...Diversity in Organizations Jessica Luther BUS 610 Charlene Anderson February 15, 2012 Diversity in Organizations Organizations of today are more diverse than ever. Diversity is defined as “the host of individual differences that make people different from and similar to each other.” (Kinicki and Kreitner, 2010) Organizations have to find ways of integrating the differences of the people that work for them into a “common objective” that represents the organization as a whole. Diversity is about the “individual characteristics” that identify the way a person will perform a particular task within the organization. Individuals encompass a myriad of dimensions that make them unique. This paper will identify methods and procedures for analyzing diversity and how they can be used in a cultural diversity program. There are four layers of diversity that differentiate the influential way in which people differ. These four layers are identified as: personality, internal dimensions, external dimensions, and organizational dimensions. Personality is characteristics that make up a person’s identity. Personality is the foundation of the other three layers. The second layer of diversity is internal dimensions. Internal dimensions are classified as characteristics that are uncontrollable such as age, race, gender, social orientation, ethnicity, and physical ability. The third layer of diversity are the external dimensions such as geographic location, income, personal habits...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 8 - Diversity Planning Sidney Whitt Brandman University Cultural Dimensions of Global Leadership OLCU 618 Dr. Craig M. Brewer June 29, 2014 Assignment 8 - Diversity Planning Introduction A hospital that neglects the need to provide diversity training for its employees could open itself to unexpected and undesirable employee-related issues. When a climate exists where employees feel slighted, misunderstood, disrespected or misunderstood due to conflicts or differences with other workers, productivity and morale are sure to suffer. Hospitals are subjected to lawsuits from many different avenues, but they can avoid discrimination-related lawsuits by the establishment of an effective diversity-training program. “The benefits of business diversity include the ability to communicate with a wider audience, multiple perspectives in decision making and--as a result--increased productivity. The road to diversity is challenging because people often carry a natural resistance to change, and issues like language barriers and implementation can slow down the process. However, with an adequate diversity training plan in place, you can streamline the process” (Holt, 2012, p. 4). Analysis Stimulate employee involvement in the attainment of diversity goals. The first step in the initiation of a diversity-training program is the identification of the program sponsors and stakeholders. Program sponsors and stakeholders should be interviewed, focus groups conducted...
Words: 1498 - Pages: 6
...Diversity Organizations Lisa Linnen ETH/120-CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES July 20, 2015 University of Phoenix What has been the status of women in the United States throughout history? Women today just like years ago have suffered from woman’s rights. Women came along way from not having the opportunity to vote. Women suffered from not having equal rights in the work force. Watching television where women stayed home and took care of the home and raised the children, cook and clean. Women began to go to school and educate themselves to get better jobs to compete with a world dominated by men. What is the status of women in the United States today? Today women are viewed as beneath men and men are afraid of women moving up the corporate world. Men and women are going to school but it is the women who are going back to school to increase their education. Although some men do not want their wives to work but to keep house, it weakens the women into thinking that she can only do a limited amount of what ever they desire to do. Discrimination is still a top issue among women and men in the work force. What are some examples of concepts or constructions of masculinity and femininity that you see in society and in media? Religious Group: "Roman Catholics believe the authority of the church lies within the hierarchy of the church. Catholics believe that Baptism is a sacrament that regenerates and justifies and usually done in infancy"(Fairchild...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...anization Diversity Organization Robert McReynolds University of Phoenix Diversity Organization For many years, Americans have held certain opinions concerning gender, sex, women, and sexual orientation. A definition of both gender and sex will be provided. The roles of women throughout American history will be discussed. When people think about masculinity and femininity, they have certain preconceived ideas. How these ideas contribute to the understanding gender, sex, and sexual orientation will be examined. Finally, the status of GLBT individuals will be explored. An increased understanding will be gained concerning these issues. Gender and Sex Gender can be defined as an individual’s feelings of being either male or female (Stets & Burke, 1988). This is how an individual identifies themselves. Sex on the other hand is the physical and biological characteristics someone is born with. This simply means whether the individual has a penis, vagina, or both. Despite the similarity in the definitions of these two terms, gender and sex are not the same things (Stets & Burke, 1988). Women In the past, women have had many roles. From the first colonies in America, women were in charge of maintaining the household and caring for the family. However, they did not always have the same rights as men. As families moved westward into uncivilized territories, women were tasked with the responsibilities of defending their families against forces of nature when the husband...
