Diversity and biological characteristics in organizational behavior.

2. • Effective diversity management increases an
organization’s access to widest possible pool of
skills, abilities and ideas.
• Surface Level Diversity:
Differences in easily perceived characteristics, such as gender, race,
ethnicity, age, or disability, that do not necessarily reflect the
ways people think or feel but that may activate certain
stereotypes.
• Deep Level Diversity:
Difference in values, personality, and work preferences that become
progressively more important for determining similarity as
people get to know one another better.
Diversity
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4. • Noting of differences between things; often we
refer to unfair discrimination, which means
making judgments about individuals based on
stereotypes regarding their demographic group.
• Discriminatory policies or practices
• Intimidation
• Mockery & insults
• Exclusion
• Incivility
• Harassments
Discrimination
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6. Objective and easily obtained personal
characteristics.
•Age
– Older workers bring experience, judgment, a strong work
ethic, and commitment to quality.
•Gender
– Few differences between men and women that affect job
performance.
•Race (the biological heritage used to identify
oneself)
– Contentious issue: differences exist, but could be more
culture-based than race-based.
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Biographical Characteristics

7. • Tenure
– People with job tenure (seniority at a job) are more
productive, absent less frequently, have lower turnover, and
are more satisfied.
• Religion
– Islam is especially problematic in the workplace in this post-
9/11 world.
• Sexual Orientation
– Federal law does not protect against discrimination (but state
or local laws may).
– Domestic partner benefits are important considerations.
• Gender Identity
– Relatively new issue – transgendered employees.
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Other Biographical Characteristics

8. • The process and programs by which managers
make everyone more aware of and sensitive
to the needs and differences of others.
• Attracting,
• Selecting,
• Developing and
• Retaining Diverse Employees.
Diversity Management Strategies
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9. • When people work in groups they need to
establish a common way of looking at and
accomplishing the major tasks, and they need to
communicate with one another often.
• Regardless of the composition of group,
differences can be leveraged to achieve superior
performance.
• Groups of diverse individuals will be much more
effective if leaders can show how members have a
common interest in the group’s success.
Diversity in Groups
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10. Some examples

11. • Effective, comprehensive workforce programs
encouraging diversity have three distinct
components:
• First they teach managers about the legal framework
for equal employment opportunity and encourage
fair treatment of all employees.
• Second, they teach managers how a diverse
workforce will be better able to serve a diverse
market of customers and clients.
• Third, they foster personal development practices
that bring out the skills and abilities of all workers.
Effective Diversity Programs
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