Chapter 12

Objectives

• Explain why diversity is a business issue

• Explain what happens to tokens in organizations.

• Explain the effects of increasing heterogeneity

• Describe dimensions of cultural differences

• Understand how to manage diversity in organizations

Diversity

• Relevant to organizations– Increased immigration– Cultural policies of equality (Human Rights)– Globalization

• Stereotyping– Attributing characteristics or acting toward an

individual based on their belonging to a group and our assumptions about that group.

What Happens to Tokens?

Assimilation via stereotyping Role encapsulation

Contrast with majority

Exaggerated, polarized differences

Receive more attention

Performance pressure

Perceptual Tendency Result

Tokens • Men = highest commitment levels in male

homogeneous groups. Male tokens have low levels of satisfaction and commitment. Males had lower commitment in mixed gender groups.

• Women = lower commitment in female homogeneous groups. Female tokens had higher commitment. Females had higher commitment in mixed gender groups.

Tokens• Whites = highest commitment levels in white

homogeneous groups. White tokens have low levels of satisfaction and commitment. Whites had lower commitment in mixed race groups

• Non-whites = lower commitment in non-white homogeneous groups. Non-white tokens had higher commitment. Non-whites had higher commitment in mixed race groups.

Power and conflict explanations

• Social identity theory: the self-concept is socially constructed and situation specific.

– One’s specific identities become salient in some situations.

– Identities become salient in contrast to others

Power and conflict explanations

• Realistic conflict theory: traditional in-groups create policies that are favourable to the in-group and often unfavourable to the out-group.– As heterogeneity rises:

• low-status positions and potential difficulty in increasing status becomes more apparent. (?)

• The potential loss of status becomes more apparent. (?)

• Consequence is an increased potential for negative affect and conflict

• Identity Incongruence

– Identify with the high status group rather than one’s own group

• Act like the high status group• Have attitudes similar to the high status towards

one’s own in-group. (?)

Hofstede’s Value Dimensions of National Culture

...Hofstede’s Value Dimensions of National Culture

• Contact

• Attitude training

• Behavior change – cognitive dissonance effects– Harassment and equity policies– Mentoring programs

Integration of diverse populations