Words: 1376 - Pages: 6
...Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important, they fought for and to a large degree accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their role in society. Since early times women have been uniquely viewed as a creative source of human life. Historically, however, they have been considered not only intellectually inferior to men but also a major source of temptation and evil. In Greek mythology, for example, it was a woman, Pandora, who opened the forbidden box and brought plagues and unhappiness to mankind. Early Roman law described women as children, forever inferior to men. Women obtained 19 percent of all undergraduate college degrees around the beginning of the 20th century. By 1984 the figure had sharply increased to 49 percent. Women also increased their numbers in graduate study. By the mid-1980s women were earning 49 percent of all master's degrees and about 33 percent of all doctoral degrees. In 1985 about 53 percent of all college students were women, more than one quarter of who were above age 29. During the 1960s several federal laws improving the economic status of women were passed. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 required equal wages for...
Words: 1276 - Pages: 6
...Associate Program Material Diversity Organizations Worksheet Search the Internet for information related to the following: • Women’s rights organizations • Equality organizations • Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) rights organizations Note. You may also refer to the Internet Resource Directory of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Complete the following table with notes and thoughts related to your findings: |Site |Thoughts/Notes | |http://www.wic.org |Women have been thought to be the weaker sex throughout history. This website details the events that | | |have lead up to the present time. It shows how much women have had to overcome to get where they are | | |today. | |http://www.hrc.org |Human rights have evolved over the years. This website has great positive information on human rights | | |and support. | |https://www.aclu.org |Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender have projects that work towards those to become a free America| | |from discrimination...
Words: 1075 - Pages: 5
...Diversity Organizations Paper Dagenais' J. Garrett Eth/125 October 19, 2014 Maria Watts Diversity Organizations Paper Throughout most of history, women have endured so much. They almost always had fewer legal rights and career opportunities. The main professions tied to women were wifehood and motherhood. According to "Women's History in America" (1995), “Women were long considered naturally weaker than men, squeamish, and unable to perform work requiring muscular or intellectual development.” The common stereotype was “a woman’s place is in the home.” Women went through the struggles of not being able to get an education, voice their opinions, not having the right to vote, and being viewed as property. Gladly, the role women play in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Despite the thoughts of men being stronger than women, “physiological tests now suggest that women have a greater tolerance for pain, and statistics reveal that women live longer and are more resistant to many diseases” ("Women's History in America", 1995). In 1969, women made up only about one-third of the workforce. Like it should have always been, now more and more women have taken on new responsibilities outside of home by joining the paid workforce and they make up almost half of all workers in the United States ("The State of Women In America", 2014). However, although women have made big advances in every field, they still endure discrimination. If both male and...
Words: 1096 - Pages: 5
...Diversity Organizations Worksheet Clenetra Preston ETH/125 December 1, 2013 Keith Makedonsky Diversity Organizations Worksheet Throughout history women had less right in society and for year they were not allowed to work. Women we to bare children and take care of the household needs they were only look upon as housewives and nothing more. Over the years women have fought to work and provide for their families just like men. The Women Rights Movement came into place, and brought about many of the changes for women in today’s society. Women were allowed to work and had equal opportunities has men, but there was still a struggle for women to have the right to vote. In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested for attempting to vote in the year’s presidential election (Schaefer, 2012). This caused the Suffrage Movement were men and women fought to give women the rights to vote. In 1879 an amendment to the Constitution was introduces, but not until 1919 it was passed and a year later it was ratified as the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution for women to vote. Not to mention women have the right to vote and work in some of the same fields as men. For example women can work in the same factories as men. Women as firefighter, policemen (women), and can also hold a position in a government office. When we refer to masculinity and femininity we look at ones gender and the roles they play. For example when babies are born boys are dressed in blue and we buy trucks, cars, and...
