ORBH 491, Managing Diversity and Inclusion
Department of Organizational Behavior
Weatherhead School of Management
Case Western Reserve University
Fall, 2008
Tuesday 5:30-8:00 P.M., PBL 04
Professor Susan Schick Case
PBL 440
(216) 368-5018 (WSOM)
(216) 751-0940 (home)
(216) 283-8813 (home office)
ssc2@case.edu or susan.case@case.edu
“Diversity brings about a variety of thought perspectives and experience that no firm can afford to
disregard.”
Philip A. Laskawy, Chairman and CEO, Ernst & Young LLP, 1999
Course Objective:
This course addresses workforce diversity issues from individual, group, organizational,
and societal perspectives. A major focus includes innovative ways companies are
effectively utilizing today’s culturally expanding workforce. Emphasis is on the “what
and how” for managers in creating corporate cultures that embrace diversity, and helping
them to work with, supervise, and tap the talent of diverse employees within their
organizations so that employees can flourish. We can have diversity and not have
inclusion. Included are methods for modifying systems and implementing organizational
change processes to attract, retain, develop, and capitalize on benefits of the new
workforce demographics so people can work more productively and innovatively together
for profitability. Diversity is the mix of people. Inclusion is making the mix work.
This course will also encourage the development of personal efficacy for working with
and supervising people of different racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, genders,
lifestyles, ages, religions, abilities, perspectives, personalities, styles, and values. As
individuals increase self-knowledge about their own values and practices, they will be
more able to embrace capabilities as a leader and change agent.
You will learn processes that can be applied in organizational settings to better
understand yourself, decrease fear of differences, learn to build bridges to diverse others,
and increase respect and trust of colleagues. You will also develop innovative tools,
strategies, ideas, and techniques to lead work groups and organizations through the
massive changes that they are undergoing to create an inclusive environment that
recognizes and values differences.
Primary course objectives:
1.
To gain a greater awareness of diversity in organizations:
a. To enhance understanding of yourself in relationship to the people around you in
work settings. Differences in life experiences such as age, race, gender, class,
sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, region or country of origin, position
in family, job function, rank within hierarchy all affect development of
perceptions, assumptions, feelings, and frameworks for making sense out of
situations. People bring to the work place attitudes, norms, values, habits, and
strategies of action learned from life experience before joining the organization.
Diversity is about understanding exactly who we are and what we need to fully be
ourselves. Diversity also involves facing our own reactions to differences and the
discomfort and fears it may cause. The course will facilitate the integration of
your personal experience, thoughts, and learning about diversity in organizations.
b. To enhance understanding of people around you at work and their dynamics and
experiences in organizations (bosses, peers, subordinates, customers,
competitors). We deal with differences within and between individuals
constantly, although some of them are more politicized than others. Some of
these differences have served as the basis for discrimination and prejudice
between groups, while others have been enriching. Under some circumstances,
differences can produce tensions and conflicts; under others, they provide
innovative approaches to dealing with the problems, opportunities and challenges
of organizational life. Diversity is about allowing others to be fully themselves,
capitalizing on the uniqueness they bring to the organization. It is about learning
to trust others who are different from ourselves and recognize competencies in
different others. As we deal with differences within and between ourselves, we
begin to make visible the majority group norms that we have assumed to be
universal and to understand that the concepts and skills needed to effectively
respond to diversity are useful for all of us in all aspects of our lives.
c. To gain a thorough understanding of systems. Some ways of thinking about
differences are more productive than others. It is important to understand the uses
and limitations of generalizations. It is also important to develop the ability to
critique your own reasoning processes, in particular the tendency toward binary
thinking, a reliance on common reasoning fallacies, and a susceptibility to
automatic responses and emotions that can block access to your existing skills.
The course will provide analytical frameworks for understanding individual,
interpersonal, organizational, and societal structures and processes that create
barriers in the management and integration of diversity into your organizations.
The frameworks developed should guide your personal actions, enhance the
development of professionalism, integrity, and responsibility as you work with
others, and increase your capacity to manage diversity with inclusion.
d.
To further develop an increased awareness about the positive side of difference.
