ASSESSMENT

BSBDIV301

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 ASSESSMENT TASK 1

Activity 1

1) How can individual differences in colleagues and clients be recognized within a workplace?

Every employee within an organisation needs to be aware of the diversity in their workplace. Diversity can
include race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organisational function, education,
background and more. People must realise and learn that not everyone is the same and understand that we
have different views, values and behaviours.

2) Describe some of the challenges of workplace diversity.

Challenges with workplace diversity include: Communication- language barriers cause inadequate
communication Resistance to change- some employees may refuse to accept difference in others which can
stunt an organisations growth and black new ideas from arising.

3) How would you define cultural awareness?

Cultural Awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability of standing back from
ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions.

4) Outline what is meant by respect in the workplace and describe how you can demonstrate that
you have respect for yourself and other.
Respect is when we are being courteous to others. respect includes having consideration for other people’s
privacy, their belongings, their viewpoints, philosophies, physical ability, beliefs and personality. You can exhibit
respect by listening to others, not talking over others, being supportive of each other’s ideas, treating each other
equally regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, keeping praise and recognition ample.

Activity 2

Explain the term stereotyping and the reasons it is not good to let stereotypes influence your relationships
with others.

Stereotyping is categorizing and having a certain attitude towards people who are different to one's self. It is
oversimplification of groups of people, for example if someone found a woman to be physically weak they may
tell others that every woman is weak. Employees should avoid stereotyping as it causes misunderstandings and
conflict in the workplace. Labelling people doesn't allow for diversity and employees should treat people as
individuals.
Activity 3

1) What guidelines should be set in workplace to ensure behavior is consistent with legislative
requirements and enterprise guidelines?

There are guidelines in place in Victoria for ensuring that workplaces are equal and free of discrimination. Equal
opportunity is a requirement under the Victorian legislation, it is illegal to discriminate against a person because
of personal traits and organisations should set up guidelines for dealing with racial, sex, disability and age
discrimination. An example an organisation may state that they have "a zero tolerance policy for discrimination
and harassment" and "they support appropriate standards of conduct at all times."

2) Discuss the key legislative requirements for the workplace regarding equal opportunity.

Any business with over 100 staff in Australia is required to submit to the Federal Government a copy if its Equal
Employment Opportunity plan for addressing any inequalities or inequities in the workplace. - knowing there is
an Anti-Discrimination legislation at both State and Federal levels. All establishments should make staff aware of
this legislation and what it means for day-to-day work practices.

Activity 4

1) What can you do when communicating with the team members, customers and suppliers for
whom English might be a second language, to ensure that the communication is effective?

You can still effectively communicate with someone for whom english is a second langue. Nonverbal
communication is understood as practice of correspondence through sending and receiving wordless messages
and it includes: Facial expressions, gestures including waving, pointing, and using fingers to signify number
amounts, paralinguistic (vocal communication that is not actual langues, loudness, inflection and pitch) body
language and posture (interpretation of arm crossing, leg crossing, indicates feelings and attitudes) proxemics
(space between people) eye gaze, haptics ( sense of touch) and appearance ( different colours, different moods,
alter physiological reactions, judgement an interpretations).

2) Explain what effective verbal communication is and how you can make allowance when
communicating with people from diverse backgrounds. Take into consideration paralanguage
and written communication.

To use verbal communication effectively you should be able to understand your audience or the receiver. You
must speak clearly, be alert and be loud enough that the other person can hear you. There are different
communication styles in a workplace and if we understand these different styles and adjust the way we
communicate depending on the receiver then the correspondence will be the most effective.
 3) Explain what non-verbal communication is and how it is important to working with diversity
and building effective work relationships.

To use non-verbal communication effectively you must be patient and understanding. It is important to
communicate slowly using signage, gestures, drawings and facial expressions. Employees should not be afraid to
repeat themselves and ensure that the receiver understands what you are trying to communicate.

Activity 5

Why is it important to recognize and document the knowledge, skills and experience of others in relation to
team objectives?