Words: 920 - Pages: 4
...workplace diversity. The reasons why Xerox should be motivated to diversify their workforce is more talent will be employed at Xerox if employees of all cultures and race are hired because diversity is a key to achieving critical business results. Furthermore, there will be more knowledge sharing employees can share cultural traits, market demographics and help develop companies develop robust knowledge management and market intelligence systems that create productive people and an innovative company by recognizing and respecting diversity and empowering individuality. Enhanced Productivity by processing varied skills, competencies and capabilities of different races and cultures, Xerox can increase its productivity worldwide (Xerox) that will make them a prominent player despite the economic slowdown in technology spending. Reduced Discrimination at Xerox woman and minorities make up for 52% of the workforce and 42.5% of Xerox senior executives are women or people of color or both (Xerox). This motivates employees in a way that they feel like they appreciated and valued. Besides, its make them challenge each other’s underlying assumptions, freeing everybody from convention and orthodoxy. Xerox has strict discrimination policies as well. With the inclusion of women in the workforce, Xerox developed a form of “flex time” that allowed for a better work/home life balance which has increased productivity which clearly shows how Xerox shows its values workplace diversity. They also...
Words: 822 - Pages: 4
...Short Essay | Diversity in the Workplace | How it can create business related advantages | | Madison Roney: 7660183 | 5/15/2013 | | In modern western society, the diversification of culture has increased dramatically in recent years. With this shift, along with the growing competitiveness of the labor market, corporations have been forced to hire more employees who are not familiar with the spoken language or societal norms present in western culture. Many corporations, as much as 80% according to equity activist Trevor Wilson, consider cultural barriers to be a burden on their managers and fellow employees. As a result, these corporations fail to treat their employees equitably. (Hayes, 1999). One could argue, however, that the diversification of employees within the workplace has various business related benefits such as improved efficiency, bottom line revenue, and relationships formed with co-workers, managers and customers alike. However, to ensure its success, principles of transformational leadership must be used on the part of managers and various challenges must be overcome in order for these benefits to take full effect. This is not the first time in Canada's history where ethnic equality in the workplace has been a subject of interest. In 1993 the New Democratic Party in Ontario, whom was the provincial government at the time, enacted an employment equity law to ensure fair employment opportunities to workers from select minority groups. This legislation...
Words: 1570 - Pages: 7
...Marilyn Monroe SCI/162 6-27-2014 Instructor: Tracy Cobb Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. The hepatitis A virus is a member of the genus Hepato virus and belongs to the Picornavirus clade. Hepatovirus is made up of viral protein and highly conserved, single-strand, positive-sense RNA. Hepatitis A was first identified in 1973. Not everyone has symptoms with hepatitis A infection, so many people are infected than diagnosed or reported (PubMed Health) . There are many risk factors and ways to prevent them. Hepatitis A can be transmitted through food and water. The virus is carried in stool. Food or water that is contaminated with stool can cause a person to become infected with hepatitis A. Sexual activity with a person who is infected with hepatitis A can put an individual at risk if the sexual activity involves oral or anal sex. A person with hepatitis A can also pass on the virus if they do not use proper hand-washing after using the restroom than coming in contact with others. Other risk factors include IV drugs, oversea travel, working in health care, food or sewage industry and living in a nursing home. Hepatitis A is a food borne illness that affects thousands across the United States each year. In 2013 health officials reported an outbreak of acute hepatitis A. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention say, victims began to fall ill...
