Diversity in the

Organization
Chapter 2

 U.S. workforce has become diverse today.

In order to adapt this shift, organizations need to make
diversity management a central component of their
policies and practices

Demographic Characteristics
of the U.S. Workforce

Surface-level diversity
Difference in easily perceived characteristics
It can lead employees to perceive one another through
stereotype and assumption
Such as race, age, gender
Deep-level diversity
More important for determining similarity as people get
to know one another
Such as values, personality, and work preferences

Level of Diversity

Discrimination means we allowing our behavior to be influence by

stereotypes about groups of people.
Unfair discrimination is often very harmful to organization and employees,
such as reduces productivity, negative conflicts, and increased turnover
Discrimination type
Discriminatory policies or practices
Sexual harassment
Intimidation
Mockery and insults
Exclusion
Incivility

Discrimination

Biographical characteristics means personal characteristics

that are objective and easily obtained from personal
records.
Surface-level diversity
Such as age, gender, race, and length of tenure

Biographical
Characteristics

Does age and job performance have relationship?

Does age and job satisfaction have relationship?

Age

Whether women perform as well on jobs as men do?

Gender

 Workers with disabilities receive higher performance

evaluations
But they encounter lower performance expectations and
are less likely to be hired

Disability

Tenure
Seniority as time on a particular job
Tenure is a good predictor of employee productivity
Tenure on an employees previous job is a powerful
predictor of that employees future turnover
Religion
Sexual orientation and gender identity

Other Biographical
Characteristics

An individuals current capacity to perform various tasks in

a job

Ability

Intellectual Abilities

Dimensions of
Intellectual Ability

Physical ability is the capacity to do tasks demanding

stamina, dexterity, strength, and similar characteristics.

Physical Ability

Dimensions of Physical
Ability

Contrast Intellectual
from Physical Ability

Diversity management is a process and programs by which

managers make everyone more aware of and sensitive to
the needs and differences of others.

Diversity Management

???

Attracting, Selecting, Developing,

and Retaining Diverse Employees

 Individuals who are demographically different from their

co-workers are more likely to feel low commitment and
turn out
All workers appeared to prefer an organization that
values diversity

Attracting, Selecting, Developing,

and Retaining Diverse Employees

Diversity in Group

Effective Diversity
Programs

Biographical Characteristics
Some biographical characteristics vary across cultures
Intellectual Ability
Evidence strongly supports the idea that the structures
and measures of intellectual abilities generalize across
culture

Global Implications

 Diversity management must be an ongoing commitment

that crosses all levels of the organization.

Effective Diversity
Management