OB

1. Diversity in Organization
Subject : Organizational Behavior
Group Presentation
Presented To : Professor Yun Bella

2. Presented By
Name : Student ID:
Shama Urooj I202122067
Azhar Iqbal I202122030
Muhammad Kashif I202122039
Ali Gulzar I202121009
Saad Mazhar I202121061
Fandi Kharishma I202122004

3. Contents of presentation
1. Managing Workforce Diversity
2. Two major forms of workforce diversity
3. Define the key biographical characteristics.

4. Workforce diversity
• Workforce diversity means similarities and differences among employees
in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities and
disabilities, race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. No two
humans are alike.
• A diverse workplace is an important asset, since it acknowledges the
individual strengths of each employee and the potential they bring.

5. Two major forms of workforce diversity
Diversity Management
Surface level diversity Deep level diversity

6. Surface level and deep level diversity
• 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

7. Biological characteristics and how are they
relevant to OB
• Age
Belief is wide spread that job performance declines with increasing age.
The workforce is aging .
• Gender
Few issues initiate more debates , misconceptions and unsupported opinions that whether
women perform as well on jobs as men do.
Psychological studies have found that women are more agreeable and willing to confirm to
authority ,whereas men are more aggressive and more likely to have expectations of success ,
but those differences are minor.

8. Biological characteristics and how are they
relevant to ob
• Race and ethnicity
• Employees tend to favor colleagues for their own race in performance evaluations ,
promotion decisions , pay raises .
• Different attitudes on affirmative action or quota filling can affect the performance
of minority groups in the organization.
• Disability
• A person is disabled who has any physical or mental impairment
• Strong biases exist against those with mental impairment .

9. Biological characteristics and how are they
relevant to OB
• Tenure
• The issue of the impact of job seniority on job performance has been
subject to misconceptions and speculations
• Religion
• Although employees are protected by federal law regarding their religion in
some countries ,it is still an issue in the workplace .

10. Biological characteristics and how are they
relevant to OB
• Sexual orientation
Federal law doesn’t protect employees against discrimination based on sexual
orientation .
Gender identity
Often referred to as transgender employees, this topic encompasses those
individuals who change genders.

11. Azhar part

12. Biographical Characteristics
Biographical Characteristics include:
• Age
• Sex
• Race and Ethnicity
• Disability
• Length of Service

13. Age
The relationship between age and performance is important because:
• The workforce is aging which may cause declining in job performance
• Mandatory retirement is outlawed as most U.S. workers today no longer
have to retire at age 70.

14. Sex
Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions, and unsupported opinions than
whether women perform as well on the job as men?
• Women in male domains are perceived as less likeable, more hostile, and less
desirable as supervisors
• Women are likely to be assigned challenging positions
• Women often earn less than men in the same position
• Women face maternal wall bias

15. Race and Ethnicity
Race is the biological heritage people use to identify themselves and ethnicity is the additional set of cultural characteristics that
often overlaps with race. Race is a controversial issue and Most people in the United States identify themselves according to racial
group.
The US Census Bureau
• Recognizes 7 racial groups (American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, White, and Two or More Races)
• Distinguishes between native English Speakers and Hispanics
Research shows that
• Individual slightly favor colleagues of their own race in performance evaluations, promotion decisions, and pay raises
• Racial and ethnic minorities report higher levels of discrimination in the workplace
• African Americans tend to fare worse than Whites in employment decisions
• Some industries are less racially diverse than others

16. Disability
• Americans with Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable
accommodations for people with physical or mental disabilities
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission classifies a person as disabled
who has any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or
more major life activities. Examples include missing limbs, seizure disorder,
Down Syndrome, deafness, schizophrenia, alcoholism, diabetes, and chronic
back pain

17. Other Biographical Characteristics
• Tenure
• Religion
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity

18. Ability
An individual's current capacity to perform the various tasks in a job is known as ability.
• Intellectual Abilities: The capacity to do mental activities—thinking, reasoning, and
problem solving.
• General Mental Ability: General factor of intelligence
• Physical Abilities: The capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity, strength,
and similar characteristics.

