(6) diversity management & cross-cultural management

Question 1

culture

Answer 1

• something shared by all or almost all members of some social group
• something older members of a group try to pass on to younger members
• something (as in the case of morals, laws, and customs) that shapes behavior, or structures one’s perception of the world

Question 2

behavior, attitudes, values

Answer 2

behavior: any form of human action (also communication)

attitudes: express values and disposes a person to act/react in a certain way towards something; it’s present in the relationship between a person and some kind of object

values: reflect general beliefs that define what is right/wrong or specify general preferences

Question 3

symbols of organizational culture (5)

Answer 3

rituals: programmed routines (meetings, employee forums, x-mas parties)

ceremonies: planned activities for audience

heroes: figure who exemplifies character, history, spirit (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates)

language: type of lang. used in the corp.

slogans: ex) just do it! - nike

Question 4

Hofstede’s Dimensions

Answer 4

identity - individualism - collectivism
power - high power distance - low power distance
gender - masculinity - feminity
time - long term orient. - short term orient
uncertainty - uncertainty avoidance - uncertainty tolerance

Question 5

Hall and Hall’s Dimensions

Answer 5

speed of messages - fast - slow
structure of space - open - closed
structure of time - monochrome - polychrome
context orient. - low context - high context

Question 6

high-context (wide antenna)

Answer 6

context is relevant, words aren’t the best way to explain, first context and then message

don’t think communication is only abt words, think body language and facial expressions are important, think a common background and history are important. communicate in softer ways (no=maybe, I’m not sure)

Question 7

low-context (small antenna)

Answer 7

context is not important, words describe situation in detail, comes quickly to the point

use a lot of words to communicate, think that communication must be precise, doesn’t like vagueness, address important points very quickly (no=no)

Question 8

monochronic vs polychronic (Hall and Hall)

Answer 8

mono: does one thing at a time, makes commitments/deadlines, committed to job, focuses on job, emphasizes promptness, accustomed to short term relationships, low context and needs info, adheres/sticks to plan

poly: does many things at once, time commitments are flexible and low priority, committed to ppl and relationships, easily distracted, base promptness on relationships, tends to form long term relationships, high context and alr has info, changes plans often

Question 9

diversity

Answer 9

the presence of differing cultures, languages, ethnicities, races, affinity orientations, genders, religious sects, abilities, social classes, ages, and national origins of the individuals in a firm

Question 10

dimensions of diversity

Answer 10

primary/internal: human differences that are inherent and have a major impact on us (age, ethnicity, gender, race, etc.)

secondary/external: variable differences that can be changed throughout our lives. they add depth and individuality to our lives (education, income, marital status, etc.)

Question 11

domensions of

Question 12

discrimination

Answer 12

may be applied in a society to a group defined by any physical/cultural trait

Question 13

minority

Answer 13

a general category meant to include those vulnerable to discrimination

Question 14

victimization

Answer 14

occurs when vulnerability to discrimination converts into a weapon to use against others, or an excuse for failure

Question 15

stereotype

Answer 15

a fixed, distorted generalization about members of a group. It attributes incomplete, exaggerated, or distorted qualities to members of a group

a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing

Question 16

prejudices

Answer 16

consist of processing our stereotypes in such a way as to reinforce one’s own sense of superiority to the members of that group

Question 17

types of discrimination (6)

Answer 17

ageism - discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of their age

gender discrimination

disability discrimination - access and accommodation for employees w physical/mental disabilities are good for business bc they expand the potential pool of good workers. Also ethical to have compassion for those who want to work and be contributing members of society.

racial & ethnic discrimination - integrating diverse employees can lead to tensions & increase anxiety btw members; companies need to prepare for conflicts & focus on common goals of all employees

religious discrimination - reasonable accommodation may require more than just a couple of hours off to go to weekly worship. It may extend to dress/uniform requirements, grooming rules, work rules and responsibilities, religious expression and displays, prayer or meditation rooms, and dietary issues

sexual orient. discrimination - discrimination due to their sexual identification or sexual orientation, which can include, being gay or lesbian (homosexual), bisexual, transsexual, or straight (heterosexual)

Question 18

gender equality

Answer 18

a key social justice issue, and enshrined in international law. Gender inequalities are deeply entrenched in all societies, and are reproduced through institutions & corps. Gender issues in CSR address the extent to which companies advance gender equality, rather than perpetuating or increasing existing inequalities

Question 19

gender equality in action

Question 20

benefits of a diverse workforce

Answer 20

a diverse workforce = many positive outcomes for a company; access to deep pool of talent, positive customer experience, strong performance are all positives

Question 21

diversity improves employee satisfaction

Answer 21

1 - increasing job satisfaction (less absence and lower turnover)
2 - finding suitable applicant for the job
3 - dealing & reacting to customer diversity
4 - integrating innovation for more profits

Question 22

competitive advantage in…? (4)

Answer 22

human resource - companies develop positive reputation as prospective employers for women and ethnic minorities. those w a reputation for managing diversity will win

marketing - for multinational org, insights & cultural sensitivity that members w roots in other countries bring to the marketing effort shud improve these efforts in important ways

employee creativity - diverse perspectives and less emphasis on conformity to norms of past shud improve the creativity level

problem solving - heterogeneity in decision making & problem solving groups encourages better decisions thru a wider range of perspectives

Question 23

challenges of a diverse workforce (6)

Answer 23

dealing w beliefs - employees shudn’t impose their beliefs on others to prevent conflicts

gender equality - shud prevent gender discrimination and maintain equality in hiring, salary, opportunity, promotions

ethnic and cultural differences

physical and mental disabilities - be supportive to your disables employees and avoid discrimination

age differences - workers from diff generations may disagree w how things shud be done. an open communication culture shud help bridge the gap btw age

language differences - language training and hiring multilingual workers can help

Question 24

challenges in diversity mgmt processes

Question 25

diversity measures

Answer 25

anti-harrassment measures

diversity and gender equality training

developing a code of conduct

compensation and benefits policy to avoid any kind of wage discrimination

employment conditions and termination of all employees must be transparent, clearly outlined, communicated and explained

zero tolerance policy towards jokes, misbehavior or discrimination in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religion

Question 26

major violation cases

Answer 26

1. failure by management to discipline alleged perpetrators
2. failure to take aggressive measures to eliminate overt methods of harassment
3. shifting the blame to the harassed employee and requiring the employee to collect all of the evidence and data before management acts
4. requesting the harassed employee to change his or her behavior while ignoring the behavior of the alleged perpetrators
5. stereotyping the role of women in the workplace
6. not conducting a meaningful or effective investigation