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Culture and Diversity at Work > Lecture 1 > Flashcards

Lecture 1 Flashcards

Introduction

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What is the focus of this course?

A

Social psychological processes that play a role in the field of work and organizations with regard to culture and diversity.

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2
Q

What is diversity?

A

Everything that distinguishes people from one another.

In practice: focus on gender, age, race/ethnicity, religion, tenure, educational background, and social/functional background.

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3
Q

What are the two types of diversity?

A

Surface-level diversity and deep-level diversity

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4
Q

Surface-level diversity

A

Differences among group members in overt, biological characteristics that are typically reflected in physical features.

  • E.g., age, gender, race/ethnicity.
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5
Q

Deep-level diversity

A

More subtle attributes that cannot necessarily be directly and immediately observed.

  • E.g., member’s personalities, attitudes, beliefs and values, sexual orientation, religious beliefs.
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6
Q

What is deep-level diversity related to?

A

It is related to social groups, your membership in certain social groups can make the group more diverse.

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7
Q

Benefits of diversity

A

It can produce effective decision making, it spurs innovation and it spurs economic growth.

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8
Q

How can diversity spur innovation?

A

Diversity can spur innovation because people from different backgrounds have different experiences, knowledge and information. This can help companies or organizations develop technologies that would never have been invented if everyone had the same background. People from different backgrounds can think of ideas that may be different from common ideas.

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9
Q

How can diversity spur economic growth?

A

Economic growth is associated with diversity, apart from innovation, because diversity opens up various opportunities that come from diverse populations that could in the end produce more diverse economic outputs. When you have diversity, the people can work and perform in various ways to compliment each other. Besides, different opinions will probably cause criticism. This could optimize economic outputs.

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10
Q

What will hinder diversity?

A

If the population becomes more diverse, people who are not ready to accept and operate in a diverse environment will be biased, but only in recruitment, selection and promotion.

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11
Q

What happens if the biases in a diverse environment are not tackled?

A

We are less likely to make use of the diversity itself.

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12
Q

When can diversity be beneficial?

A

Diversity can only be beneficial if the people within that organization are ready to accept diversity and to take on possible problems that can hinder the benefits of diversity.

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13
Q

What is the key in order to address potential challenges with regard to diversity?

A

Transparency

  • Transparency can help us spot potential biases, you can’t solve a problem if you don’t know what the problem is.
  • It is important that both sides are transparent because both sides can have biases that need to be addressed.
  • When the decision making process is not transparent, there will be no criticism towards the process and thus the person making the decisions will have no motivation to change their bias(es). But if you make it transparent, the person making the decisions will try their best to address their biases. Because if they don’t and people find out that your criteria are not clear, they will be heavily criticized and maybe even fired.

So, transparency motivates people in leadership decisions to make the most fair, open and less biased decisions that they can make. It motivates them to create a fair system because they want to maintain their reputation.

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14
Q

We can’t talk about the labor market without talking about?

A

Privilege

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15
Q

The marks of the privileged white man

A
  • Cis male
  • White
  • Heterosexual
  • At least one highly educated or wealthy parent
  • At least one parent born in the country of residence
  • University diploma/high education
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16
Q

What can be said about the marks of the privileged white man?

A

It is very superficial because every human being faces challenges. Just because a person has these characteristics it doesn’t mean that that person would suddenly be granted with all the privileges that makes life easier.

Having one of these boxes checked doesn’t necessarily mean that you have something extra, but that you don’t have the struggles related to not being able to check that box.

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17
Q

What is the association between characteristics and challenges of people?

A

Certain characteristics are associated with certain unique challenges that people who have different characteristics do not have to face. Therefore, even though everyone has challenges in their lives, there is not always a level playing field.

Everyone has challenges in their lives, but it is important to remember that certain characteristics can determine whether or not a person has a good starting point.

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18
Q

What is privilege in relation to characteristics?

A

Privilege is not an accumulation of characteristics, you should look at each characteristic and the challenges that do or do not come with this characteristic.

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19
Q

Historically, who does the workplace belong to?

A

The workplace was the domain of white males.

