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Diversity in Organizations Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Welcome to Chapter 5 – Diversity in Organizations from our Organizational Behavior textbook 1 Learning Objectives What is diversity? How diverse is the workforce? How does diversity impact companies and the workforce? What is workplace discrimination, and how does it affect different social identity groups? What key theories help managers understand the benefits and challenges of managing the diverse workforce?

How can managers reap benefits from diversity and mitigate its challenges? What can organizations do to ensure applicants, employees, and customers from all backgrounds are valued? Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, The seven leaning objectives for this chapter are… What is diversity? How diverse is the workforce? How does diversity impact companies and the workforce?

What is workplace discrimination, and how does it affect different social identity groups? What key theories help managers understand the benefits and challenges of managing the diverse workforce? How can managers reap benefits from diversity and mitigate its challenges? What can organizations do to ensure applicants, employees, and customers from all backgrounds are valued? 2 Contents An Introduction to Workplace Diversity Diversity and the Workforce Diversity and Its Impact on Companies Challenges of Diversity Key Diversity Theories Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity Recommendations for Managing Diversity Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, The chapter is organized into seven sections that align with the learning outcomes… An Introduction to Workplace Diversity (that is, defining diversity and kinds of diversity) Diversity and the Workforce (covering gender, race, age, orientation, and immigration status) Diversity and Its Impact on Companies (considering the opportunities with diversity in organizations) Challenges of Diversity (considering how to manage diversity in organizations) Key Diversity Theories (covering the major theories of diversity) Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity (examining the integration, access and fairness perspectives) Recommendations for Managing Diversity (that is, considering best hiring practice in organizations) …we will also touch on the TedTalk, ‘Why we have too few women leaders’, by Sheryl Sandberg 3 An Introduction to Workplace Diversity Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, An Introduction to Workplace Diversity defines diversity and kinds of diversity 4 Diversity Defined Diversity refers to identity-based differences among and between two or more that affect their lives as applicants, employees, and customers Groups in society based on these individual differences are referred to as identity groups Inclusion, which represents the degree to which employees are accepted and treated fairly by their organization Three Kinds of Diversity: Surface-level diversity represents an individual’s visible characteristics Deep-level diversity includes traits that are non-observable such as attitudes, values, and beliefs Hidden diversity includes traits that are deep-level but may be concealed or revealed at the discretion of individuals who possess them 5 Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, 2019 Diversity can simply be defined as differences between people that have an impact on our lives as citizens, employees, and customers.

The grouping together of people with a common difference, for example the differences between students, faculty, and staff at a university, are referred to as identity groups. As someone whose career has moved between being a student, a faculty member, a staff member and an administrator, I found the greatest alignment, for me personally, has been my faculty identity. The term inclusion refers to the degree to which differences are accepted and treated fairly within an organization. For example, does sexual orientation, country of origin, skin color, or gender identity matter in how people are treated? In general, diversity can take three distinct levels 1. surface level (which is easily observable, such as skin color), 2. deep-level (that are generally non-observable, such as attitudes, values and beliefs) and 3. hidden diversity (which are intentionally concealed) For example, you can see I identify as a white, male faculty member; but it may take more exploring to learn deeper-level diversity, for example, that my partner is Asian; and I generally try to hide my political orientations when I teach classes (and in the workplace), as I don’t feel being socially liberal but fiscally conservative, as relevant to my work identity.

