4:2 Workplace: Diversity and Inclusion Quiz
How should an HR professional make a strong business case for incorporating a diversity and inclusion strategy in an organization? By demonstrating its short-term and long-range cost-effectiveness By proving that it has the support of shareholders and other key stakeholders By linking it directly to the organization's mission, vision, and business objectives By connecting individual components to specific competitive advantages
By linking it directly to the organization's mission, vision, and business objectives Diversity and inclusion can gain commitment at an organization's highest level only if their ability to play a critical role in achieving core business goals can be demonstrated. A diversity and inclusion advocate must delve beyond general truths about the benefits of diversity to create a business case linked specifically to the organization's unique mission, vision, and business objectives.
Which best describes the impact of having senior leaders directly involved in a diversity council? Being a catalyst for change that aligns functions and responsibilities and creates greater commitment, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity Ensuring that internal and external stakeholders each have their own view and plan relating to a diversity and inclusion strategy Replacing the need for a diversity strategy and using the employee resource group to be the stakeholders' voice Mandating that each functional area and location in the organization be represented in the employee resource group
Being a catalyst for change that aligns functions and responsibilities and creates greater commitment, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity Direct involvement of upper management is critical in order for an effective diversity and inclusion strategy to take hold. Leaders are able to leverage internal and external resources across the organization, throughout business units, to customers and the community, resulting in an attractive and competitive organization. There is no single council structure. Some organizations prefer a council with representation from all employee levels and functions; others opt for an executive council consisting entirely of upper management personnel. The relationship with ERGs or other advisory groups may vary as well.
Which best describes the benefit of using an employee resource group (ERG) for an organization looking to expand global market share? ERGs provide valuable insights into the needs of the organization's diverse markets. ERGs assume responsibility for defining and guiding the organization's diversity and inclusion initiatives. ERGs identify funding sources for the development of products aimed at different markets. ERGs encourage members to take leadership roles on an organization's board of directors.
ERGs provide valuable insights into the needs of the organization's diverse markets. ERGs can be a valuable information resource for demographic markets and employee engagement and development. They can also serve a critical support role in diversity and inclusion strategic initiatives. While the key leadership role is usually performed by the corporation's diversity council, ERGs can fill the pipeline with prospective candidates for the diversity council.
Which factors contribute to the cost of diversity and inclusion initiatives? Decreased creativity Branding efforts Expanded training Employee turnover
Expanded training Successful implementation of diversity and inclusion efforts requires expanded employee training in cultural awareness, communication, and team building.
An organization has implemented a recruitment and hiring program to increase the diversity of its workforce, but the retention rate for new hires is low. What step would offer the most help in correcting this problem? Message from the CEO to all employees about the reason for pursuing diversity Implementation of employee resource groups Review and revision of the employee value proposition Reexamination of the organization's recruitment strategy and channels
Implementation of employee resource groups Since the issue is with retention, rather than effectiveness in attracting diverse candidates, the best answer here may be employee resource groups, sometimes referred to as affinity groups. They can provide support to new employees during the onboarding period. Support can take the form of networking, mentoring, or advocacy.
What are three key reasons why diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives require full-fledged, organization-wide efforts? Organizational alignment, compliance, brand reputation Priority, complexity, resistance Cultural stereotypes, diaspora, dilemma reconciliation Demographic dichotomy, hyperconnectivity, cultural sensitivity
Priority, complexity, resistance D&I initiatives are resource-intensive because of priority, complexity, and resistance. To be a strategic priority, D&I must be aligned with core business goals; otherwise, it will always have a lower priority than more immediate concerns. Because of the complexity of the D&I problem, initiatives require a strategic, organization-wide solution. Achieving D&I initiatives requires major organization-wide change that can be problematic and challenging.
Which of the following initiatives best promotes diversity and inclusion in organizations? Increased training for managers Recruitment of diverse job candidates Development of a diversity council Support for state universities
Development of a diversity council Organizations should establish a diversity council or comparable task force to define the diversity and inclusion initiative and take tangible steps to create the infrastructure to support diversity.
