TOPIC 3.

0 WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
3.1

1.

DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF

WORKPLACE DIVERSITY

Dimension of Diversity
The world's increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from

diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. People no longer live and work in an
insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from
nearly every continent. For this reason, profit and non-profit organizations need diversity to
become more creative and open to change. Maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity
has become an important issue for management today.

Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and

celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and
mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et
al., 1995).

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The Dimensions of Diversity wheel shows the complexity of the diversity filters through
which all of us process stimuli and information. That in turn leads to the assumptions that we
make (usually about the behaviors of other people), which ultimately drive our own behaviors,
which in turn have an impact on others.

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i) Personality
This includes an individual's likes and dislikes, values, and beliefs. Personality is shaped
early in life and is both influenced by, and influences, the other three layers throughout one's
lifetime and career choices.

ii) Internal dimensions

These include aspects of diversity over which we have no control (though "physical ability"
can change over time due to choices we make to be active or not, or in cases of illness or
accidents). This dimension is the layer in which many divisions between and among people
exist and which forms the core of many diversity efforts. These dimensions include the first
things we see in other people, such as race or gender and on which we make many
assumptions and base judgments.

iii) External dimensions

These include aspects of our lives which we have some control over, which might change
over time, and which usually form the basis for decisions on careers and work styles. This
layer often determines, in part, with whom we develop friendships and what we do for work.
This layer also tells us much about whom we like to be with.

iv) Organizational dimensions

This layer concerns the aspects of culture found in a work setting. While much attention of
diversity efforts is focused on the internal dimensions, issues of preferential treatment and
opportunities for development or promotion are impacted by the aspects of this layer.

The usefulness of this model is that it includes the dimensions that shape and impact both the
individual and the organization itself. While the "Internal Dimensions" receive primary attention
in successful diversity initiatives, the elements of the "External" and "Organizational"
dimensions often determine the way people are treated, who "fits" or not in a department, who
gets the opportunity for development or promotions, and who gets recognized.

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Some writers separate the diversity wheel to primary dimensions and secondary dimensions. The
following Diversity Wheel illustrates both the primary and secondary dimensions of diversity
that exert an impact on us in the workplace as well as in society.

i)

Primary Dimensions
-

The inner circle shows the primary dimensions of diversity - those that are
fundamental to a persons' self-concept or core self.

These dimensions, though not necessarily visible, are unchangeable in that they are
not a matter of choice.

Aspects of ourselves which we cannot change

They form the basis on which people make instantaneous judgments about one
another, often through the process of stereotyping.

A persons primary dimensions of diversity are described as core because they exert
an important impact on our early socialization and a powerful, sustained impact
through every state of life

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ii)

Secondary Dimensions
-

The middle circle consists of secondary dimensions of diversity.

These are aspects of a persons' identity that are important to a definition of self, but
are not as fundamental as the primary dimensions.

Aspects that we have some control over and may change throughout our life.

Generally they are more mutable, and less visible to others.

They also vary in the degree of influence they exert on our individual lives.

Many of these secondary dimensions contain an element of control or choice.

Because we acquire, discard, and modify these dimensions, their power is less
constant and more individualized than is true of our core dimensions.

This model can help the manager understand that diversity comprises many characteristics of
people at work, not only a few. The diversity-mature manager will seek to understand these
factors and dimensions of diversity to ensure he is bringing out all aspects of an individual's
talents and abilities in support of the organization's mission and goals.

2.

Concepts of Inclusion VS Concept of Diversity

Diversity refers to the range of human differences that includes the primary or internal dimension
such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability and sexual orientation; and the
secondary or external dimension such as thought styles, religion, nationality, socio-economic
status, belief systems, military experience and education.

Inclusion involves the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement of our diversity, where each
person is valued, respected and supported for his or her distinctive skills, experiences and
perspectives, to create a working and learning environment where everyone has an opportunity to
experience personal fulfillment and participate fully in creating a successful and thriving Boston
College. It is a means of creating value from the differences of all members of our community, in
order to leverage talent and foster both individual and organizational excellence.

