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Week Seven: managing for inclusion: equality and Workplace Diversity (Is…
Week Seven: managing for inclusion: equality and Workplace Diversity
What is Diversity?
A term used to describe differences among individuals
Age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical characteristics (eg. height, weight), mental and physical ability, personality, sexual orientation etc.
Workplace diversity therefore refers to differences among people at work
In addition to the above differences, workforce diversity also encompasses differences among workers in:
Religious beliefs, educational attainment, experience, family status, parental status, pregnancy etc.
Is it necessary to manage diversity?
Australian Population:
28% born overseas, third highest in the world
overseas born residents contribute to more than 50% of population growth - over 300 languages
Those born in Europe are declining while those born in Asia and Africa are increasing
Overseas-born population from Asia and Africa have proportionally larger young (0-14 years) and working age (15 - 64 years) populations compared to those from Europe.
Indigenous Australian's comprise of approximately 2.4% of the population
Over the next 50 years, approximately 1/4 of Australians will be 65 years or older
Increasing labour force participation of women
Increasing dual-earner households with dependant children, single parent households and the sandwich generation (individuals who care for ageing parents while supporting their own children)
Embracing the LGBT community
One of 4 core labour standards of the international labour organisation (ILO) - elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
anti-discrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action legislation in Australia
Increasing diversity of consumers due to globalisation
More than managing cultural diversity, a necessary precondition for continuous innovation
Changing composition of the labour market - attracting the right kind of talent and retaining such talent
Not merely about meeting legal or moral obligations, but embedding the process in business strategy development
Social identity theory
The social identity theory stipulates that individuals validate their social identity by favouring their 'in groups' at the expense of 'out-groups'
Individuals perceive that it is easier to communicate with other members of their in group as they are more predictable, trustworthy and more likely to reciprocate favours
A shared social identity increases perceived differences between individuals belonging to difference social categories ie. between in and out groups
the success of organisational diversity initiatives is dependant upon migrating these perceived differences
Social Dilemmas of workplace diversity
Individual participation
The success of organisational diversity initiatives is dependant upon the degree to which its employees embrace/resist them
Formation of subgroups along social categories may result in restricting the movement of information
Due to exclusion, employees mat form further informal subgroups resulting in subgroup competition
Managerial Participation
A consequence of the dilemma of individual participation
Managers are likely to recruit individuals they perceive to be similar to them (ie. their social category)
Individuals may also seek out managers that are similar to them
Those that do not fit in often leave resulting in a homogenous workforce
Can result in power battles
Organisational participation:
Dependent on how well the social dilemmas relation to individual and managerial participation are addressed
Incorrect perceptions in relations to the relationship between homogenous workers and employee turnover
Belief that diversity initiatives benefit society not organisations implementing them, organisations bear the costs and accrue little benefit
Focus on short term costs and not long term benefits
Creates barriers for selecting highly talented candidates due to ill informed and short sighted views
Solutions for social dilemmas
The management problem - overcoming individual and managerial participation
Aligning individual interest with organisation diversity initiatives by restructuring incentives
Assisting individuals in realising that their self interest cab be facilitated by embracing organisational diversity initiatives
developing measurable objectives for diversity
developing superordinate goals which can only be achieved through cooperation amongst diverse members
creating a work environment that encourages and facilitates communication between diverse groups
keeping work team/group sizes small
Measuring managerial performance from a long term perspective
embedding the value of diversity to mission, vision statements
The public policy problem - overcoming organisational participation
avoiding the creation of legislation that results in protected classes of workers
instead developing legislation that requires firms to develop and implement diversity initiatives that result in sustainable success
not focusing on encouraging just diversity but effective diversity
educational curricula at primary/secondary level
The Glass Ceiling
What is the Glass Ceiling?
A phenomenon that limits the advancement of women and other minority groups to senior managerial positions in organisations
only 25% of key management positions on company boards are held by women in Australia
However, in the public service 40% of all senior executive positions are filled by women
Eastern european and Scandinavian nations lead the way in abolishing the glass ceiling
Overcoming the Glass Ceiling
Changing societal norms around the role of women and eradicating gender bias
eliminating the stigmatisation of men who chose to stay home for family reasons
Introduction of paid- parental leave schemes, especially for men that goes beyond one week
Introducing gender quotas for company boards
Realising that a more representative blend of women and men in senior roles just makes good business sense