It is important to recognize and document knowledge, skills and experiences of others because it will help a
group of employees within an organisation work to their full potential and expand on their overall ability as a
team. Having a workplace that is aware of diversity and embraces it will put them in a better position to achieve
their business goals as everyone will be open to new ideas and suggestions and customer satisfaction will
increase.

Activity 6

How would you encourage a staff member who is reluctant to work with someone from a different nationality
to see the advantages of working with people from various international backgrounds?

To help a staff member to see the advantages of working with people from different backgrounds, I would set up
team meetings and ask this staff member put aside their differences and listen properly to what everyone in the
team as to say. I would encourage everyone to tell their own stories and bring up any ideas and suggestions they
have and urge the employee to have a constructive discussion with those from another international
background as they may learn something new or think about something from another perception.

Activity 7

How can a workplace demonstrate that diversity is valued by the business?

A workplace can demonstrate that diversity is valued by the organisation by employing effective communication
skills. A workplace should include people from different backgrounds in decision making and discussions and
provide extra training to those who need it. An organisation that constantly encourages courteousness,
precision, correct language, low speaking volume, clarity and good posture and body language then all
employees and customers will feel welcome and like they are a part of a strong team.

1) Research your community and list four diverse groups within the community as defined by
cultural, religious and other traditions and practices. For each group, list three facts about their
cultural, religion, traditions or practices.
Diverse Cultural
groups
Chinese a) Chinese settlement in
family Australia has a long history,
beginning soon after the
discovery of gold in Australia in
1851.
b) To the Chinese, getting
married and starting a family
are two of the most important
transitions in life.
c) Traditional Chinese families
cherish stable marriages and
believe that separation and
divorce epitomize violation of
harmony within the family.
Filipino a) Women who delay marriage
families in order to fulfil family
obligations, pursue further
studies or follow a career
encounter difficulty in finding a
marriage partner.
b) Men are reluctant to marry
women who are older, better
educated or who have a better
paying job, or who are
widowed or separated.
c) Males display a more even
distribution across the
occupational groups than
females; more men than
women are employed as
professionals.
ASSESSMENT TASK 2
Religion
a) The Chinese in Australia are
diverse in their countries of
origin, socio-economic
backgrounds and religious
affiliations.
b) Many of the immigrant
Chinese to Australia and their
descendants profess no
particular religion, but there
are also substantial numbers of
Buddhists, Catholics and
Anglicans (Kee 1992).
c) Large numbers of Buddhists
and those professing no
religion may practice ancestor
worship at home in the
Buddhist or Confucian tradition
(VICSEG 1993).
a) Religion provides the Filipino
people with the inner strength
to cope with life's hardships.
b) The risk-taking behavior of
Filipinos displayed in the
bahala na (come what may)
attitude is a combination of
fatalism, determination and
courage, which stems from
their deep belief that God is
guiding them and that
whatever happens is part of
God's will.
c) Family ties and obligations,
fellowship, harmonious
relationships, respect for
authority and religious beliefs
are major themes in the
Filipino culture.
Traditions
a) Traditional Chinese
society has a collectivist
orientation that endorses
the family, not the
individual, as the major unit
of society (Lee 1982).
b) Traditional Chinese
families favor having a large
number of children.
c) Traditional Chinese
families favor having a large
number of children.
a) Traditional courtship
involved a male suitor,
accompanied by his closest
friends, wooing the woman
with a serenade on a clear
night or the exchange of
love letters through a
common friend.
b) It is the filial obligation of
children to care for parents
in their old age by taking
them into their custody.
c) The Catholic orientation
of many Filipinos enables
them to view death not as a
tragic event but rather as a
part of everyday life.
Practices
a) In practices known as
ancestor worship (VICSEG
1993). The descendants
pray for protection from
their dead ancestors.
b) Traditional practices have
been handed down to
ensure that the fetus is well
nourished and that the
mother will recover quickly
after childbirth to perform
her maternal role.
c) Chinese parents pay more
attention to the physical
and intellectual
development of their
'onlies' and are less
concerned about disciplining
them (Da 1993).
a) The practice of providing
accommodation to
distressed friends.
b) The web of kinship is
further expanded with the
practice of ritual kinship
called, as in Latin American
countries, the compadrazgo
system.
c) The endogamous practice
of marrying someone from
the same or even better
social and economic
background, together with
the colonial mentality
ingrained deep in our
psyche that anything foreign
is better.
Greek- a) With regard to children, they
Australian are understood as the moral
guardians and take
responsibility for their
education.
b) The traditional family is
described as firmly
androcentric.
c) The dowry (traditionally
presented as land, but
increasingly diversified to
include money or the
education and career costs of
the bride) makes women co-
owners and co-workers.
a) Greek women have made a
major contribution in this
country, both in family life and
in the wider Australian society.
b) Early research has
highlighted the dirty and often
heavy and poorly paid work
they did, the lack of adequate
child care, the women's need.
c) As the Greek-Australian
community ages it is the
present generation of
employed women and their
daughters who will shoulder
the responsibility of caring for
the aged.
a) The Greek family still
revolves around the wife,
husband and unmarried
children.
b) The Greek-born are less
likely to be living in group
households and less likely
to be living in a one-person
household.
c) Their households are
more likely to include non-
dependent (non-student)
children.
a) Women have a strong
association with the family,
it is often they who are at
the cutting edge of new and
old ethnic identifications.
b) It is a romantic vision of
Greek communities dotted
throughout the world as
bastions of an ancient and
revered civilisation.
c) Festivals, cultural events
and community institutions
which celebrate Australian
Ellenismos are also
celebrations of new cultural
forms.

