Why are Diversity Initiatives ImportantCensus Canada 2001

  Canada   Toronto  

Total 29,639,030   4,647,955  

Visible Minorities

3,983,845 13% 1,712,530 36.8%

Aboriginal 976,305 .03% 20,300 .004%

Caucasian 25,645,422 86.5% 2,915,125 63%

• Negative inter group relations in workplace still prevalent• E.g., employment discrimination lawsuits in

Ontario• In 2002-2003, 337 were due to race & colour, 177 were

due to ethnicity, 153 were due to place of origin

• In 2001-2002, 520 were due to race & colour, 228 were due to ethnicity, 126 were due to place of origin

Diversity Initiatives in the Workplace

• Poor communication

• Conflict

• Stress

• Dissatisfaction

• Lowered Commitment

• Intentions to Quit

Psychological Consequences of Negative Inter-group Relations

• Cost of Employee Withdrawal • replacing employee, days absent, sick days

• Mental health care costs

• Lowered employee productivity

• Health care costs

• Legal costs • defending & settling lawsuits

• Lowered stock value

Physical Consequences of Negative Inter-group Relations

• Higher annualized returns

• Minority group members ~ collectivism (group-orientation) ~ interpersonal skills ~ collaboration, cohesion, teamwork

• See also Cox • Diverse groups ~ decision making, creativity,

marketing• Women~ tolerance for ambiguity ~ cognitive

complexity• Bilinguals~ cognitive complexity

Positive Effects of Diversity

• Managing Diversity• Changing org structure, policies, norms &

practices to create fairness

• Valuing Diversity• Changing employee attitudes and behaviors via

emphasizing equality/fairness values and/or providing training

Types of Diversity Initiatives

• Changing structure by changing composition of organization at all levels via• Recruitment, hiring, promotion• Compensation for diversity-based performance• Grievance procedure• Encouraging communication across and within all

levels

Managing Diversity

• Other strategies• Sponsoring caucus, advisory, and support groups

for different groups• Offering benefit packages that appeal to minorities• Being more flexible in social norms (see also Cox)• Ensuring minority representation on internal

committees• Creating career development programs for

minorities (e.g., mentoring)• Community outreach to enhance organization’s

image and attract minority applicants

Managing Diversity

• Org emphasizes fairness/equality values

• Provides training to• Increase awareness (sensitivity)• Cultural & historical information about groups

• Know about, and counteract stereotypes• E.g., Diversophy board game

• Improve skills• Interpersonal, conflict management, language,

mentoring

• Change attitudes & feelings• Hardest to do

Valuing Diversity

• What is culture? • Beliefs, norms, customs, knowledge, habits of a

group

• Why is learning about cultural differences important for diversity training?• Increases awareness of role of culture in social

behaviors • Awareness can improve interactions between

people of different cultural groups

Types of Diversity Training

• Highlight differences in communication styles • Culture-clash

• Inter cultural conflict resolution• Owl sensitivity

• Increase cultural identity• Pie chart, Backgrounds, Cultural circles

• Interpersonal stereotyping• Diversity and perception, Car radio etc.

• Group stereotyping • Gender & language, Cross-gender role-play

• Understand power differences & Gain empathy• Disability Exercise

Goals of Diversity Exercises

• Tansik & Driskill 1977• 20 hrs of lectures, case studies, role-playing• Small changes right after, positive changes 5 weeks

after, negative attitudes 12 weeks after

• Sorcher & Spence 1982• 10 week prog of watching videotapes of effective

behaviors, role playing with reinforcement • No changes immediately or 6 weeks after, but

positive changes 20 weeks after

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Dunnette & Motowildo (1982)• 3-days of small group discussions, readings,

seminars, videos on sexist attitudes & behaviors• No changes for men, but positive changes for

women

• Alderfer (1992)• Upward mobility program, balanced composition

of promotion committees, workshop had lectures, role-plays and experiential activities

