DIVERSITY IN ORGANISATION

Meaning of Diversity
•

Types of Diversity

• Gender
• Age
• Race
• Ethnicity
• Culture
• Religion
• Language/Accent
• Disability
• Height/Weight
• Sexual Orientation
• Education
• Job Title
• Job Function
• Job Skills
• Part-Time/Full-Time
• Marital Status
 The Challenge of Workplace
Diversity?
• The challenge lies in the continuous
improvement of the integration and social
acceptance of people from different
backgrounds.
• Our differing human characteristics influence
the way we think, act, interact, and make
choices.
• Often, these differences interfere with our ability
to support, trust, and respect each other, and
thus to effectively function together.
 Managing Diversity
– The organization is diverse by default, and
now it must deal with it.
– The goal is to fix, cover-up, and/or defer the
problem with a minimum of hassle.
– The effort is top management-driven, thus
forced throughout the organization.
– The concern is more for a change in behavior
than attitudes.
 Valuing Diversity
– The organization sees direct benefits from
incorporating diverse people and
perspectives.
– INCLUSION: The goal is to change and/or
create a organizational culture that
recognizes, respects and encourages
individual differences.
 Diversity Bias
• Assumptions of Superiority
– I’m better than you.
• Assumptions of Correctness
– This is the way it should be
• Assumptions of Universality
– We’re all the same. Everybody is just like me.
 Diversity means Business
Some examples of the impact of Diversity:

• Better overall performance, both financial and operational

• Better client relationships (more focus on the long term)
• Better access to new markets
• Better performance on current markets
• Lower cost of retention
• Improved attractiveness on the labour market
• More innovation and creativity
• Improved reputation with governments and potential clients
• More balance in cultural values as a global player (Cultural
Dexterity)
• Better access to non-traditional recruitment markets
 Corporate Cultures
• Employee Expectations
– Old Economy: Security
– New Economy: Personal Growth
– Enron: Personal wealth
• Rewards
– Old Economy: Salary
– New Economy: Stock options
– Enron: Lightening quick promotions
• Leadership
– Old Economy: Top down
– New Economy: Inspirational
– Enron: Know-it-all arrogant
• Organization
– Old Economy: Hierarchy
– New Economy: Network
– Enron: Individual fiefdoms