5 Diversity and the Workforce Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Diversity and the Workforce will cover gender, race, age, orientation, and immigration 6 Diverse Workforce Gender Glass ceiling is an invisible barrier based on the prejudicial beliefs that underlie organizational decisions that prevent women from moving beyond certain levels within a company Sexual harassment is defined as the unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature Race Age Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Passing is the decision to not disclose Revealing is the decision to be transparent about sexual orientation Immigrant Workers Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, In terms of workforce diversity, some common identity groups or places were diversity can manifest are… Immigrant status and the impact of those who are in the country, both legally and illegally and the limitations and added stress often placed on those groups toward participating in education, work, and the broader society Sexual orientation and gender identity, and consideration is whether a person chooses to not disclose (called passing) or to disclose (called revealing) her or his status to others, and the use of gender neutral or preferred pronouns Age and age discrimination, particularly in fields often considered ‘younger’ such as IT can have an impact on hiring, development, and promotion We will talk later about equal employment opportunity, but we still see, despite several laws to the contrary, racial groups being marginalized or having inequitable outcomes in education, work, and even health For gender, one of the biggest impediments to inclusion of more woman in leadership roles is the glass ceiling effect (which is an invisible barrier that prevents woman from advancing in organizations) and the still too common problem (as we have seen from the me-too movement) of sexual harassment We will cover a bit more about gender when we consider Sheryl Sandberg’s TedTalk, ‘Why we have too few women leaders’, at the end of the presentation 7 Diversity and Its Impact on Companies Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Diversity and Its Impact on Companies will consider the multiple opportunities with inclusion of diversity 8 Opportunities Gaining a competitive edge by embracing change in the marketplace and the labor force: Cost Advantages – reduced liability; lower turnover of woman and minorities Resource Acquisition – enlarging the labor pool by attracting women and minorities Marketing – gain broad perspectives regarding consumer preferences of different cultures System Flexibility – builds cognitive flexibility, the ability to think about things differently and adapt one’s perspective Creativity – different perspectives lead to a greater number of choices to select from when addressing a problem or issue Problem Solving – preventing groupthink a dysfunction in decision-making that occurs in homogeneous groups as a result of group pressures and group members’ desire for conformity and consensus Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, There are number of strategic advantages toward having a diverse workforce, including… Cost Advantages, through reduced turnover and liability, esp. for woman and underrepresented minority groups Resource Acquisition, by enlarging your potential labor pool beyond a specific homogeneous identify group Marketing, by gaining a broader perspective of your potential clients and customer preferences System Flexibility, that is, building cognitive flexibility, with more diverse teams being able to think differently and adapt an organizations perspective Creativity, with increased diversity providing greater number or range of choices to consider; and Problem Solving, with diversity being a primary defense against groupthink, which occurs when homogenous groups fail to adequately problem solve, in their desire for conformity and consensus 9 Challenges of Diversity Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Challenges of Diversity will consider how to manage diversity in organizations 10 Challenges Effectively managing employees with different attitudes, values, and beliefs: Lower Organizational Attachment Legal Challenges and Diversity Reverse discrimination is a term that has been used to describe a situation in which dominant group members perceive that they are experiencing discrimination based on their race or sex Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee or an applicant is treated unfairly at work or in the job hiring process due to an identity group, condition, or personal characteristic Harassment is any unwelcome conduct that is based on characteristics such as age, race, national origin, disability, sex, or pregnancy status Other Types of Discrimination Access discrimination is a catchall term that describes when people are denied employment opportunities because of their identity group or personal characteristics such as sex, race, age, or other factors Treatment discrimination describes a situation in which people are employed but are treated differently while employed, mainly by receiving different and unequal job-related opportunities or rewards Interpersonal or covert discrimination that involves discrimination that manifests itself in ways that are not visible or readily identifiable Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Despite the multiple, documented benefits of diversity, there are still a few lingering challenges to effectively manage diversity in the workplace, including… Lower organizational attainment, as mentioned earlier, we still see an overwhelming percentage of senior leaders in the US (whether in industry, politics, entertainment, or sports) that are predominantly older white male Legal challenges such as discrimination and harassment lawsuits continue to be prevalent, putting pressure on management to document their decision making; and types of discrimination that managers need to be mindful of, including Access (such as denying a persona a training opportunity or promotion), treatment (such as being more lenient or harsh in a performance appraisal based on identity group affiliation, rather than performance) and even in more covert or hard to identify ways (such as micro aggressions, which is a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority) 11 Key Diversity Theories Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Key Diversity Theories will cover the major theories of diversity 12 Diversity Theories Cognitive diversity hypothesis refers to differences between team members in characteristics such as expertise, experiences, and perspectives The similarity attraction paradigm posits that individuals are attracted to others with whom they share attitude similarity Social cognitive theory suggests that people use categorization to simplify and cope with large amounts of information Stereotypes refer to the overgeneralization of characteristics about large groups Social identity theory suggests that when we first meet others, we categorize them as belonging to an in group (the same group as us) or an out-group (not belonging to our group) Schema theory explains how individuals encode information about others based on their demographic characteristics The justification-suppression model explains the circumstances in which prejudiced people might act on their prejudices Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, There are several diversity theories to consider, including… Cognitive diversity hypothesis, that diversity positively influences performance Similarity attraction paradigm, that diversity may produce conflict and higher employee turnover (for those who are not similar) Social cognitive theory, where we label people, using stereotypes (which are an overgeneralization of characteristics about large groups) Social identity theory, where we categorize people into an in-group (i.e., the same as us) and an out-group (as not belonging to our group) Schema theory, which is how we encode information, often using demographic characteristics; and Justification-suppression model, which identifies circumstances where our prejudices are either suppressed or acted upon 13 Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity considers integration, access and fairness perspectives 14 Perspectives on Workplace Diversity The integration-and-learning perspective posits that the different life experiences, skills, and perspectives that members of diverse cultural identity groups possess can be a valuable resource in the context of work groups The access-and-legitimacy perspective focuses on the benefit that a diverse workforce can bring to a business that wishes to operate within a diverse set of markets or with culturally diverse clients The discrimination-and-fairness perspective stems from a belief that a culturally diverse workforce is a moral duty that must be maintained in order to create a just and fair society Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, A few perspectives on the benefits of workplace diversity, include… Integration-and-learning perspective, seeing diversity as a valuable resource for the organization;; Access-and-legitimacy perspective, where aligning your organization diversity to your client diversity provides greater access to diverse markets; and Discrimination-and-fairness perspective, that regardless of the value of diversity or the access it provides, we have a moral duty to have a just and fair society, which means equity and inclusion for diverse identity groups 15 Recommendations for Managing Diversity Organizational Behavior Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, Recommendations for Managing Diversity considers best hiring practices 16 Recommendations Interview Selection Process Use highly structured interviews during the selection process to avoid bias based on race or gender Diversified Mentoring Relationships Diversified mentoring relationships are relationships in which the mentor and the mentee differ in terms of their status within the company and within larger society Job analysis Same questions Limited prompting Better questions Longer interviews Control of ancillary information Limited questions from candidates Multiple rating scales Anchored rating scales Detailed notes Multiple interviewers Consistent interviewers No discussion between interviews Training Statistical prediction Organizational Behavior by OpenStax, In the selection or hiring process, a few key recommendations to increase equity and inclusion….