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20
Q

What used to be the focus in the workplace?

A

The focus was on assimilation of others into this environment (as opposed to integration).

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21
Q

Assimilation

A

When you talk about assimilation you sort of force people with minority backgrounds to comply or to adjust themselves into people who have majority characteristics.

  • E.g., women were expected to be like man, in this we ignore the challenges women have to face.
  • E.g., people with a minority religious background were expected to behave and think the way people with a majority religious background do, so you didn’t get certain exceptions during the ramadam for example.
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22
Q

Assimilation vs integration

A

A long time ago assimilation was seen as an idea to unite people, but now we realize that that is not true. We now try to be more inclusive, we try to change the way the workplace works. We try to change from assimilation to integration.

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23
Q

Integration

A

Integration means that people can still have their own unique characteristics, perspective and backgrounds, but people have to work together.

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24
Q

What is the modern take on assimilation?

A

It should be avoided, it is not only exclusive but it is also harmful. If you try to mold everyone into one form, it is going to impact the company badly in the long run.

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25
Q

Changes in population

A
  • Changes in working population
  • Changes in consumer base/clientele
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26
Q

What has changed in the workplace?

A
  • More female employees.
  • More ethnic minorities.
  • More employees with disabilities.
  • More sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQIA+).
  • Increasingly international workforce.
  • Need to maintain older employees.
  • And other forms of diversification.
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27
Q

When is assimilation harder?

A

Assimilation is harder when there are more differences and there is a higher level of diversity in the workplace because there are so many different characteristics.

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28
Q

Gender equality index in the EU

A
  • More women work in labour force than ever.
  • More women work in leadership positions than ever.
29
Q

Is the progress of women in the workplace now compared to how it used to be enough?

A

If we compare the experience of women right now with the women back then, there is progress. But if we compare the experience of women right now with the experience of men right now, we will say that there is still so much more to be done.

30
Q

How do women do in the workplace compared to men?

A
  • In almost all sectors, men are still very dominant in terms of labor participation.
  • In terms of leadership positions, there are still way more men than women.
31
Q

What can be said about companies that are either listed or not listed on the stock exchange and the quota on women?

A

Of the companies that are listed on the stock exchange almost 2/3 fulfill the quota on women, compared to less than 1/3 of the companies that are not listed on the stock exchange.

So it is not a problem of not being able to fill the quota, but a problem of willingness. The willingness seems to come from the pressure of the quota. People make up different arguments to justify why they didn’t make the quota, but according to the data they can do it if they want to.

32
Q

Why should quotas be enforced?

A

Quotas are not always 50/50, they try to make it proportional. The reason a quota should be enforced, is that certain groups have certain unique challenges. If there wouldn’t be a quota the companies would probably only hire from a group of people that do not have unique challenges (zeven vinkjes). They would have no motivation to hire from groups of people that do have unique challenges, like stereotypes and biases.

33
Q

What is the idea of quota?

A

The idea of quota is to change the culture within the organizations, starting with increasing the awareness.

They will also have to address biases in the selection process in order to hire more people from the quota group.

The quota will help them to get a level playing field and an equal starting point, it is not about making them higher than the other group.

34
Q

What is the diversity on the work floor in the Netherlands like for gender?

A
  • Low participation of women
  • Few full-timers among women
  • Few women in higher positions
  • High gender segregation in sectors
35
Q

What is the reason less women work full time than men?

A

There is a study done on labor hours per week by gender and EU-countries. It suggests that there are gender expectations that women have to fulfill. Like that women have to stay with their children, they are penalized when they focus on their careers. When a couple has to decide who should work more, the men often get this opportunity because of these gender expectations.

36
Q

Why are women paid less than men?

A

Because of the assumption that they will at one point want children and marriage and that they want to raise their children. Therefore, if women get promoted or higher payment, they will not get a return in investment. There are certain expectations about women that men don’t have to face. Based on this projection, women deserve to be paid less.

37
Q

What are the stereotypes for work sectors for women and men?

A

There is a stereotype that women are better in care and the service sector and therefore they are more likely to be hired in those sectors, and the stereotype that men are more rational and intellectual and therefore they should be hired in the trade and industry departments.

