Revision

Question 1

Meanings of Diversity

Answer 1

The state of being different; variety or multiformity and points of difference shared by a group of induviduals

Question 2

Advantages of a diverse workforce are…

Answer 2

Increased workforce talent pool, product innovation, improved sales, satisfied workers and meeting community expectations

Question 3

Disadvantages of Cultural Diversity in the Workforce are …

Answer 3

Increased conflict, training costs, opportunity for mismanagement (leading to employee dissatisfaction), difficulties accomodating different cultural and religious expectations and reverse discrimination

Question 4

Definitions of Culture

Answer 4

The collective genetic programming of the mind which distinguishes one group of people from another; collection of prejudices; shared values, attitudes and behaviours of a group of people

Question 5

Sub-Culture

Answer 5

Smaller categories or groups of a larger dominant group

Question 6

Multi-culturalism

Answer 6

valuing and accommodating many different cultures

Question 7

Cosmopolitanism

Answer 7

sharing and cultivating a common world. From kosmopolitês, meaning citizen of the world.

Question 8

Direct Discrimination is ….

Answer 8

taking action against an individual in a particular and occasional way that causes disadvantage because s/he belongs to a particular group.

Question 9

Institutional/Systematic Discrimination is …..

Answer 9

structuring a society or organisation to maintain the advantages of certain groups who share the same characteristics.

Question 10

Common Forms of Discrimination Include…

Answer 10

Racism, sexism, ageism, paternalism, parochialism and xenophobia

Question 11

Definition(s) of Prejudice

Answer 11

1. An unfavourable opinion or a feeling formed beforehand; lacking knowledge or factual evidence
2. Unreasonable opinion directed towards a racial, religious or other group identifiably different from our own
3. Varying levels of exploitation (i.e., action) that discriminate against individuals because they are members of a particular group

Question 12

Identity is….

Answer 12

a concept that describes how we define ourselves and how we are defined by others
• Identity is defined in relation to difference or ‘otherness’

Question 13

Types of Identity

Answer 13

1. Actual identity: fixed (genetic) identity that actually objectively or factually exists in a group (e.g., race, gender, age)
2. Perceived identity : believed identity that group members perceive to subjectively exist (e.g., religion)
3. Negotiated identity : dynamic identity that combines actual and perceived differences (e.g., sexuality, lifestyle)

Question 14

Cultural Difference Theory (Hofstede)

Answer 14

• Power distance – extent to which a culture accepts difference between the lowest and highest members
• Uncertainty avoidance – extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with anxiety by minimizing uncertainty
• Individualism/collectivism – extent to which a culture is concerned about the individual as opposed to the group
• Masculinity/femininity – refers to the value placed on traditionally male or female values
• Confucian Work Dynamism – extent of long/short term orientation in terms of thrift, perseverance, work ethic

Question 15

Culture shock is …..

Answer 15

• Culture Shock is defined as the loss of emotional equilibrium that people suffer when moved from a highly familiar to highly unfamiliar environment which is less easily negotiated - abrupt loss of the familiar

Question 16

Race refers too

Answer 16

dividing people into populations or groups based on visible traits (e.g., anatomical-skin colour, facial features; cultural; ethnic;genetic; geographical; historical; religious or social affiliation), and self-identification

Question 17

‘Minority Group’ is a ….

Answer 17

a sociological term for a group that often experiences discrimination, social disadvantages and strong self-consciousness as a result of discrimination

Question 18

Ageism

Answer 18

• Ageism is stereotyping and prejudice directed toward people because of their age
• Discrimination mostly directed toward older people - but also younger people – because of their ‘youthful’ attitudes and behaviours

Question 19

What Law forbids ageism?

Answer 19

The Age Discrimination Act 2004 makes it unlawful to discriminate against people on the basis of age at the point of offering employment and after people have been employed, in relation to conditions, denying access to training, promotion and in terms of dismissal

Question 20

Gender segregation is

Answer 20

grouping women and men into particular jobs or levels

Question 21

Horizontal segregation is

Answer 21

: women and men are placed in different occupations - women employed as waitresses, chambermaids, cleaners, travel agencies sales persons, flight attendants. Men employed as barmen, gardeners, stewards construction workers, drivers, pilots

Question 22

Vertical segregation is

Answer 22

the typical “gender pyramid” is prevalent in the tourism sector – more lower level occupations with few career development opportunities dominated by women and less higher level managerial positions dominated by men.

