Organization Development and Change
Chapter Nineteen:
Managing Workforce Diversity
and Wellness
Thomas G. Cummings
Christopher G. Worley
Learning Objectives
for Chapter Nineteen


To examine human resources management
interventions that address increasing workforce
diversity and employee wellness.
To understand how OD efforts can enhance
traditional human resource approaches to these
issues.
19-2
A Framework for Managing Diversity
External Pressures For & Against Diversity
Management’s
Perspectives &
Priorities
Strategic
Responses
Implementation
Internal Pressures For & Against Diversity
19-3
Age Diversity

Trends
 Median age up
 Distribution of ages changing

Implications
 Health care
 Mobility
 Security

Interventions
 Wellness programs
 Job design
 Career development and planning
 Reward systems
19-4
Gender Diversity

Trends
 Percentage of women in work force increasing
 Dual-income families increasing

Implications
 Child care
 Maternity/paternity leaves
 Single parents

Interventions
 Job design
 Fringe benefit rewards
19-5
Disability Diversity

Trends
 The number of people with disabilities entering the work
force is increasing

Implications
 Job skills and challenge issues
 Physical space design
 Respect and dignity

Interventions
 Performance management
 Job design
 Career planning and development
19-6
Culture and Values Diversity

Trends
 Rising proportion of immigrant and minority-group workers
 Shift in rewards

Implications
 Flexible organizational policies
 Autonomy
 Affirmation and respect

Interventions
 Career planning and development
 Employee involvement
 Reward systems
19-7
Race/Ethnicity Diversity

Trends
 Minorities represent large segments of workforce and a
small segment of top management/senior executives
 Qualifications and experience of minority employees is often
overlooked

Implications
 Discrimination

Interventions
 Equal employment opportunities
 Mentoring programs
 Education and training
19-8
Sexual Orientation Diversity

Trends
 Number of single-sex households up
 More liberal attitudes toward sexual orientation

Implications
 Discrimination

Interventions
 Equal employment opportunities
 Fringe benefits
 Education and training
19-9
A Model of Stress and Work
Occupational Stressors
Stress
• How the
• Physical Environment
• Individual: role conflict and
ambiguity, lack of control
• Group: poor peer, subordinate or
boss, relationships
individual
perceives the
occupational
stressors
• Organizational: poor design, HR
policies, politics
Individual Differences
Cognitive/Affective:
Biologic/Demographic:
Type A or B, hardiness,
social support, negative
affectivity
Age, gender, occupation, race
Consequences
• Subjective:
anxiety, apathy
• Behavioral: drug
and alcohol abuse
• Cognitive: poor
focus, burnout
• Physiological: high
blood
pressure and pulse
• Organizational: low
productivity,
absenteeism, legal
action
19-10
Stress and Wellness
Workplace Interventions

Role Clarification
 A systematic process for determining expectations and
understanding work roles

Supportive relationships
 Establish trust and positive relationships
Work Leaves
 Health Facilities
 Employee Assistance Programs

19-11
2-12