• Increases in minorities in management ranks • Dominant group members evaluated program

more negatively than minority group members

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Ellis & Sonnenfield (1994)• 1 day of watching videos of culturally insensitive

behaviors and discussing them• 59% evaluated seminar positively

• Tan, Morris, & Romero (1996)• 3 days of case studies, simulations, videos,

discussions• Increased knowledge of • diversity issues • barriers to change• sensitization to and knowledge of how to prevent

negative effects of prejudice & stereotypes

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Hanover & Cellar 1998• Videos, role playing, examination of diversity

practices, action planning• Increased ratings on diversity practice measures

(e.g., open discussions of group differences, discouraging comments perpetuating stereotypes)

• Rynes & Rosen 1995• 33% of HR managers surveyed rated diversity

programs as successful but 18% rated them as unsuccessful

• Mandatory prog were rated as more successful

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Layng 1998• Analysis of commonly used video in diversity

training programs• Introduced new stereotypes to replace old ones• Too much focus on incompetence of White male

managers can alienate intended audience• Suggests that diversity leads to communication

problems

Evaluation of Diversity Training Programs

• Trainers do not like sharing techniques

• Trainers do not know evaluation techniques

• Evaluation requires time and money

• Some evaluations take more time away from trainees’ jobs, are resisted by organizations

• Showing no change (or negative change) is disadvantageous to trainer

Why such few Evaluations of Training Programs

• Changing established norms & practices of adults in organizations is difficult

• Limited time for change to occur

• Teach legal & inter group aspects of diversity

• Participants are resistant to change

Challenge for Diversity Trainers

• Changes in structure, practices, incentives, norms to promote fairness changes behavior and (maybe?) attitudes• Reinforcement theory• Cognitive Dissonance Theory• Theory of reasoned action

• Negative sanctions toward discriminatory behavior reduces it• Reinforcement theory• Theory of reasoned action

Processes underlying Managing Diversity

• When authority figures emphasize fairness or equality values (e.g., in mission statement) and follow up with own behavior or implement relevant rules, behavior changes• Theory of reasoned action

Processes underlying Valuing DiversityOrganizational Values

• Change knowledge of and understanding about different groups

• Provide historical information about groups • Info on group differences in values, behaviors,

norms, beliefs• Self-insights into own biases ~ increased

motivation to regulate discriminatory behavior• Provide experience or information that

contradicts stereotypes• Create empathy (via role playing) ~ positive

changes in attitudes & behavior

Processes underlying Valuing DiversityTraining

• Adult attitudes and behavior hard to modify bec• Lifelong exposure and experience with mass

media’s stereotypes• May react with defensiveness and avoidance to

info that creates change• May feel they are being attacked or blamed during

training

Processes underlying Valuing DiversityDifficulties with Training

• Mandatory nature can be positive and negative• People who need it most get it vs. popularity is

reduced

• Change is experienced as threatening, provokes anxiety , resentment, hostility

• Majority members may feel additionally threatened (as being attacked)

• Minority members may feel uncomfortable when focus of attention during training

Resistance to Diversity InitiativesIndividual Barriers

• Traditional hierarchical structures

• Standardized procedures, conformity norms

• Selection & promotion based on ‘fit’

• Informal networks of communication

• Token representation of minorities

• Perception of demographic change in org composition as zero-sum game

Resistance to Diversity InitiativesOrganizational Barriers

• Need cultural audit to examine climate, history, current practices, need for new policies

• Plan should be comprehensive, be in collaboration with labor, have clear objectives, measure progress toward objectives, specify which programs address which issues

• Plan should fit with organizational climate

• Anticipate and plan for resistance

• Include training (valuing diversity)

Implementing a Managing Diversity Initiative

• Include • Majority and minority members • Members from all organizational ranks• Diverse trainers on teams

• Emphasize similarity within groups and differences• Know legal issues• Anticipate • Conflict between majority & minority groups• Resentment from dominant groups• Negative reactions re: slow pace of change from minorities

• Avoid displays of favoritism• Present diversity policies in ways palatable to all

participants

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training

• Focus on training skills bec employers are legally responsible for employee behaviors

• Cover a broad range of groups

• Attend to trainees • inter group relations• Age, status, strength of ethnic identities

• Decide on how to confront • Prevalent organizational values• Value differences between groups

• Be thoroughly prepared

Issues to Consider for Diversity Training