Workforce Diversity
Management
Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba
© Mujtaba, 2007
Welcome to
YOUR
First Session
© Mujtaba, 2007
Workforce Diversity Management
• Workforce Diversity Management is about increasing one’s cultural
competency, understanding people as individuals rather than groups, and
building productive human relationships in the workplace by focusing on
an individual’s head, heart and habits. Diversity is a reality of life and it
requires examining one’s own beliefs and values as well as learning the
skills of dealing appropriately with those whose personal beliefs and
professional values may be very different.
– Workforce Diversity Management book can help professionals and managers
deal with today’s diverse workforce more effectively in order to attract and
retain productive associates in a competitive global economy.
– The book can also help managers create a pleasant work environment where
all employees of diverse beliefs and values are respected and treated with
dignity.
– The concepts, cases, and exercises are very relevant to today’s work
environment, and thus can easily fit most diversity management or cultural
competency courses, seminars, and employee development workshops.
© Mujtaba, 2007
• Managing differences means working with
everyone in the department and
organization to serve all customers in a
quality manner. Everyone in the department
and organization must be able to adjust and
adapt to the changing circumstances and
needs of diverse customers at each moment.
© Mujtaba, 2007
• Workforce Diversity Management is about
creating harmony in one’s head (thoughts), heart
(feelings), and habits (behaviors) about people of
diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Mohandas Gandhi said that "Happiness is when
what you think, what you say, and what you do are
in harmony." This book is about crating harmony
in the head (thoughts), heart (feelings), and habits
(behaviors).
© Mujtaba, 2007
“We are led to believe a lie - When we see
with and not through the eye.”
“When I die, I shall sour with the angels. But
if I die an angel, you cannot imagine what
I’ll become.”
© Mujtaba, 2007
• “We are a nation of many nationalities, many
races, many religions—bound together by a
single unity, the unity of freedom and equality.
Whoever seeks to set one nationality against
another, seeks to degrade all nationalities.
Whoever seeks to set one race against another
seeks to enslave all races. Whoever seeks to set
one religion against another seeks to destroy all
religions.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt,
American President – Address in New York, 11/1/1940
© Mujtaba, 2007
• “To put the world right in order, we must
first put the nation in order, to put the
nation in order, we must first put the
family in order; to put the family in
order, we must first cultivate our
personal life; we must first set our hearts
right.”
Confucius
© Mujtaba, 2007
Workforce Diversity Management
(Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, 2007)
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Chapter 1 – Diversity: What is it?
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Chapter 2 – Diversity Management in Academia
Chapter 3 – Socialization and Stereotypes
Chapter 4 – Discrimination in Practice
Chapter 5 – Technology, Gender and Appreciative Inquiry
Chapter 6 – Affirmative Action
Chapter 7 – Culture and Management
Chapter 8 – Generational and Spiritual Diversity
Chapter 9 – Managing for Diversity in Public Agencies
Chapter 10 – Organizational Learning and Knowledge
Chapter 11 – Power and Leadership
Chapter 12 – Gender and Management Hierarchy
Chapter 13 – Teamwork and Synergy
Chapter 14 – Listening and Conflict Management Skills
Chapter 15 – Training Programs: Preparation and Evaluation
Chapter 16 – Diversity: The Engine for Success
© Mujtaba, 2007
Changing Demographics and Trends
• The population and increased influence of various
minority people groups are growing rapidly. An
understanding of the demographics of the
customer base allows one to maximize changing
market opportunities. Leaders and managers
skilled in managing a culturally diverse customer
base and workforce will be successful and
instrumental in improving morale, employee
commitment, productivity, customer satisfaction,
and the overall competitive advantage of their
firms.
© Mujtaba, 2007
“No longer are
Americans rising and
falling together as if in
one large national
boat. We are,
increasingly, in
different smaller
boats.”
Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor - Clinton
Administration
© Mujtaba, 2007
Changing Paradigms
In the Past
Today
People had a
Homogenous
Paradigm
and
Workforce
People have
Diverse Ideas
And a
Heterogeneous
Workforce
12
© Mujtaba, 2007
What is Diversity?
Diversity describes….!
• Podere Toreno, a bed and breakfast in Radda-Inn-Chianti,
Italy:
Heaven is a place where the lovers are Italian, the cooks are French, the
mechanics are German, the police are English, and the Swiss run the
government. Hell is a place where the lovers are Swiss, the cooks are
English, the mechanics are French, the police are German, and Italians run
the government.
© Mujtaba, 2007
Defining Diversity-Diversity Iceberg
© Mujtaba, 2007
Diversity Iceberg
Characteristics that are apparent
based on first look.
Characteristics that are not apparent based
on first look and require more
communication.
© Mujtaba, 2007
Diversity Iceberg
Less
important
Little or
no Control
slender
long hair skin color
blue eyes
blonde
tall male
age
race
More
important
ethnicity
experiences
education
class
heritage
profession parental status
Some
control
marital status
professional status
values
perceptions
religion
economic status
sexual orientation
© Mujtaba, 2007
Understanding Diversity
Diversity describes all the personal, professional,
and cultural _________ and _________ that make
one person similar to or different from another. It is
inclusive of all the characteristics that make us unique
as human beings.
– We have some control over some of these characteristics while very
little to none over others (genetic vs. profession).
– Some characteristics are more important to who we are as human
beings.
– Different characteristics may impact individuals differently at various
times or in various situations.
