Managing Diversity

DIVERSITY

Differences among people in age, gender,

race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic background,
capabilities/disabilities and in the thought
process.
 What do we mean by
diversity in the thought
process??
Let’s Find out……
 For that……….

 We need to diversify our horizons…

 Diversity is not just in age, gender, race… it

ACTUALLY lies in your thinking, your thought
process
We limit our perspectives and
choices..
 Connect all the dots
with 4 straight lines

 Do NOT lift your pen off

the paper

 Do not RETRACE any

line.
 Why is it that most of us do not think about going out
of the boundaries?
 We had to draw the lines outside the boundaries.
This is what is required of us when we interact with
others as every thinks differently (outside of our
boundaries or "box").
 Why is it so hard to others' point of views?
 We often so busy thinking about our point of view,
that we fail to see others' point of views.
 Can you see the gray spots between the
black squares ??????
 This is an example of how we
sometimes see things that are not really
there.
 And that’s how we tend to conclude the
wrong first impression of someone by
looking at the physical attributes.
These were some examples
to show what is diversity in
terms of thought.
What Do We Mean By
Managing Diversity?

 A management system which incorporates

the differences found in a multicultural
workforce in a manner which results in the
highest level of productivity for both the
organization and the individual.
 CASE STUDY:

DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
PRACTICS AT IBM
Sources of Diversity in the
Workplace

Source: Figure 4.1

 Workforce Diversity:
Gender
Women in the Work Place
 Women’s earnings are
less than two-thirds of the
earnings of men.
 Women hold only 12% of
corporate officer positions
Workforce Diversity: Religion

 India: multi cultural

country.
 Accommodation for
Religious Beliefs
 Providing flexible time
off for holy days
 Posting holy days for
different religions on the
company calendar
Workforce Diversity: Capabilities
and Disabilities

 Disability Issues
• Providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with
disabilities
• Promoting a nondiscriminatory workplace environment

• Educating the organization

about disabilities and
AIDS
Workplace diversity

 Workplace diversity refers to the variety of

differences between people in an
organization.
 That sounds simple, but diversity
encompasses race, gender, ethnic group,
age, personality, cognitive style, tenure,
organizational function, education,
background and more
Benefits of Workplace Diversity

 Increased adaptability

 Broader service range

 Variety of viewpoints

 More effective execution

Challenges of Diversity in the
Workplace

 Communication

 Resistance to change
Successful Management of Diversity in the
Workplace

 Recommended steps that

have been proven
successful in world-class
organizations are:
1. Assessment of diversity in
the workplace
1. Development of diversity
in the workplace plan.
 .
 Promote diversity in leadership positions.

 Implementation of diversity in the

workplace plan .
Recommended diversity in the
workplace solutions include

 Ward off change resistance

with inclusion.

 Foster an attitude of
openness in your organization
.
 CASE STUDY:

PROMOTING DIVERSITY:
THE AMERICAN EXPRESS
WAY
Managing Diversity in the
Workplace
 Demonstrate the Following
Behaviors

 Learn the professional aspirations of all team

members and support their efforts to achieve them.

 Create opportunities for highly talented employees

to be exposed to leaders who may not otherwise
interact with them.

 Create cross-functional teams

Demonstrate the Following Behaviors
cont..

 Volunteer for community projects that teach

tolerance, both directly and indirectly

 Delegate fairly
Demonstrate the Following Behaviors
cont..

 Communicate and support intolerance of

inappropriate and disrespectful behavior

 Evaluate performance objectively

 Consider individual needs when

enforcing company policies
and guidelines
Actions that Make a Difference

 Talk privately with each of your employees

 Ask your staff about their preferences

 Take your staff to lunch

 Prevailing Diversity

According to a recent survey conducted by

the Families and Work Institute, 52 percent
of Americans prefer to work with people
like themselves while only 34 percent
would rather be with colleagues who are
ethnically or culturally different.
 Issues That Can Divide Us

 Language Differences

 Differences in Values and

Etiquette

 Tone of voice

 Clustering
Solutions to Culturally-Rooted Conflicts

 Ask Questions

 Seeking Commonalities

 Do not project your own

culture onto others

 Communicating Respect
Diversity Rules: How to Interact with Colleagues from
Different Backgrounds

 Don’t make assumptions

 Communicate appropriately

 Search for common ground

 Be aware of formal versus informal work

environments.
 Elements of Diversity

 Income
 Age  Education
 Gender  Marital Status
 Ethnicity  Religious Beliefs
 Race  Geographic Location
 Physical Ability
 Parental Status
 Sexual Orientation
 Personality Type
 Physical
Characteristics
Barriers and Challenges to
Managing Diversity
1. Inaccurate stereotypes and prejudice
2. Ethnocentrism
3. Poor career planning
4. An unsupportive and hostile working
environment for diverse employees
5. Lack of political savvy on the part of diverse
employees
Barriers and Challenges to
Managing Diversity
6. Difficulty in balancing career and family issues
7. Fears of reverse discrimination
8. Diversity is not seen as an organizational priority
9. The need to revamp the organization’s
performance appraisal and reward system
10. Resistance to change
Conclusion
 A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing
world and marketplace.
 Diverse work teams bring high value to
organizations. Respecting individual differences will
benefit the workplace by creating a competitive
edge and increasing work productivity.
 Diversity management benefits associates by
creating a fair and safe environment where
everyone has access to opportunities and
challenges.
 Most workplaces are made up of diverse cultures,
so organizations need to learn how to adapt to be
successful practices.