Question 23

Strategies to resist gender discrimination

Answer 23

• Adopt affirmative action statements and practices in recruitment (e.g., recruit more women to higher management roles or non-traditional roles)
• Adopt equal opportunity employment practices (e.g. pay women for maternity leave)
• Consider the ‘glass ceiling’ syndrome and what factors stop women progressing to senior management
• Design media communications (e.g., brochures) to be inclusive of gender and other diversities

Question 24

Strategies for working with GLBT people

Answer 24

• Start by checking one’s own knowledge and feelings about GLBT people
• Understand that GLBT people vary in how they deal with and display their sexual identity
• Maintain and respect privacy of peoples’ sexuality
• Be aware of discriminatory practices (eg in-appropriate jokes and humour)
• Use gender neutral appropriate language (eg partner)

Question 25

A disability is

Answer 25

any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

Question 26

Organisations have responded to increasing diversity by becoming

Answer 26

1. Differentiated: they develop niche markets or occupational roles to deal with difference
2. Complex: they use hard skills
3. Dispersed: they hand decision making down to lower levels to deal with problems
4. Fragmented: they split the organisation into units to simplify tasks
5. Replication: they adopt uniform operating standards to appear united

Question 27

Accepting Multiplicity means

Answer 27

• Understanding there are different or several equally good ways of thinking about how best to operate a business (eg difference between traditional and alternative business management models)
• Differences (i.e., problems) often require soft skills (e.g., cultural negotiation) not hard skills
• Difference can be complementary

Question 28

Devolving responsibility means

Answer 28

• Not expecting people to ‘toe the corporate line’ and follow a ‘pre-ordained’ and ‘hegemonic’ workplace culture

Question 29

Being pluralistic means

Answer 29

• Abandon the replicating approach to business expansion – redesign around ‘global localisation’
• Employing people with different cultural characteristics
• Supporting people through cultural diversity training, assertiveness training, communication skills to accentuate difference

Question 30

Being able to negotiate means

Answer 30

• Abandoning the idea of ‘team’ as in ‘Team Qantas’ or ‘One World’ as it implies uniformity; replace with ‘collaborative working groups’
• Complement ‘induction skill training’ with ‘workplace culture training’
• Expand what it means to be a ‘good’ technical leader to include soft skills (i.e., knowledge of diversity)
• Reconsider the nature of industrial relations based on adversity to consulted outcomes

Question 31

Micro-Organisational responses to cultural diversity include…

Answer 31

• Hiring staff with international experience, multi-lingual and cultural intelligence skills
• Cross-cultural awareness training
• Expecting existing and future workers to be more mobile
• Using professional/trade associations to lobby government to increase foreign workers and reduce visa conditions

Question 32

Kanter’s Homosocial Reproduction Theory is…

Answer 32

the way male managers need to reproduce themselves so they recruit and promote other men.
• Kanter calls this consensual validation
• Implication: Glass ceiling on women?

Question 33

Strategies to deal with cultural differences in interviews

Answer 33

 Email candidates questions ahead of time to plan their responses
 Be clear and up-front about selection criteria
 Try to suspend negative judgements, don’t be put off by the unexpected in interviews
 Ask “how do you do this in your country?”
 Include and train culturally diverse people on recruitment panels
 Hire strong candidates, pay on low end of scale, put in developmental position with a strong ‘mentoring’ manager
 Offer short term contracts

Question 34

Hierarchy

Answer 34

psychological (power) distance between managers and employees and the degree to which more and less powerful members of an organisation accept that power is unequally distributed between them• Hierarchical organisations/countries emphasise and accept greater or more distance between managers and employees
• Egalitarian organisations/countries emphasise and value greater distribution or less distance between managers and employees

Question 35

Induvidualism

Answer 35

the importance a person assigns to his or her interests as an individual, as compared to those of the group to which he or she belongs.• Individualistic countries emphasise the rights of the individual and personal identity as being more important than the group interests or identities
• In group or collective countries, group interests are most important; the individual takes their identity from the group

Question 36

Risk Tolerance

Answer 36

The degree of discomfort experienced by members of a society when faced with unknown or uncertain situations
• Risk Tolerant cultures cope well with risky situations where the outcome is known or hard to predict. Individuals are encouraged to use own initiative and take risks
• Risk Averse cultures respond better when bound by rules and regulations. Tolerate less deviation and have higher support for people