First, use a highly structured (or directed) vs. an unstructured (or non-directive) interview process. When you use an unstructured interview, you are leaving the process open to bias, either consciously or unconsciously Second, when Interviewing make sure to emphasize consistency (each applicant should go through the same process, and be asked the same questions), use behaviorally based questions (that is, ask applicants to describe how they reacted to actual situations in the past), only allow limited prompting/candidate questions (such as, what questions do you have for us, which is generally a loaded question with varying expectations from the interviewers), use common rating scales (or rubrics), and provide training on the process, equal employment opportunity, potential biases, and consensus scoring Finally, it is important, for onboarding new employees is to have a diversified mentoring relationships, so that they can gain access to key relationships that can enhance their career 17 Sheryl Sandberg Why we have too few women leaders Organizational Behavior 18 Sheryl Sandberg, ‘Why we have too few women leaders’, Dec 2010 Let’s consider the TedTalk by Sheryl Sandberg on Why we have too few woman leaders… 18 Why we have too few women leaders Sit at the table Men attribute success to internal factors, women attribute success to external factors Success and likeability are positively correlated for men; but negatively correlated for woman Make your partner a real partner In a household, if both parents work and have children…the woman does x2 housework and x3 childcare Don’t leave before you leave Stay in until the day you need to leave to take a break for a child 19 The three key takeaway issues to consider from the TedTalk are: Sit at the table (recognize the fundamental attribution error and locus of control that will influence how success is characterized between men and woman; for men, they tend to attribute success to themselves and failure to the environment; but woman flip the script, often ascribing success to luck, and failure as their own fault) Make your partner a real partner (consider a 7-day week, how many hours do you spend at work and taking care of your home and family and is that time equitably distributed or does one partner or the other often have to do the majority of the work) Don’t leave before you leave (whatever your family plans, if you have an opportunity in front of you, then why not take it, sometimes we outthink ourselves in considering all the future possibilities, and then fail to size the chance when it is presented) And that concludes the presentation for Chapter 5 – Diversity in Organizations.

19 Physical Therapist Assistant Program PHT 1001 Intro to Physical Therapy Assignment 1A: Professionalism and Email Etiquette (10 pts.) 1. Please watch the following video on “Professionalism.†Please watch the following video on “Email Etiquette.†Instructions: Write a professional email to your instructor based on the information from the “email etiquette†videos. The email must include what you feel are the top two most important aspects of professionalism as per the “Professionalism†video and three aspects of professionalism that you feel you need to improve.

Paper for above instructions

Introduction

Diversity in organizations has emerged as a significant focus for researchers and practitioners, influencing various areas including recruitment, retention, and performance. While the concept of diversity encompasses various identities, including race, gender, age, orientation, and more (OpenStax, 2019), it also requires effective management to harness its potential benefits. This paper explores various dimensions of diversity, its impact on workforce and organizations, the challenges it poses, relevant theoretical perspectives, and actionable recommendations for managers to create an inclusive organizational culture.

Defining Diversity and Its Types

Diversity can be defined as the differences among individuals in identity-based groups, influencing their participation and experience in organizations (OpenStax, 2019). It consists of three main types:
1. Surface-level Diversity: Observable traits such as race, gender, and physical abilities.
2. Deep-level Diversity: Non-visible characteristics like beliefs, values, and attitudes.
3. Hidden Diversity: Attributes that may or may not be disclosed, such as sexual orientation (OpenStax, 2019; Kristof-Brown et al., 2005).
At its core, diversity is about recognizing and valuing these differences to foster a more inclusive environment.

