Diversity – Flashcards

differences between people, including differences in: age, genders, ethnic backgrounds, ages, physical and cognitive abilities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, learning and work styles, body types, and work/life commitments

important competitive advantages in the areas of talent recruitment and retention, employee commitment and productivity, and profitable innovation.

identify business opportunities and generate new ideas

• Globalization • Changing labor pool • Intensifying competition

:With change accelerating throughout the business world, companies are finding it increasingly difficult to stay ahead of the pack. By enabling employees to bring all of their unique qualities to work—including their differences—organizations stand a greater chance of maintaining an edge over rivals.

gaining these advantages by planting the seeds for conflict in the workplace

• "Asians are smart and hardworking." • "Californians are laid-back when it comes to business." • "Women have trouble with math." • "Irish people love their drink." • "Americans are pushy negotiators."

assess each employee's unique characteristics and strengths.

Every person has multiple identities. For instance, David is not just a Jew. He may also identify himself as a middle-aged man, a father, and an activist for liberal causes.

People's identities evolve as individuals acquire new experiences.

Prejudice doesn't only flow from members of the numerical majority toward those in the minority or in less powerful positions.

talented performers flee in search of more welcoming environments

1. reflect - review facts of the situation 2. connect- ask questions to better understand their attitudes 3. question yourself- how your desire attempt to be proven right may have distorted your view 4. shift your mind-set- Ask yourself what changes you could make to improve your workplace relationships

managers welcome the many differences that distinguish their employees, and they leverage those differences to define new goals, improve processes, and boost team productivity.

promotes fair hiring, as managers strive to recruit diverse employees...it encourages everyone to adhere to the corporate culture and codes of conduct defining how to look, act, and get ahead. This expectation of uniform behavior puts pressure on employees to downplay differences among themselves—which can carry a high price for their company.

.... enables companies to expand into new and existing markets by matching diverse employees to niche customer segments distinguished by gender, race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other defining characteristics. but individuals can feel like "tokens"

employees' diverse perspectives are incorporated into the way business is conducted—changing things for the better.

Not surprisingly, this variety can spark tensions, and people may put forth perspectives that clash

you send the message that you value each employee's contributions and you give every subordinate an opportunity to generate valuable business results

"Will this initiative contribute to everyone's success in my team? Or, will it produce an advantage for only one or certain groups?" The most valuable diversity initiatives benefit everyone.

the more creative ideas they will generate for improving processes or better serving customers.

human capital systems—including incentives, work/life programs, professional development initiatives, performance appraisals, and mentoring mechanisms.

• Beliefs—about how the world works and how people should interact • Behaviors—including gestures, use of eye contact, facial expressions, and rituals for greeting • Values—what's considered important, such as family or personal life, career, religion, and social responsibility

like: Negotiating, Communicating about business and nonbusiness topics, Building working relationships, Resolving conflicts, Defining work procedures and ethical behavior, Making decisions, Greeting one another, Establishing deadlines and meeting times, Dressing, Entertaining and dining, Delivering presentations, Evaluating business ideas and proposals, Setting business priorities, Relating to authority figures, Selling and marketing to customers

Strengthen your cultural intelligence (CI)—your ability to adapt to a new cultural setting, learn patterns of social interactions specific to that setting, and respond in ways considered appropriate by people from that culture

Use your "Head" to observe and learn about others. Use your "Body" to emulate others.

Look for clues to a culture's shared understandings.

Seventy percent of communication is through body language. Practice mirroring the customs and gestures of people from other cultures.

Seventy percent

Embrace the notion that you are capable of understanding people from other cultures.

that you use your knowledge of others' culture to understand why they do business the way they do.

• Sharpen your awareness. • Use your "people skills." • Get educated. • Find "cultural mentors."

Hone your awareness—and appreciation—of the vast differences in communication styles among national cultures by taking advantage of resources provided by your company or online, such as books and articles on the subject as well as experts.

Draw on your "people skills" by observing others and adapting to their communication styles. Keep your awareness of national culture differences in mind while interacting with others. However, don't overgeneralize by assuming that two people from the same culture communicate in identical ways. Look for each person's individual style as well.

Take advantage of any cross-cultural training and coaching provided by your company. If your organization doesn't provide such resources, consider obtaining them yourself through online programs or courses offered by local colleges and continuing education programs.

Identify peer managers in your firm who you see as particularly skilled at cross-border communication. Ask them what they do to enhance their ability to communicate with people from other nations. Then practice applying their methods to your own cross-border dealings.

because comprehension of English can vary greatly, misunderstandings may occur

you may misread them in another person

In some countries, negotiators open talks by emphasizing the negative aspects of the bargaining so far; in others, the positive. Some believe that withholding information is power. Some consider it rude to say "No" outright. People may also have very different preferences for how to set the pace of discussions during a negotiation.

cultural norms.

language, nonverbal communication, negotiation, and forms of agreement

Globalization changing labor pool intensifying competition

Racial diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, greater market share, and greater relative share. Gender diversity is associated with increased sales revenue, more customers, and greater relative share.

everyone being a little bit racist.. we categorize without thinking..

New York Asian basketball player

tokenism marginalization doubts about worth limited trust

focuses on discrimination & fairness perceptions (eliminating differences)

focuses on acceptance of differences (matching organizational diversity to diversity of stake holders) --- targeting diversity for strategic interests

expand your recruiting strategy seek assistance within your company "sell" your company

79%; which is 31.9% lost profitability

observing and learning about others

emulating (matching) others

believing you can learn from others

Beliefs Cultures- customs shake, bow, nod Values- what do people find important

...there are 4 primary value dimensions that differ across countries, and ranked countries on those dimensions

I versus "we" orientation high countries: US, UK, and Australia Low Countries: Taiwan and Peru

Feeling threatened by Unknown high countries: Japan and Greece Low Countries: US and Denmark

extent to which culture accepts inequality High countries: India and Philippines Low Counties: Sweden and New Zealand

Assertiveness/ Ambition vs. caring/nurturing High Countries: Japan & Italy Low countries: Norway and Denmark

eight

- values predict outcomes about 18% - Cultural values predict interpersonal behaviors such as organizational commitment, citizenship behavior, team-related attitudes, feedback seeking better than personality traits -Findings are significantly stronger in culturally tighter organizations

greetings and communicating entertaining and dining attending to meeting times negotiating and resolving conflict making decisions and considering ethics relating to authority figures

means relationships or connections in Chinese

-notice when an occurrence might be viewed as offensive or harmful - decide "in your gut" if it is unacceptable - ask yourself, "could i play a role in here" - assess your options for giving help -determine risks of taking action -decide whether to act and when to act

acknowledge the offense interrupt the behavior support the target person use body language to show disapproval use humor (with care) help calm strong feelings

- privately support the upset person - talk privately with the inappropriate actor - report the incident, with or without names