Ch 1: Introduction, Theoretical Background and Legislation

Question 1

What is diversity?

Answer 1

Real/perceived differences among people in all identity-based areas that affect one’s experience, outcomes, and opportunities in organizations and society.

( race, ethnicity, sex, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religion, work and family status, weight and appearance, social class)

Question 2

Explain differences among diversity, equity and inclusion

Answer 2

Diversity: Marked differences

Equity: Equal opportunity/access in spite of differences

Inclusion: the degree to which different voices of a diverse workforce are respected and heard.

Question 3

What are population demographics?

Answer 3

.

Question 4

What are the implications of population demographics for workforce and customer diversity?

Answer 4

.

Question 5

What are the differences between individual discrimination and systemic racism?

Answer 5

Structural/Systemic Racism: The ways in which a society fosters racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems.
eg. Public policies, institutional practices etc.

Question 6

What are the effects of individual discrimination and systemic racism?

Answer 6

,.

Question 7

Recommendations for attracting, retaining, and valuing diverse applicants, employees, customers, and clients.

Answer 7

.

Question 8

What are the truths behind race and gender?

Answer 8

Race is a social construct- biologically, we are 99.9% the same- we only have small genetic differences

Gender- is a social construct (so they say)
Sex- represent the strict biological differences

Question 9

What is social class?

Answer 9

One’s position in the economic system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services .

Question 10

What is employment discrimination?

Answer 10

Occurs when personal characteristics of applicants that are unrelated to productivity, are values in the labour market.

Question 11

What is access discrimination?

Answer 11

Occurs when people are denied employment opportunities because of their group membership

Question 12

Treatment discrimination

Answer 12

Occurs when people are employed but are treated unfairly on the job, receiving fewer awards, resources or opportunities than they should receive based on job-related criteria.

Question 13

What is ethnicity?

Answer 13

Refers to a shared national origin or a shared cultural heritage.

Question 14

Majority vs Minority
Dominant vs non-dominant groups

Answer 14

Dominant vs Non-dominant are the terms used in place of minority and majority, as they are more accurate as they distinguish the more powerful vs less powerful group (you can have more numbers but less power)

Question 15

Give examples of Permeable boundaries

Answer 15

Age
Disability Status
Weight and Appearance

Question 16

Intersectionality

Answer 16

the connected nature of various social identities, such as race, gender and class and potential for overlapping and interconnected systems of discrimination.

Question 17

What are diversity’s six implications for organizations?

Answer 17

Cost: Employee, turnover, litigation, lost business (Customer racial profiling),

Human Resource Acquisition:(the org ability to attract and retain diverse employees) Inclusive workplaces are most sought after by diverse candidates

Marketing: A company’s reputation for valuing diverse employees affects its ability to market to different customers. (Also input from diverse workers can help marketing strategy)

Creativity and Problem Solving: Diversity= more creativity and problem-solving- different perspectives, and ideas aid solving problems

System Flexibility: Provides a competitive advantage. Customer populations are multilingual and multicultural. Cognitive flexibility, openness to experience, and ability to navigate between worlds (cultural intelligence) are desirable traits in companies

Other Areas:
-Cooperative Behaviours- groups with people from collectivist backgrounds( asian, black and latino) instead of the individualist (White/European) showed more cooperative behaviour on group tasks.

• Interaction effects with organizational strategy: Diversity aids a company pursuing a growth strategy- especially racial diversity. Companies with moderate diversity have both short- and long-term performance

Financial Performance and Behaviours: Good publicity for good reputation increases stock prices (less likelihood of law suits also help to keep stock prices stable)

Question 18

Moral and Social Reasons for valuing diversity

Answer 18

It is right
Discrimination makes you liable for social backlash and boycotting of products

Question 19

Organizational Difficulties Relating to Increased Diversity

Answer 19

Conflicts
Low Productivity
Discrimination

Question 20

Benefits of Diversity

Answer 20

Creativity and problem-solving
Good publicity
Broader markets

Question 21

Diversity Climate

Answer 21

The tone set by organization and sensed by its members regarding the value and role of diversity.

Question 22

Individual outcomes of diversity (affected by diversity climate)

Answer 22

Job satisfaction- from inclusion, support, appreciation

promotion/Horizontal mobility rates

employment opportunities (for applicants)

Racial Profiling

Question 23

Organizational effectiveness

Answer 23

1st level: Attendance

2nd level: Lost business

Question 24

Recommendations for Hr practices, leadership, and representation

Answer 24

Ensure all HRM practices promote fairness(in the selection, performance, evaluation, T&D, decision making etc.)

Leaders must set the tone- be committed to long-term efforts

Be proactive rather than peventative- seek to increase the number of underrepresented candidates