(6) diversity management & cross-cultural management Flashcards
culture
- 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
behavior, attitudes, values
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
symbols of organizational culture (5)
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
Hofstede’s Dimensions
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
Hall and Hall’s Dimensions
speed of messages - fast - slow
structure of space - open - closed
structure of time - monochrome - polychrome
context orient. - low context - high context
high-context (wide antenna)
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)
low-context (small antenna)
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)
monochronic vs polychronic (Hall and Hall)
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
diversity
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
dimensions of diversity
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.)
domensions of
discrimination
may be applied in a society to a group defined by any physical/cultural trait
minority
a general category meant to include those vulnerable to discrimination
victimization
occurs when vulnerability to discrimination converts into a weapon to use against others, or an excuse for failure
stereotype
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
prejudices
consist of processing our stereotypes in such a way as to reinforce one’s own sense of superiority to the members of that group
types of discrimination (6)
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)
gender equality
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
gender equality in action
benefits of a diverse workforce
a diverse workforce = many positive outcomes for a company; access to deep pool of talent, positive customer experience, strong performance are all positives
diversity improves employee satisfaction
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
competitive advantage in…? (4)
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
challenges of a diverse workforce (6)
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
challenges in diversity mgmt processes
diversity measures
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
major violation cases
- failure by management to discipline alleged perpetrators
- failure to take aggressive measures to eliminate overt methods of harassment
- shifting the blame to the harassed employee and requiring the employee to collect all of the evidence and data before management acts
- requesting the harassed employee to change his or her behavior while ignoring the behavior of the alleged perpetrators
- stereotyping the role of women in the workplace
- not conducting a meaningful or effective investigation
