Diversity

How can a diverse workforce give a company competitive advantage?

By providing insight into the changing customer base

_____ refers to how tightly knit the group is and the degree to which group members perceive, interpret, and act on their environment in similar or mutually agreed-upon ways.

Cohesiveness

Which of the following is a challenge faced by organizations when managing a diverse workforce?

Lack of cohesiveness

Anwar's company has a very diverse workforce. Managers are trained to see differences not as problems but as strengths that they can use to further the company's goals. For example, the advertising department always presents its new slogan ideas to a team of people from many different cultures to make sure that the slogans do not unintentionally offend anyone. Judging from this description, Anwar's company is a(n) _____ organization.

multicultural

An organization that fully integrates minority group members, both formally and informally, is called a

multicultural organization.

Which of the following diversity assumptions holds that "we are all the same," otherwise known as the melting pot myth?

Homogeneity

Employers that offer onsite child care report that it

decreases absenteeism

As related to managing human resources, diversity refers to differences in

demographics, such as age, race, and educational level.

A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities is referred to as a(n)

disability

The term used to refer to all kinds of differences including religion, age, physical ability, and income in addition to gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality is

diversity

Identifying and reducing hidden biases toward minority groups are the basic goals behind

diversity training

When applied to the workforce, diversity refers

to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, political belief, age, physical ability, income, and education.

Which of the following was traditionally used to describe diversity in the United States?

A melting pot

Which of the following is an advantage of managing a diverse workforce?

Ability to attract and retain motivated employees

Which of the following is a characteristic of pluralistic organizations?

Acceptance of minority group members

Which of the following programs can be used by a city government to increase the participation of members of minority groups in public contracts?

Affirmative Action

Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between affirmative action and managing diversity?

Affirmative action and diversity are complementary, not the same.

Which of the following is considered a disability under ADA?

Alcoholism

Which of the following is one of the two components of diversity training?

Awareness building

Which of the following is true of people with disabilities?

Companies use new assistive technologies to employ people with disabilities

Which of the following diversity assumptions states that "our way is one possible way," and that there are many different and equally good ways to the same goal?

Culture contingency

Which of the following companies is among the top 10 for valuing diversity

Ernst & Young

Which of the following is needed for an effective sexual harassment policy?

Establishing a formal complaint procedure in which employees can discuss problems

Which of the following diversity assumptions holds that there is "one best way" and that all other ways of living are inferior?

Ethnocentrism

A diverse workforce often tends to inhibit organizational flexibility.

FALSE

Cohesiveness refers to how tightly knit a group is and the degree to which members of a group act independently of each other.

FALSE

Monolithic organizations have a more diverse employee population and take steps to involve persons from different cultural backgrounds.

FALSE

Nationwide, turnover rates have been decreasing as more people are staying with their organizations for a longer period.

FALSE

The fastest-growing segments of the workforce in the United States are

Hispanics and Asians

George hired Ahmad, who belongs to a minority group, to work in the accounting department because he was highly skillful. However, the other workers resented Ahmad's presence and excluded him from the work group. Ahmad had difficulty performing, since he was not given the needed information to work expediently. Which of the following challenges of a diversified workforce is occurring in this scenario?

Lower cohesiveness

Which of the following is critical for diversity programs to succeed?

Obtaining top management's leadership and commitment

Which of the following is not a reason for which employers attempt to retain or rehire older workers?

Older workers tend to reduce company overhead costs in comparison with younger workers.

Companies should take a _____ approach to developing and managing a diverse workforce.

Proactive

Sylvia's manager offered to double her annual raise in exchange for a dinner date with him. She was upset because she had no interest in dating him, yet she really wanted the raise. Which of the following types of harassment is Sylvia experiencing?

Quid pro quo harassment

A multicultural workforce can provide a company with a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.

TRUE

One possible explanation for the wage gap between men and women is that women are not negotiating pay as effectively as men seeking the same positions.

TRUE

The affirmative action programs were initiated in part to correct the past exclusion of women and minorities from the business world.

TRUE

To support diversity efforts, top management can set an example for other organization members by participating in diversity programs and making participation mandatory for all managers.

TRUE

Women make up about 47 percent of the workforce.

TRUE

Workers today, both women and men, are trying to achieve a balance between career and family.

TRUE

Which of the following is likely to be part of an awareness building program in the management of diversity?

Teaching the cultural values of the organization

Which of the following statements about disabled employees is true?

They are generally more dependable than other workers.

Phil is a 25-year-old executive assistant who works for a 47-year-old manager named Rita. Rita promises to help Phil advance in the company if he will go on a weekend dates with her. Which of the following statements is true?

This is an example of quid pro quo sexual harassment.

Giving exposure and experience in line jobs to a wide range of employees in order to make senior management positions more available to them is an important aspect of

a career development program.

Integrating diversity into a corporate mission statement, providing adequate funding for diversity efforts, and establishing corporate positions responsible for the management of diversity are all efforts that demonstrate

a commitment from the top management toward managing diversity

Behaviors such as persistent or pervasive displays of pornography, lewd or suggestive remarks, and demeaning taunts or jokes tend to cause ____.

a hostile environment

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disability is best defined as

a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity.

