Literature Review Assignment
ANDYXU666
Lecture4Slides1960.pptxDiversity, Equity and Inclusion I: Diversity management and inclusive leadership
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What does “diversity and inclusion” mean to people in Singapore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vtphK93vz0
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Overview
What is workplace diversity
Why do we care about workplace diversity
Types of diversity
How to manage diversity effectively
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What is diversity
Broad term used to refer to all kinds of differences
Race/ethnicity, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation, knowledge, values, attitudes, physical abilities, aggressiveness, extroversion
Members of different groups share common values, attitudes, and perceptions
There is still much diversity within each group
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Diversity – A pressing concern
Ethical imperative
Distributive justice
Equal work should provide individuals with an equal outcome in terms of goods acquired or the ability to acquire goods
Procedural justice
Fairness in the processes that resolve disputes and allocate resources
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Helps organisational effectiveness
Contributes to better managerial decision-making
Increases customer satisfaction
Contribute to the retention of valued employees
But… an unfortunate reality exists:
Biases, stereotypes and overt discrimination are prevalent
Diversity – A pressing concern
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Unfortunate Reality
Age
Ageing population
Australia
Older people more likely to be laid off and unemployed
Over a quarter of Australians aged 50 years and over report that they had experienced age discrimination in the last two years.
Singapore (see ageing population trend below):
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Gender
The difference between salaries of men and women has persisted at levels above 15% for about two decades, and the most significant variation is between public (12.9%) and private sector (20.8%).
Examples: Hollywood (Natalie Portman; Jennifer Lawrence)
Gender issues on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley
Motherhood penalty and fatherhood bump;
Unfortunate Reality
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Unfortunate Reality
Race and ethnicity
There was an anti-immigration sentiment during and after US election in 2016.
A recent Australian study sent out 4,000 identical resumes but with different names of candidates to employers in response to job advertisement in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. They found that:
“To get the same number of interviews as an applicant with an Anglo-Saxon name, a Chinese applicant must submit 68 per cent more applications, a Middle Eastern applicant must submit 64 per cent more applications, an Indigenous applicant must submit 35 per cent more applications, and an Italian applicant must submit 12 per cent more applications.”
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Unfortunate Reality
Religion
In France, a “burkini ban” was implemented to stop Muslim women from wearing full-body swimwear (2016)
In Switzerland, a court ruled that Muslim girls must swim with boys after parents refused to send their daughter to gender-mixed swimming classes (2017)
A key lesson for managers when it comes to religious diversity: recognising and being sensitive to different religions and their belief systems, with particular attention being paid to when religious holidays fall.
When managers acknowledge, respect and make even small accommodations for religious diversity, employee loyalty is often enhanced.
Good news:
IBM’s “Cultural Diversity Networking Group” and “Floating Cultural Holiday policy”
Police officers in New York are able to wear beards and turbans from the end of 2016
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Unfortunate Reality
Capabilities or disabilities
People with a disability can bring skills, talents and abilities to any workforce. Many are tertiary- or trades-qualified and hold senior managerial positions. People with a disability who are currently employed work across many occupations.
Although most people with a disability want to work, some employers may have concerns about employing people with disability. People with a disability often find it hard to break down these barriers to recruitment.
Sometimes a person with a disability may need a few simple adjustments to the workplace or a piece of special adaptive equipment to allow them to perform a job. However, the larger barrier facing many people with a disability is the attitudes of others.
Good news: Justine Clark, the first contestant to compete in the Miss World Australia pageant in a wheelchair: "I really hope it sends a message that no matter what your race, size or disability — whatever makes you different — you are beautiful."
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Unfortunate Reality
Socioeconomic background
Typically refers to a combination of social class and income-related factors
Socioeconomic diversity suggests that managers need to be sensitive and responsive to the needs and concerns of workers who may be less fortunate than themselves in terms of income and financial resources, childcare and eldercare options, housing opportunities and sources of social and family support.
Managers should try to provide such individuals with opportunities to learn, advance and make meaningful contributions to their organisations while improving their economic wellbeing.
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Situations we want to avoid: “Singapore’s society can be pigeonholed into Higher SES and Lower SES”
Unfortunate Reality
Sexual orientation
An increasing number of organisations recognise the status of gay and lesbian employees and affirm their rights to fair and equal treatment.
Ethically and legally: For many organisations, fair and equal treatment is an integral part of doing business ethically; and it is often a requirement of operating legally.
Economically: to attract and retain valuable employees
Some useful perspectives:
The real cost of Telstra’s backflip on marriage equality (Trau & Shao, 2016)
Homophobia is harmful to workers and businesses (Trau, 2017)
Diversity Council Australia has developed the Australian Equality Index which measures the commitment of organisations to LGBT inclusion.
Wear it Purple Day to support for young people with different sex, sexuality and gender identities.
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How to manage diversity effectively: Legislative measures around the world
Click here for more:
Asia Diversity and Discrimination Traffic Lights 2014
Click the link to see more details
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How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
Secure top management commitment
Top management’s commitment to diversity is crucial for the success of any diversity-related initiatives.
Strive to increase the accuracy of perceptions
Managers should consciously attempt to be open to other points of view and perspectives, seek them out and encourage their employees to do the same.
Managers should not be afraid to change their views about a person, issue or event; moreover, they should encourage their employees to be open to changing their views.