Lebanese- a) There is a significant decline
Australian in traditional values and
practices among this group,
with perhaps a certain degree
of family cohesion, and
Lebanese cuisine, being the
only surviving remnants of
Lebanese traditions.
b) Families established by
second-wave immigrants are
now into their third and, in
some cases, fourth
generations.
c) The maintenance of
Lebanese values has also been
aided by improved transport
and communication systems
such as air travel, long-distance
telephone calls, newspapers,
videotapes and films, all of
which have reduced for this
group the social and cultural
isolation from their homeland
experienced by first- and
second-wave settle
a) Religious affiliation, family
membership and village or
town of origin constitute the
major means of social
identification among Lebanese-
Australians.
b) Among the descendants of
both the first and second
waves of immigration, religious
participation is declining and
affiliation to the faith their
families brought with them
from Lebanon is becoming
attenuated.
c) Some families remain
attached to the Lebanese
community through their
attendance at Lebanese
churches and mosques, and by
sending their children to
Saturday Arabic-language
schools or to Lebanese day
schools and child care centers.
a) Traditional Lebanese
values are more strongly
maintained by members of
this group for a variety of
reasons, such as their
forced departure from
Lebanon, relatively short
time in Australia, and
return visits to Lebanon.
b) Urban families are likely
to be less traditional and
more inclined to accept
emergent values than are
families from a rural
background.
c) Unemployment also
places considerable stress
on family relationships.
a) Religious belief and
practice became more a
private and family matter
than one which involved the
community at large.
b) In the case of Muslims,
observing codes of behavior
and dress required by their
faith.
c) Apart from the strictly
religious rituals and
regulations, such family
occasions and practices bear
witness to values which are
common to Christian and
Muslim alike.

2) How would you make reasonable adjustments within the workplace to facilitate participation
by a person with a disability?

I would make reasonable adjustments to facilitate someone with a disability by removing the barriers that make
it difficult for them to carry out their duties in the workplace. For example: - for someone who is vision impaired,
providing increased font size - for someone who is deaf, providing an interpreter - reorganizing tasks if someone
is finding it too difficult to carry out- providing extra training and support for those with a disability.
 3) Why is diversity so essential to a balanced and successful workplace and indeed, to a balanced
society?

