Diversity training + beyond

CH-15 Copyright 2008 Werner et al 1

HRD AND DIVERSITY: DIVERSITY TRAINING AND

BEYOND

Chapter 15


Learning Objectives

• Understand how the changing demographics of the labor market are changing the cultural fabric of organizations

• Describe how organizational culture is being affected by having a greater percentage of women and minorities in the workforce

• Describe how diversity issues are impacting organizations, as well as HRD


Learning Objectives

• Become familiar with different forms of discrimination, and how HRD programs and processes can help to reduce these effects

• Describe the ways organizations attempt to integrate women and minorities into the organization, and the relative success of these efforts

• Understand the purpose and methods of cross-cultural training


Questions

• What is the current status of women and people of color in the U.S. workforce?

• Is there a “glass ceiling” that limits the advancement of women and people of color in U.S. organizations?

• What is the difference between equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and managing diversity?

• How effective are diversity training programs employed by organizations?

• What can organizations do to better prepare their employees to deal with cross-cultural issues, especially if they are sent to work in another country?

• What types of HRD programs can organizations use to develop and promote a culturally diverse workforce?


Culture

• A set of shared values, beliefs, norms, and artifacts that are used to interpret the environment and as a guide for all kinds of behavior


Common Cultural CharacteristicsTable 15-1

• Common geographic origin• Migratory status• Race• Language or dialect• Religious faith• Ties that transcend kinship, neighborhood,

and community boundaries• Shared traditions, values, and symbols

SOURCE: From Thernstrom, S., Orlov, A., & Handlin, O. (Eds.). (1980). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.


Common Cultural CharacteristicsTable 15-1

• Literature, folklore, music• Food preferences• Settlement and employment patterns• Special interests in regard to politics• Institutions that specifically serve and

maintain the group• An internal perception of distinctness• An external perception of distinctness

SOURCE: From Thernstrom, S., Orlov, A., & Handlin, O. (Eds.). (1980). Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.


Organizational Culture

• A set of shared values, beliefs, norms, artifacts, and patterns of behavior that are used as a frame of reference for the way one looks at, attempts to understand, and works within an organization


Artifacts

• Material and nonmaterial objects and patterns that intentionally or unintentionally communicate information about the organization’s technology, beliefs,values, assumptions, and ways of doing things


Artifacts

• Material artifacts include documents, physical layout, furnishings, patterns of dress, and so on

• Nonmaterial artifacts include organizational stories, ceremonies, and leadership styles


Patterns of Behavior

• Help to reinforce an organization’s assumptions, beliefs, and ways of doing things through staff meetings, training programs, filing forms, and other normal organizational practices


Labor Market Changes and Discrimination

• Discrimination can occur in various ways– access discrimination occurs when an

organization places limits on job availability through such things as restricting advertisement and recruitment, rejecting applicants, or offering a lower starting salary

– treatment discrimination occurs after a person is hired and takes the form of limiting opportunities


Treatment Discrimination Against Women

• Women have made considerable progress moving into formerly male-dominated occupations such as medicine, law, management, advertising, and engineering


Changes in the Number of Women at the Top of Fortune 500 Companies, 1995–2006

Table 15-1 1995 2000 2003 2006

Percent of board of directors who are female 9.5% 11.7% 13.6% 14.7%

Percent of corporate officers who are female 8.7% 12.5% 15.7% 16.6%

Percent of top officers who are female 1.2% 4.1% 7.9% 6.7%

Number of companies with three female

corporate officers

25 50 54 64

Number of CEOs who are female: 1 2 8 10

SOURCES: 2006 Catalyst census of women corporate officers (2006). New York: Catalyst. Accessed August 24, 2007 at http://www.catalystwomen.org/knowledge/cote.shtml; WOW! Facts 2006. Business Women’s Network. Accessed on August 25, 2007 at http:www.wowfacts.diversitybestpractices.com/wow/excerpts06.pdf


Sexual Harassment

• Many forms of sexual harassment,– unwanted off-color jokes and comments– outright unwanted sexual propositions and

touching– offers of job rewards in exchange for sexual

favors


Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

• If an employee’s subjection to or rejection of the sexual conduct is used as a basis for an employment decision

• Even if the harassment is not linked directly to an employment decision, it can still be illegal harassment if the behavior is found to have created a hostile work environment