When diversity is understood and addressed well, it can trigger innovations and a
learning stance of openness to new perspectives and change in both individuals
and organizations. Diversity suppressed or overlooked can result in wasted time
and resources, missed opportunities in personnel development, and conflict that
can escalate to legal confrontation. By the end of the course, participants will be
better able to value other perspectives, develop cross-cultural understanding, and
create cultures of inclusion and collaboration capitalizing on the benefits of a
pluralistic workforce.
2. To develop and practice competencies and skills and to gain first hand familiarity
with leadership and managerial issues needed to effectively work in the
multicultural work force of today and the future. These will be developed through
dialogue, group discussions, exercises, case studies, and a group project. Many of
the competencies needed to work effectively with diversity are competencies in
emotional and social intelligence. Some that we focus on in this course include:
Self-awareness
(understanding ourselves)
* Self-confidence
Social Skills/ Management of Others
* Developing others
* Teamwork and collaboration
* Change catalyst
Social Awareness
* Building bonds
(what we sense in others)
* Social objectivity
* Organizational awareness
* Valuing diversity
* Empathy
* Leadership
* Attunement
* Conflict management
* Empathic accuracy
* Communication: give feedback,
* Social cognition
actively listen, suspend judgment,
identify and suspend assumptions,
inquire and reflect
Self-management
Social Facility (what we do with our awareness)
* Flexibility and adaptability
* Synchrony
* Initiative
* Self-presentation
* Trustworthiness
* Influence
* Self-control
* Concern
Course Requirements:
Openness to learn, respect for others, participation through dialogue, introspection, timely
completion of all exercises and assignments, and attendance at an off-site retreat.
Course Fees:
There is a $50 fee for the all day retreat at the Manor House and the related course
materials.
Course Texts:
Gardenswartz, Lee and Rowe, Anita. Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference
and Planning Guide, Revised Edition. New York: Irwin Professional Publishing, 1998.
Bell, Myrtle P. Diversity in Organizations. Mason, Ohio: Thomson, 2007.
Course readings, assessments and cases (as provided).
Grading:
Journal
35%
(1) Part I
(2) Part II
Includes learning/applications summary
(15%)
(15%)
( 5%)
Diversity myography
10%
Experience as “Other”
10%
Class participation
15%
Includes required completion of activities and assignments from Bell,
integrating reading assignments, completing assigned textbook exercises
and activities from Gardenswartz and Rowe, sharing of perspectives,
attendance and preparation for sessions, openness to dialogue with others,
and attendance at retreat.
Group project (25%) and presentation (5%)
For each assignment student will receive guidelines and grading criteria. Active
participation and adequate completion of each assignment, all on time, is B. Active
participation and exceptional completion of all assignments, on time, is A. Assignments
that are late will be penalized a half a letter grade for each late day. Assignments more
than a week late will not be accepted. Missing more than two classes, or missing the
retreat, will result in an automatic drop of a letter grade.
All students in this course are expected to adhere to university standards of academic
integrity. I expect you to do assignments on your own, unless otherwise directed. I do
encourage the formation of learning groups for the discussion of concepts and sharing
experiences. However, homework assignments (exercises and activities) are my way of
assessing your comprehension of the material in the course. Cheating, plagiarism, and
other forms of academic dishonesty are not acceptable behavior. In no case should you
turn in another’s work as your own. This includes, but is not limited to, turning in written
work that was prepared by someone other than you or making minor modifications to the
30%
work of someone else, including items obtained on the internet, and turning it in as your
own. Ignorance is not an excuse.
As a graduate student, you have agreed to Standards Regarding Academic Integrity
(http://weatherhead.case.edu/pdpao/policy/policyhome.html) that outlines your
responsibility in greater detail. Talk to me if you have questions. If there are suspicions
of violations of academic integrity, I will follow CASE WESTERN RESERVE
UNIVERSITY protocols of academic infractions as detailed in the University Bulletin.
