Chapter 2

Question 1

Define diversity, and review the four layers of diversity.

Answer 1

• Diversity represents the individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other
• Diversity pertains to everybody, and is not only a matter of age, race, gender or sexual orientation
• The layers of diversity define an individual’s personal identity and constitute a perceptual identity and constitute a perceptual filter than influences how we interpret the world.
  Layers:
  1. Personality
  2. Surface-level dimension (internal dimensions) = age/race/gender
  3. Secondary dimensions of diversity (external dimensions) = income/habits/education/marital status
  4. Organisational dimensions = functional level/seniority/department

Question 2

What is the difference between affirmative action, and managing diversity?

Answer 2

• Affirmative action focuses on achieving equality of opportunity within an organisation (but no quotas, and also doesn’t mean it has to hire unqualified people)
• Managing diversity entails creating a host of organisational changes that enable all people to perform up to their maximum potential (we need to strive towards diversity rather than only creating affirmative action)

Question 3

Explain why Alice Eagly and Linda Carli believe that a woman’s career is best viewed as traveling through a labyrinth

Answer 3

• Eagly and Carli believe that women were barred from achieving high-level managerial positions in the past, but that women now have busted through these barriers
• Eagly and Carli propose that women have made these strides by successfully navigating a labyrinth of twists, turns and obstacles

Question 4

Review the demographic trends in the US pertaining to racial groups, educational mismatches, and an aging workforce

Answer 4

• With respect to racial groups. Asians and Hispanics are expected to have the largest growth in the population between 2000-2050, and minority groups will constitute 49,9% of the population in 2050.
• Minority groups are also experiencing a glass ceiling. There is a mismatch between workers’ educational attainment and occupational requirements.
• The workforce is aging.

Question 5

What is meant with a “Glass ceiling”?

Answer 5

Invisible barrier blocking women and minorities from top management positions.

Question 6

Highlight the managerial implications of increasing diversity in the workforce.

Answer 6

There are seven broad managerial implications:

1. to attract the best workers, the companies need to adopt policies and programs that meet the needs of all employees and programs that meet the needs of all employees
2. companies can help women and people of colour enhance their promotability by helping them find mentors and sponsors
3. companies should educate employees about negative stereotyping, particularly when it comes to selecting and promoting leaders
4. companies should consider using progressive methods to recruit, retain and integrate Hispanic workers into organisations
5. there will be a shortage of qualified people in technical fields and on-the-job remedial skills, and literacy training will be needed to help the number of high-school dropouts and illiterates cope with job demands
6. organisations will need to provide tangible support to school systems if the US is to remain globally competitive
7. there are three broad recommendations for managing an aging workforce

Question 7

Describe the positive and negative effects of diversity by using social-categorisation theory and informational decision-making theory.

Answer 7

Social Categorisation theory

• Similarity leads to liking and attraction, thereby fostering a host of positive outcomes
• This theory supports the idea that homogeneity is better than heterogeneity because diversity causes negative interpersonal processes and group dynamics

Information/decision making theory
- based on the notion that diverse groups should outperform homogenous groups because diversity is positively associated with task-relevant processes and decision making

Question 8

Identify the barriers and challenges to managing diversity. There are 10 barriers to successfully implementing diversity initiatives.

Answer 8

1. inaccurate stereotypes and prejudice
2. ethnocentrism
3. poor career planning
4. unsupportive and hostile working environment for diverse employees
5. lack of political savvy on the part of diverse employees
6. difficulty in balancing career and famility issues
7. fears of reverse discrimination
8. diversity is not seen as an organisational priority
9. the need to revamp the organisation’s performance appraisal and reward system (evaluation based on new criteria)
10. resistance to change

Question 9

Discuss the organisational practices used to effectively manage diversity as identified by R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr.

Answer 9

• There are many different practices organisations can use to manage diversity
• R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. identified eight basic responses for handling any diversity issue:
  1. include/exclude
  2. deny
  3. assimilate
  4. suppress
  5. isolate
  6. tolerate
  7. build relationships
  8. foster mutual adaptation
• Exclusion, denial, assimilation, suppression, isolation and toleration are among the least preferred options. Inclusion, building relationships, and mutual adaptation are the preferred strategies.

Question 10

What is discrimination

Answer 10

Happens when employment decisions are based on factors that are not job related.

Question 11

What is a demographic fault line?

Answer 11

• A hypothetical dividing line that splits groups into demographically based sub-groups
• Negative interpersonal processes occur when people align themselves based on fault lines or demographic characteristics