and receive services from it.

Toyota Tsusho is a shining example of how diversity and inclusion in the workplace may be
successfully implemented, particularly in the absence of racism and sexism (Toyota Tsusho
Corporation, n.d.). Toyota Tsusho encourages female employees to play active roles by creating
an action plan and working tirelessly to achieve it. As a result, every employee, including
women, achieves a diversified work-life balance while maximizing their potential. Toyota
Tsusho will support the development of a workplace where we may have an impact on one
another and advance as a team.

The diversity notion, which I feel is crucial in HRM to raise the performance of the company,
was explained to me by this model. Many people in a diversified workplace with distinctive
qualities and skills have the potential to increase the organization's competitiveness and promote
exponential growth (Fassinger 2008). As a future human resources professional, I want to further
the diversity model that enables companies to reach a greater range of consumers and markets.
Additionally, fostering creativity and productivity at work by accepting a variety of viewpoints
may improve employee relations since their contributions are valued. To improve the interactions
amongst employees, I intend to start a variety of programs that unify staff members despite their
various histories and traits. When resolving issues for the organization, this could lead to a better
end.

II. Question 2:

By highlighting the complex relationships between a firm and its different stakeholders,
including consumers, suppliers, workers, investors, and communities, the stakeholder theory
offers a viewpoint on how capitalism functions (R. Edward Freeman 1984). It makes the
argument that a business should create value for all parties involved rather than only serve the
needs of shareholders. This idea has become a key component in the study of corporate ethics,
inspiring more research and development in the work of many experts. The idea of business
ethics has long been seen as a subset of ethics and moral philosophy that focuses on how to
approach moral conundrums in the context of business. The rules of business ethics require us to
accept accountability for our deeds and offer convincing arguments for them. We can confirm
that we have behaved honorably by doing this. Fundamentally, ethics is about seeking
knowledge and leading a good life. There are three components to ethics: acts, agents, and
consequences. Understanding these components will help us better understand the possibilities of
stakeholder theory as a remedy to the ethical issues with capitalism.

Ethics is divided into two parts: principles and norms. It emphasizes the moral quality of an
activity rather than its effects or potential effects on the character of the person conducting it. It
is critical to take into account the norms and principles that govern ethical conduct while
assessing a given activity, such as stating the truth, abstaining from lying or theft, or offering
assistance. The second section, "Agents," focuses on character issues, particularly how we
promote goodness both inside ourselves and among our communities and organizations. It is
important to consider how our acts affect us personally in addition to whether they violate any
rules. We must demonstrate virtues like justice, compassion, trustworthiness, and wisdom in
contrast to vices like injustice, unkindness, unreliability, or foolishness. The third section's last
topic is results. This section, as opposed to the first, is concerned with the results of our
activities. This specific feature emphasizes how powerfully individual efforts may have
beneficial results. It is crucial to get as many beneficial outcomes as you can while minimizing
negative effects. This idea is connected to HRM week 11 ethics, which highlights the
significance of moral decision-making in companies and acknowledges duties and obligations.
The stakeholder idea may be used by HR professionals to manage justice, diversity, inclusion,
and employee well-being.

With the help of this concept, I want to effectively influence employee behavior in the next years
in a way that minimizes the negative effects of behaviors like cruelty, dishonesty, and unfairness.
To do this, I'm going to implement a feedback system that allows each employee to discuss their
experiences in the workplace. Using this technique, I hope to get a deeper understanding of their
attitudes and behaviors in order to develop solutions that will enhance the performance of the
company as a whole.

III. Question 3:

The explicit topic of reinforcement theory is how people learn what to do and how to act. In
operant conditioning and behavior analysis, reinforcement is said to be "the process of increasing
the rate or probability of a behavior in the form of a response by delivery either immediately or
shortly after performing the behavior." The reinforcement theory of motivation places a strong
emphasis on each person's mental state, including their sentiments and mood. The changes that
each person experiences when performing particular acts or engaging in particular behaviors are
the main focus of reinforcement theory. Skinner asserts that in order to encourage employees, the
organization's external environment must be successfully and favorably created. Positive
reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment, and extinction are the four methods that may
be employed to influence employee behavior, according to Skinner (1972).