Which statement best describes how organizations have evolved in their definition of diversity? From focusing on legal compliance to focusing on ethical and moral values. From considering only racial and cultural differences to also including gender-based differences. From a cultural relativism perspective to one of universalist values. From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset.
From a defensive, compliance-based view to that of a strategic asset. Diversity is not just a matter of adding new categories to a growing list of identity groups: race, religion, gender, culture, ethnic background, age etc. Rather, it is a move from viewing diversity defensively, as a matter of legal or ethical compliance, to viewing it strategically, as a valuable asset to be leveraged.
Which best describes how an organization's focus on diversity is a benefit to its recruitment efforts? It enhances the employment brand to attract talent. It enables the organization to ignore local needs. It reduces the costs of recruitment activities. It increases the number of potential candidates.
It enhances the employment brand to attract talent. Developing an inclusive and diverse workforce enhances the employer's brand and its ability to attract high-potential talent in minority groups. The organization can also more easily respond to demographic changes and local labor markets.
Which is diversity's greatest value to an organization? Improved employee and labor relations Ability to meet regulatory requirements Positive publicity it brings the organization Range of perspectives and modes of thinking
Range of perspectives and modes of thinking What makes diversity valuable to an organization is, first and foremost, the expanding range of perspectives and modes of thinking that it provides, with potential rewards of greater innovation, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities.
A business providing cloud computing services intends to distribute its server centers in different time zones to protect against risks of local outages and to save energy by moving the bulk of processing to centers operating at night. Which best describes the impact to the organization's human capital planning? Different technical skills will be required. The budget for talent development will be reduced. There will be an increased need for diversity training. The size of the workforce will decrease.
There will be an increased need for diversity training. Home-country managers who work with staff at host-country sites will need to be more aware of cultural diversity.
Which types of data should be measured at the preliminary assessment stage of the diversity and inclusion strategic process? Demographic and attitude data Organizational demographics Leadership goals and attitudes Attitudes about diversity
Demographic and attitude data A clear picture is needed not just of current organizational performance but also of current attitudes about diversity and about the organization's existing diversity and inclusion efforts. This requires both objective data, such as comparable promotion and turnover figures for various demographic groups, and subjective (but measurable) data, such as survey, interview, and focus group results.
Which describes the most critical role of a diversity council? Overseeing strategic alliances with outside organizations dedicated to diversity issues Ensuring the involvement of upper management in the diversity initiative Coordinating the efforts of the organization's various employee resource groups Establishing goals and programs for the diversity and inclusion initiative
Establishing goals and programs for the diversity and inclusion initiative There must be a designated group whose sole responsibility is to guide, oversee, and champion the organization's diversity and inclusion initiative. That is the role of the diversity council, which serves as the nexus of the initiative. It establishes the vision, goals, and programs, and it collects information and analyzes outcomes.
Which statement best describes the relationship between diversity and inclusion? Diversity and inclusion are not related; they are mutually exclusive. Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity. Inclusion represents the costs, while diversity represents the benefits. Inclusion is a strategic approach, while diversity is a tactical approach.
Inclusion enables an organization to leverage the strategic value of diversity. Diversity provides the potential for greater innovation and creativity. Inclusion is what enables organizations to realize the business benefits of this potential. Diversity and inclusion, then, are two halves of the whole. Value is leveraged only by working from a definition of diversity that enables everyone to feel included, accepted, and valued.
In an attempt to create employee participation teams that balance membership, an organization attempts to create teams, in part, by age. What dimension of diversity is being addressed? External Personality Internal Organization
Internal nternal dimensions of diversity include aspects over which we have little control, such as sex or age.
