MAN3025 Chapter 12

Disability

a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

Which of the following is an example of disability discrimination?

A disabled person in a wheelchair is denied a consultant's job in a reputed company, despite being qualified.

_____ refers to purposeful steps taken by an organization to create employment opportunities for minorities and women.

Affirmative action

Which of the following is designed to raise employees' cognizance of diversity issues and to challenge the underlying assumptions or stereotypes people may have about others?

Awareness training

_____ consists of differences that are communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors and are learned only through extended interaction with others.

Deep-level diversity

Ersiula Inc. has set up mentoring programs for numerous companies. In one such program, an African American employee is matched with a Caucasian female team member. Which of the following kinds of mentoring programs is being implemented by Ersiula Inc.?

Diversity pairing

Which of the following is a dimension of surface-level diversity?

Ethnicity

____ is the degree to which someone is active, assertive, gregarious, sociable, talkative, and energized by others.

Extraversion

Which of the following is true of sex discrimination?

It continues to operate via the glass ceiling at higher levels in organizations.

Which of the following statements describes the discrimination and fairness paradigm?

It focuses on equal opportunity, fair treatment, recruitment of minorities, and strict compliance with the equal employment opportunity laws.

Which of the following statements refers to emotional stability?

It is the degree to which someone is not angry, depressed, anxious, insecure, or excitable

In which of the following ways does diversity help companies save money?

It reduces employee turnover, which in turn saves the cost of recruiting new employees.

Which of the following is true of skills-based diversity training?

It teaches employees the practical prowess they need for managing a diverse workforce.

Which of the following is true of age discrimination?

Its victims are almost always older workers

Explain the basic principles and practices that can be used to manage diversity.

The three paradigms for managing diversity are the discrimination and fairness paradigm (equal opportunity, fair treatment, strict compliance with the law), the access and legitimacy paradigm (matching internal diversity to external diversity), and the learning and effectiveness paradigm (achieving organizational plurality by integrating deep-level diversity into the work of the organization). Unlike the other paradigms that focus on surface-level differences, the learning and effectiveness paradigm values common ground, distinguishes between individual and group differences, minimizes conflict and divisiveness, and focuses on bringing different talents and perspectives together. What principles can companies use when managing diversity? Follow and enforce federal and state laws regarding equal employment opportunity. Treat group differences as important but not special. Find the common ground. Tailor opportunities to individuals, not groups. Solicit negative as well as positive feedback. Set high but realistic goals. The two types of diversity training are awareness training and skills-based diversity training. Companies also manage diversity through diversity audits and diversity pairing and by having top executives experience what it is like to be in the minority.

Which of the following companies exemplifies a diverse company?

Wide Inc., a U.S. company headed by an Indian CEO and comprising stakeholders from varied ethnic backgrounds

Which of the following is a reason for the slow rate at which women have been promoted to middle and upper levels of management and corporate boards?

Women are more likely to choose jobs that give them more control over their work schedules.

Diversity pairing

a mentoring program in which people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, sexes, or races/ethnicities are paired together to get to know each other and change stereotypical beliefs and attitudes

Diversity

a variety of demographic, cultural, and personal differences among an organization's employees and customers

Organizational plurality

a work environment where (1) all members are empowered to contribute in a way that maximizes the benefits to the organization, customers, and themselves, and (2) the individuality of each member is respected by not segmenting or polarizing people on the basis of their membership in a particular group

Surface-level diversity

differences such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and physical disabilities that are observable, typically unchangeable, and easy to measure

Deep-level diversity

differences such as personality and attitudes that are communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors and are learned only through extended interaction with others

Diversity audits

formal assessments that measure employee and management attitudes, investigate the extent to which people are advantaged or disadvantaged with respect to hiring and promotions, and review companies' diversity-related policies and procedure

The _____ is the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top jobs in organizations.

glass ceiling

Organizations that fail to uphold affirmative action laws may be required to:

hire, promote, or give back pay to those not hired or promoted.