First of all, when someone demonstrates a desired conduct, positive reinforcement occurs.
Positive reinforcement, such as cash bonuses, compliments, or a day off, encourages people to
work toward their objectives. This strategy seeks to support and reinforce the desired behavior,
encouraging future repeat. Second, eliminating unpleasant sensations increases the probability
that a behavior will be repeated. This is known as the principle of negative reinforcement.
Thirdly, a punishment is anything that discourages or stops bad conduct and has negative
repercussions. Last but not least, extinction denotes the absence of reinforcement to reverse
acquired behavior. By employing this specific strategy, managers may significantly reduce the
likelihood of undesired behaviors by forgoing the positive reinforcements or incentives that
initially motivated the conduct. This method needs to be appropriately tuned since how it works
might have a big influence on employee morale and unintentionally encourage bad conduct.

In conclusion, the use of these reinforcements might show to be a potent employee motivator,
provided that they are carried out under ideal conditions with the correct people at the most
appropriate time. Otherwise, serious consequences could result. The reinforcement theory of
motivation, which was covered in week 9 of our HRM course, explains how the threat of
favorable or unfavorable outcomes affects people's behavior. By putting this theory into practice,
HR managers may create incentive and pay plans, promote individual development, and generate
a productive workplace where workers feel motivated to give their all. When this principle is put
into practice, corporate productivity and employee happiness may both be significantly
increased.

I can personally attest to the existence of extinction reinforcement in this hypothesis. I used to be
rewarded for taking care of household chores, but with time, this behavior ceased to be regarded
as praiseworthy and just became a regular part of my routine. Because of this behavior, my
parents decided to cease praising me after I changed. After reading the definitions, examples, and
my own experience with the idea, I realized that everyone has various demands when it comes to
motivation. It is essential to give employees a motivating element that matches their preferences
if you want their productivity and work effectiveness to be maximized. By implementing this
strategy, I can set a higher standard for the company as a human resources manager, which will
clear the way for my future success.

The Concept of Diversity. (n.d.). Available at:

https://www.washingtonandco.com/images/pdf/publications/the_concept_of_diversity.pdf.

Gardenswartz, L. and Rowe, A., 2009. The effective management of cultural

diversity. Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Exploring the cross-cultural
dynamics within organizations, pp.35-43.

Toyota Tsusho Corporation. (n.d.). Promoting Diversity | Toyota Tsusho. [online] Available at:
https://www.toyota-tsusho.com/english/sustainability/social/diversity.html#:~:text=As%20the
%20business%20environment%20undergoes%20continuous%20change%20and [Accessed 15
May 2023].

Fassinger, R.E., 2008. Workplace diversity and public policy: Challenges and opportunities for
psychology. American Psychologist, 63(4), p.252.

Chavez, C.I. and Weisinger, J.Y. (2008). Beyond diversity training: A social infusion for cultural
inclusion. Human Resource Management, 47(2), pp.331–350.
doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20215.

Phillips, Robert (2003). Stakeholder Theory and Organizational Ethics. p. 66. ISBN 978-
1576752685.

Skinner, B. F. (n.d.) A brief survey of operant behavior. Retrieved January 26, 2012, from The
B.F. Skinner Foundation Website:
http://www.bfskinner.org/BFSkinner/SurveyOperantBehavior.html

Gordan, M. and Krishanan, I.A. (2014), A review of BF Skinner’s ‘Reinforcement Theory of

Motivation’, International journal of research in education methodology, 5(3), pp.680-688,
accessed 18 May 2023.

‌Parmar, B.L., Freeman, R.E., Harrison, J.S., Wicks, A.C., Purnell, L. and de Colle, S. (2010),
Stakeholder Theory: The State of the Art, Academy of Management Annals, 4(1), pp.403–445,
accessed 18 May 2023. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2010.495581