Week 7 lecture
Diversity and need to manage it
What is diversity
Term used to describe differences among individuals
Age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical characteristics
(height, weight etc.), mental and physical ability, personality, sexual orientation etc
Social Identity Theory
Why manage diversity
28% born overseas, third highest in the world
Overseas-born residents contribute to more than
50 per cent of population growth
Social Dilemmas of workplace diversity
Indigenous Australians comprise of approximately
2.4% of the population
Solutions For Social Dilemmas
Over the next 50 years, approximately ¼
Australians will be 65 years or older
Managerial Participation
Is it necessary?
Organisational Participation
Individual Participation
Individuals validate their social identity by favouring their 'in group' at the expense of 'outgroups'. Meaning individuals will prefer to not extend themselves to other individuals that do not share similarities.
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
Success depends on how employees embrace efforts
Changing composition of the labour market
Not about merely meeting ‘legal’ or ‘moral’ obligations
Formation of subgroups may restrict the flow of infomation
Glass Ceiling
Exclusion may lead to informal subgroups
What is it
Managers are likely to recruit those similar to them
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 filled by women
Eastern European and Scandinavian nations lead
the way in abolishing the glass ceiling
Those disimilar often leave, leading to a homogenous workplace
'In Groups' and 'Out Groups' can cause tensions in the workplace and need to be identified and managed.
Overcoming glass ceiling
Can result in power battles
Focus on short term costs rather than long term benefits
Changing societal norms around the role of women
and eradicating gender bias
Eliminating the stigmatisation of men who choose to
stay home for family reasons
effective recruiting barriers created from inaccurate views
Introduction of paid-parental leave schemes
Introducing gender quotas for company boards
A more representative blend of women and men in
senior roles
Incorrect perception of the relationship between a homogenous workforce and employee turnover
The management problem
The public policy problem (Organisational)
Individuals in the workplace must be encouraged or feel comfortable to interact with their perceived 'Out Groups' rather than just their 'In Groups'
Avoiding the creation of legislation that results in protected classes of workers
Instead, develop legislation which requires firms to develop and implement diversity initaives that result in sustainable success
How Does This Relate to Diversity?