Support groups for minority workers are sometimes called _____ groups.

affinity

Jim's company made special efforts to diversify by sending its HR people to job fairs at colleges and strongly encouraging minority students with good grades to apply for jobs. This is an example of _____.

affirmative action

Special effort to recruit and hire qualified members of groups that have been discriminated against in the past is called ____.

affirmative action

When Liaya was hired at Sunrise Importers, she was encouraged to attend a meeting with other minority employees to discuss the challenges and opportunities at the company. Liaya found the meeting helpful because other members coached her about the norms and culture of the organization. This in turn enabled her to adjust more quickly and effectively. This program is an example of

an employee support group.

Studies have shown that the most effective way for companies to achieve diversity is to

assign responsibility for achieving targets to certain individuals or groups.

Diversity training typically consists of

awareness building and skill building.

A shift in worker values toward personal time, quality of life, self-fulfillment, and family is occurring among ____.

both women and men

The human resources manager at Koening Pump Manufacturing Co. was instructed to provide data on the number of minorities working there, their positions within the company, and the compensation provided. It would appear that the company wants to

conduct an organizational assessment.

Nearly one in every _____ married women in two-income households earns more than her husband does.

three

An invisible barrier that makes it difficult for certain groups, such as minorities and women, to move beyond a certain level in the organizational hierarchy is referred to as the

glass ceiling

Conduct of a sexual nature that has negative consequences for employment is known as sexual

harassment

Dahia is an ambitious African American professional who works for a large corporation. She notices that 8 percent of top executives in her company are women and 5 percent of top executives are from minorities. Dahia can conclude that her company

has a glass ceiling

How does Bruce Tulgan, founder of Rainmaker Thinking, describe Generation Y workers?

high maintenance, high performing

In terms of its employee population, a monolithic organization is ____.

highly homogeneous

Esther was hoping for a promotion, but one of her coworkers was promoted instead. Despite receiving excellent performance reviews, she has been passed over for promotion four times. After this last disappointment, Esther discovered that no women or minority candidates have been promoted to upper management positions at the company. Esther appears to have

hit the glass ceiling

Work team diversity promotes creativity and innovation because people with different backgrounds

hold different perspectives on issues.

When unwelcome sexual conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with job performance or creating an intimidating or offensive work atmosphere, it is known as

hostile environment

Awareness building is designed to

increase awareness of the meaning and importance of valuing diversity

The most common negative effect of diversity is

increased communication difficulty.

Understanding and appreciating employee differences to build a more effective and profitable organization is known as

managing diversity

Karl is a higher-level manager who works with Benito, a minority employee who has been identified as having high potential. Karl explains the corporate culture and politics, suggests ways that Benito can develop new skills, and introduces Benito to senior executives in the organization. Karl is Benito's _____.

mentor

Higher-level managers who help ensure that high-potential people are introduced to top management and socialized into the norms and values of the organization are called

mentors

In monolithic organizations, ____.

minority members must adopt the norms of the majority to survive

Diversity tends to create

mistrust and tension

An organization that has very little cultural integration of diverse workers is a

monolithic organization.

An organization that is marked by an absence of prejudice and discrimination and by low levels of intergroup conflict is known as a _____ organization.

multicultural

An organization that values cultural diversity and is willing to utilize and encourage it is referred to as a _____ organization.

multicultural

Managing diversity means _____ all kinds of difference among employees.

nuturing

Work-related issues for LGBT—gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered—employees often include avoiding harassment and

obtaining benefits for a spouse or domestic partner.

Black, Asian, and Hispanic workers make up what portion of the U.S. labor force?

one-third

After obtaining top management's leadership and commitment, the next step in effective diversity management involves

organizational assessment.

Less restrictive policies and procedures and fewer standardized operating methods are approaches to

organizational flexibility.

As a development requirement for his new job, Fernando attended a seminar that focused on listening skills and giving and receiving feedback effectively when working with employees different from oneself. Fernando took part in role playing to practice these skills with other managers and employees, many with diverse backgrounds. This type of instruction is referred to as

skill building

The largest unemployed minority population in the United States

people with disabilities

Examples of attempts made by employers to retain older workers include

phased retirement plans

Allowing older employees to work fewer hours per week as a strategy to attract and retain these experienced people is known as ____.

phased retirment

A(n) _____ organization uses an affirmative action approach to managing diversity.

pluralistic

An organization that has a relatively diverse employee population and makes an effort to involve employees from different gender, racial, or cultural backgrounds is a(n)

pluralistic organization.

Submission to or rejection of sexual conduct that is used as a basis for employment decisions is referred to as

quid pro quo harassment

Retaining good workers of all ethnicities will become increasingly important as

replacing qualified and experienced workers becomes more costly.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be a(n)

short supply of entry-level workers.

Training designed to allow all employees and managers to develop their ability to deal effectively with one another and with customers in a diverse environment is called

skill building.

Flor was recently passed over for promotion. She was told that management was looking for someone more aggressive to fill the position. Flor's coworkers were surprised because she had a reputation for getting things done. She later overheard one of the managers saying that he did not believe she was committed to her career since "she, like most women, leaves work every day at 5:00 sharp." It might appear that Flor's employer has made a mistake regarding ____.

stereortyping

When individuals' interests, values, and cultures act as filters to distort, block, or select what they see and interpret, they tend to _____ their different colleagues.

stereotype

One of the challenges of having a diverse workforce is _____.

stereotyping

Recognizing religious holidays, differing modes of dress, and dietary restrictions as well as allowing flexible scheduling are all ways to improve employee retention that may appeal to diverse employees. These types of efforts are referred to as

systems accommodations.

The underlying goal of managing diversity is to

understand and value employee differences.

Managing diversity means

understanding and valuing employee differences.