Diversity and Inclusion at Work
Lecture 1: Basic Concepts
Hays-Thomas, R. (2016). Managing workplace diversity and inclusion: A
psychological perspective. Taylor & Francis. https://www.taylorfrancis.c
om/books/e/97802031270 49 (excluding chapter 5, 6, 7)
Diversity
- D&I → Diversity and Inclusion
- Diversity = “differences among people that are likely to affect
their acceptance, performance, satisfaction, or progress in an
organization.” – (Hays-Thomas, 2004, p.12)
- Term became popular in 1980s
o Hiring people from underrepresented groups is not
sufficient to maintain diversity
o It is a process to have people of difference accepted and
equally productive/rewarded at work → inclusion
- Narrow: changes in demographic characteristics of the labor force and work
organizations, like race, ethnicity, sex.
- Reasons:
o Historical power differences (protected categories)
Membership of a certain groups entitles to legal protection against
illegal discriminations
o Surface diversity = differences among people in observable
characteristics
o Ascribed status = social position assigned at birth (no control)
- Broad: education levels, geographic background, language, value system,
and other attributes
- Reasons:
o Including broad basis for stereotyping
Differences can cause problems in communication and
interaction
o Beneficial for everyone
o Categories → socially constructed → what is different is mostly
context-related from social interaction
- Argument against → not all kinds of differences are equally important
Diversity management
, - Early approach → Representational diversity = people who are different from current
employees
- Managing diversity = how organizations design processes and structures to make
these differences into assets and sources of strength rather than liabilities
- Diversity management = planned and systematic programs and procedures designed
to
a) Improve interaction among diverse people
b) Create a source of innovation and increased effectiveness
- Recently → inclusion (involvement)
- “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna
Myers
- “Diversity is going to a party; Inclusion is being a member of the party-planning
committee.” – Daniel Juday
Why is Diversity important?
- E.g. Black Lives Matter, Zwarte piet
- Diversiteit in Tilburg University: (international) students, staff,
- Initial job analysis and design stage
o Small organizations → done ad hoc, using common sense
o Larger organizations → job analysis
Produces essential functions, and KSAs required for a job
- Diversity and inclusion are success factors for increasing the academic quality of
teams.
- Selection stage
o Actively trying to diversify its pool
o Some cognitive ability test scores are affected by things that are not
associated with job performance (like test-taking skill)
This can lead to elimination of racial minorities in hiring pools
o Applicant pool is more diverse → need some adjustments
- Training and socialization
o Socialization = process of learning culture, norms and patterns of work
behaviors and usually applies to informal experiences
E.g. mentoring programs, written materials
o Different cultures may handle things differently.
E.g. in Chinese culture, there is a higher power distance in which a
employee doesn’t want to show his real emotions to his superior in
order not to upset him (Power distance/display rules)
This doesn’t mean that deaths aren’t considered sad events.
Understanding and grasping the effects of different cultures ensure
better synergy.
Existing systems need to be adapted to diverse backgrounds/abilities
o Performance appraisals
Evaluation of work performance
, Employees of difference may not recognize the importance of aspects
of work performance that are typically understood by organization’s
members → unclear expectations
o Job evaluation and compensation
Job evaluation = system for assigning worth to jobs
Hierarchy of importance aspects of jobs is distorted by occupational
segregation = unequal distribution of workers across different jobs
based on demographic characteristics
o Access to and success with group work and leadership
Differences can either lead to:
More effective work and better product → different areas of
expertise
Different goals or expectations → Communication problems or
conflicts
o Organizational development
Why is diversity important now?
- Legal context → employers could be sued for discrimination
- Globalization and more service work → need for diversity
- More technology → people increasingly connected, contextual cues reduced
- More focus on teams and new ways to team up
- Short term contracts, less stable employment
The Business Case for Diversity
- Good diversity management = increased profitability
- Cox’s argument:
o Marketing is more effective in understanding customer base
o Resource acquisition → minority talent will be more likely to like the company
o Better problem solving → diversity of ideas, wider range of information and
better critical analysis
o More creativity and innovation
o Greater system flexibility → adapts easily to external conditions
- Cost effective → lower turnover, less harassment, fewer lawsuits, etc.
o Lower absenteeism and turnover
o Reduced barriers to communication
o More efficient and effective communications
o Reduced harassments
o Fewer lawsuits
- Similar term → value-in-diversity
- Empirical evidence → often archival, descriptive, complex systems
- Litvin (2006): focus less on finance and more on happiness and well-being
Bendick, Egan & Lanier, 2010
, - Diversity (representation) without inclusion
- Supermarket chain
o Recruited African Americans (entry level management)
o Assigned managers to minority neighborhoods
o Results: not matched to customers in other aspects (SES, income, etc) →
reduced effectiveness
o Career killer stores
- Law suit
Lecture 2: Conceptualizing and Assessing
Diversity
Models
- Models are simplified full ideas (=/= theories)
- Culinary Models → puzzle of diversity
o Roosevelt Thomas’s jellybean model (right)
Someone concerned with diversity will consider not only the new and
different persons, but the entire social system
The mixture itself is diverse
o Salad/stew/soup, tomato sauce model
Salad → components, though better in combination, retain their own
individuality
Stew/soup → is everything cooked together, is affected by the
presence of others.