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
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Increase diversity awareness
Provide organisational members with accurate information about diversity
Uncover personal biases and stereotypes
Assess personal beliefs, attitudes and values and learn from other points of view
Overturn inaccurate stereotypes and beliefs about different groups
Develop an atmosphere in which people feel free to share their differing perspectives and viewpoints
Improve understanding and tolerance of others who are different from oneself
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
Increase diversity skills
Improve the way managers and staff interact with each other and improve their ability to work with different kinds of people. Particularly, learn how to communicate with diversity of employees.
Organisational members should also feel comfortable enough to clear the air and solve communication difficulties and misunderstandings as they occur rather than letting problems grow and fester without acknowledgement.
Diversity education can help managers and subordinates gain a better understanding of how people may interpret certain kinds of comments and behaviours. It can also help employees learn how to functionally resolve misunderstanding.
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112.
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Support flexible work arrangements
To the extent it is feasible, managers should be flexible enough to incorporate the differing needs of diverse employees
E.g., allowing days off for religious leave; flexible work hours, having the option to work from home
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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Pay close attention to how employees are evaluated
Whenever feasible, it is desirable to rely on objective performance indicators, as these are less subject to bias;
When objective indicators are not available or are inappropriate, managers should ensure that adequate time and attention are focused on the evaluation of employees’ performance and evaluators are held accountable for their evaluations.
Vague standards should be avoided.
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112.
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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Measure diversity and inclusion
One way to check whether an organisation is not managing diversity well is analyse the percentage of diverse groups within an organisation (age, race, culture) for imbalance.
This analysis can be the starting point for improvement and goal setting to achieve a more balanced and representative organisation.
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
Empower employees to challenge discriminatory behaviours, actions and remarks
Create an organisational culture that has zero tolerance for discrimination.
Organisational members should feel empowered to challenge discriminatory behaviour
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
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Reward employees for effectively managing diversity
Employees should be encouraged and rewarded for their contribution to the objective of effective diversity management;
E.g., After settling a major race discrimination court case against them, Coca-Cola company now ties managers’ pay to their achievement of diversity goals.
Encourage mentoring of diverse employees
Develop a high-quality, close and supportive relationship with a mentor
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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Provide training utilising a multipronged, ongoing approach
Use films and printed materials supplemented by experiential exercises to uncover hidden biases and stereotypes;
Providing a forum for people to learn about and discuss their differing attitudes, values and experiences
Role-plays to enact problems resulting from lack of awareness and indicate the increased understanding that comes from appreciating others’ viewpoints
Hire external consultants to provide diversity training
From: Jones, George, Barrett, & Honig (2016), Contemporary Management (4e), pp. 109-112
How to manage diversity effectively: Organisational measures
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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Award-Winning Animation
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In-class Activities
Diversity
What do you understand by this term? Shout out your answers!
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Diversity Council Australia (DCA):
All of the differences between people in how they identify in relation to their:
Age, caring responsibilities, cultural background, disability, gender or gender identity, Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander background, sexual orientation, intersex status, and socio-economic background (Social Identity)
Profession, education, work experiences, and organisational role (Professional Identity).
All of these aspects of our identity inform our individual perspective of the world.
Diversity
‹#›
Inclusion
What do you understand by this term? Shout out your answers!
‹#›
Diversity Council Australia (DCA):
Inclusion occurs when a diversity of people (e.g. of different ages, cultural backgrounds, genders) feel valued and respected, have access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute their perspectives and talents to improve their organisation.
It is only through inclusion that organisations can make the most out of diversity.
Inclusion
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Class Activity 1: Is the organisation really inclusive?
Ask any company whether they’re diverse and inclusive, and they’re probably going to tell you “yes”. If you take that answer at face value, you run the risk of joining a company that talks a big game, but ultimately fails to take action. And in a worst-case scenario, this results in anyone from a non-traditional background feeling isolated and uncomfortable at work.
But you don’t have to wait until you’ve accepted a position to figure out whether or not a company walks the walk when it comes to diversity and inclusion. The interview process is an opportunity not only for a company to get to know you, but for you to get to know the company.
Based on your understanding of diversity and inclusion, what would you ask the organisation? In your groups, prepare five questions.
Remember an interview isn’t just the candidate being interviewed, but the candidate interviewing the organisation too. See the interview as an opportunity for you to really get to know the company, understand the culture, and what drives their ethics.
Millennials will actively research the companies diversity and inclusion policy before they go in and if the culture internally doesn’t match up to what is said externally, they will leave. The previous generation also did the research but once they were in they were reluctant to move. That has changed.
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Class Activity 2: How to be an inclusive leader?
Practicing diversity and inclusion allows for more effective talent management (attraction and retention), alignment, and team performance, as well as improved efficiency. These factors all contribute to building a high-performance organisation.
Based on your understanding of diversity and inclusion, identify some key traits of an inclusive leader. In your groups, come out with at least three traits. Following which, come out with ways leaders can translate those traits into practice in the workplace.
Class Activity 3: Why do some D&I initiatives fail?
“Most organisations are failing miserably when it comes to their diversity and inclusion efforts. The reason: there are fundamental flaws in how most organisations approach diversity & inclusion (D&I).”
“Do people who undergo training usually shed their biases?”
In your groups, discuss: Why do you think some diversity & inclusion (D&I) initiatives fail? Come up with three reasons.
References and reading list
Jones, GR, George, JM, Barrett, M, & Honig, B 2016, ‘Chapter 4: Managing change and diversity’, in Contemporary Management, 4th edn, MaGraw Hill, pp. 96-113.
Inclusion through Intervention: Living with diversity the Singapore way, Ministry of National Development, Singapore.
Managing workplace diversity: A toolkit for organisations, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore
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