Chapter 4 Managing Diversity

Discriminatory policies or practices

actions taken by representatives of the organization that deny equal opportunity to perform or unequal rewards for performance

Incivility

Disrespectful treatment, including behaving in an aggressive manner, interrupting the person, or ignoring his or her opinions

deep-level diversity

differences in values, personality, and work preferences

ethnicity

social traits (such as cultural background or allegiance) that are shared by a human population

Benefits of Workforce Diversity

1. People Management- better use of employee talent increased quality of team problem-solving efforts ability to attract and retain employees of diverse backgrounds 2. Organizational Performance- reduced costs associated with high turnover, absenteeism and lawsuits enhanced problem-solving ability improved system flexibility 3. Strategic- increased understanding of the marketplace, which improves ability to better market to diverse consumers, potential to improve sales growth and increase market share, potential source of competitive advantage because of improved innovation efforts, viewed as moral and ethical; the "right" thing to do

prejudice

a preconceived belief, opinion, or judgement toward a person or group of people

mentoring

a process whereby an experienced organizational member (a mentor) provides advice and guidance to a less-experienced member (a protégé).--career development and social support

bias

a tendency or preference toward a particular perspective or ideology

Types of Diversity Found in Workplaces

age, gender, race and ethnicity, disability/abilities, religion, LGBT, other

surface-level diversity

easily perceived differences that may trigger certain stereotypes, but that do not necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel

Exclusion

exclusion of certain people from job opportunities, social events, discussions, or informal mentoring; can occur unintentionally

employee resource groups

groups made up of employees connected by some common dimension of diversity

Mockery and insults

jokes or negative stereotypes; sometimes the result of jokes take too far

stereotyping

judging a person based on a perception of a group to which that person belongs

Intimidation

overt threats or bullying directed at members of specific groups of employees

diversity skills training

specialized training to educate employees about the importance of diversity and to teach them skills for working in a diverse workplace (diversity awareness training, diversity skills training)

race

the biological heritage (including skin color and associated traits) that people use to identify themselves

glass ceiling

the invisible barrier that separates women and minorities from top management positions

workforce diversity

the ways in which people in an organization are different from and similar to one another

Sexual Harassment

unwanted sexual advances and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that create a hostile or offensive work environment

Discrimination

when someone acts out their prejudicial attitudes toward people who are the targets of their prejudice