Treatment Discrimination Against Minorities in Organizations

• Primarily in the lack of promotional opportunities and incidents of racial harassment

• Minorities have had difficulty moving into key executive and policymaking positions

• Racial harassment on the job can take many forms


Equal Employment Opportunity

• The right to obtain jobs and earn rewards in them regardless of non-job-related factors

• Follow-ons make it unlawful for employers to make employment decisions on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, mental or physical handicap, Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status, and pregnancy, unless these factors can be shown to be job related


The Glass Ceiling

• An invisible but impenetrable boundary prevented women and minorities from advancing to senior management levels

• Subtle attitudes and prejudices that block women and minorities from upward mobility, particularly into management jobs


Glass Ceiling Commission

• Goals were:– to promote a high quality, inclusive, and diverse

workforce capable of meeting the challenge of global competition

– to promote good corporate conduct through an emphasis on corrective and cooperative problem solving

– to promote equal opportunity, not mandated results– to establish a blueprint of procedures to guide the

department in conducting future reviews of all management levels of the corporate workforce


Commission Findings

• Neither women nor minorities tended to advance as far as their white male counterparts, although women advanced further than minorities

• While most organizations made a concerted effort to identify and develop key (white male) employees, few organizations had taken any ownership for equal employment opportunity and access

• The few women and minorities who held executive jobs were in staff positions that were considered outside the corporate mainstream for promotions to senior-level positions

• While most of these organizations held federal government contracts, most ha inadequate equal employment and affirmative action record keeping


Impact of Recent Immigration Patterns

• One reason for the growth in the number of minority workers has been the large influx of immigrants since the 1960s

• Differences based on culture, religion, and other variables must be considered as these individuals are assimilated into U.S. society and work settings


Adapting to Demographic Change

• Many organizations established programs to facilitate the recruitment and retention of qualified women and minorities.

• The inclusion of women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups has made organizations more culturally diverse


Cultural Diversity

• The existence of two or more persons from different cultural groups in any single group or organization


Three Different Approaches

• They are– Affirmative action– Valuing differences– Managing diversity

• Each approach seeks to extend beyond the legal mandates required by the equal opportunity (EEO) laws


Affirmative Action Programs

• Purpose of affirmative action programs is– to bring members of underrepresented

groups, usually groups that have suffered discrimination, into a higher degree of participation in some beneficial program


Steps to Meet Affirmative Action Requirements

• Prepare a written policy statement on equal employment opportunity/affirmative action (EEO/AA)

• Designate an affirmative action officer

• Publicize an EEO/AA policy statement

• Conduct an analysis of the surrounding labor market to determine if its current labor force is representative


Steps to Meet Affirmative Action Requirements

• If a protected group is underrepresented in any area within the organization, develop goals and timetables to achieve parity with the external labor market

• Develop specific programs and activities to achieve these goals and timetables

• Establish an internal auditing and reporting system of its programs and activities

• Develop support for affirmative action, both inside and outside the company


Affirmative Action

• Sometimes requires actions such as preferential recruiting and hiring or placement of certain groups when those groups are underrepresented in an occupation within an organization


Differences Between EEO and AAP

• Under affirmative action, the employer is asked to explicitly consider race and gender in such decisions, if women and minorities are not adequately represented in a particular job or job category

• Under EEO, employer seeks to ignore race and gender as much as possible when making employment decisions


Race and Gender Discrimination

• Remain troubling issues in American society

• Both men and women vary widely in their perceptions of affirmative action in particular, and diversity in general


Valuing Differences and Diversity Training

• Valuing differences– create an environment in which each person’s

cultural differences are respected

• Diversity training programs vary in scope and length


Issues

• Common misgiving about emphasizing differences is that it fails to recognize that people identify with each other because of shared interests, values, goals, and experiences

• Costs of doing diversity training


Potential Problems with Diversity Training

Table 15-3

SOURCE: Copyright © December 1992 from Training & Development Journal by Mobley, M. & Payne, T. Reprinted with permission of American Society for Training & Development.