Tomato sauce → ingredients blend into a homogeneous substance
- Note: melting pot → new people are absorbed in the sauce
- Simple
o Consider the desired end state
o The process and direction in which change occurs
o Whether the organizational types seem to be stages
R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. – three strategies
(1991)
1. Affirmative action (AA)
o Women and ethnic minorities are
excluded due to prejudice
o Laws and new social norms are
needed to make change
o Color-blind approach (passive
scenario)
Lecture 1: Basic Concepts
Hays-Thomas, R. (2016). Managing workplace diversity and inclusion: A
psychological perspective. Taylor & Francis. https://www.taylorfrancis.c
om/books/e/97802031270 49 (excluding chapter 5, 6, 7)
Diversity
- D&I → Diversity and Inclusion
- Diversity = “differences among people that are likely to affect
their acceptance, performance, satisfaction, or progress in an
organization.” – (Hays-Thomas, 2004, p.12)
- Term became popular in 1980s
o Hiring people from underrepresented groups is not
sufficient to maintain diversity
o It is a process to have people of difference accepted and
equally productive/rewarded at work → inclusion
- Narrow: changes in demographic characteristics of the labor force and work
organizations, like race, ethnicity, sex.
- Reasons:
o Historical power differences (protected categories)
Membership of a certain groups entitles to legal protection against
illegal discriminations
o Surface diversity = differences among people in observable
characteristics
o Ascribed status = social position assigned at birth (no control)
- Broad: education levels, geographic background, language, value system,
and other attributes
- Reasons:
o Including broad basis for stereotyping
Differences can cause problems in communication and
interaction
o Beneficial for everyone
o Categories → socially constructed → what is different is mostly
context-related from social interaction
- Argument against → not all kinds of differences are equally important
Diversity management
, - Early approach → Representational diversity = people who are different from current
employees
- Managing diversity = how organizations design processes and structures to make
these differences into assets and sources of strength rather than liabilities
- Diversity management = planned and systematic programs and procedures designed
to
a) Improve interaction among diverse people
b) Create a source of innovation and increased effectiveness
- Recently → inclusion (involvement)
- “Diversity is being invited to the party; Inclusion is being asked to dance.” – Verna
Myers
- “Diversity is going to a party; Inclusion is being a member of the party-planning
committee.” – Daniel Juday
Why is Diversity important?
- E.g. Black Lives Matter, Zwarte piet
- Diversiteit in Tilburg University: (international) students, staff,
- Initial job analysis and design stage
o Small organizations → done ad hoc, using common sense
o Larger organizations → job analysis
Produces essential functions, and KSAs required for a job
- Diversity and inclusion are success factors for increasing the academic quality of
teams.
- Selection stage
o Actively trying to diversify its pool
o Some cognitive ability test scores are affected by things that are not
associated with job performance (like test-taking skill)
This can lead to elimination of racial minorities in hiring pools
o Applicant pool is more diverse → need some adjustments
- Training and socialization
o Socialization = process of learning culture, norms and patterns of work
behaviors and usually applies to informal experiences
E.g. mentoring programs, written materials
o Different cultures may handle things differently.
E.g. in Chinese culture, there is a higher power distance in which a
employee doesn’t want to show his real emotions to his superior in
order not to upset him (Power distance/display rules)
This doesn’t mean that deaths aren’t considered sad events.
Understanding and grasping the effects of different cultures ensure
better synergy.
Existing systems need to be adapted to diverse backgrounds/abilities
o Performance appraisals
Evaluation of work performance
, Employees of difference may not recognize the importance of aspects
of work performance that are typically understood by organization’s
members → unclear expectations
o Job evaluation and compensation
Job evaluation = system for assigning worth to jobs
Hierarchy of importance aspects of jobs is distorted by occupational
segregation = unequal distribution of workers across different jobs
based on demographic characteristics
o Access to and success with group work and leadership
Differences can either lead to:
More effective work and better product → different areas of
expertise
Different goals or expectations → Communication problems or
conflicts
o Organizational development
Why is diversity important now?
- Legal context → employers could be sued for discrimination
- Globalization and more service work → need for diversity
- More technology → people increasingly connected, contextual cues reduced
- More focus on teams and new ways to team up
- Short term contracts, less stable employment
The Business Case for Diversity
- Good diversity management = increased profitability
- Cox’s argument:
o Marketing is more effective in understanding customer base
o Resource acquisition → minority talent will be more likely to like the company
o Better problem solving → diversity of ideas, wider range of information and
better critical analysis
o More creativity and innovation
o Greater system flexibility → adapts easily to external conditions
- Cost effective → lower turnover, less harassment, fewer lawsuits, etc.
o Lower absenteeism and turnover
o Reduced barriers to communication
o More efficient and effective communications
o Reduced harassments
o Fewer lawsuits
- Similar term → value-in-diversity
- Empirical evidence → often archival, descriptive, complex systems
- Litvin (2006): focus less on finance and more on happiness and well-being
Bendick, Egan & Lanier, 2010
, - Diversity (representation) without inclusion
- Supermarket chain
o Recruited African Americans (entry level management)
o Assigned managers to minority neighborhoods
o Results: not matched to customers in other aspects (SES, income, etc) →
reduced effectiveness
o Career killer stores
- Law suit
Lecture 2: Conceptualizing and Assessing
Diversity
Models
- Models are simplified full ideas (=/= theories)
- Culinary Models → puzzle of diversity
o Roosevelt Thomas’s jellybean model (right)
Someone concerned with diversity will consider not only the new and
different persons, but the entire social system
The mixture itself is diverse
o Salad/stew/soup, tomato sauce model
Salad → components, though better in combination, retain their own
individuality
Stew/soup → is everything cooked together, is affected by the
presence of others.
Tomato sauce → ingredients blend into a homogeneous substance
- Note: melting pot → new people are absorbed in the sauce
- Simple
o Consider the desired end state
o The process and direction in which change occurs
o Whether the organizational types seem to be stages
R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. – three strategies
(1991)
1. Affirmative action (AA)
o Women and ethnic minorities are
excluded due to prejudice
o Laws and new social norms are
needed to make change
o Color-blind approach (passive
scenario)
