Managing A New and Diverse Workforce: Session 8
Managing A New and Diverse Workforce: Session 8
Managing A New and Diverse Workforce: Session 8
Workforce
Session 8
Workforce Diversity
Changing Diversity as a
Employment Increasing
demographics source of
legislation and globalization
in the labor competitive
legal actions of business
force advantage
Diversity Management versus
Equal Employment Opportunity
• Equal Employment • Diversity
Opportunity Management
– Treating people – Recognizing and
fairly and equitably appreciating differences
– Taking actions that among people at work
do not discriminate – Accommodating
on the basis of some differences to the extent
illegal criterion that is feasible and
possible
Similarities Among People at
Work
Have a fundamental and basic desire
to be treated with respect and
dignity by their employer
Most
People
Have a capacity for being reasonable
and understanding when confronted
with reasonable behavior by others
Identical Treatment Versus
Equitable Treatment
• Employers should be aware that:
– Employees of different beliefs and faiths desire different
religious holidays
– Men have greater muscle mass than do women and
therefore can lift heavier weights
– Women bear children; they may need longer periods of
time off after childbirth
– Accommodations for disabled employees may be
perceived as an unfair advantage
Three Paradigms in Managing
Diversity
• Discrimination and Fairness Paradigm: Focuses on equal
opportunity of employees, fair treatment for all, increased
representation of employees from diverse backgrounds
through recruitment processes to ensure compliance with the
law of the land.
• Access and Legitimacy Paradigm: Companies operating
under this paradigm serve increasingly diverse pool of
customers with diverse pool of capabilities. They try to match
different capabilities with different customer requirements.
• Learning and Effectiveness holds that we work in the
corporate world, with our differences and not despite our
differences. Organizations operating under this paradigm
truly celebrate diversity.
Dimensions of Diversity
Common Aspects of
Workforce Diversity
Training specifically
designed to enable
members of an
organization to
function better in a
diverse workplace.
The Multicultural Organization
• Has achieved high levels of diversity
• Can capitalize fully on the advantages of the
diversity
• Has few diversity-related problems
Managing Knowledge in
Organizations
• Organizational Memory
– The collective, institutional record of
past events
• Organizational Learning
– The process by which an
organization “learns”
from past mistakes
and adapts to its
environment
Managing Knowledge Workers
• Employees who add value because of what they know and are
compensated accordingly.
• Issues:
– Establishing equitable career paths and compensation structures for
managerial, professional, and technical employees
– Attracting and retaining employees with valued knowledge and skills