week 7 Flashcards
Global Trends 3
Demographic and Socio-economic trends
Diverse global workforces – age, ethnicity, gender and all other diversity characteristics
The rise of the digital world can change the way we do business
The inclusive workplace (Mor Barak, 2000)
5
The inclusive workplace is defined as one that
values and uses individual and intergroup differences within its work force
cooperates with and contributes to its surrounding community
alleviates the needs of disadvantaged groups in its wider environment
collaborates with individuals, groups, and organizations across national and cultural boundaries
A culture of inclusion 5
“…an organizational environment that allows people with multiple backgrounds, mindsets and ways of thinking to work effectively together and to perform to their highest potential in order to achieve organizational objectives based on sound principles” (Pless & Maak, 2004:130)
In such an environment:
different voices are respected and heard;
diverse viewpoints, perspectives and approaches are valued
everyone is encouraged to make a unique and meaningful contribution to bring ‘a vision of inclusion’
Inclusion and exclusion are considered as constitutively related which means that every inclusion implies an exclusion and vice-versa(Dobusch, 2013)
Inclusion and the principle of recognition
Recognizing difference while looking for the common bond through:
5
Emotional recognition as the most basic form of affirmation
Legal and political recognition - thinking about the state of equality in an organization and creating equality where necessary. Being equal in terms of human, civil and labor rights means being recognized as an equally free organization citizens
While legal and political recognition are moral essentials for the individual state of mind, it is practiced solidarity
Business reality is numerous cases of humiliation and fierce competition or a winner-take-all culture leaves practically no room for practiced solidarity.
Diversity, in this respect, is essentially about finding the right balance between individualism and community and thus about creating a recognition of space.
Competencies of Inclusion6
Showing respect & recognition for others
Showing appreciation for different voices
listening actively to them
trying to understand disparate viewpoints and opinions
integrating different voices into the ongoing cultural discourse
Encouraging open and frank communication
Cultivating participative decision making & problem solving processes
Showing integrity & advanced moral reasoning - especially when dealing with ethical dilemmas
Using cooperative leadership style
Monolithic Organisations:
Plural Organisations:
Monolithic Organisations:
Organisations are characterised by a large majority of employees from one group (e.g., White men), especially in the managerial ranks – very few members of minority groups and the members have ‘outwardly adopted’ the majority’s norms and values –
What is the message to potential job applicants???
Plural Organisations:
Organisations have more heterogeneous workforce as they have taken efforts to promote diversity – intergroup conflict is high when majority group resent to practices used to boost minority group – prejudice is still likely –
What is the message to potential job applicants???
Exclusion v Inclusion
Exclusion: based on the perception that all employees must conform to the pre-established organisational values and norms
Inclusion: based on the pluralistic values frame that respects all cultural perspectives represented among all employees, and the values and norms of organisations are constantly modified to accommodate the employees
Level 1 of inclusive diversity
Diversity leadership commitment Education and training Performance and accountability Work-life balance Career development and planning
Level 2 of inclusive diversity
Corporate Community collaborations:
This level is concerned with the reciprocity embedded in the relationship and reflects the ‘meso’ system level of organisations and communities
Corporate Social Performance(CSP) is one of the criteria used to assess Fortune 500 companies.
For example:
Nestle in Brazil – employees participate in an educational program that teaches good nutrition to marginalised families targeting more than half a million children; In Nigeria, Nestle sponsored the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Africa Health Initiatives 2010.
IBM Australia received a Partner Award in 2003 for its longstanding commitment to – and support of – technical aid to the disabled (IBM, 2006).
Level 3 of inclusive diversity
Inclusion through state/nation collaboration:
This level refers to the meso/macro national system level of the state/federal government, where appropriate
[Mainly targeting the welfare system people receive by governments]
If MNCs take appropriate initiatives eg., provide employment and advancement opportunities, assist with child care, transportation, housing and health care expenses, help to improve job skills, welfare reforms that can provide benefits over and above those having ethical and moral values.
These benefits include:
Giving companies access to untapped resources
Making workplace more inclusive with respect to social class
Removing barriers to employments faced by these groups
Increasing employee loyalty
Improving customer relations through better treatment of low-wage, frontline employees, and
Producing a more attractive value-based corporate image
Level 4 of inclusive diversity
Inclusion through international collaboration:
It includes the respectful cultural relationship with individuals and groups in other countries and reflects the ‘macro’ system level of international relations
Eg. Young children working in sweatshops…working more than 70 hours a week for overseas consumption…
Attributes associated with those companies include: Greed, discrimination, lack of respect for other cultures
The key question is about how these MNCs operate in a global market and what sort of survival strategies they tend to adopt?
Difference encompasses:
3
Identity – the values and norms held by a particular group;
Experience – the relationship between group members and employers/service provides and the wider society; and
Situation – the status on the group in terms of employment, income, education health and accommodation
