This OpenStax ancillary resource is © Rice University under a CC BY 4.0 International license; it may be reproduced or modified but
must be attributed to OpenStax, Rice University and any changes must be noted.
CHAPTER FIVE
Diversity in Organizations
CHAPTER SUMMARY
This chapter includes a discussion on diversity in the workplace. Specifically, the chapter
presents information on changing demographics in the workplace as well as benefits
and challenges of diversity.
Managing diversity commonly refers to ways in which organizations seek to ensure that
members of diverse groups are valued and treated fairly within organizations in all areas
including hiring, compensation, performance evaluation, and customer service activities.
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee or an applicant is treated unfairly at
work or in the job-hiring process due to an identity group, condition, or personal
characteristic such as age, race, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or pregnancy
status. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces laws and legislation
related to individuals with those protected statuses.
Organizations that are committed to equality and inclusion must take steps to combat
discrimination and harassment. Recommendations are provided to ensure organizations
value applicants, employees, and customers from all backgrounds. By approaching
diversity in a thoughtful, purposeful way, managers can mitigate the challenges posed
by a diverse workforce and enhance the benefits a diverse workforce can offer.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
12.1 An Introduction to Workplace Diversity
1. What is diversity?
Diversity refers to identity-based differences among and between people that
affect their lives as applicants, employees, and customers. Surface-level diversity
represents characteristics of individuals that are readily visible, including, but not
limited to, age, body size, visible disabilities, race, or sex. Deep-level diversity
includes traits that are non-observable such as attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Finally, hidden diversity includes traits that are deep-level but may be concealed
or revealed at the discretion of individuals who possess them.
, Organizational Behavior
12.2 Diversity and the Workforce
2. How diverse is the workforce?
In analyzing the diversity of the workforce, several measures can be used.
Demographic measures such as gender and race can be used to measure group
sizes. Measures of such things as discrimination toward specific groups can be
analyzed to gauge the diversity of the workforce. Other measures of diversity in
the workforce can include examination of differences in age and sexual
orientation.
12.3 Diversity and Its Impact on Companies
3. How does diversity impact companies and the workforce?
The demography of the labor force is changing in many ways as it becomes
racially diverse and older and includes more women and individuals with
disabilities. Diversity affects how organizations understand that employing
people who hold multiple perspectives increases the need to mitigate conflict
between workers from different identity groups, enhances creativity and
problem solving in teams, and serves as a resource to create a competitive
advantage for the organization.
12.4 Challenges of Diversity
4. What is workplace discrimination, and how does it affect different social identity
groups?
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee or an applicant is treated
unfairly at work or in the job-hiring process due to an identity group, condition,
or personal characteristic such as age, race, national origin, sex, disability,
religion, or pregnancy status. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
enforces laws and legislation related to individuals with those protected
statuses.
Harassment is any unwelcome conduct that is based on the protected
characteristics listed above. Sexual harassment refers specifically to harassment
based on a person’s sex, and it can (but does not have to) include unwanted
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or physical and verbal acts of a
sexual nature.
12.5 Key Diversity Theories
5. What key theories help managers understand the benefits and challenges of
managing the diverse workforce?
The cognitive-diversity hypothesis suggests that multiple perspectives stemming
from the cultural differences between groups or organizational members result
May 12, 2019 2
must be attributed to OpenStax, Rice University and any changes must be noted.
CHAPTER FIVE
Diversity in Organizations
CHAPTER SUMMARY
This chapter includes a discussion on diversity in the workplace. Specifically, the chapter
presents information on changing demographics in the workplace as well as benefits
and challenges of diversity.
Managing diversity commonly refers to ways in which organizations seek to ensure that
members of diverse groups are valued and treated fairly within organizations in all areas
including hiring, compensation, performance evaluation, and customer service activities.
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee or an applicant is treated unfairly at
work or in the job-hiring process due to an identity group, condition, or personal
characteristic such as age, race, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or pregnancy
status. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces laws and legislation
related to individuals with those protected statuses.
Organizations that are committed to equality and inclusion must take steps to combat
discrimination and harassment. Recommendations are provided to ensure organizations
value applicants, employees, and customers from all backgrounds. By approaching
diversity in a thoughtful, purposeful way, managers can mitigate the challenges posed
by a diverse workforce and enhance the benefits a diverse workforce can offer.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
12.1 An Introduction to Workplace Diversity
1. What is diversity?
Diversity refers to identity-based differences among and between people that
affect their lives as applicants, employees, and customers. Surface-level diversity
represents characteristics of individuals that are readily visible, including, but not
limited to, age, body size, visible disabilities, race, or sex. Deep-level diversity
includes traits that are non-observable such as attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Finally, hidden diversity includes traits that are deep-level but may be concealed
or revealed at the discretion of individuals who possess them.
, Organizational Behavior
12.2 Diversity and the Workforce
2. How diverse is the workforce?
In analyzing the diversity of the workforce, several measures can be used.
Demographic measures such as gender and race can be used to measure group
sizes. Measures of such things as discrimination toward specific groups can be
analyzed to gauge the diversity of the workforce. Other measures of diversity in
the workforce can include examination of differences in age and sexual
orientation.
12.3 Diversity and Its Impact on Companies
3. How does diversity impact companies and the workforce?
The demography of the labor force is changing in many ways as it becomes
racially diverse and older and includes more women and individuals with
disabilities. Diversity affects how organizations understand that employing
people who hold multiple perspectives increases the need to mitigate conflict
between workers from different identity groups, enhances creativity and
problem solving in teams, and serves as a resource to create a competitive
advantage for the organization.
12.4 Challenges of Diversity
4. What is workplace discrimination, and how does it affect different social identity
groups?
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employee or an applicant is treated
unfairly at work or in the job-hiring process due to an identity group, condition,
or personal characteristic such as age, race, national origin, sex, disability,
religion, or pregnancy status. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
enforces laws and legislation related to individuals with those protected
statuses.
Harassment is any unwelcome conduct that is based on the protected
characteristics listed above. Sexual harassment refers specifically to harassment
based on a person’s sex, and it can (but does not have to) include unwanted
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or physical and verbal acts of a
sexual nature.
12.5 Key Diversity Theories
5. What key theories help managers understand the benefits and challenges of
managing the diverse workforce?
The cognitive-diversity hypothesis suggests that multiple perspectives stemming
from the cultural differences between groups or organizational members result
May 12, 2019 2