ORBH 491
FALL, 2008
COURSE MEETING TIMES
(CALENDAR OF SESSIONS AND ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES)
WEEKS DATE
ASSIGNMENTS DUE
1
August 26
2
September 2
3
September 9
Project proposal
4
September 16
Myography
5
September 23
Identity group questions - Bell
6
September 30 – NO CLASS
7
October 7
Experience as “Other”
Pick up Myography book
8
October 14
Journal, Part I
8
October 17 – DIVERSITY RETREAT
9
October 21
Group project update
10
October 28 - NO CLASS
11
November 4
12
November 11
13
November 18 – NO CLASS
14
November 25
Group project & presentations
15
December 2
Journal Part II with Learning
Entry
Activity update - Bell questions
ORBH 491
Fall, 2008
There will be a course fee of $50 payable to the Department of Organizational Behavior due by
Week 3, September 9, 2008. This will cover the additional cost of our offsite retreat at Squire
Valleevue Farm with lunch and snacks. The fee will also go towards the reading packet,
exercises, and assessments that will be distributed in class. Let me know privately if you need
financial assistance.
ORBH 491, Case, Fall, 2008
“In General Motors’ view, only a well-educated, highly-diverse work force, comprised of people who have
learned to work productively and creatively with individuals from a multitude of races and ethnic, religious,
and cultural histories, can maintain America’s global competitiveness in the increasingly diverse and
interconnected world economy.” Legal brief, U. S. District Court, July 2000 in defense of U of Michigan’s
admissions policies.
LEARNING CALENDAR
Wk 1
Aug. 26
Text:
Overview; Why Diversity Matters; The Context of Diversity
Gardenswartz and Rowe, Chpts. 2 (Changes & Trends) & 15 (Demographic Reality)
Bell, Chpts. 1 (Introduction) & 3 (Theories and Thinking about Diversity)
Activities:
Student objectives for taking the course; desired outcomes hoped for; concerns
Appreciative interviews of diversity experiences
Develop dialogue guidelines for desired learning outcomes
Overview of course - Why diversity matters. Current context of diversity
Cover Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpts. 2 & 15; Bell, Chpt. 3
Structure of course for learning
Assignments - journaling, MYography, group project on diversity
HW:
Construct “Who am I?” collage
Identity Salience and Self-Expression
Wk 2
Group Identity in the Self Concept:
Sept. 2 Ways of Thinking about and across Differences
Text: Gardenswartz and Rowe, Chpt. 3, with exercises (Dimensions of Diversity)
Bell, Chpts. 4 (Blacks/African Americans) & 5 (Latinos/Hispanics)
Readings:
1. Gentile. “Ways of Thinking About and Across Differences,” in Gentile, Mary C. Managerial
Excellence Through Diversity. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 12-30.
Activities:
“Who Am I?” collage presentation
Dimensions of diversity
Expansion of identity as seen by self and others
Wk 3
September 9
Text:
Understanding Culture and Cultural Systems: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpt. 4, pp. 78-85, with exercises (Decreasing Ethnocentrism,
Attributions, and Stereotyping)
Readings:
1. Morrison, Terri and Conaway, Wayne (2006). Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, 2nd ed., Avon, MA:
Adams Media. Cultural Orientation, pp. ix – xiii; United States, and other cultures represented in
the class. TBD
2.
Osland, Joyce & Bird, Allen (2000), “Beyond Sophisticated Stereotyping: Cultural Sensemaking
in Context”, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 14, 1, 65-79.
3.
Adler, Nancy (2008). “Communicating Across Cultures,” Chpt. 3 in International Dimensions of
Organizational Behavior, 5th ed. Cincinnati, OH: Southwestern Publishing, 69-95.
Activities:
Self-in Culture – exercises on cultural behavior and cultural norms: leadership, planning, success,
etiquette, communication, and cultural self-awareness.
Diversity Impact in Organization
DUE: Project proposal
Wk 4
Sept. 16
Text:
Cultural Behavior and Cultural Systems: Privilege and Identity
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpt. 4, pp. 41-76, with exercises (Cultural Behaviors)
Bell, Chpts. 6 (Asians and Asian Americans) & 7 (Whites/European Americans)
Readings:
1. McIntosh, Peggy (1989). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Peace and
Freedom, August, pp. 10-12. This is a brief version of the original White Privilege and Male
Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s
Studies. (1988) Working Papers Series #189, Wellesley, MA: Center for Research on Women,
Wellesley College. Reprinted in Anderson, M. And P. H. Collins (Eds.) (1993). Race, Class, and
Gender, Wadsworth, CA: 80-91.