The Current State of Workforce Diversity

Recent data indicates that the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse. For example, the percentage of women in management roles and underrepresented minorities in the workforce has steadily increased, though disparities still exist (Catalyst, 2020). In many organizations, diversity goes beyond gender and race to include age, sexual orientation, and immigrant status. However, challenges still persist, particularly concerning the glass ceiling for women and discrimination against minority groups (OpenStax, 2019).

Impact of Diversity on Organizations

The presence of diversity can significantly impact organizational performance. Diverse teams often exhibit improved problem-solving abilities, creativity, and innovation due to varied perspectives (Duguid & Thomas, 2015). Organizations with a diverse workforce can also tap into a wider talent pool, which has tangible benefits such as:
- Cost Advantages: Diverse organizations typically experience lower turnover rates (McKinsey, 2020).
- Resource Acquisition: A diverse workforce broadens the talent pool and allows organizations to attract a variety of talents (Cox & Blake, 1991).
- Marketing and Customer Insights: A diverse workforce can better relate to and serve an increasingly diverse client base (Simons et al., 2017).
- System Flexibility: This refers to cognitive flexibility—diverse teams can adapt more quickly to changes and challenges (OpenStax, 2019).
However, the challenges associated with diversity, such as increased potential for conflict and misunderstandings among team members with varying backgrounds, must be effectively managed (Harrison & Klein, 2007).

Challenges of Diversity in Organizations

Managing diversity is not without its challenges. Among these are:
1. Lower Organizational Attachment: Employees may feel disconnected if they perceive their organization as unwelcoming to diverse identities.
2. Legal Challenges: Workplace discrimination claims, including sexual harassment, can lead to legal risks for organizations (OpenStax, 2019).
3. Reverse Discrimination: This term refers to a situation where members of a dominant group feel they are facing discrimination themselves, which can create further tensions in the workplace (Harrison & Klein, 2007).
Various forms of discrimination can manifest in the workplace:
- Access Discrimination: Denial of job opportunities based on identity characteristics.
- Treatment Discrimination: Differential treatment of employees based on identity-related factors rather than job performance (OpenStax, 2019).

Theoretical Perspectives on Diversity

Several key theories offer insights into how diversity impacts organizations:
1. Cognitive Diversity Hypothesis: This theory suggests that diverse teams provide superior problem-solving capabilities due to varied life experiences and perspectives (Page, 2008).
2. Similarity-Attraction Paradigm: Suggests that individuals often prefer others similar to themselves, which may lead to diversity diminishing over time if not actively managed (Byrne, 1971).
3. Social Identity Theory: Posits that individuals categorize themselves and others into social groups, which impacts behaviors and perceptions in the workplace (Tajfel & Turner, 1979).
These theories provide valuable frameworks for understanding the implications of diversity in organizations.

Recommendations for Managing Diversity

To effectively manage diversity, organizations should consider the following recommendations:
1. Structured Interview Processes: Organizations should adopt structured interviews to mitigate bias in hiring (OpenStax, 2019). This could include the use of standardized questions and scoring systems.
2. Diverse Mentoring Relationships: Establishing mentoring relationships within diverse pairs can help develop understanding and foster an inclusive culture (Ragins & Kram, 2007).
3. Training and Awareness Programs: Regular training regarding diversity issues, biases, and best practices can help promote a more inclusive culture (OpenStax, 2019).

Conclusion

Diversity in organizations is more than just a compliance issue; it has the potential to drive business success through enhanced creativity, problem-solving, and employee engagement. However, effectively managing diversity requires an understanding of its complexities and a proactive approach to inclusion. By implementing structured interviews, fostering diverse mentorships, and conducting training programs, organizations can turn diversity into a competitive advantage.

References

1. Byrne, D. (1971). The Attraction Paradigm. New York: Academic Press.
2. Catalyst. (2020). Women in Management. Retrieved from [Catalyst.org](https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/)
3. Cox, T., & Blake, S. (1991). Managing cultural diversity: Implications for organizational competitiveness. The Executive, 5(3), 45-56.
4. Duguid, M., & Thomas, K. W. (2015). Diversity and inclusion in organizations. Research in Organizational Behavior, 35, 75-104.
5. Harrison, D. A., & Klein, K. J. (2007). What's the difference? A critical review of diversity in teams. Small Group Research, 38(3), 217-241.
6. Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, J. L., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals' fit at work: A meta-analytic review of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281-342.
7. McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity wins: How inclusion matters. Retrieved from [McKinsey.com](https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters)
8. Page, S. E. (2008). The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies. Princeton University Press.
9. Ragins, B. R., & Kram, K. E. (2007). The roots and meaning of mentoring. In K. E. Kram & B. R. Ragins (Eds.), The Handbook of Mentoring at Work (pp. 3-15). Sage Publications.
10. Simons, T., Prussia, G. E., & Kohli, A. (2017). The influence of workplace diversity on employees' creative behavior. Journal of Creative Behavior, 51(2), 119-134.