DEFINING DIVERSITY

1
DEFINING DIVERSITY

• TRM 435 Week 2

2
The concept of workforce diversity does not
travel well across cultural and national
boundaries. (It is a U.S. based term.)
The Challenge

• Creating a term with a common meanings across
  national boundaries that facilitates effective
  communication.

3
Bury me standingI have been on my knees all my
life (Fonseca,1996)Are all differences the same?

• Benign differences vs. differences that have
  practical/detrimental consequences
• Each individual is unique butmembership of some
  groups may yield negative or positive
  consequences
• To which groups do you belong that
• yield positive consequences?
• yield negative consequences?

4
Workforce Diversity

• It is not about what makes you special
• It is about belonging to groups that are visibly
  or invisibly different from whatever is
  considered mainstream in your society
• It is about being susceptible to employment
  consequences as a result ot ones association
  with certaing groups
• Acceptance to workgroup
• Individual/group performance
• Attitude during hiring process
• Distribution of promotions and other
  organizational resources

5
Workforce Diversity - examples

• Being a southern Italian and applying for a job
  in northern Italy
• Being a woman in China, in Turkey, in US
• Being a non-muslim in Turkey
• Being a muslim in US, UK
• Being Turkish in Germany or Netherlands
• Being young/old
• Being gay in Turkey, in Netherlands, in USetc.
• Being gay in fashion/art communities, being gay
  in finance industry

6
Workforce Diversity-Definitions1.Narrow-category
based definitions

• Usually based on discrimination legislation
• It is not culturally transferable
• Even when attempting to use narrow definitions in
  each country based on its antidiscriminatory
  legislation, the result may be limiting

7

• Kanun No 4857 (Turkish Labor Law-2003)
• (outlaws discrimination based on language, race,
  gender, political opinion, philosophical beliefs,
  religion, pregnancy, type of workers (temporary
  vs. permanent employees)
• Esit davranma ilkesi
• MADDE 5. - Is iliskisinde dil, irk, cinsiyet,
  siyasal düsünce, felsefî inanç, din ve mezhep ve
  benzeri sebeplere dayali ayirim yapilamaz.
• Isveren, esasli sebepler olmadikça tam süreli
  çalisan isçi karsisinda kismî süreli çalisan
  isçiye, belirsiz süreli çalisan isçi karsisinda
  belirli süreli çalisan isçiye farkli islem
  yapamaz.
• Isveren, biyolojik veya isin niteligine iliskin
  sebepler zorunlu kilmadikça, bir isçiye, is
  sözlesmesinin yapilmasinda, sartlarinin
  olusturulmasinda, uygulanmasinda ve sona
  ermesinde, cinsiyet veya gebelik nedeniyle
  dogrudan veya dolayli farkli islem yapamaz.
• Ayni veya esit degerde bir is için cinsiyet
  nedeniyle daha düsük ücret kararlastirilamaz.
• Isçinin cinsiyeti nedeniyle özel koruyucu
  hükümlerin uygulanmasi, daha düsük bir ücretin
  uygulanmasini hakli kilmaz.

8
Legislation in US

• Job discrimination on the basis of sex, race,
  color, religion, prgenancy, national origin, age
  and disability is outlawed by
• EEO in Federal Government-1998
• Equal Pay Act-1963
• Civil Rights Act-1964/1991
• Rehabilitation Act-1973
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act-1978
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act-1967
• Americans with Disabilities Act-1990

9
ILOINTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

• www.ilo.org
• http//www.ilo.org/global/Themes/Equality_and_Disc
  rimination/lang--en/index.htm

10
Workforce Diversity-Definitions2.Broad-category
based definitions

• An expanded definiton of diversity to include
• Marital status
• Education
• Skills and year in the organization
• HIV status
• Social class
• Sexual orientation
• Etc.