38
Q

Kanter

A

Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, if the opportunity or the power is limited, it is going to affect your work attitudes and work behaviour.

If the opportunity structure is very limited, you will have low aspirations. Opportunity and power cause people to have more aspirations and ambitions.

“It is not the nature of [women] but hierarchical arrangements that must be changed if we are to promote equity in the workplace.”

39
Q

According to the theory of Kanter, what is a possible reason for the fact that there are more women than men working in the care industry?

A

It is possible that more women work in the care industry, simply because there are more opportunities provided for them there. According to Kanter, if the opportunity structure is very limited, you will have low aspirations. So if society says that there are more opportunities in the care sector if you are a woman, then many women will aspire to work in this sector than men. The same goes for the opportunity structure in the trade and industry for men. The opportunity and the power allow them to have more aspirations and ambitions in this sector.

40
Q

Opportunity structure on value for social relations

A

There is an assumption that women are more caring, but that assumption comes from the fact that women have less opportunity and less power. They don’t have the need to compare with each other in a team, because they know that the other women also come from a low level of opportunity and power. They therefore pay more attention to social care and solidarity. There is no point in competing and trying to be ambitious, because they know that the chances to be promoted are lower.

41
Q

What are the effects of structure according to Kanter?

A
  • Opportunity structure
  • Power structure
  • (Sex-ratio)
42
Q

What is the impact of Kanter?

A

Impact of opportunity structure on aspirations.

Impact of opportunity structure on value for social relations.

Impact of power on attention to the social-emotional side of leadership.

Concept of reflected power.

43
Q

What contributes the most to population growth in the Netherlands? And what is the consequence of this?

A

Immigration, because of this the Dutch population has become more diverse.

44
Q

What has the CBS done in order to make it more neutral?

A

Instead of using the words Western and non-Western immigrants, they changed it into where you are born, so what continent. This is because the categorization is very rigid and stigmatizing.

Instead of using the word migration background it is now based on being born here or being born abroad.

  • When it is addressed it is about whether your parents are born here or were born abroad. This is not a categorization.
45
Q

What is the relationship between stigma and labels?

A

A label can produce stigma to a certain degree. But labels are also important to identify and show that a certain group has a unique need.

46
Q

What can be concluded from the socioeconomic positions of 2018 on gender and ethinicity?

A

Women in ethnic minorities are less likely to be working and they are less likely to have higher positions. This indicates that there is still a gap between ethnic and gender groups in the Netherlands.

47
Q

What is the participation of older workers in the workplace?

A

The participation of older workers (women and men) is growing, but it is still very low.

48
Q

What is the unemployment rate when comparing old and younger workers?

A

Unemployment in older workers is still higher than in younger workers.

49
Q

What can we see when looking at the data of the net labor participation in age in the second quarter of 2021 and 2020? And what does this indicate?

A

We can see that the participation of people from 65 to 70 years old in the workforce is very low. This also indicates that there is still a gap in terms of age groups.

50
Q

What is the assumption about older workers and what is its the effect?

A

An assumption about older workers is that they are no longer productive which makes them unattractive for labor. Companies feel like there is no need to invest in them and therefore they are less likely to be hired. This is a problem because we cannot make a generalization about a group of people.

51
Q

What groups still face a gap in the workplace and what factors play a role in this?

A

There is still a gap in terms of gender groups, there is still a gap in terms of ethnic groups and there is still a gap in terms of age groups. There are many factors that play a role and stigma and stereotype probably play a role.

52
Q

What is important when addressing diversity issues?

A

Intersectionality: a perspective that focuses on different social identities.

53
Q

Why do organizations work with diversity?

A
  • Moral reasons
  • Societal reasons
  • Compliance
  • Synergetic reasons
  • Business-economic reasons
54
Q

What are the moral reasons for organizations to work with diversity?

A

They care about

  • Equal treatment
  • Equal opportunity
  • Equal outcomes

But they don’t necessarily look at practical or societal benefits.

55
Q

What are moral reasons for diversity associated with?