Diversity brings new ideas, skills and experiences and without diversity we would all be the same. Having a
variety of different perceptions on something gives the opportunity for growth and development both inside
and outside of the workplace. It can be achieved by being culturally aware and working together rather than
detaching and being reluctant to work with someone who is unlike yourself.
 ASSESSMENT TASK 3
1) Project
No. Role or position and relationships Cultural differences
1. Work mate Skin colour, different religion,
born in a different country
(New Zealand), not allowed to
date until of age, stricter
parents, has traditional days
like White Sunday, has a large
family and community, goes to
church on sundays.
2. Family friend Skin colour, different religion
(Islam), born in a different
country (Somalia), different
language, when addressing
another family member or
friend, words "aunt", uncle,
brother, sister and cousin are
used depending on the persons
age relative to the speaker, the
man is usually the head of a
household, the focus on somali
culture is on family, this family
friend regularly sends money
back to their family in Kenya
and Somalia, respect is paid to
the elders of the community
and are addressed as "aunt or
"uncle" even if they are
strangers.
3. Neighbour Born in a different country
(England), different accent,
have different sayings and
phrases, have different sense of
humour, has a high self-
imagine, more up-tight and
proper, doesn't joke around as
much, has a more reserved
outlook, is very accommodating
to friends and others, is more
indoors, had a good education,
parents pushed to go to
university.
Skills and experiences
Can easily connect with others
from the same cultural group, has
a good sense of community
which enables them to build good
relationships with customers as
they are friendly and have good
interpersonal skills.
This friend is very respectful and
friendly and has very good
customer service skills, because
of their culture they are very
accepting of other people and is
not discriminatory. very
empathetic because of the way
she grew up (had no food
sometimes, poor, father died
when younger so had a lot of
responsibility as the older child so
she is a good leader.
Has a university degree, knows
when to take a situation seriously
and can present themselves well.
They speak clearly and use
proper language when speaking
to customers. Is very confident
and will openly talk about ideas
they have and opinions they want
to share.
4. Friend Grew up in a large family with
half brothers and sisters,
parents are older and have
older traditions and values,
stricter parents with more
rules.
5. Supervisor Born and brought in India, has
Hindu religion, had joint family
in childhood.
6. Acquaintance Is from Germany, very fair in
complexion, done masters in
computers from University of
Paderborn, done part time job
in Restaurant.
Has very good manners and is
very respectful Will help out a lot
and volunteer to take on tasks.
Will follow rules and make sure
other people are following the
rules and will get along easily
with others.
Has a very good experience in
digital marketing domain, known
for smart work in office, very
humble and polite with everyone
around.
Easy to reach, talk and discuss in-
general, hardworking and always
available for needy people.

2) How do you think understanding the preferences of others can assist in your daily working life?

By understanding that we are all different and have different needs it becomes easier to accommodate those
differences. - we stop seeing people (unrealistically) as imitations of ourselves and stop expecting them to react
in the same ways as we do.

3) List five advantages of a diverse workforce.

Here are a few of the top benefits or diversity in the workplace.

 Individuals from diverse backgrounds can offer a selection of different talents, skills, and experiences,
that may be of benefit to the organization and their work performance.
 By working alongside people of different backgrounds, experiences and working styles, creative
concepts can be born from bouncing ideas off of each other and offering feedback and suggestions.
 Representing a number of nationalities within your company can also help to make it more relatable.
 It can also help with employee retention, as people want to work in an environment who are accepting
of all backgrounds and promote equality.
 Employees are more likely to feel comfortable and happy in an environment where inclusivity is a
priority.

4) What action can you take to increase your understanding of cultural differences and reduce the
prejudices and stereotypical assessments you make of other people?
 Watch documentaries on other cultures
 Go to a cultural event, e.g. Holi Festival (Hindu), Halloween, Oktoberfest, Ramadan, Anzac Day, St
Patricks Day, Thai Culture and Food Festival, Chinese New Year.
 Interact with people from another cultural background whether they be at work, in the community, on
public transport, or at a social event, and listen to what they have to say.
 Go to the Melbourne Museum where you can learn about Victoria’s aboriginal culture.
 Don't be afraid to ask people you already know more about their cultural background.