BUS 1370 : Principles of Management
Lesson 12
.
Diversity and Management
Learning Outcomes
▪ Understand the meaning of Diversity and
Inclusion.
▪ Examine how Diversity has challenged the
traditional management practices in
organisations.
▪ Identify the importance of managing Diversity
and practicing inclusivity in organisations.
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An individual has not started living until he can
rise above the narrow confines of his
individualistic concerns to the broader
concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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A Negro Woman
carrying a bunch of marigolds
wrapped
in an old newspaper:
She carries them upright,
bareheaded,
the bulk
of her thighs
causing her to waddle
as she walks
looking into
the store window which she passes
on her way.
What is she
but an ambassador
from another world
a world of pretty marigolds
of two shades
which she announces
not knowing what she does
other
than walk the streets
holding the flowers upright
as a torch Source: Google images
so early in the morning.
-William Carlos
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What is Diversity?
Diversity is dissimilarities—differences—among
people due to age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion,
sexual orientation, socioeconomic background,
education, experience, physical appearance,
capabilities/disabilities, and any other
characteristic that is used to distinguish between
people.
(George & Jones, 2009, p. 171)
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Why Diversity Matters in Contemporary
Organisations?
▪ Gender at workplace
▪ Aging population
▪ Ethnic minorities / Social class / Religion / Caste /
Sexual orientation/ Rural vs. Urban / Language
differences / Technical competency / Access to
communication / Different abilities
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Gender Diversity
• The French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (2014)
has said, in her book, The Second Sex,. that "one is not
born, but rather becomes a woman." This now famous
statement is at the heart of the way we understand
gender today.
• The WHO (2022) states that "gender refers to
characteristics of women, men, girls, and boys that are
socially constructed while sex refers to those that are
biologically determined”.
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Sexual Identities
• Human sexuality is the way in which we
experience and express ourselves as sexual
beings (Rathus et al., 1993).
• A key challenge in contemporary society is to
understand that there are many ways in which
humans express their sexuality and that
accepting mutual and respectful forms of sexual
expression are an important part of living with
diversity.
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Class
• Social class is commonly thought of as "a social relation
determined by a group's place or function in the process of
production. Social class is also understood in terms of social
status, and members of a class may move upward in the class
hierarchy.“
• Class is a social relation between people with competing
economic interests. They form their identity through their
common belonging to a class. Therefore, it is important to know
that people from different classes do not represent some innate
cultural quality, but a social relation that is linked to various
cultural ideas about different groups with contradictory
economic interests.
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Caste
• The encyclopedia Britannica defines caste as “any of the
ranked, hereditary, endogamous social groups, often linked
with occupation, that together constitute traditional
societies in South Asia.”
• A key challenge in contemporary society is understanding
caste differences and creating social spaces that are
inclusive of people with different caste identities.
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Language as identity
• All human societies are based on the language(s) their members
use to communicate with each other.
• In ancient times, a person was only exposed to one language, at
best. We have heard of learned people in the past who spoke
several languages, but they were rare and belonged to an
uncommon breed of cosmopolitan scholars.
• However, in the modern world, being at least bilingual has become
an everyday need. We come into contact with people who speak
different languages both face to face and in virtual environments.
As a result of colonization and globalization, some languages have
become the languages of education, commerce and trade. Thus, it is
nearly impossible to remain monolingual in the modern world.
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How Diversity
Challenges
Conventional
Management
Practices?
12
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Managing Diversity?
Managing diversity is maximizing the ability
of all employees to contribute to
organisational goals and to achieve their full
potential unhindered by group identities such
as race, gender, nationality, age and
departmental affiliations.
(Cox, 2010)
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What is Inclusion?
the thread that holds us together
Inclusion involves bringing together and
harnessing diverse forces and resources in a way
that is beneficial. Inclusion puts the concept and
practice of diversity into action by creating an
environment of involvement, respect, and
connection—where the richness of ideas,
backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to
create business value and overall success.
(University of Wisconsin)
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What is the difference between
Diversity & Inclusion?
▪ Diversity is simply a representation of many different
types of people (gender, race, ability, religion, etc.)
▪ Diversity often focuses on the differences and is referred
to as “the mix.”
▪ Inclusion is the deliberate act of welcoming diversity and
creating an environment where all different kinds of
people can thrive and succeed.
▪ Inclusion is the act of "making the mix work."
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What is the difference between
Diversity & Inclusion? (Contd.)
▪ Diversity is what you have. Inclusion is what you
do.
▪ Simply having a diverse group, team, workforce,
classroom, etc., is not enough.
▪ Everyone should feel safe and encouraged to fully
participate and share and be on equal footing as
everyone else.
(University of Wisconsin)
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Obstacles for Managing Diversity
▪ Prejudice
▪ Discrimination
▪ Stereotyping
▪ Ethnocentrism
▪ Lack of understanding about diversity and
inclusion – Perceiving diversity and inclusion as a
challenge but not as a strength
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How to Overcome the Obstacles
Developing awareness (mind-set change)
about the strengths/advantages of
appreciating diversity and accommodating
for inclusion
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Appreciating Diversity and Practicing
Inclusion – PUMA Brand Ambassador for
Body Wear and Swim Wear
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15 May 2024 20
Appreciating Diversity and Practicing Inclusion –
PUMA Brand Ambassador for Body Wear and Swim
Wear
Winnie Harlow
“I hope I am helping to open the door a little further
for someone else to get through. My mentors have
done that for me and it’s my ambition to do the same
for others as I grow in my career. I want to continue to
help champion confidence, inclusivity and
acceptance”
- Winnie Harlow -
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A Sri Lankan Example;
Breaking the Stereotypes
Sources:https://www.facebook.com/barefootceylon/photos/a.206273828400/10159069351903401/
https://www.facebook.com/barefootceylon/photos/a.206273828400/10158855509713401/
https://www.facebook.com/barefootceylon/photos/a.10152437022108401/10158613194753401/
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Questions
and
Discussion
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