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DIVERSITY

INCLUSION

Any collective mixture characterized

by differences, similarities, and related
tensions and complexities

The process of involving and valuing all

people in an environment regardless of
their differences

Respecting and valuing all forms of

difference in individuals.

Positively striving to meet the needs of

different people and taking deliberate
action to create environments where
everyone feels respected and able to
achieve their full potential.

State of being valued, respected and

supported.

Focusing on the needs of every individual

and ensuring the right conditions for each
person to achieve the full potential

Inclusion should be reflected in an

organizations culture, practices and
relationships that are in place to support a
diverse workforce

Inclusion is leveraging the diversity in

our workforce to achieve full
participation and optimum performance;

People differ in all sorts of ways which

may not always be obvious or visible.
These differences might include race
and ethnicity, culture and belief,
gender and sexuality, age and social
status, ability and use of health and
social care services.
Bring us diverse perspectives, work
experiences, life styles and cultures.
Diversity is a big idea in business and
in society

all the ways in which we are similar

and all the ways in which we differ."

Table 1: Diversity VS Inclusion

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3.

Diversity And Inclusion In The workplace

Work place diversity is the key to survival and growth. People who really want to
contribute to the long-term success of their organizations and leaders should create a
culture where everyones perspective is heard.

When cultural diversity is acknowledged and honored, managers find new ways to
maximize and capitalize on the different skills, styles and sensibilities of employees from
different cultures. When employees are understood and accepted for their different
cultural backgrounds and beliefs of their colleagues, they are more capable of working
harmoniously with their fellow staff and engaging in productive activity. By honoring
diversity and inclusion organization will be able to:

Recognize, appreciate and utilize the unique insights, perspectives and

backgrounds of others

Avoid discrimination and disrespectful behavior

Create an environment of trust, respect and tolerance

Appreciate the business case for diversity as it affects your companys bottom line

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The followings are the benefits of workforce diversity and inclusion in an

organization
i)

Increases employee productivity

ii)

Provides multiple perspectives on problem solving

iii)

Boost employee morale and Better performance outcomes

iv)

Reduced harassment incidences, charges, and discrimination

v)

Improved customer relations reduces complaints and grievances

vi)

Improve understanding of those employee work for, with and around

vii)

Creates a work environment that allows everyone to reach their full potential

viii)

An inclusive environment minimizes

an insider vs. outsider culture to gain

traction
ix)

People feel that they contribute to the greater good and they are likely to go the
extra mile

x)

Improves productivity,

morale, innovation, and the total quality of your

organization
xi)

Diversity recruitment improves workplace staffing and retention rates are higher

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Cultural Diversity in Workplace

ADVANTAGES
1.

Innovation
People from various backgrounds and cultures dont think or work alike, thus it
encourages more outside-the-box thinking that leads to new inventions and discoveries.

2.

Profitability
A diverse workforce knows how to market and sell products & services to a diverse
consumer population; marketing is all about understanding the end-consumer and there is
no better way of doing it than by recruiting the people youre trying to sell to.

3.

Talent pools
A wider selection of people is made available, i.e. the entire world should be your
recruitment shopping basket. Why limit yourself by recruiting only those from a
particular university, educational background, or career path? Be daring and venture out
into the unknown you will be surprised to find many talented and gifted people that will
over-deliver and surprise you if given the right opportunity.

4.

Multiformity
A variety of people with different skills and experiences are able to specialize and
address various service/product areas in your business; the all-round overachiever or
corporate superhero is hard to come by and its probably best to recruit people who have
different skills and strengths instead.

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DISADVANTAGES
1.

Conflicts
People often feel confused, threatened or even annoyed by individuals with views and
backgrounds very different from their own; constructive disagreements can become
power struggles and create a bad political atmosphere that hinders project advancements.

2.

Bureaucracy
Decision-making can be delayed due to diverging views and opinions, thus corporate
decisions and actions take time.

3.

Unproductivity
Dissimilar cultural identities and values, or simply said when people lack things in
common, could negatively affect the overall team spirit that is essential for reaching highlevels of productivity.

4.

Disunity
Everyone in the company might have a different opinion on the way business should be
run and managed; thus, the company might have people doing their own thing, especially
if there is no protocol and authority to ensure common practices.

