Management Theory + Practice Exam 2

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

diversity

identity-based differences among and between 2 or more people that affect their lives as applicants, employees, and customers

identity groups

groups in society based on individual differences. these differences are related to discrimination and disparities between groups in areas such as education, housing, healthcare, and employment

managing diversity

the ways in which organizations seek to ensure that members of diverse groups are valued and treated fairly within organizations in all areas including hiring, compensation, performance evaluation, and customer service activities

valuing diversity

often used to reflect the ways in which organization show appreciation for diversity among job applicants, employees, and customers

inclusion

represents the degree to which employees are accepted and treated fairly by their organization

surface-level diversity

an individual’s visible characteristics

deep-level diversity

traits that are non-observable

hidden diversity

traits that are deep-level but may be concealed or revealed at the discretion of individuals who possess them (called invisible social identities)

diversity presents challenges that may include

managing dysfunctional conflict that can arise from inappropriate interactions between individuals from different groups

diversity also presents advantages such as

broader perspectives and viewpoints

average age of individuals participating in the labor force has

increased because more employees retire at a later age

compared to 1977, the labor force participation rate

for men has decreased and for women has increased

glass ceiling

invisible barrier based on the prejudicial beliefs that underlie organizational decisions that prevent women from moving beyond certain levels within a company

quid pro quo

the exchange of rewards for sexual favors or punishments for refusal to behaviors that create an abusive work climate

hostile environment

telling lewd jokes, posting of pornographic material at work, making offensive comments about women in general

sexual harassment

unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. can also include offensive remarks about a person’s sex

who are especially likely to be subjected to sexual discrimination and harassment?

Black and other minority women

which groups of people grow at a faster rate than other racial minorities in the labor force?

Hispanic and Asian people

managers tended to give significantly higher performance ratings to

employees who were racially similar to them

Hispanic people

second fastest growing minority group in US. highest labor participation rate of all minority groups

the longer Hispanic families lived in the US

the more likely they were to claim White as their race (even if they hadn’t done so in the past)

fastest-growing ethnic group in the US

Asian people

households headed by Asian Americans

earn more money and are more likely to have household members who hold a bachelor’s degree

model minority myth

reflection of perceptions targeting Asian people and Asian Americans that contrast stereotypes of “conformity” and “success” of Asian men with stereotypes of “rebellious” and “laziness” of other minority men

primary factors contributing to an older population include

the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, lower birth rates, longer life expectancies due to advances in medical technology and access to health care

older workers are viewed/stereotyped as

agreeable and comfortable to work with, incompetent and less interested in learning new tasks at work compared to younger workers

older workers are more likely to

perform above their job expectations and follow safety protocols

older workers are less likely to

be tardy, absent, or abuse drugs or alcohol at work compared to their younger counterparts

Civil Rights Act

prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

the percentage of hate crimes relating to sexual orientation has

increased

compared to heterosexuals, sexual minorities

have higher education levels but still face hiring and treatment discrimination frequently

passing

the decision not to disclose something about oneself

passing can…

cause emotional strain that can affect performance and wellbeing

revealing

decision to be transparent about sexual orientation

when laws are passed to prevent sexual orientaiton discrimination

incidents of workplace discrimination decrease

H-1B visas

a type of work visa, a temporary documented status that authorizes individuals to permanently or temporarily live and work in the US

compared to those born in the US

the immigrant population in America is growing significantly faster

immigrant employees

receive lower wages and work longer hours compared to American workers

foreign-born job seekers are attracted to companies that

emphasize work visa sponsorship for international employees

the business case for diversity

outlines how companies may obtain a competitive advantage by embracing workplace diversity

organizations with more visible climate of diversity experience

lower turnover among women and minorities compared to companies that are perceived not to value diversity

when employers attract minority applicants

their labor pool increases in size compared to organizations that are not attractive to them

when organizations employ individuals from different backgrounds

they gain broad perspectives regarding consumer preferences of different cultures

system flexibility

when employees are placed in a culturally diverse work environment, they learn to interact effectively with individuals who possess different attitudes, values, and beliefs

cognitive flexibility

the ability to think about things differently and adapt one’s perspective

groupthink

dysfunction in decision-making that occurs in homogeneous groups as a result of group pressures and group members’ desire for conformity and consensus

strategic human resources management (SHRM)

system of activities arranged to engage employees in a manner that assists the organization in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage

resource-based view of firms has

been used to support the argument for diversity because it demonstrates how a diverse workforce can create a sustained competitive advantage

positive relationship between group heterogeneity and

lower organizational attachment, higher turnover rates, and greater frequency of absences for men and for White group members

reverse discrimination

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

EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)

enforces laws and issues guidelines for employment-related treatment. also has the authority to investigate charges of workplace discrimination, attempt to settle the charges, and, if necessary, file lawsuits when the law has been broken