Words: 475 - Pages: 2
...Diversity and Inclusion SOC/315 November 09, 2011 Diversity and Inclusion Diversity refers the inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization. Many people with different backgrounds work together every day to accomplish tasks assigned on daily basis. Before working together the group should know the different dimensions of diversity. “Dimensions of diversity exert an important impact on our early socialization and a powerful sustained impact on our experiences, values, assumptions and expectations throughout every stage of history ” (Harvey, 2009). The different dimensions of diversity are race, gender, age, education, sexual orientation, and geographic origin, or employment. “Dimensions adds layers of complexity to individual identity, it is the dynamic interaction among all the dimensions that influences self-image, values, opportunities, and expectations” (Harvey, 2009). Dimensions of diversity apply an effect on each of us at home, work, and in society giving definition to our lives. “The United States is a very diverse nation and becoming more” (Schaefer, 2011). Concerning ethnic, cultural, or other groups I identify with all. My social circle is consistent with people from all groups. My social circle consists of individuals not a group. I think of all my associates as individuals with different personalities. My social circle member’s personalities are very different and the dimensions play a part from the way we dress, race, gender, and sexual...
Words: 850 - Pages: 4
...Throughout the many issues in the workplace, diversity is an issue that needs immediate attention. Our culture is continuously evolving and with that being said diversity in our work environment should be evolving as well. It has been said, “Top performing companies have long recognized that diversity is good for business. But a just released report from The Economist Intelligence Unit finds that a new definition of workforce diversity is emerging. It’s no longer just about avoiding race, ethnicity, and gender discrimination, or even compliance with legal regulations. Diversity now encompasses values, meaning what motivates someone to join a company, embody organizational passions, and be productive for a long time.” (Galer, 2014) It is crucial for an organization to be diverse, lack of diversity can cause several issues in the workplace such as miscommunication, unproductivity, and creates a hostile work environment. By managing the problems with diversity the organization would benefit greatly in many ways. There are many reasons for why the issue of diversity needs to be addressed in the workplace. Specifically in the organization I work in there are many problems with diversity, many of the workers in my organization have brought up the fact that the race is predominantly white, it is also made aware that the engineers for the company are males and the females in the office are usually the subject of jokes and labeled as ‘non workers’. Since the site I currently work in...
Words: 682 - Pages: 3
...be increasingly important to success. It means that innovation and strategy is converging to help in productivity. Innovation has the potential to change the agents within an organization to become better entrepreneurs to meet various challenges. Strategic thinking is crucial in creating a coherent, integrative and unifying framework for making decisions particular regarding the direction in which an organization goes and the resources it plans to utilize (Goldsmith, 2009). In some way, strategic thinking utilizes external and internal data, perceptions and opinions. It is proactive, conscious and explicit while defining competitive realm for strategic advantage in the organization. Strategies are formed to improve the performance of an organization which means that the company will have to conduct something unique and different compared to that of the competitors. Whenever an organization develops a new strategy, it means that they are establishing change whether it is innovative or incremental. It means that managing to execute a strategy involves managing change. The business landscape of today is characterized by escalating diverse environments whereby some organizations operate in stable environments while others in environments that are not stable. This is the reason organizations needs to create a strong relationship between strategy and innovation to...
Words: 1475 - Pages: 6
...Workplace Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities Jane A. Hannon Southern New Hampshire University Workplace Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities The fastest growing segment of the workforce in the United States is adults over 55 years of age (Robbins & Judge, 2015). Given advancements in medical treatments, diagnosis, and wellness initiatives; a forecast of continued sluggish economic growth; and the changing landscape of employer-sponsored benefit programs, the increase of workers in this age group does not show signs of slowing down. An aging workforce presents challenges and opportunities for organizations. While some of these challenges are unique to the demographic, many are similar to the challenges and opportunities of managing other “surface-level diversity,” which includes race, gender, culture, and disability (Robbins & Judge, 2015). By effectively addressing diversity through the creation of policies and their consistent implementation, organizations have the potential for greater productivity and growth. Changes in Employee Relationships Generationally diverse workplaces pose distinct challenges for employers and employees. Because workers of different ages bring their own perceptions and personalities to the workplace, there exists the potential for misunderstanding and conflict. “Diversity involves not only how people perceive themselves but also how they perceive others. Those perceptions affect their interactions” (Patrick & Kumar, 2012)...
Words: 1244 - Pages: 5