Affirmative action

purposeful steps taken by an organization to create employment opportunities for minorities and women

Christine, the CEO of NSP Consultancy, promised all job applicants that she would be fair and unbiased when she considers them for the position of an accountant at her firm. However, she confessed to her colleagues that she would prefer to hire an Asian because "they're so good at math." She also said that she would most likely not hire an African American because "she'd never met one who worked hard." In this scenario, Christine's behavior is an example of _____.

racial or ethnic discrimination

The degree to which group members are psychologically attracted to working with each other to accomplish a common objective is known as _____.

social integration

Personality

the relatively stable set of behaviors, attitudes, and emotions displayed over time that makes people different from each other

Camrio Consultants conducted a meeting to make a decision about continuing a business contract with a client. The manager presided over the meeting and gave reasons why the company should continue to be associated with that client. Ron, a senior employee, had a different opinion about the matter. However, he did not voice it because he was afraid of being perceived as annoying. Later, Ron discussed his concerns with his colleagues and realized that they had the same opinion that he had, but they did not speak up for the same reason, their fear of being judged. Which of the following is most likely to be a reason for this fear?

A learning and effectiveness paradigm has not yet been created at Camrio Consultants

Which of the following is a feature of emotionally stable employees?

They can maintain a calm, problem-solving attitude in even the toughest situations.

The fact that differentiates affirmative action from diversity in a workplace is that:

affirmative action is required by law for private employers with fifty or more employees.

Max, a 56-year-old African American man, was terminated from his job at a local printing press after it became fully automated. His manager believed that Max was too old to learn the new computer-based method of operation. In this scenario, Max faced _____.

age discrimination

Companies that have a diverse workforce:

are able to avoid expensive lawsuits.

Zankon Corp. is a diversity-friendly company that recruits employees from different geographical areas and varied cultural backgrounds. The company also offers reasonable accommodation for disabled employees. This has created a positive environment for the employees, and the company has recorded an improvement in the performance of employees after implementing its diversity program. Diversity in Zankon Corp. has made good business sense by:

attracting and retaining talent.

Arlene, a clerk, is often found gossiping and abusing coworkers, new employees, and her supervisor. Some coworkers have reportedly found her stealing office stationery. In the context of the Big Five Personality Dimensions, Arlene lacks _____.

conscientiousness

The learning and effectiveness paradigm is less likely to:

encounter the divisiveness associated with diversity programs that focus only on group differences.

The workforce in Alivex Corp., a company in the United States, consists of 90 percent whites and 10 percent African Americans. Usually, African American employees receive the lowest ratings during their annual performance appraisals, and they are rarely promoted. One of the HR managers of the company privately declares that he or she hired African Americans only to avoid discrimination lawsuits. In this scenario, the company can be charged with _____.

racial or ethnic discrimination

transgender person

someone whose personal and gender identity differ from the person's birth sex—for example, someone born female who identifies as male

Social integration

the degree to which group members are psychologically attracted to working with each other to accomplish a common objective

Extraversion

the degree to which someone is active, assertive, gregarious, sociable, talkative, and energized by others

Disposition

the tendency to respond to situations and events in a predetermined manner

Awareness training

training that is designed to raise employees' awareness of diversity issues and to challenge the underlying assumptions or stereotypes they may have about others

Skills-based diversity training

training that teaches employees the practical skills they need for managing a diverse workforce, such as flexibility and adaptability, negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution

12-2 Understand the special challenges that the dimensions of surface-level diversity pose for managers.

Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and physical and mental disabilities are dimensions of surface-level diversity. Because those dimensions are (usually) easily observed, managers and workers tend to rely on them to form initial impressions and stereotypes. Sometimes this can lead to age, sex, racial/ethnic, or disability discrimination (that is, treating people differently) in the workplace. In general, older workers, women, people of color or different national origins, and people with disabilities may be less likely to be hired or promoted than are white males. This disparity is often due to incorrect beliefs or stereotypes such as "job performance declines with age," or "women aren't willing to travel on business," or "workers with disabilities aren't as competent as able workers." To reduce discrimination, companies can determine the hiring and promotion rates for different groups, train managers to make hiring and promotion decisions on the basis of specific criteria, and make sure that everyone has equal access to training, mentors, reasonable work accommodations, and assistive technology. Finally, companies need to designate a go-to person to whom employees can talk if they believe they have suffered discrimination.