Which best describes a diversity council? Quasi-judicial review committee to review diversity and inclusion efforts Management task force to promote diversity and inclusion in the organization Labor-management committee dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the organization Voluntary private/public partnership to promote diversity and inclusion
Management task force to promote diversity and inclusion in the organization A diversity council is a management-level task force established to define and promote an organization's diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Which of the following is considered a criterion for effective employee resource groups (ERGs) as established by DiversityInc.? Group members serve as formal mentors. The leader of the group is the CEO or a direct report to the CEO. The group has a formal charter. The group sets and signs off on metrics and goals.
The group has a formal charter. DiversityInc. recommends formal charters for ERGs. The other options refer to criteria for effective diversity councils, not ERGs.
Which is the primary goal of an organization's diversity and inclusion efforts? To comply with labor laws To brand the organization To respond to pressure from labor unions To develop diverse perspectives
To develop diverse perspectives The business case for diversity and inclusion efforts is premised on the value of diverse perspectives in an organization.
Which approach is most effective for promoting diversity and inclusion globally? Creating a uniform standard for all countries. Adhering to local laws and religious traditions. Emphasizing the impact of diversity and inclusion for expatriates. Using a wide range of measures of success beyond demographics.
Using a wide range of measures of success beyond demographics. Diversity and inclusion includes differences in perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences in addition to differences in demographic characteristics.
Which factor is essential for the success of a diversity and inclusion initiative? Regulatory pressure Executive commitment Shareholder pressure Employee commitment
Executive commitment Strong and consistent support of top executives is essential for the sustaining an organization's diversity and inclusion efforts. Employee commitment is important as well, but this will follow the leadership's launch and commitment to such an effort.
How can HR minimize the risk of failure of an organization's diversity initiative? Mandating management training Ignoring invisible diversity traits Implementing pay-for-performance reward systems Integrating diversity into the business culture
Integrating diversity into the business culture In order for a diversity initiative to succeed, an organization must truly embrace diversity and integrate varied life styles, beliefs, and needs into its business culture.
In order to further its diversity and inclusion initiative, an organization wants to help its employee resource groups (ERGs) succeed. Which role should HR take? Assuming a leadership position in each ERG Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs Assigning each new employee to the appropriate ERG Encouraging ERGs to operate independent of the organization
Supporting the establishment of ERG-focused programs ERGs and their parent organizations can serve as resources for one another, and the parent organization can provide support and expertise. But a critical element of ERGs is that they are self-selecting. By joining an ERG, an employee chooses to focus on one of many diversity dimensions that comprise his or her identity or interests. By the same token, organizational sponsorship, rather than leadership, is the appropriate role.
Which obstacles may a diverse team have to initially overcome, if not managed properly? Demonstrating fragmented, nonproductive, and indecisive behavior. Innovating while ignoring the costs of new approaches. Rejecting out of hand any proposals from the home office. Focusing on ideas from only one demographic, excluding other options.
Demonstrating fragmented, nonproductive, and indecisive behavior. If not managed properly, diverse teams may become fragmented, nonproductive, and unable to arrive at decisions in a timely manner. Differences in approaches can be emphasized, making it difficult to reach a single solution.
Which should be included in manager training for an organization's diversity and inclusion strategic initiative? Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment Demonstrating how to comply with diversity-based legal requirements Identifying and overcoming limitations of minority members on their teams Overcoming any negative attitudes the managers have about minorities
Leading diverse teams effectively and fostering an inclusive work environment The key goal of management-directed training is to help executives learn to manage more effectively. Diversity awareness courses aimed at the entire organization (another key training component) will cover better understanding how to work in a diverse organization, focusing on all differences and not particular groups.
Which statement best describes the status of diversity and inclusion in a global context? Diversity and inclusion initiatives consider only gender and race. The International Labor Organization requires diversity and inclusion initiatives. Diversity and inclusion is a concern only in the United States. Many countries have laws that encourage diversity and inclusion.
Many countries have laws that encourage diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion is a concern across the globe, and many countries have laws prohibiting discrimination. There is a great deal of variation across countries regarding which groups are impacted by these initiatives. Impacted groups may be members of a caste, a religious group, a racial group, and/or a nationality.