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4.

Management Strategies
- To ensure compliance in the multicultural workplace
i.

Recognize & welcome cultural differences

Thats one step in the right direction to creating an environment of tolerance and
understanding. Being a manager, encourage your employees to adopt this
mindset, to challenge their belief system and to be open-minded enough to hear
alternative views. It will open up horizons and make people realise that there isnt
one road to Rome, or an ultimate truth or way of doing things.

ii.

Adapt to new hires instead of enforcing the traditional corporate culture on

them
Just as a person is expected to be flexible and be able to adapt to new
circumstances, the same should apply to a company. As the world constantly
changes, a company culture needs to adapt to current times. For example, a lot has
been written about the Gen Y mentality and how employers should understand
and adapt to this new generation in order to harness their full potential and at the
same time make them work alongside Gen Xers and the soon retiring Baby
Boomers.

iii.

Communicate and understand differences

As a leader, you should encourage people to voice their opinions and, more
importantly be themselves. If employees feel like they can open-up and be their
true selves, theyll be more engaged in their job and will feel happier in the longrun, as nobody likes pretending to be something theyre not. Managers need to
accept that they cant make everyone think and act like they do.

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iv.

Be attentive to verbal and nonverbal cues that might indicate or create

tension
There are countless examples of how cultures differ in their interpretation or
perception of both verbal and non-verbal communications. Managers today are
expected to be culturally dexterous and be sensitive to such differences in order to
not offend somebody. Here are some examples:
Pointing with one finger is considered to be rude in some cultures and Asians
typically use their entire hand to point to something.
In Western culture, eye contact means youre attentive and honest; yet for a
Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, or Native American, eye contact is thought to be
disrespectful or rude.
In Canada and Japan, people generally do not raise their voices in normal
conversation. However, in Latin America, people talk loudly and it is not because
they are angry.*

v.

Evaluate how diversifying affected the companys performance in sales,

efficiencies, and customers gained or lost.
This is the most telling of all recommendations. We should always question and
test the purpose of things and see if indeed our diversity policy or programme is
creating the results we wish for. Perhaps your diversity initiative is compromising
your business performance. That doesnt mean you should scrap diversity
altogether but it might mean that you need to go back to the drawing board and rethink your approach.

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Terms in Topic 3
1. Cultural intelligence (CQ)

Cultural intelligence is someone's ability to adapt successfully to a new cultural setting.

(Christopher Earley and Soon Ang, 2003)

Cultural intelligence is related to emotional intelligence, but it goes a step further. People
with high emotional intelligence can pick up on the emotions, wants, and needs of others.
Those with high cultural intelligence are attuned to the values, beliefs, attitudes, and body
language of people from different cultures; and they use this knowledge to interact with
empathy and understanding.

People with high cultural intelligence are not experts in every culture; rather, they use
observation, empathy, and intelligence to read people and situations, and to make informed
decisions about why others are acting as they are.

They also use cultural intelligence to monitor their own actions. Instead of making quick
judgments or relying on stereotypes, they observe what is happening, and they adapt their
own behavior accordingly.

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2. Cultural awareness

Developing sensitivity and understanding of other another ethnic group.

This usually

involves internal changes in terms of attitudes and values. Awareness and sensitivity also
refer to the qualities of openness and flexibility that people develop in relation to others.
Cultural awareness must be supplemented with cultural knowledge (Adams, 1995).

It is the ability to be open to changing attitudes about global cultures and ways of living. It is
allowing yourself to take a step out of the confines of your own culture (but still being aware
of that) and acknowledge, accept and appreciate the differences of other cultures.

3. Multiculturalism

The doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist
peacefully and equitably in a single country

It is the acceptance or promotion of multiple ethnic cultures for practical reasons and/or for
the sake of diversity and applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at
the organizational level.

It is refers to cultural diversity where two or more groups with distinctive beliefs/ cultures
exist in a society.

Multiculturalism is a system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the
presence of all diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their
socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an
inclusive cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society.