19. Intellectual Ability
• Number Aptitude:To do speedy and accurate arithmetic
• Verbal Comprehension: Ability to understand what is read or heard and the relationship of words
to each other
• Perceptual Speed: Ability to identify visual similarities and differences quickly and accurately
• Inductive reasoning: Ability to identify a logical sequence in a problem and then solve the problem
• Deductive reasoning: Ability to use logic and assess the implications for an argument
• Spatial Visualization: Ability to imagine how an object would look if its position in space were
changed
• Memory: Ability to retain and recall past experiences

20. Physical Ability
Strength Factors
• Dynamic Strength: Ability to exert muscular force repeatedly or continuously over time
• Trunk Strength: Ability to exert muscular strength using the trunk (particularly abdominal) muscles
• Static Strength: Ability to exert force against external objects
• Explosive Strength: Ability to expand a maximum of energy in one or a series of explosive acts
Flexibility Factors
• Extent Flexibility: Ability to move the trunk and back muscles as far as possible
• Dynamic Flexibility: Ability to make rapid, repeated flexing movements

21. • Other Factors
Body Coordination: Ability to coordinate the simultaneous actions of different
parts of the body.
Balance: ability to maintain equilibrium despite forces pulling off balance.
Stamina: Ability to continue maximum effort requiring prolonged effort over time.

22. Kashif

23. Diversity theories
Cognitive Diversity
• Cognitive diversity means including a variety of people with different
thought patterns, ideas, problem-solving methods and mental
perspectives.
• The cognitive diversity hypothesis suggests that multiple perspectives
stemming from the cultural differences between group or
organizational members result in creative problem solving and
innovation.

24. Similarity-Attraction Paradigm
• Individuals have an inherent tendency to be attracted to others who share
similar and salient characteristics.
• The similarity-attraction phenomenon may explain some of the
potentially unfair treatment based on demographic traits. If a hiring manager
chooses someone who is racially similar over a more qualified candidate from
a different race, the decision will be ineffective and unfair.

25. Social Cognitive Theory
• The theory suggests that humans learn behaviors by observing others and choosing
which behaviors to imitate.
• It focuses on some of the cognitive processes that employees engage in when they
are learning.
• Learning from others is known as vicarious learning.
• Social cognitive theory occurs when individuals display self-control.
• self-efficacy is “a person’s belief about their ability to successfully perform a certain
behavior.”

26. Social Identity Theory
• Social identity theory, social behaviour is determined by the character and
motivations of the person as an individual (interpersonal behaviour) as well
as by the person's group membership (i.e., intergroup behaviour).
• CSR describes “context-specific organizational actions and policies that take into
account stakeholders’ expectations and the triple bottom line of economic, social,
and environmental performance”
• The basic principles of underlying social identity theory are (self-) categorizing
processes.

27. Schema theory
• schema theory states that all knowledge is organized into units. Within
these units of knowledge, or schemata, is stored information.
• Schema theory explains how individuals encode information about others
based on their demographic characteristics.
• Based on schema theory, employees develop schemas about coworkers based
on race, gender, and other diversity traits.

28. Justification-Suppression Model
• Justification-Suppression Model (JSM), which characterizes the
processes that lead to prejudice expression and the experience of
one's own prejudice.
• The justification-suppression model explains the circumstances in which
prejudiced people might act on their prejudices.

29. Implementing Diversity Management
strategies
• Diversity Management:
Makes everyone more aware of and sensitive to the needs and difference of
others.
• A diversity strategy allows you to make your business more open and
welcoming to all
• Building diversity into the hiring process is an important component of
a strategic management plan.

30. Attracting, selecting, Developing and
retaining diverse employee
• Target underrepresented groups
• Ensure the hiring and promotion is bias free.
• Develop a positive diversity climate
• Workers prefer organization that value diversity

31. Diversity in group
• Diversity can both help and hurt team performance
• Leverage difference for superior performance
• Transformational leaders are more effective in managing diverse team

32. Ali gulzar

33. Stereotypes and how they function in
organizational settings
• “Discrimination” is to note a difference between things
• Unfair discrimination is assuming stereotypes about grouped and refusing to
recognize differences

34. Managing Workplace Diversity:
Issues and Challenges
Harold Andrew Patrick and Vincent Raj Kumar
• This study examines the potential barriers to workplace diversity and suggests
strategies to enhance workplace diversity and inclusiveness. Diversity management
intends to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities
and differences of individuals are valued, so that all can reach their potential and
maximize their contributions to an organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
• set of conscious practices that involve understanding and appreciating
interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment; practicing
mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own;
understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of
knowing and building alliances across differences so that we can work together to
eradicate all forms of discrimination.