When Trainers When the Training Program

• Use their own psychological

issues (e.g., trust or group

affiliation) as template for

Training

• Have their political agenda

• Do not model the philosophy or skills associated with valuing diversity

• Is not integrated into the organization’s overall approach to diversity

• Is too brief, too late, or reactive

• Is presented as remedial and trainees as people with problems

• Does not distinguish the meanings of valuing diversity, EEO, AA, and managing across cultures



Table 15-3



• Are chosen because they represent or advocate for a minority group

• Are not competent at facilitation and presenting, have poor credibility with trainees, or are known to be insensitive

• Does not make a link between

stereotyping behavior and

personal and organizational

effectiveness

• Is based on a philosophy of

political correctness

• Is too shallow or too deep



Table 15-3



• Force people to reveal their

feelings about other people

• Do not respect individual styles

of trainees

• Pressure only one group to

change

• Cover too few issues and do not

engage participants individually

• Resource materials are outdated

• Curriculum is not adapted to

trainees’ needs or not matched with

the skills and experience of the

Trainer

• Discussion of certain issues

(e.g., reverse discrimination)

is not allowed


Managing Diversity

• A comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment (organizational culture) that works for all employees

• Focus is on inclusion


Managing Diversity Approach

• Requires – A long-term commitment to change– Substantive changes in organizational culture– A modified definition of leadership and

management roles– Both individual an organizational adaptation– Structural changes


Long-Term Commitment to Change

• Pillsbury’s Three Year Plan– To develop and implement strategic plans for

creating more culturally diverse organizations– To increase leaders’ and managers’

knowledge and skills in managing a culturally diverse workplace

– To attract, motivate, and retain women and people of color


Needed Changes

• Substantive change in culture

• Modified definitions of leadership and management roles

• Both individual and organizational adaptation

• Structural changes


Pillsbury’s Program for Managing Diversity

Table 15-4

SOURCE: From Greenslade, M. (1991). Managing diversity: Lessons from the United States. Personnel Management (United Kingdom), 23(12), 30.

Stage Objectives

Briefing session, half day – 2 days

a. Review organization’s cultural assessment data

b. Learn basic concepts regarding high performing,

culturally diverse organizations

c. Review organization’s diversity plan



Table 15-4


Stage Objectives

Team session,

2 days

a. Build team skills necessary for addressing

cultural diversity.

b. Clarify business rationale for cultural diversity

c. Understand differences in business style

d. Understand differences in interpersonal style



Table 15-4


Stage Objectives

Added value (race), 3 days

a. Enhance racial interactions and communications

b. Identify stereotyping (racist) behaviors

c. Identify and address organizational barriers to

contributions of racial minorities

d. Develop strategies for greater inclusion of racial

minorities



Table 15-4


Stage Objectives

Added value

(gender), 3 days

a. Enhance gender interactions and communications

b. Identify stereotyping (sexist) behaviors

c. Identify and address organizational barriers to

women’s successful contributions

d. Develop strategies for greater inclusion of

women



Table 15-4


Stage Objectives

Added value (style), 3 days

a. Identify the value that differences in style, ethnic/

race, gender, and culture bring to the workplace

b. Practice teamwork that enhances the contribution

of each member



Table 15-4


Stage Objectives

Strategic planning,

1–2 days

a. Integrate cultural diversity into the business plan.

b. Develop plans to

(1) expand educational process to the total organization

(2) enhance the human resource system

(3) strengthen recruitment and retention


Effectiveness of Managing Diversity Programs.

• Following reactions have been reported:– Deep-seated biases and prejudices that emerge as a

reaction to fast-paced social change– A perceived competition for jobs and resources,

creating what some people see as a threatening environment

– The tendency of some people to see the political correctness movement as a direct threat to the First Amendment—which has created a legal and social minefield

– Confusion about such terms as political correctness, diversity, multiculturalism, pluralism, equal opportunity, and affirmative action


Some Comparisons of Affirmative Action and Diversity Management

Table 15-5

SOURCE: From Ivancevich, J. M., & Gilbert, J. A. (2000). Diversity management: Time for a new approach. Public Personnel Management, 29(1), 89.