A

Economic power

Research has shown that companies that are deemed moral in their actions are more likely to attract consumers. They are more attractive in the market. This is not necessarily a good predictor because some companies do something moral just for the economic outcome, which you might see as not moral.

56
Q

What are the societal reasons for organizations to work with diversity?

A

Emphasize good outcomes (not necessarily moral).

  • For instance: you hire more people with a minority background into the police force because you want to prevent conflicts between racial groups (societal issue).

Focuses on very practical issues that are related to issues of inequality.

57
Q

What is the reason for compliance when organizations work with diversity?

A

They do it because they want to comply with the rules so they won’t get penalized.

58
Q

What are the synergetic reasons for organizations to work with diversity?

A
  • Relationship between the employee and the organization.
  • Personal and business economic growth.
  • Employee satisfaction.
  • Harmony among employees.

It is all related to organizational functioning and to ensure that teamwork runs smoothly.

59
Q

What are the business-economic reasons for organizations to work with diversity?

A

The business-case for diversity because it

  • Attracts diverse employees
  • Increases service to diverse populations
  • Increases retention of employees
  • Improves relations between employees
  • Increases creativity and productivity
  • Reduces lawsuits/legal challenges
  • Enhances reputation

Related to how it can benefit organizations. It is not necessarily bad because it still produces benefits for diversity and inclusion.

60
Q

True or false: diversity will always lead to group performance

A

False, it only leads to group performance under specific circumstances

61
Q

When does diversity lead to group performance?

A

When there is a psychological safety climate

  • People can be who they are, express their personal opinions freely without fearing any backlash

When there is salience of collective identity

  • People think as a group and not as themselves (awareness)
  • We/us, not they vs. them or I vs. you
62
Q

How can diversity lead to group performance?

A

Individual level

  • It can produce empathy and self-disclosure

Group level

  • It fosters communication, involvement and trust between people
63
Q

What was the old perspective on increasing diversity at work?

A
  • Focus on recruitment
  • Moral arguments
  • Burden
  • Ethnicity/gender
  • White males as guilty
  • Learning about culture has advantages
  • “Golden” rule (managers treat employees the way they themselves want to be treated)
  • Assimilation
64
Q

What is the new perspective on increasing diversity at work?

A
  • Working with diversity
    o Not only focus on recruitment, but trying to make the environment inclusive and diverse, diversity doesn’t end at recruitment
  • Business-economic reasons
    o Companies try to increase diversity because of these reasons
    o It reduces good outcomes
  • Benefits
    o We talk about the benefits, not the burden
  • All kinds of differences
  • Universality of bias
    o Bias can happen to any group, so we need to address bias universally
  • Learning about people as individuals
  • “Platinum” rule (managers treat employees the way employees want to be treated
  • Pluralism (integration)
65
Q

Is diversity the same as inclusion?

A

No it is not. Diversity is objective, it is the state of things. Inclusion is more about the psychological state.

Diversity is about team composition. We can have a diverse society with diverse organizations with different groups of people but the majority can still rule. The culture, the narrative that exists in those societies and those organizations can still favor the dominant/majority groups.

If you have diversity, it doesn’t mean that you have a psychological safety climate and a salience of collective identity. And these are very important for inclusion. You can not have diversity that produces good outcomes if you don’t have inclusion.

So, diversity and inclusion are not the same.

66
Q

Working with diversity is NOT just about …

A
  • Cultural differences
  • Employee selection
  • Reducing requirements
67
Q

Working with diversity is NOT just about cultural differences (“They do this/that because that is their culture”). What should you also pay attention to?

A

Pay attention to the structure and to other elements in a social environment that cause certain behavioural patterns and inclusion-related issues.

68
Q

Working with diversity is NOT just about employee selection

A

Whether the working environment is inclusive is very important.

69
Q

Working with diversity is NOT just about reducing requirements

A

Thinking it’s about reducing requirements is stereotypical because it makes the assumption that those people wouldn’t be able to enter without reducing the requirements.

It should be about ensuring that the process is fair, open, transparent, and that we consider and address potential biases in the process.

Culture and Diversity at Work (9 decks)

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