Diversity and Inclusion

Workplace management
Levels of diversity
• 1. Surface – level Diversity
• Differences in easily perceived characteristics like – gender, race , ethnicity,
age or disability, that do not necessarily reflect the ways people thin k or
feel but that may activate certain stereotypes
• Surface-level diversity describes the individual differences that are visible
• 2. Deep – level Diversity
• Differences in values, personality, and work preferences that become
progressively more important for determining similarity as people get to
know one another better.
• Opinions, beliefs, and religious affiliations are among them. They're related
to hidden diversity in that they're difficult to spot.
Discrimination at workplace
• Workplace discrimination is unfair or unequal treatment meted out
to a person or a group on certain grounds at the workplace.
• Discrimination happens when you are treated less favorably than
others because of a personal attribute about you rather than your
ability to do the job.
• These grounds or characteristics include (but are not limited to) sex,
gender, identity, age, disability, religious beliefs, ethnicity, race, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDgLQN2bdtw&t=2s
Forms of Discrimination
It is unlawful to discriminate against someone
due to their protected attributes:
 Race, colour, national extraction or social
origin
 Sex, gender identity or sexual orientation
 Age
 Physical, intellectual, mental or psychiatric
disability
 Pregnancy or potential pregnancy
 Marital status, relationship status and
family or carer’s responsibilities
 Religion
 Political opinion
 Trade union activity
 Examples of discrimination occurring in the workplace can
include:
 Job refusal
 Being dismissed or having shifts cut down
 Denial of training opportunities, transfers and promotions
 Not being paid the same as someone doing the same job with the
same experience and qualifications
 Exclusion or isolation by co-workers
 Having information you need to do your job deliberately withheld
 Being given impossible tasks
 Being subjected to taunts or abuse that references the protected
attribute
Diversity Management
• Diversity management is an organizational process used to promote
diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This process involves
implementing policies and strategies in hiring, management, training, and
more. The goals of diversity management are to promote fairness and
equality and leverage the advantages diverse organizations offer.
• Here are some of the key statistical takeaways, as per a study conducted
by Glassdoor:
 Ethnically diverse and inclusive companies are 33% more successful
 1.7 times more likely to become innovation leaders in their field
 Have better odds of attracting top talent, as 67% of job seekers care about
diversity and inclusion
 Implementing Diversity Management
Strategies
• 1. Attracting, selecting, developing and retaining Diverse Employee (Robbins ed 18)
• Diversity in groups
• Expatriate Adjustment
• Effective Diversity programs – Affirmative Action
• 2. Compelling Communication
• HR management must prioritize communication, consider feedback, and make use of the
data to foster diversity and positivity in the work environment.
• Ensure that the employee is aware of the procedures, policies, security standards, and
other relevant information.
• Focus on overcoming linguistic and cultural obstacles.
• 3. Leadership
• top leadership adopts a common aim, as the creation of policies falls under the purview of
the organization’s leaders.
 HOW TO MANAGE DIVERSITY IN
THE WORKPLACE?
• 1. PRIORITIZE COMMUNICATION
• 2. TREAT EACH EMPLOYEE AS AN INDIVIDUAL
• 3. ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN DIVERSE GROUPS
• 4. BE OPEN-MINDED
• 5. HIRE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE
• 6. ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY
• 7. SENSITIVITY TRAINING
• 8. STAY ABREAST OF DIVERSITY LAWS
Affirmative Action
• Affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination
Affirmative Action
• Affirmative action describes as a set of policies and practices adopted by
the government through society to include particular groups based on
their caste, creed, gender, etc.
• The main purpose of the introduction of affirmative action is to remove
inequalities existing in society because of the caste system; bridge
inequalities in employment faced by the disadvantaged group; access to
education for all, and redress the issues of apparent past injustices and
hindrances.
• Affirmative action works as a grievance redressal mechanism specially
designed for disadvantaged groups and calls for rectification.
• For example, India use quota systems in the form of reservation policies by
reserving seats for underrepresented categories of citizens in public
employment, educational institutions, and legislative bodies
 Benefits of Affirmative Action
• An obvious benefit of affirmative action is the opportunities it
provides to people who otherwise might not have them. These
opportunities include access to education for students who may be
disadvantaged and career advancement for employees who may be
blocked from rising up the corporate ladder.
• Proponents of affirmative action say that the effort must continue
because of the low percentages of diversity in positions of authority
and in the media, as well as limited acknowledgment of the
achievements of marginalized or unrepresented groups.
 Disadvantages of Affirmative Action
• Opponents of affirmative action frequently call these efforts a
collective failure. They cite as evidence the tiny changes to the status
quo after decades of effort. The cost of such programs, coupled with
a belief that affirmative action forces the populace to make
unwarranted accommodations, drives a significant part of the
opposition.
• Certain individuals believe that there is little or no bias in society.
They argue that affirmative action results in reverse discrimination,
which can often lead to qualified candidates being overlooked in
academics and the workplace in favor of less qualified candidates
who meet policy standards.
 Need for Affirmative Actions
• 1. Affirmative action ensures that there is no deviation
of a general principle of natural justice which enable
equal opportunity for al
• 2. Affirmative action promotes social mobility in the
society by reserving the seats for low-income groups in
educational as well as public employment
• 3. Affirmative action combats the effects of
discrimination by allowing educational institutions, the
public sector and legislative assemblies to represent the
underrepresented groups adequately
Examples at workplace – Indian Perspective
• Reservations: Setting aside a percentage of positions for underrepresented
groups, such as Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other
Backward Classes (OBC)
• Targeted hiring: Creating job postings that appeal to a diverse range of
candidates
• Flexible working arrangements: Offering accommodations for people with
disabilities or caregiving responsibilities
• Employee development: Providing training programs to help
underrepresented groups
• Outreach efforts: Reaching out to communities to promote diversity and
inclusion
• Financial assistance: Providing grants, scholarships, and other support to
help people access higher education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pcm00E-DEM – Video learning
 What Are The Challenges In Managing Diversity
At Work?
• 1. Team-internal conflicts
• 2. Cooperation conflicts
• 3. The tokenism problem
 Class Discussion

•1. Does Affirmative Action’s Achieve Its

•2. Managing Diversity is Different from