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Workplace Diversity and Management (Diversity (Australia is a highly…
Workplace Diversity and Management
Diversity
Term used to describe differences among individuals
age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical characteristics, mental and physical abilities, sexual orientation
Australia is a highly diverse nation
28% born overseas
over 300 languages spoken
Increasing participation of woman in labour
Aging population
Embracing the LGBT community
Legislation concerning discrimination
Anti discrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action legislation in Australia
Elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation (ILO)
Increasing diversity of consumers because of globalisation
Changing composition of labour market
Cultural diversity is a necessary precondition for innovation
Social Identity Theory
Individuals tend to validate their identity favoring their in group rather than the out group.
In group (people with same gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religious belief)
Perceived to
Be easier to communicate
Easier to reciprocate favors
Be more predictable
Be more trustworthy
Out group (anybody that doesn't share the characteristics of the in-group)
Perceived to
Be more hostile
Be less trustworthy
Not reciprocate favors
The success of organizational diversity initiatives depends on the elimination of these in groups and out groups
Social Dillemas of Diversity
Individual Participation
The success of the organizational diversity is dependent on the degree in which its individuals accept or resist their initiatives
Formation of subgroups along social categories may result in restricting the movement of information
Organisations want all groups to participate and embrace diversity and all individuals to be accepted rather than feeling excluded because of subgroups.
Exclusion leads to more subgroups.
Getting these three cohorts to participate in a positive manner in result to diversity of the key to for the organisation to use diversity as a resource
Managerial Participation
A consequence of the dilemma of individual participation
Managers tend to recruit individuals that are similar to them.
Managers might also create subgroups, creating conflict and the limitation of growth for people in the out group, resulting in a homogenous workforce.
Can result in power battles
Organisational Participation
Dependent on how well social dilemmas are addressed at the individual and managerial level
Incorrect perceptions in relation to the relationship between homogenous workers and employee turnover
Belief that diversity initiatives benefit society and not the organisations implementing them.
Focus on short term and not long term benefits
Solutions for Social Dilemmas
The management problems
Overcoming individual and managerial participation
Align individual interests with diversity initiatives by restructuring incentives
Assisting indiciduals by realizing that self interest can be facilitates by organizational initiatives
Developing goals that can be achieved through cooperation among diverse individuals
Keeping work groups small
Measuring performance from a long term perspective
Embedding diversity to mission and vision statement
Public policy problem
Overcoming organisational participation
Avoiding the creation of legislation that results in "protected classes" of workers
Better to incentivize diversity than implement legislation
not only encouraging diversity but encouraging effective diversity
Education curricula in primary / secondary school