DIVERSITY QUESTIONS Flashcards
What is diversity? What is equality?
Where difference is recognised and emphasised, but not actively leveraged to drive organisational success
- equal opportunities is about diverse individuals within specific groups e.g. race, gender etc
- diversity can be seen as an extension from equal opportunities
- diversity recognises we ALL have different needs so businesses should respond to those needs fairly and flexibly
What are the main drivers of diversity?
- orgs may perceive a social and moral case
- a legal case to develop equality and diversity policies
- a persuasive business case
What is the business case for diversity?
- it is the key to an organisations reputation
- its the right thing to do
- high performance outcomes of diverse teams
- employees will be highly motivated
- attract good candidates
- employee retention
What is the social and moral case for diversity?
- an inclusive society is a society with less conflict and insecurity
- encourages active participation from all
- the means to meet and exceed social obligations
- can develop greater social cohesion
What is the legal case for diversity?
- it is unlawful for orgs to discriminate on grounds of gender, race etc
- best practises to ensure that they are compliant with existing legislation
- avoid being sued
- costs of bad practise outweigh the costs of implementing good practise
What difficulties may a business experience in not being diverse?
- Risks losing access to groups of customers or clients
- less creative ideas and perspectives
- attracts a lower level of god candidates
- less motivated employees
- harder to achieve business objectives
What is the difference between the radical and liberal approach?
The liberal approach:
- all individuals have the right to standards of justice and citizenship
- all people can freely and equally compete
- all individuals treated neutrally
- those who perform best are best rewarded
The radical approach:
- relies more on the concept of individual discrimination and equality is the consequence of wider group level discrimination
- intervention is acceptable in order to attain equality
- advocates the use of positive discrimination
- can lead to organisations setting quotas/ targets
Who is involved to embed diverse policies/ practises within an organisation?
- leadership/ senior managers embracing the concept and embedding values
- commitment to learning, development and education for staff at all levels
- delivered through line management to include staff at all levels
- requires commitment and supply from leaders at senior levels
Which practises may result in discrimination within a business?
- Indirect discrimination: when an employer sets requirements or criteria for a job that adversely impacts members of a particular group disproportionately
- paying equally qualified staff in the same position different salaries (google)
- discriminating when assigning disability leave, maternity leave or retirement options
- discrimination when issuing promotions or lay offs
What is neurodiversity and what does this mean for a business?
Refers to the natural range of differences in human brain function
- In employment, it refers to alternative thinking styles e.g. dyslexia, autism, ADHD
- Businesses must make simple and low cost adjustments to cater for these individuals
How might a business facilitate neurodiverse employees from the EB through to promotion?
Employer brand: include case studies highlighting how neurodivergent employees are supported
R&S: clear job role and description
Diversity and inclusion statement which states you are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments
Interviews: interviewers need specific training to avoid penalising unconventional body language or social skills
- Progression: monitoring and succession planning to avoid talented neurodivergents from missing out on opportunities to progress
Which law supports diversity - what are its components?
- Equality act 2010
- protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society
- intended to streamline, simply and harmonise the separate individual pieces of discrimination
- promotes the ‘protected characteristics’
- age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity
Which elements of the act are in high profile currently – examples?
- Neurodiversity - Starbucks employee wins dyslexia discrimination case
- Homophobia - bakery in Northern Ireland guilty after refusing to make a cake for a gay marriage
- Sex - google sued over sex discrimination
- Pregnancy/maternity - 3 women settle claims for £15,500
Identify and discuss the main arguments for creating a diverse workforce:
Business case: increase engagement, reduce conflict, increase innovation, attract the best individuals
Social and moral case: create an inclusive and cooperative environment, encourages other businesses in the industry to follow, social justice and fairness
Legal case: unlawful to discriminate, avoid being sued, costs of bad practise outweigh the costs of implementing
Identify and discuss the methods organisations can use to create a diverse workforce:
- Be clear on laws
- Blind recruitment
- Identify diversity and equality issues through workforce surveys
- flexible working to support individuals with protected characteristics in 2010 equality act
- pay and reward should be transparent, as seen in BBC and ITV, EXAMPLE: google sued over unequal pay
- Eliminate bias in R&S
- external experts and consultants can assist in developing diversity policies by reviewing current HR activities