Affirmative Action Diversity Management

• Reactive and based on law

and moral imperative• Not linked in any formal manner to team building

• Proactive

• Emphasizes building diverse

teams



Table 15-5



• Focuses primarily on women and people of color

• Inclusive

• Race ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, and physical limitations all generally considered



Table 15-5



• Emphasis is primarily on employees and not external constituents

• Considers diversity in the recruitment pool, in employees, and in the external constituency


Cross-Cultural Education and Training Programs

• Globalization is increasingly being linked to diversity management efforts

• Globalization has also resulted in more individuals being given expatriate assignment

• Many organizations are providing cross-cultural training to prepare these individuals for their

assignments


Cross-Cultural Awareness Training

Deals with at least four elements:1. Raising the awareness of cultural

differences2. Focusing on ways attitudes are shaped3. Providing factual information about each

culture4. Building skills in the areas of language,

nonverbal communication, cultural stress management, and adjustment adaptation

skills


Most Important Diversity Practices

Table 15-6

SOURCE: Diversity practices that work (2004). National Urban League (p. 20). Accessed on August 27, 2007, fromhttp://www.nul.org/Publications/PDF/ERAC-NUL.pdf.

Effective Diversity Practices Theme Importance

Rank

Marketing to diverse customers and consumers

Retaining diverse talent

Recruiting diverse talent

Leadership commitment and involvement

Inclusive culture and values

Diversity education and training

Community involvement

1

2

3

4

5

6

7


Most Important Diversity Practices

Table 15-6

SOURCE: Diversity practices that work (2004). National Urban League (p. 20). Accessed on August 27, 2007, fromhttp://www.nul.org/Publications/PDF/ERAC-NUL.pdf.

Effective Diversity Practices Theme Importance

Rank

Advancing diverse talent

Career development for diverse talent

Diversity employee communications

Employee involvement

Supplier diversity

Performance accountability and measurement

8

9

10

11

12

13


Cultural Programs

• Programs that focus on how attitudes are shaped help people to understand howcultural stereotypes are formed and the destructiveness of cultural bias

• Providing factual information about each culture is necessary to reinforce new assumptions, values, beliefs, and attitudes about different cultures


Cultural Programs

• Programs that build skills in the areas of language, nonverbal communication, cultural stress management, and adjustment adaptation address critical interpersonal relations of employees both inside and outside the organization


Questions for Cultural Awareness Training

Table 15-7

SOURCE: From Mason, H., & Spich, R. S. (1987). Management: An International Perspective. Homewood, IL: Irwin.

Question Potential Area of Discussion

Examples

What are some key

dissimilarities

between people

from different

cultures?

1. Physical traits

2. System of values

3. Language or dialect

4. Religion

5. Institutions

1. Sex, age, race

2. Work ethic

3. Hispanic

4. Judaism

5. Economic



Table 15-7



Examples

How do these

differences come

about?

1. Custom

2. Lifestyle

3. Shared norms

4. Shared experiences

5. Communication

patterns

1. Clothing

2. Food

3. Conforming

4. War veteran

5. Nonverbal symbols



Table 15-7



Examples

What are the

implications when

different cultures

interact?

1. Conflict

2. Stereotyping or

Ethnocentrism

3. Sexism or racism

1. When there is a

misunderstanding

2. When a group

refuses to accept a

person from another

group

3. Discrimination


Challenges for HRD

• Seeking to remove all causes of discrimination• HRD Can

– Be willing to confront the underlying assumptions, beliefs, and attitudes that foster bigotry and stereotyping that exist within their organization

– Examine their organization’s practices in the areas of socialization, orientation, career development, and sexual and racial harassment


Body Language in Cultures Worldwide

Table 15-8

• Acceptable interpersonal distance in various countries is

SOURCE: From Thiederman, S. (1990). Bridging cultural barriers for corporate success (pp. 133–141). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

0 to 18 inches

18 inches to 3 feet

3 feet or more

Middle Eastern Males, People from the eastern and southern Mediterranean, and some Hispanic cultures

United States and Western Europe

Asia (Japanese the farthest) and many African cultures



Table 15-8

• It is inappropriate behavior to touch others on the head in most Asian countries




Table 15-8

Acceptable length of eye contact in various cultures is


0 to 1 second

1 second

1 second or more

Native Americans, East Indians, and Asian cultures

(Least is the Cambodian culture, which believes that

direct eye contact is flirtatious.)

United States (To continue direct eye contact beyond

1 second can be considered threatening, particularly

between Anglo- and African-American persons.)

Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Southern European, and

French cultures generally advocate very direct eye

contact



Table 15-8

Variations of handshakes in various countries are


Firm

Moderate grasp

Light

Soft

Gentle

Gentle

United States, Germany

Hispanic countries

France (not offered to superiors)

Great Britain

Middle Eastern Countries

Asia (For some cultures, though not Koreans, shaking hands Is unfamiliar and uncomfortable.)



