APA Assignment

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter Objectives After completing this chapter, readers should have a firm understanding of the importance of diversity in

organizations. Specifically, they should be able to:

explain what “diversity” encompasses in the United States and some of the considerations used in determining the relevant diversity concerns in other areas.

discuss changing population demographics and associated effects on workforce and customer diversity.

explain interrelationships among diversity, discrimination, and inclusion.

discuss research on the individual and organizational benefits of diversity and inclusion.

Key Facts Changing population demographics and changing attitudes toward diversity have considerably increased

diversity in many organizations, yet discrimination, inequality, and exclusion persist. Many organizations are

more diverse than in the past, yet sexual harassment and segregation, glass ceilings and walls, and social

hierarchies remain.*

Organizational context is important in determining diversity’s effect on performance. Properly managed,

diversity and inclusion can benefit organizations in the areas of cost, resource acquisition, marketing, creativity,

problem solving, and system flexibility.

If an organization develops a reputation for valuing all types of employees and customers, it will become known

as an organization in which workers and customers from all backgrounds feel they will be treated fairly.

Working in and learning in environments with people who are different can benefit individuals through

intellectual engagement, perspective taking, and greater understanding of the implications and benefits of

diversity.

Introduction and Overview

What Is Diversity?

Book Title: eTextbook: Diversity in Organizations Chapter 1. Introduction

In this book, is defined as real or perceived differences among people in such areas as race, ethnicity,

sex, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, work and family status, weight and

appearance, social class, and other identity-based attributes that affect their interactions and relationships.* These focal areas encompass differences that are based on power or dominance relations among groups,

particularly “identity groups,” which are the collectivities people use to categorize themselves and others.* are often readily apparent to others, sources of strong personal meaning, and related to

historical disparities among groups in treatment, opportunities, and outcomes.

The definition of diversity includes the terms real and perceived to acknowledge the social constructions of

many areas of difference. In particular, although race is socially constructed, perceptions of race, beliefs about

people of different races, and discrimination on the basis of race strongly affect people’s life chances and

experiences.* Similarly, gender is also socially constructed, representing perceptions of how males and females should behave, rather than being representative of biological differences between the sexes that might cause

males and females to behave differently. As do perceived racial differences, beliefs about the differences

between males and females strongly affect the expectations of, experiences of, and opportunities for girls,

boys, men, and women in families, society, and organizations.

In contrast to the categories of focus in this book, some research has explored diversity in terms of functional

area (e.g., marketing, finance, or accounting), tenure, values, attitudes, and social class as they affect people’s

organizational experiences. These categories may also be sources of real or perceived differences that affect

people’s interactions, outcomes, and relationships at work. For example, engineering, finance, and accounting

managers typically earn more and have greater occupational status than human resources managers. (The

former positions are also more likely to be held by men than the latter position; sex typing and segregation of

jobs, and their negative consequences for women, will be discussed in later chapters.) However, one’s

functional area at work is not likely to fit the criteria for identity groups—that is, readily apparent, or associated

with historical disparities in treatment, opportunities, or outcomes in society at large.

Social class, referring to those “who occupy a similar position in the economic system of production,

distribution, and consumption of goods and services in industrial societies”* meets some of the key criteria for inclusion (e.g., having strong personal meaning and stemming from or coinciding with significant power

differences among groups; in some situations, it is also readily apparent). Although the effects of social class

are not separately considered, “practices that exclude, exploit, and limit the potential of poor and working-class

people disproportionately affect women and ethnic minorities,”* who are covered in individual chapters in this book. For some racial and ethnic groups, upward class movement, along with associated benefits, is possible,

given the right circumstances. For other groups, however, even education and income do not insulate them

diversity

Identity groups

from discriminatory practices and exclusion. For example, regardless of their social class, Blacks must often

“contend with being stereotyped as poor, ill- educated, criminal, lazy, and immoral”*. Along with racial, ethnic, and class relationships, class-based differences related to diversity in organizations are included in many other

chapters (e.g., work and family concerns for low wage workers, and part-time work as under-employment,

which are more likely for women and minorities) as well. These and other class-based concerns, and their

intersections with other diversity issues, are considered in various chapters.

or occurs when personal characteristics of

applicants and workers that are unrelated to productivity are valued in the labor market.* occurs when people are denied employment opportunities, or “access” to jobs,

because of their group memberships. occurs when people are employed but are

treated unfairly on the job, receiving fewer rewards, resources, or opportunities than they should receive based

on job-related criteria.* In cases of access or treatment discrimination, people with identical , such as performance, education, skills, and tenure, are treated differently because

of factors such as race, ethnic origin, sex, age, physical ability, religion, and immigrant status.

Discrimination limits diversity and harms both targeted individuals, vicarious victims, and the organizations that

completely miss or limit their contributions, resulting in lower commitment, morale, job satisfaction, and

performance among those targeted and sometimes among those who observe it but are not themselves

targeted.* It can be intentional and deliberate, or the unintentional result of organizational practices, such as having informal, unmonitored recruiting, selection, or performance evaluation practices. Discrimination may be

interpersonal, occurring between individuals, or institutional, related to differential access to goods, services,

and opportunities, and not necessarily involving any specific interpersonal encounter.* Regardless of intent or source, the outcome of discrimination is that members of some groups are systematically disadvantaged while

others are advantaged. These systematic disadvantages include such things as chronically lower wages (e.g.,

the wage gap for women), chronically higher unemployment (e.g., for Blacks and people with disabilities), and a

host of other negative individual, organizational, and societal consequences. Relationships among diversity,

discrimination, individuals, organizations, and society will be discussed throughout the book.*

Along with efforts to avoid discrimination and ensure that employees are diverse, efforts to ensure employees

are also included and able to fully contribute are critical to organizational success.* is the degree to which “different voices of a diverse workforce are respected and heard.”* As we will discuss, organizations can be quite “diverse” on the surface without being at all inclusive. In inclusive organizational cultures, all

employees feel as though they are accepted, belong, and are able to contribute to decision-making processes.* Thus, throughout the book, “valuing diversity” refers to diversity and inclusion.

Employment discrimination labor market discrimination

Access discrimination

Treatment discrimination

productive characteristics

Inclusion