Equal Pay Act of 1963

amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. virtually all employers are subjected to the provisions of the act, which was an attempt to address pay inequities between men and women

harassment

any unwelcome conduct that is based on characteristics such as age, national origin, disability, gender, or pregnancy status

age discrimination

consists of treating an employee or applicant less favorably due to their age

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)

forbids discrimination against individuals who are age 40 and above. the act prohibits harassment because of age, which can include offensive or derogatory comments that create a hostile work environment

disability discrimination

occurs when an employee or applicant who is covered by the ADA is treated unfavorably due to their physical or mental disability

to be covered under the ADA

individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of their job with or without reasonable accommodations

national origin discrimination

involves treating someone unfavorably because of their country of origin, accent, ethnicity, or appearence

pregnancy discrimination

involves treating an employee or applicant unfairly because of pregnancy status, childbirth, or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth

Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA)

prohibits any discrimination as it relates to pregnancy in any of the following areas: hiring, firing, compensation, training, job assignment, insurance, or any other employment conditions

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

new parents, including adoptive and foster parents, may be eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave (or paid leave only if earned by employee) to care for the new child. nursing mothers also have the right to express milk on workplace premises

race/color discrimination

involves treating employees or applicants unfairly because of their race or because of physical characteristics typically associated with race, such as skin color, hair color, hair texture, or certain facial features

religious discrimination

occurs when employees or applicants are treated unfairly because of their religious beliefs

sex-based discrimination

occurs when employees or applicants are treated unfairly because of their sex. this form of discrimination includes unfair treatment due to gender, transgender status, and sexual orientation

access discrimination

catchall term that describes when people are denied employment opportunities because of their identity group or personal characteristics

treatment discrimination

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

involves discrimination that manifests itself in ways that are not visible or readily identifiable, yet is serious because it can impact interpersonal interactions between employees, employees and customers, and other important workplace relationships

cognitive diversity

differences between team members in characteristics such as expertise, experiences, and perspectives

similarity-attraction paradigm/theory

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. these categories allow us to quickly and easily compartmentalize data, and people are often categorized by their visible characteristics

stereotypes

refer to the overgeneralization of characteristics about large groups. the basis for prejudice and discrimination

social identity theory

suggests that when we first come into contact with others, we categorize them as belonging to an in-group or out-group. we tend to see members of our in-group as heterogeneous but out-group members as homogeneous

schema theory

explains how individuals encode information about others based on their demographic characteristics

justification-suppression model

the process by which people experience their prejudice is characterized as a “two-step” process in which people are prejudiced against a certain group or individual but experience conflicting emotions in regard to that prejudice and are motivated to suppress their prejudice rather than act upon it

theory about prejudice

suggests that all people have prejudices of some sort, that they learn these prejudices from an early age, and that they have a hard time departing from them as they grow older

people are more likely to act in prejudiced ways when they

are experiencing cognitive load, are physically or emotionally tired, when they can do it anonymously, or when social norms are weak enough that their prejudiced behavior will not be received negatively

integration-and-learning perspective

posits that 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. under this perspective, members of a culturally diverse workgroup can use their collective differences to think critically about work issues, strategies, products, and practices in a way that will allow the group to be successful in its business operations

assumption under integration-and-learning perspective

members of different cultural identity groups can learn from each other and work together to best achieve shared goals. this perspective values cultural identity and strongly links diversity of the group to the success of the firm

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

work groups that operate under the access-and-legitimacy perspective

are doing so in order to gain access to diverse markets and because their diversity affords them some level of legitimacy when attempting to gain access to diverse markets

the access-and-legitimacy workplace diversity is more

functional and does not attempt to integrate or value diversity at the business’s core

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. this perspective is characterized by a commitment to equal opportunities in hiring and promotions, and does not directly link a work group’s productivity or success with diversity

many times firms operating under the discrimination-and-fairness perspective

will have a spoken or unspoken assumption that assimilation into the dominant (White) culture should take place by the members of other cultural identity groups

similarity bias can occur when

interviewers prefer interviewees with whom they share similar traits. organization can mitigate this challenge if all 15 characteristics of a structured interview are used consistently with each job applicant

research has shown that racially and ethnically diverse firms have better

financial performance than more homogeneous firms

diversified mentoring relationships

mentor and mentee differ in terms of race, gender, class, disability, sexual orientation, or other status. research has found that these types of relationships are mutually beneficial and that the mentor and the mentee both have positive outcomes in terms of knowledge, empathy, and skills related to interactions with people from different power groups

visible leadership

leadership must sincerely value variety of opinions and organizational culture must encourage openness and make workers feel valued

organizations must have a

well-articulated and widely understood mission and a relatively egalitarian, nonbureaucratic structure

individuals can increase positive employment outcomes by

obtaining high levels of education because, for all groups, education is a predictor of employment and increased earnings

larger firms are more likely to have

formal hiring programs and specific diversity provisions in place

individuals can take steps to eliminate discrimination by

being aware of their own personal stereotypes or biases and taking steps to challenge and address them