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4. Acculturation

Acculturation is the process by which members of a cultural group adopt the belief or
behaviour of another group. Result when groups of individuals from different cultures come
into continuous first-hand contact, which cause changes in the original cultural patterns of
either or both groups.

Acculturation is an adjustment and adaptation process. Someone moving into a different

culture may gradually integrate the value system of the new host culture into their personal
practice, and begin to behave in ways similar to the host culture rather than to their original
culture.

For example:- tourist from powerful, developed countries influences locals from poorer,
developing countries.

5. Interculturation

Interculturation is the process by which cultural groups over a period of time and being in
close contact with each other, engage in mutual exchange of cultural traits to produce a new
culture or hybrid culture

Interculturation refers to the mixing of cultures that goes on between groups who share a
space. The groups do not have to necessarily give up on their culture but participate in
various ways in each other lives. For example:- the interaction between persons of different
ethnicities within such culture. This is where Africans and Indian meet but do not mix. They
feed off each other, producing some degree of incorporation and merging.

Interculturation is when two cultures combine to form a new culture. Like in US, for
example, is a mesh of many European, Native American, African, and Asian cultures.

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6. Cultural transmission

Cultural transmission (sometimes referred to as 'cultural learning'), which is the process of

learning new information through socialization and engagement with those around you. The
cultural transmission of knowledge is a broad concept, and it refers to knowledge that is
gained through non-biological means.

For example, if you're walking down the street and would like to cross the road, you know
that you can't simply step into the road without looking because there is a chance that you'll
get hit by a car. You don't instinctively know this; rather, it was passed on to you from a
parent or other adult early in your life and reinforced through cultural transmission.

7. Cultural universal

Culture traits that are shared by all of humanity collectively. Examples of such general traits
are communicating with a verbal language, using age and gender to classify people, and
raising children in some sort of family setting. No matter where people live in the world,
they share these universal cultural traits. However, different cultures have developed their
own specific ways of carrying out or expressing these general traits.

8. Cultural integration

Cultural integration is a form of cultural exchange in which one group assumes the beliefs,
practices and rituals of another group without sacrificing the characteristics of its own
culture. While cultural syncretism carries a negative connotation, cultural integration is
generally looked upon as positive because nothing is lost.

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9. Culture Assimilation
Cultural assimilation occurs when members of one cultural group adopt the language,
practices and beliefs of another group, often losing aspects of their traditional culture in the
process.

10. Culture shock

A feeling of confusion, distress, and sometimes depression that can result from the
psychological stress that commonly occurs during the first weeks or months of a total cultural
emersion in an alien society. Until the new culture becomes familiar and comfortable, it is
common to have difficulty in communicating and to make frustrating mistakes. This is
usually compounded by feelings of homesickness. These feelings can be emotionally
debilitating. However, culture shock eventually passes for most people.

11. Naturalization
To say that culture is naturalized mean that people treat their cultural practices as being
natural. In other words, "The way we do things is the right way to do them, and always has
been." This is like ethnocentrism because it privledges a certain culture to the exclusion of
others. If one way of life is "natural," then other ways of life are seen as "unnatural." In other
words: "Anyone whose customs and beliefs are different than mine is wrong."

Naturalization ignores cultural diversity and suppresses anything that deviates from the norm.
For example, social conservatives say that the "natural" family is a heterosexual nuclear
family with one man, one woman, and children. But just because this has been the norm in
recent times in the Western World doesn't mean it is "natural"-- people have practiced many
different types of family structures throughout time and around the world. Fifty years ago,
people said it was "natural" for women to be housewives and men to support them.
Americans think it is "natural" to eat beef and pork, while some cultures see it as "natural" to
eat dogs and horses, and some cultures believe that a vegetarian diet is what is "natural." The
point is, most of our culture is socially created, but people treat it as if it is naturally created
and universal.

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REFERENCES
Esty, Katharine, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr-Hirsh (1995). Workplace diversity. A
managers guide to solving problems and turning diversity into a competitive advantage. Avon,
MA: Adams Media Corporation.
http://www.ethnicharvest.com/ideas/10-steps.htm,
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/CulturalCompetence.html,
http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/cultural-sensitivity.

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