35. Literature review
• There is a strong empirical confirmation that successful diversity management and a
resulting improvement in organizational performance are positively correlated
(Ozbilgin and Tatli, 2008).
• Empirical research supports the notion that diversity management can have a
positive spillover effect in the workplace. (Gilbert, Stead, and Ivancevich (1999)
• The creativity of homogeneous teams on a series of attitude measures was
compared against heterogeneous attitudes teams. Problem solution creativity was
judged on originality and practicality. Results indicated that as long as the team
members had similar ability levels, heterogeneous teams were more creative than the
homogeneous ones (Cox & Blake, 1991).

36. Objectives of the Study
i. To map the attitudes to workplace diversity in the IT context
ii. To find the most important strategies adopted to enhance workplace
diversity
iii. To identify most frequently encountered barriers for accepting workplace
diversity
iv. To identify strategies to increase inclusiveness
v. To find out ways to increase awareness about workplace diversity

37. Methodology
Sample
• The sample was drawn from the top 15 IT companies in India using
convenience sampling and 350 employees were selected and the final sample
size for the study was 300 (an effective response rate of 85.71%. The
questionnaires were administered to employees with 2 years’ experience in
that organization to ensure their awareness about diversity practices in their
organizations.

38. Questionnaire-six sections:
Section I Information regarding the respondent profile, particularly gender and age group.
section II Information pertaining to employees’ attitude toward workplace diversity; respondents were
classified as
1. diversity optimists 2.diversity realists 3.diversity pessimists
Section iii- Items pertaining to strategies for enhancing workplace diversity, using a ranking scale
• Improving corporate culture by unleashing creativity and performance
• Giving new employees an opportunity to work in an area where they can expect to advance
• Improving relationship with clients
• Increasing employee morale, productivity, and retention
• Decreasing employee complaints and litigation

39. Questionnaire-six sections:
Section iv-Items pertaining to barriers for accepting workplace diversity, using a ranking scale:
1. Prejudice 2.Ethnocentrism 3. Stereotypes
4. Blaming the victim 5. Discrimination 6. Harassment
7. backlash
Section v- Items pertaining to strategies to increase awareness about workplace diversity,
 By reducing prejudices and use of stereotypes
 By minimizing miscommunication with diverse others
 By building relationships with diverse others
Section vi- Items pertaining to strategies to increase inclusiveness,
 Individual strategies to increase inclusiveness
 Organizational strategies to increase inclusiveness

40. Saad mazhar part from this slide Missed

41. Fandi part 3 slides

42. Limitations of the Study & future Research
1. Increasing the sample among organizations, may be a truly representative the
population , and the results of the study be generalized .
2. several prospects for further research. There is vast scope for further study of the
factors affecting workplace diversity in IT organizations, as well as other industries,
such as manufacturing and service industries
3. There is also a vast scope for studies of perceptions of workplace diversity in
different ethnic groups, religion-based groups, and marginalized group

43. Conclusion
ORGANIZATIONS WITH DIVERSE EMPLOYEES ARE BETTER SUITED TO SERVE
DIVERSE EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS IN AN INCREASINGLY GLOBAL MARKET.
DISCRIMINATION WAS THE MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED BARRIER FOR
ACCEPTING WORKPLACE DIVERSITY, FOLLOWED BY PREJUDICE AND
ETHNOCENTRISM.
ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD TAKE MEASURES TO MANAGE DIVERSITY TO
HARNESS AND LEVERAGE THE POTENTIAL OF EMPLOYEES FOR COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE

44. Conclusion
How To Deal With
Diversity in
Organizations ?? Policies to improve the climate for diversity can be
effective, so long as they are designed to acknowledge all
employees’ perspectives. One-shot diversity training
sessions are less likely to be effective than comprehensive
programs that address the climate for diversity at multiple
levels.
Diversity management must be an ongoing commitment
that crosses all levels of the organization. Group
management, recruiting, hiring, retention, and development
practices can all be designed to leverage diversity for the
organization’s competitive advantage.

45. Questions are welcomed…?