2.
Jackson, B. and R. Hardiman (1983). “Racial Identity Development: Implications for Managing
the Multi-Cultural Work Force”, The NTL Managers Handbook. Alexandria, VA: NTL, 107-119.
Activities: Diversity Awareness Profile
DUE: Myography
Awareness of Others: Structures of Inclusion and Exclusion
Wk 5
September 23
Text:
Communication Etiquette Across Race, Gender, Religion, and Culture
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpts. 5 with exercises (Communication)
Readings:
1. Case, Susan. (1993). “The Collaborative Advantage: The Usefulness of Women’s Language to
Contemporary Business Problems,” Business and the Contemporary World, 5(3) 81-105.
2.
Reardon, Kathleen Kelley (1995). Chpt. 2. “The Language of Exclusion: Cracking the Code,”
Chpt. 3, “Getting at the Subtle Stuff”, and Chpt. 6, “Power Plays and Displays” in They Don’t Get
It, Do They? Boston, MA: Little Brown & Co., 25-75, 123-147.
3.
Tannen, Deborah (1995). “The Power of Talk”, Harvard Business Review, September- October,
139-148. (optional)
Activities:
Exercise - Communication across cultures
DUE: Identity Group Questions - Bell
Wk 6
September 30
NO CLASS
Activity: Group project time
Systems Awareness: Integrating Diversity into Organizations
Wk 7
October 7
Text:
Formal Systems: Leveraging Diversity for Organizational Excellence
Gardenswartz and Rowe, Chpt. 6, pp. 129-179 (Building Multicultural Work Teams), Chpts. 13
(Making Room at the Top & Middle) & 16, with exercises (More than Equal Opportunity)
Bell, Chpts. 8 (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Multiracial Group Members) & 16
(International Diversity), Chpt. 2 (Legislation)
Readings:
1. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss (1977/2003). “Men and Women of the Corporation,” in Ely, Robin,
Foldy, Erica Gabrielle, and Scully, Maureen A. Reader in Gender, Work, and Organization,
Malden, MA: Blackwell, 34-48.
2.
Gilbert, Jacqueline A. and Ivancevich, John M. (2000). “Valuing Diversity: A Tale of Two
Organizations,” Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 14, No.1, 893-105.
3.
Thomas, David and Ely, Robin (2003). “Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for
Managing Diversity”, in Ely, Robin, Foldy, Erica, and Scully, Maureen A. Reader in Gender,
Work, and Organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 362-377.
4.
Fernandez, John P. (1999). Beyond the Rhetoric of Race and Gender: Two Immodest Proposals,
Chpt. 6. Race, Gender, and Rhetoric: The True State of Race and Gender Relations in Corporate
America. NY: McGraw Hill, 71-86, 161-165. (optional)
DUE: Experience as “other”
Pick up MYography book
WK 8
October 14
Text:
Formal Systems: Recruitment and Performance Evaluation
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpt. 12 (Recruiting) & Chpt. 8, with exercises (Performance Evaluation)
Bell, Chpt. 9 (Sex and Gender) & 11 (Age)
Readings:
1. Fine, Marlene (2003). “Building Successful Multicultural Organizations: Challenges and
Opportunities”, in Ely, Robin, Foldy, Erica Gabrielle, and Scully, Maureen A. Reader in Gender,
Work, and Organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 308-317.
2.
Yoshino, Kenji (2006). “The Pressure to Cover,” New York Times Magazine. January 15,
33-37.
Activities:
Video - recruitment
Video - performance evaluation
DUE: Journal – Part I
Week 8
October 17
FRIDAY RETREAT – 8:45 AM – 5:30 PM
Squire Valeevue Manor House, Hunting Valley
Bridging for Diversity: Understanding Through Stories
Readings:
1. MYography book
2.
Ancona, Kochan, Scully, Van Maanen, & Westney (1999). “Bystander Awareness: Skills for
Effective Managers”, in Managing for the Future: Organizational Behavior and Processes,
Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, Module 11, 18-23.
3.
Connor, Jeffrey C. (2000). “It Wasn’t About Race, Or Was It?” Harvard Business Review,
September-October, 37-46.
