Training Module: Managing Diversity

Presented at the Annual Conference of the InternationalAssociation of Schools and Institutes of Administration

Athens, Greece July 2001

Prepared by: Yolande Jemiai and Aleksey Kolpakov

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United Nations Millennium Declaration

We consider certain fundamental values to be essential to international relations in the twenty-first century. These include:

! Tolerance. Human beings must respect one another, in all their diversity of belief, culture and language. Differences within and between societies should be neither feared nor repressed, but cherished as a precious asset of humanity. A culture of peace and dialogue among all civilizations should be actively promoted.

We resolve therefore:! To strive for the full protection and promotion in all our countries of civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights for all.! To strengthen the capacity of all our countries to implement the principles

and practices of democracy and respect for human rights, including minority rights.

(A/RES/55/2) 8 September 2000

Training Civil Servants to Respect,

United NationsDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs

Division for Public Economics and Public Administration

Value and Manage Diversity

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! Respecting diversity – promoting tolerance and moral values among civil servants

!Valuing diversity - understanding and appreciating other cultures

!Managing diversity - using workforce diversity to achieve organizational goals

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Why is Managing Diversity in the Civil Service Important?

1) Protection of Human Rights2) Representativeness of bureaucracy 3) Policy formulation for a wider public4) Government as “Model Employer”5) Social, political and economic stability

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Why is Managing Diversity Training Important?

! Changing demographics have led to increased workplace diversity

! Increased diversity in organizations creates interpersonal challenges

! Organizations wishing to have a presence in the global community use diversity training in a strategic manner

! Having diversity specialists makes good business and economic sense in today’s world

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Plan of Presentation

! What is Diversity?! Approaches to Diversity! Benefits of Diversity! System for Diversity Management! Types of Diversity Training Courses! Core Competencies for Diversity Training! Diversity and Civil Service Reform

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Definitions of Diversity

DIVERSITY -- the representation in one social system of people with distinctly different and significant group affiliations (adapted from Cox 1993)

DIVERSITY – the degree to which there is a variety of attributes (social, cultural, functional) within a particular structureof governance + the extent to which this variety is distributed at different levels of the structure+ the extent of awareness of this reality from various stakeholders (adapted from Ospina 2001)

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Diversity Dimensions

Race/Ethnicity/Language

GenderSocio-

EconomicClass

PhysicalAbilities/Condition

Age/Generation

Sexual/AffectionalOrientation

Adapted from works of Marilyn Loden, as published in Loden, H and Rosener, J.B. Workforce America, Homewood, Illinois Business One Irwin, 1991

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Definitions associated with Diversity

Affirmative Action (AA) – positive non-discriminatory measures to ensure fair treatment in the workforce for qualified employees or applicants who face employment barriers such as race, sex, ethnicity, etc Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) – the obligation to provide a discrimination-free workplace

Multiculturalism/Valuing diversity – the process of recognizing, understanding and appreciating other cultures than one’s own.

Managing Diversity – effective utilization of workforce diversity to achieve organizational goals

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Discrimination

Discrimination reflects a complex set of attitudes towards individuals or social groups within society

! Political discrimination – denial of political rights, restriction of access to political decision-making, lack of adequate representation in legislative bodies and restriction on freedom of expression, voting, free movement and place of residence

! Socio-economic discrimination – limited access to labor markets, resources and social services

! Cultural discrimination – restriction on the use of language, the observation of cultural practices and religious traditions, etc

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What is the type of Diversity that Matters?

" It depends on the context! political – The attitudes of the politicians determine the diversity. For example: ethnicity issues are prevailing in South Africa and the USA;

! social –The contextual definition of social class/group;

! cultural - Age, religions as subcultures determine diversity;

! historical – Awareness of racial issues emerged in the USAin the 1960s;

! economic -Age and gender are becoming important in periods of economic recession.

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Approaches to DiversityLegalisticapproach

Valuing Differences

Managing Diversity

! Quantitative! Legally driven! Remedial! Assimilation

model! Opens doors

! Resistance

! Qualitative! Ethically driven! Idealistic! Diversity model

! Opens attitudes, minds and culture

! Resistance

! Behavioral! Strategically driven! Pragmatic! Synergy model

! Opens the system

! Resistance

Adopted from Henderson, Cultural Diversity, 1997

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What Approach to Take?

