Diversity

Managem
ent

Course Objectives

Explain What is Diversity

Explain What is Diversity Management

Explain What is Organizational Diversity

Explain Gender Sensitization

Describe the Approaches to Understanding Cultures

Explain How to Communicate Across Cultures

List the Elements of Culture

Describe the Layers of Culture

Differentiate between Diversity Management and

Equal Opportunity
Explain the Seven Ps Approach

Explain the Steps for Implementing Diversity

Management
Describe the Economic Benefits of Workplace
Diversity
Explain the Challenges to Adopting Diversity

Describe the Ways to Encourage Diversity

List the Tips for Diversity at Workplace

Introduction
Helium Inc. is an MNC and is
well-known for its policy of
being an equal opportunity
employer.
However, when Hazel
appears for the
interview, she is
informed that due to
the stress and
pressures associated
with the job, the
interviewers are not
keen on
hiringhas
women
Since,
Helium
a policy on
for this
role. an equal
paper
for being
opportunity employer, they
had advertised for receiving
applications from everyone but
did not intend to hire women

Hazel Wilson has

applied for the
position of a Sales
Manager with
Helium Inc.

Introduction
Do you think Hazel was
treated fairly?

Helium does support

the concept of being an
equal opportunity
employer and hence
encourages diversity.

Then, what exactly is causing

this difference between the
policy that exists in theory and
actual practice?

Hazel is qualified
and fit for this
position in every
way that a man
will be.

Introduction
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Yes, Hazel was not treated

fairly because the only
basis on which a person
should be recruited should
be on his or her own merit
and not based on gender,
race, ethnicity, religion etc.

tt
u
o
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r
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LLeett u
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deettaail.

Helium supports diversity

but only in theory and has
not been able to put its
policy into actual practice
which can prove to be very
harmful to the
organization.

What is Diversity?

The term diversity has been heard in our

everyday usage. Usually, when we come across
the context ofthe
having
of gender, race,
term,a itmix
is in
ethnic, sexual orientation etc. in a setting
wherein there is no
discrimination based on these
traits.

Dimensions of Diversity
The following image shows the various dimensions that make
up diversity in people.

Job Title
Pay Scale
Group

Military
Life Experience
Experience

Religion

Seniority

Menta
l
Physi
Age
Work
Family Work
Abilit
cal
Experie
Status Location
y
Abilit
nce
y
Sexual
Gender

Orientati
on Person Headquart
ers/Field
Educati
Ethnici al
on
Gende
Habits
ty
Managem
r
Union
Race
ent Status
Affiliation
Income
Work
Style
Communicatio
n Style

Departme
nt/Unit/Gr
oup

Identity

Importance of Managing Diversity

We live in times when
global corporations
and their reach across
the world bring
benefits in terms of
well
as challenges
in terms of
innovative
HR policies
managing
the workforce are
as
concerned. The rise of such
corporations means that the workforce
is composed of diverse races and
ethnicities. Further, the issue of
gender diversity in terms of more
women participating in the workforce
has been a trend that has accelerated
in the last two decades in India and
much earlier in the developed
countries.

Approaches to Understanding Cultures

The Six Questions Approach was developed by

Florence Kluckholn and Fred Strodtbeck (1961). They
developed a set of six questions that compare cultures
across six dimensions.

The Hofstede Model

Power Distance
Masculinity vs. Femininity
Individualism vs.
Collectivism
Long-term orientation vs.
Short-term thinking
Uncertainty Avoidance

Uncertainty Avoidance:
The fifth dimension of
uncertainty avoidance refers to
the structured work
environment, which in the West
would be oriented towards
specific and measurable goals
and objectives whereas out of
the box thinking is prevalent in
the East.

Layers of Culture
Culture consists of four layers at various levels such as follows:
Outer Layer
National Culture: Provides a
cultural context within which
businesses operate
Inner Layer
Business Culture: Where the
rules of the games are known
Deeper Layer
Organizational Culture: A
common set of values shared
by all within an organization
The Core
Deeper Layer
Inner Layer
Outer Layer

The Core
Individual Culture: Basic
assumptions, rules, and
methods dealing with problems

Real Life Example

are a
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a nd
countries
rent
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Real Life Example

The Ring hand gesture means:

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Weesstteerrnn

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Need for Organizational Diversity

Heterogeneous Nature of the Customer

Base

Heterogeneous Nature of the Customer Base:

It is no longer the case that the customers are made up of
monolithic wholes that exhibit consistent and uniform patterns of
behavior. On the other hand, the customer base for many
companies has splintered into ethnic, racial, gender and other
segmentations which means that organizations have to
encourage diversity in their workforce to tackle the aspirations of
the fragmented customer bases.

Diversity Management vs. Equal

Opportunity
The
following table shows comparison of diversity
management versus equal opportunity.
Diversity Management
All employees maximize their
potential and their contribution to
the company
Includes broad range of people;
no one is excluded

Equal Opportunity
Concentration on issues of
discrimination
Understands as an issue for
certain groups in labor market
such as women, ethnic minorities
and people with disabilities
Focus on cultural change and
meeting business objectives and
goals is less, premised more on
moral and ethical issues

Mainly focused on issues of

movement within the company,
the culture of the organization
and meeting business objectives
and goals
Is the concern of all the staff in an Perceives as an issue to do with
organization, especially senior
human resource practitioners

Steps for Implementing Diversity

ManagementThe following are the steps for implementing
diversity management:

Pha
s

cau

se
Pha 2Phase
:
1:
e
if
as : entGetti
Ph 3 Idi ing ng
an y ble
rg g ostarte
O zinprio ms d
t
lu nsand
so
ses

e
5:
Ph
Ev a
lua 4 ase
tionIm :
m pl
e
e
con & nta
solti io
d ati
on n

Lets look at each in detail.

Economic Benefits of Workplace

Diversity
The following are some of the economic
benefits of workplace diversity:

4
5
6
7
8

A diverse workforce is a key driver of economic

growth
A diverse workforce helps capture the majority
consumer market
A greater qualified workforce is recruited by
following diversity
Diversity helps to avoid employee turnover
costs
Diversity helps organizations to be
competitive in the economic market: Due
to the spread of globalization, immigrations,
population shifts, it has been found that there
will not be any ruling majority race in the world.
Hence, the need of the day is to adapt to this
changing statistics and embrace diversity to
remain competitive in the business world.

Tips for Diversity at Workplace

Tip#
1

Identify the
importance of
contributions and
the people who
contribute

Keep an open mind

towards feedback,
contributions, ideas
etc.

Give priority to the

organizations goals
above your personal
goals

Tips for
Diversity
at
Workpla
ce

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