_____ is the degree to which someone is cooperative, polite, flexible, forgiving, good-natured, tolerant, and trusting.

Agreeableness

Explain how the dimensions of deep-level diversity affect individual behavior and interactions in the workplace.

Deep-level diversity matters because it can reduce prejudice, discrimination, and conflict while increasing social integration. It consists of dispositional and personality differences that can be recognized only through extended interaction with others. Research conducted in different cultures, settings, and languages indicates that there are five basic dimensions of personality: extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Of these, conscientiousness is perhaps the most important because conscientious workers tend to be better performers on virtually any job. Extraversion is also related to performance in jobs that require significant interaction with others.

Describe diversity and explain why it matters.

Diversity exists in organizations when there are demographic, cultural, and personal differences among the employees and the customers. A common misconception is that workplace diversity and affirmative action are the same. However, affirmative action is more narrowly focused on demographics; is required by law; and is used to punish companies that discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, religion, sex, or national origin. By contrast, diversity is broader in focus (going beyond demographics); voluntary; more positive in that it encourages companies to value all kinds of differences; and, at this time, substantially less controversial than affirmative action. Thus, affirmative action and diversity differ in purpose, practice, and the reactions they produce. Diversity also makes good business sense in terms of reducing costs (decreasing turnover and absenteeism and avoiding lawsuits), attracting and retaining talent, and driving business growth (improving marketplace understanding and promoting higher-quality problem solving).

Victoria works as a nurse in the emergency medical unit of LNS Hospital. She has been on duty for 36 hours at a stretch. A patient, profusely bleeding and unconscious, is admitted to the emergency unit. Victoria is then assigned to assist the doctor attending the patient, and she helps the doctor efficiently and calmly. In the given scenario, which of the following basic dimensions of personality does Victoria demonstrate?

Emotional stability

Which of the following is a difference between extraverts and introverts?

Extraverts are active and assertive, whereas introverts are quiet and reserved.

Which of the following is a diversity principle that helps managers do a better job of managing company diversity programs?

Maintaining high standards while promoting diversity

_____ is the degree to which someone is curious, broadminded, and receptive to new ideas; is spontaneous; and has a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Openness to experience

_____ refers to a work environment where all members are empowered to contribute in a way that maximizes the benefits to the company, customers, and themselves; and the individuality of each member is respected by not segmenting or polarizing people on the basis of their membership in a particular group.

Organizational plurality

Which of the following statements about disabled employees is true?

People with disabilities have better safety records.

Which of the following is a sign that a learning and effectiveness paradigm has not yet been created in a company?

People withhold their opinions for fear of being seen as different.

Which of the following is a feature of the access and legitimacy paradigm?

The basic idea is to create a demographically diverse workforce that attracts a broader customer base.

Which of the following paradigms for managing diversity is consistent with achieving organizational plurality?

The learning and effectiveness paradigm

Sexual orientation

an individual's attraction to people of the same and/or different sex

Diversity actually makes good business sense because:

it drives business growth.

The management of Blue Specifics Inc. held a meeting to decide who would be the new training manager. Amanda, the only female training coordinator, was observed to be ambitious, and she had good performance records. However, the management decided to promote a male employee instead because they felt that the other team members, who were all male, would not be comfortable reporting to a woman. In this scenario, Amanda has faced _____.

sex discrimination

Agreeableness

the degree to which someone is cooperative, polite, flexible, forgiving, good-natured, tolerant, and trusting

Openness to experience

the degree to which someone is curious, broad-minded, and open to new ideas, things, and experiences; is spontaneous; and has a high tolerance for ambiguity

Emotional stability

the degree to which someone is not angry, depressed, anxious, emotional, insecure, and excitable

Conscientiousness

the degree to which someone is organized, hardworking, responsible, persevering, thorough, and achievement oriented

Glass ceiling

the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top jobs in organizations

Sexual orientation discrimination

treated people differently because of their sexual orientation

Age discrimination

treating people differently (for example in hiring and firing, promotion, and compensation decisions) because of their age

Disability discrimination

treating people differently because of their disabilities

Gender identity discrimination

treating people differently because of their gender identity

Racial and ethnic discrimination

treating people differently because of their race or ethnicity

Sex discrimination

treating people differently because of their sex