Table 15-8


Pointing

Beckoning

Generally poor etiquette in most countries, especially

in Asian countries where it is considered rude

and in poor taste. If pointing is necessary, in Hong

Kong you use your middle finger, in Malaysia it is

the thumb, and the rest of Asia it is the entire hand

The American gesture of using upturned fingers, palm

facing the body, is deeply offensive to the Mexicans,

Filipinos, and Vietnamese. For example, this gesture

In the Philippines is used to beckon prostitutes



Table 15-8


Signs of approval

Signaling no

The American use of the okay sign, the thumbs-up

signal, and the V for “victory” are among the most

offensive to other cultures

This can be confusing. In Mexico and the Middle East,

a no is indicated by a back-to-forth movement of the

index finger



Table 15-8


The left hand Gesturing or handling something with the left hand

among Muslims is considered offensive because

they consider this the “toilet” hand



Table 15-8

• Crossing legs is in poor taste among most Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures. The Russians find it distasteful to place the ankle on the knee



Socialization and Orientation

• Following issues should be considered:– New employees (including women and minorities) may feel

isolated when their cultural differences prevent them from obtaining the interesting and challenging work assignments that are needed to learn important job-related skills and to qualify for promotions

– Women and minorities may experience additional stresses if they feel they must become “bicultural” in order to be accepted by coworkers in the majority group

– Women and minorities are sometimes held to higher standards than other coworkers as they enter nontraditional occupations

• Failure to consider these issues can result in the loss of talented employees


Career Development

• Programs that promote valuing differences and managing diversity can be useful in creating a positive climate for career advancement

• “If you are going to attract the best … people into your organization, you’d better have a culture; you’d better have an environment in which those people feel they can prosper and flourish” (Jim Preston, former CEO of Avon)


Mentoring to Promote Diversity

• Minorities in homogeneous mentoring relation-ships receive more psychosocial support (e.g., personal support, friendship) than those in diverse mentoring relationships

• Mentors are also better role models in homogeneous relationships

• Psychosocial support existed in diverse relationship when both the mentor and protégé showed the preferred strategy for dealing with (racial) differences


Composition of Relationship, Mentor Functions, and Protégé Outcomes

Fig. 15-1

SOURCE: Academy of Management Review by Ragins, B. R. Copyright 1997 by Academy of Management. Reproduced with permission of ACAD OF MGMT in the format Textbook via Copyright Clearance Center.

CareerDevelopment

Psychosocial

RoleModeling

PromotionCompensation

Job SatisfactionSocializationOrganizational CommitmentJob StressRole Stress and BurnoutWork AlienationTurnover

Career CommitmentCareer Aspirations

Diversified

Mentor: MajorityProtégé: Minority

Diversified

Mentor: MinorityProtégé: Majority

Homogeneous

Mentor: MajorityProtégé: Majority

Homogeneous

Mentor: MinorityProtégé: Minority

Attitudes toward DiversityMentor's PowerMentor's Ability

Mentorship ExperienceRank and PositionDemographics

Moderators

Composition of Relationship

MentorFunctions

ProtégéOutcomes


Sexual and Racial Harassment Training

• Four steps1. Preparation of a policy and complaint

procedures for• defining the scope of responsibility,• prompt and measured responses to claims of

harassment• authority to address the issue • multiple avenues for filing complaints



• Four steps2. Assessment of the organizational climate

• determine if the organization is ready to accept the appropriate change, particularly if such training will be mandatory

• survey the employees to see how they feel about harassment issues



• Four Steps3. Content of the training program

• describe the current laws including interpretation of recent court decisions,

• review the organizational policy and procedures, communicate a set of organizational standards of conduct

• outline responsibilities of supervisors• discuss methods of counseling or referring victims• address situations where harassment is likely to

take place



• Four Steps4. Selecting the trainer or trainers

• Care must be taken in selecting a trainer who has both expert knowledge of the law and an under-standing of the organizational politics


Conclusion

• Human resource development, that is, some combination of training and development, career development, and organizational development, can be applied to approach the challenges and potential benefits of workforce diversity

• Training is part of the solution, but certainly only one part, just as in meeting all corporate strategy and productivity goals