11
Workforce Diversity-Definitions2.Broad-category
based definitions

• This type of definition provides a distinction
  between
• Visible diversity (i.e. Race, gender, disability)
  
• Invisible diversity (i.e. Religion, education,
  tenure)
• It is easier form or harbor prejudices, biased
  and stereotypes and discriminate against people
  whose diversity characteristics belong to first
  category
• These categories are not mutually exclusive
  because often visible characteristics may be
  associated with less visible ones (ethnicity and
  social status, religion and social status)

12
Workforce Diversity-Definitions3.Definitions
based on a conceptual rule

• Instead of listing the categories of diversity,
  this type of definitions provide conceptual
  articulations of diversity
• Diversity includes everyone it is not something
  defined by race or gender. It extends to age,
  personal backgroun, education, life stylei
  tenureetc.
• Many diversity trainers as well as HR managers
  find this broad definition appealing
• By including all differences under diversity
• it trivializes differences
• Dilute the serious consequences of prejudice,
  dicrimination, and lack of power

13
SoHow do we define?

• Is it possible to use the categories that cut
  across many national and local cultures (i.e
  gender, age, race, ethnicity, disability)
• No. Because these categories might have different
  (positive or negative) impact on employment in
  different categories.
• These common categories are also not exclusive of
  the domain. Many countries can utilize diversity
  categories that are not included in this list.

14
Workforce diversity refers to division of
workforce into distinction categories that

• have perceived commonality within a given
  cultural or national context
• impact potentially harmful or beneficial
  employment outcomes such as job opportunities,
  treatment in workplace and promotion
  prospects-irrespective of job related skills and
  qualifications

15
Exercise 1

• The accessory given to your group represents your
  group identity
• You can use it any way you want
• Define the characteristics of your group on a
  piece of paper
• Define the other group

16
Exercise 1

• How was your group defined?
• Do you agree?
• Are these perceptions right? Are thet true for
  all of you?
• Why were you defined like that?
• How did you define the other group?
• Why?
• General
• How do we define people in real life?
• What happens by these definitions?
• How do we get over the negative consequences of
  such presumptions?

17
Dont categorize me...

• We label and classify people in real life, too

18

• STEROTYPES AND PREJUDICE

19
Prejudices

• Pre judge
• Preconceived judgement or opinon held by members
  of a group
• Positive and negative prejudices are possible

An irrational attitude of hostility directed
against a group. It is based on wrong,
insufficient or biased information.
20
How do prejudices form? 1. Categorical Thinking

• Although prejudices also have emotional, social,
  economc and historical dimensions, it is also a
  consequence of natural thinking process.

Human mind has to think in categories. Once
formed these categories become the primary basis
of judgement. We cant avoid it. A life of order
depends on that
21
What is this shape?
22
What is this shape?
The one on the left is a square and the one on
the right is a diomand. The shapes in between
do not have specific names and do not fit into
these categories (they dont exist) so they are
suppressed into one of the existing categories
23
Fill in the blanks

• Italian men are perfect..................
• Politicians frequently..........................
• Working with women.....................
• Overweight (fat) people...........................
  
• People with tattoos and piercings..............
• Turkish men are.

24
How do prejudices form? 2. Sterotypes

• Sterotype is a mental image (framework) that we
  have about a group
• They have a practical function
• Instead of starting our encounter with a person
  with no informaton we begin with a framework
• These frameworks are usually exaggerated or
  oversimplified
• They disregard the in-group differences
• They cause over-generalization
• Strong stereotypes cause prejudice
• They create in-groups (us) and out-groups (them)

25
How do stereotypes form?
Media and other common communication tools
Family members... Ex gender roles
Direct experience
Social groups Ex peer groups, Work groups
26
Some consequences

• 1. A tendency to distort perceptions
• All..are same
• We are not like them
• 2. A tendency to favor/support the in-group
• 3. To protect our self-respect

27
Employment-Related Discrimination

28

Employment-Related Discrimination
Discrimination in employment occurs when

a. Individuals, institutions or governments
treat people differently because of their
personal characteristics, such as race, gender,
or sexual orientation rather than their ability
to perform their jobs
b. When these actions have a negative impact on
access to jobs, promotions, or compensation
29

Employment-Related Discrimination

• Overt vs. covert

• Individual vs. institutional

• Intentional vs. unintentional