The choice of approach depends on the social, economic, political and historical background of a country

Legalisticapproach

(LA)

Valuing differences

(VD)

Managingdiversity

(MD)

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Benefits of Diversity

! Ethical, Legal and Political Benefits

! Human Resource Management Benefits

! Organizational Benefits

Adopted from Handbook of Public Administration, Ch. 24

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Ethical, Legal and Political Benefits

1. Promotes fairness and justice in the workplace2. Diversity ensures peace and stability3. Creates economic opportunity and reduces social

inequality4. Ensures compliance with personnel-related requirements5. Balances the government’s need for productive

employees against the rights of employees as free citizens of a constitutional bureaucracy

6. Increases representation and responsiveness in the bureaucracy

7. Increases the potential for grassroots support for government programs and policies

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Potential Human Resource Management Benefits

1. Human Resource Acquisition: Enhances the organization's reputation and ability to attract and keep the best employees

2. Performance: Increases job satisfaction among employees resulting in improved delivery of services

3. Increases productivity and efficiency:! Promotes creative and innovative approaches! Heterogeneity in decision making and problem solving

groups potentially produces better decisions through a wider range of perspectives and more thorough critical analysis

! Reduces “group think”

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Organizational Benefits

1. Increases internal capabilities:! Enhances organization's flexibility to address the changes ! Promotes fluidity in organizational design2. Increases “marketing” competitiveness: ! Workforce reflects client population! Enhances organizational insight and cultural sensitivity in

addressing client needs and values3. Decreases discrimination litigation4. Increases organizational legitimacy due to enhanced

reputation and higher effectiveness

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Challenges of Diversity

! Difficulty convincing relevant stakeholders that multiculturalism is needed and valuable

! Difficulty marketing the diversity plan, as the costs associated with it are easier to quantify than its benefits

! Potential employee resentment or disillusionment stemming from disappointed hopes for rapid improvement, fear of exclusion or of a loss of privileges, and general uncertainty

! Increased danger of group polarization resulting from changing the existing distributive order

! Potential increased cost related to turnover and absenteeism

Adopted from Handbook of Public Administration, Ch. 24

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System of Diversity Management

1) Leadership! Top management commitment and support! Steering and advisory groups! Communication strategy2) Training and Development! Awareness and skill-building training! Development of in-house expertise! Orientation programs3) Measurement and Assessment! Comprehensive organizational assessments! Benchmarking

continued...

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System of Diversity Management

4) Culture and Management System Audit! Comprehensive analysis of the organizational culture and the human

resource system such as recruitment, performance appraisal, promotion and compensation:

# To uncover sources of potential bias unfavorable to members of certain cultural groups;

# To identify ways that organizational culture may inadvertently put some members at a disadvantage.

5) Monitoring! Evaluation processes! Accountability! Ensuring continuous improvement

Cox and Blake Managing Cultural Diversity, 1991

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Types of Training for Managing Diversity

! Information Training! Cultural Awareness Training! Specifically Targeted Awareness Training! Equity Training! Anti-discrimination Training! Diversity Training

Adopted from John Wrench, “Workplace Diversity: Research Perspective on Policy and Practice”

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Awareness and Equity Training

produces changes in behavior and attitudes

produces changes in behavior

produces rapid change in attitudes

engages trainees to change their attitudes

provides cultural information

focuses on changing organizational practice

may be routinely built into the induction of new recruits

focuses more on personal attitudes

representatives of official minorities are invited

introduces the legal context of discriminatory acts

identifies stereotypes located in the dominant group

includes material on the dominant culture of the trainees

highlights the evidence and processes of discrimination

provides cultural information

directed at avoiding discri-mination and bias in HRM

seeks to tackle discrimination in recruitment

instructs in legally accepted behavior

creates awareness of racism, sexism ageism, etc.

provides cultural information

contains facts on prejudice and racism

Anti-discrimination

Training

Equity Training

Specific Awareness Training

Cultural Awareness Training

Information Training

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Diversity Training

! is broader, more ambitious, and long-term! is mainly directed at managers who have power to

produce organizational change in the Civil Service! includes elements of other approaches to Managing

Diversity trainings! includes exchange of public sector reform

experiences

Adopted from John Wrench, “Workplace Diversity: Research Perspective on Policy and Practice”

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Core competencies of Diversity Training

1. Awareness and Attitudes change through! Identifying personal biases and moral positions! Challenging prejudice and stereotypes

2. Knowledge! Concepts of diversity management ! Legal aspects of managing diversity3. Intercultural Skills! Communication! Conflict resolution! Team work

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Preparation for Diversity Training

! Does the leadership of the organization support the initiative?

! Are the goals of the training realistic?! Is the training targeted to all employees?! Is the training mandatory or voluntary?! Does the trainer have enough information about the

work environment?! Will the training address the burning issues of the

employees?

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Diversity and Civil Service Reform

It is critical that:! Managing diversity be an integral part of

civil service reform! Leadership show a genuine commitment to

managing diversity ! Approach to managing diversity be

systematic and systemic

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$Training to Manage Diversity should:! Be a part of the programmes of Schools

and Institutes of Public Administration! Always be based on local needs and

conditions

$The Civil Service should be a workplace of choice for all