Activities:
MYography sharing
Sharing of “experience as other”
Video discussion of CRASH (?) and/or follow-up exercises on perceptions and attributions
Wk 9
October 21
Texts:
Formal Systems: Floors and Ceilings
Gardenswartz and Rowe, Chpt. 10 (Why Programs Fail) with exercises and Chpt. 14 (Tracking the
Effects of Initiatives)
Bell, 13 (Work and Family)
Readings:
1. Holvino, Evangelina. (2003). “Complicating Gender: The Simultaneity of Race, Gender, and
Class in Organization Change(ing)”, Ely, Robin, Foldy, Erica, and Scully Maureen A. Reader in
Gender, Work, and Organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 362-377.
2.
Kram, Kathy and McCollum Hampton. (2003). “When Women Lead: The Visibility, Vulnerability
Spiral”, in Ely, Robin, Foldy, Erica, and Scully Maureen A. Reader in Gender, Work, and
Organization. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 211-223.
3.
Morris, Betsy (2005). “How Corporate America is Betraying Women,” Fortune, Jan. 10, 64-74.
DUE: Group project update
Wk 10
October 28
NO CLASS
Activity: Group project time
Wk 11
November 4
Texts:
Integrating Diversity into Your Organization:
Modifying Systems for Inclusion
Gardenswartz & Rowe – Chpt. 9, (Creating a Culture that Embraces Diversity)
Bell, Chpt. 12 (Physical & Mental Ability) and 10 (Religion)
Readings:
1.
Wasserman, Ilene C., Gallegos, Placido V., and Ferdman, Bernardo, (2006). “Dealing with
Resistance: Leadership Challenges in Fostering a Culture of Inclusion”, in K. M. Thomas
(Ed.), Diversity Resistance in Organizations: Manifestations and Relations. Mahwah, NJ:
Erlbaum Associates, 1-28.
2.
Gant, Sarah B. (1995). “Managing Conflict in a Diverse Workplace,” Harvard Business
School Case 395-090.
3.
Gale, J. (2007). “Interview with Bernardo M. Ferdman, Ph. D.” San Diego Psychologist,
22(2), 14-15.
4.
Ferdman, B. M. (2007) “Inclusion starts with knowing yourself”. San Diego Psychologist, 22
(4), 1, 5-6.
5.
Ferdman. B. M. (2007). “Self-knowledge and inclusive interactions”. San Diego
Psychologist, 22 (5), 25-26.
6.
Ferdman, B. M. (in press). “The slippery slope of inclusion”. San Diego Psychologist, 22 (7),
17-22.
WK 12 Organizational Cultures, Harassment, and Gender Relations
November 11
Text:
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpt. 11, with exercises (Diversity Audit)
Bell, Chpt. 14 (Weight and Appearance) and 15 (Sexual Orientation)
Readings:
1. 1. Update! Candid Advice from 9 to 5 (1999). Material taken from section summaries in Bravo,
Ellen and Cassedy, Ellen. The 9 to 5 Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment. NY: John Wiley.
2.
Paine, Lynn Sharp (1994). “Sexual Harassment, Free Speech or…? Harvard Business School case
393-033.
3.
Case, Susan S. (1994). “Courtroom Use of Linguistic Analysis to Demonstrate a Hostile Work
Environment for Women: Reflections from Experience” in L. Turner & H. Sterk (Eds.),
Differences That Make a Difference: Examining Assumptions of Research in Comminication,
Language and Gender, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 137-150.
4.
Salisbury, J. and Dominick B. (2004). Excerpts from Investigating Harassment and
Discrimination Complaints: A Practical Guide. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer, 171-176.
5.
Case, Susan S. (2007). Excerpts from Expert Witness Report: Pamela Denzak-Henderhan vs.
Jackson Township Police Department, et al. (TBD).
DUE: Activity update - Bell questions
Wk 13
November 18
No Class
Activity:
Group project time
WK 14
November 25
DUE:
Presentations of Group Projects and Project Summaries
WK 15 Assessment of Competencies Developed for Diversity:
December 2
Revisiting the Journey
Text:
Gardenswartz & Rowe, Chpt. 18 (Summing It Up)
Activities:
Assessment of diversity learning and applications; Diversity Celebration
DUE: Journal - Part II with Learning Summary