© Mujtaba, 2007
Understanding Team Diversity
Diversity describes all the personal, professional, and
cultural characteristics and qualities that make one
person similar to or different from another. It is
inclusive of all the characteristics that make us unique
as human beings.
– We have some control over some of these characteristics while very
little to none over others (genetic vs. profession).
– Some characteristics are more important to who we are as human
beings.
– Different characteristics may impact individuals differently at various
times or in various situations.
© Mujtaba, 2007
Diversity Management
Diversity management is the process of becoming
culturally competent by _________ the needs,
wants, desires, strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, and
values of each team member, while providing him
or her the _________ to contribute to the collective
genius of the whole. Thereby, creating synergistic
results that are equal to or greater than the sum of
the individual parts.
– Managing diversity is about enabling each member of
the team to perform up to or beyond his or her potential.
– It is about creating a competitive advantage for the
organization through the human resources asset!
© Mujtaba, 2007
Diversity Management
Diversity management is the process of becoming
culturally competent by understanding the needs,
wants, desires, strengths, weaknesses, beliefs, and
values of each team member while providing him
or her the opportunity to contribute to the
collective genius of the whole. Thereby, creating
synergistic results that are equal to or greater than
the sum of the individual parts.
– Managing diversity is about enabling each member of
the team to perform up to or beyond his or her potential.
– It is about creating a competitive advantage for the
organization through the human resources asset!
© Mujtaba, 2007
Being Different!
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© Mujtaba, 2007
F-Counting Exercise
FOREIGN FILMS OF THE PAST FEW DECADES
FOCUSED ON FACTS THAT ARE OF MORE
VALUE THAN THAT OF NEW FEATURES
© Mujtaba, 2007
Purpose of Managing Diversity
The purpose/goal of managing diversity has
been and should be to develop everyone’s
capacity to accept, incorporate, and
empower the diverse human talents in the
organization, in the nation, and eventually
in the world so we can be as productive as
possible. Diversity is both a national as well
as an international reality and we must
make it our strength.
© Mujtaba, 2007
I AM…!
• Think about how you would describe yourself to
someone you have never met and write a single
work descriptor on each line of your exercise
sheet. Write as many as you see appropriate.
• Once you have completed writing all the
descriptors about yourself, then put a star by the
three most important descriptors.
• Then share the most important descriptors with the
class (write on the designated sheet or flipchart).
© Mujtaba, 2007
I AM… Self Descriptors
Female Self Descriptors
Male Self Descriptors
Wife, mother, daughter
Ambitious ,independent ,ethical
Considerate, Christian, Assertive
Christian, male, strong
Mother, Christian, an achiever
Confidante’, mother, and sister
Flexible, appreciative, self-driven
Spiritual, loyal, humorous
Christian, pleasant, positive
Spontaneous, passionate, romantic
© Mujtaba, 2007
Similarities and Differences Exercise,
Direction
1.
2.
3.
Fill your information first for each question. Complete all
your answers first.
Then, while meeting others in the session, your objective is
to find at least one person who has a similar answer as you.
The objective is to match as many answers on your list as
possible during the next few minutes. So, if another
person’s answer matches one of your items, then write
his/her name on the second column.
Only one match per person (You can only use the same
person once). Then, move on to the next person.
* Be prepared to answer questions with regard to your matches!
© Mujtaba, 2007
Similarities and Differences
TOPICS AND YOUR ANSWER
YOUR MATCH (His or her name)
Month of birth =
Number of Children =
Number of brothers & sisters =
What you like best about this city =
Kind of car you drive to work =
Favorite book you have read =
Favorite movie you have seen =
Length of time with your current company =
Favorite food =
Foreign language (s) spoken =
Favorite television show =
Favorite place for vacation visit =
If you could be anywhere else today, where would you be? =
© Mujtaba, 2007
Workforce Diversity Management
Book Layout
Workforce Diversity
Management
Parts I & II
Diversity Awareness
Parts III & IV
Skills
Cultural Competency
Cases
© Mujtaba, 2007
Exercises
Workforce Diversity Management
(Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, 2007)
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Chapter 1 – Diversity: What is it?
Chapter 2 – Diversity Management in Academia
Chapter 3 – Socialization and Stereotypes
Chapter 4 – Discrimination in Practice
Chapter 5 – Technology, Gender and Appreciative Inquiry
Chapter 6 – Affirmative Action
Chapter 7 – Culture and Management
Chapter 8 – Generational and Spiritual Diversity
Chapter 9 – Managing for Diversity in Public Agencies
Chapter 10 – Organizational Learning and Knowledge
Chapter 11 – Power and Leadership
Chapter 12 – Gender and Management Hierarchy
Chapter 13 – Teamwork and Synergy
Chapter 14 – Listening and Conflict Management Skills
Chapter 15 – Training Programs: Preparation and Evaluation
Chapter 16 – Diversity: The Engine for Success
© Mujtaba, 2007
It’s what is inside that
makes a difference!
Learn well, take chances, and
remember that together
we can move the world!
© Mujtaba, 2007
Reference
• Mujtaba, B. G. (2007). Workpalce Diversity Management: Challenges,
Competencies and Strategies. ISBN: 1-59526-548-1. Llumina Press;
website; www.llumina.com; (phone: 866-229-9244 or: 954-726-0902).
© Mujtaba, 2007
© Mujtaba, 2007