Chapter 12

Question 1

Diversity

Answer 1

a variety of demographic, cultural, and personal differences among an organization’s employees and customers
1. It is not an affirmative action
2. Makes good business sense

Question 2

Purpose of affirmative action programs

Answer 2

1. Compensate for past discrimination, which was widespread when legislation was
   introduced in the 1960s
2. Prevent ongoing discrimination
3. Provide equal opportunities to all, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, or national origin

Question 2

Affirmative action

Answer 2

purposeful steps taken by an organization to create employment opportunities for minorities and women

1. Diversity’s focus is broader—demographic, cultural, and personal differences
2. Affirmative action is intentional; diversity can occur without intention
3. Affirmative action is required by law; diversity is no

Question 3

Diversity makes good business sense

Answer 3

• Helping with cost savings by reducing turnover, decreasing
  absenteeism, and avoiding expensive lawsuits
• Attracting and retaining talented workers
• Driving business growth
• Helping companies grow through higher-quality problem solving

Question 4

Surface-level diversity

Answer 4

differences such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and physical disabilities that are observable, typically unchangeable, and easy to measure
* Most people start by using surface-level diversity to categorize or stereotype other people

Question 5

Deep-level diversity

Answer 5

differences such as personality and attitudes that are communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors and are learned only through extended interaction with others

Question 6

Social integration

Answer 6

the degree to which group members are psychologically attracted to working with each other to accomplish a
common objective

Question 7

Age discrimination

Answer 7

treating people differently (for example in hiring and firing, promotion, and compensation decisions) because of their age

• Higher costs: the older people are and the longer they stay with a company, the more the company pays for salaries, pension plans, and vacation time
• Lower costs: older workers show better judgment, care more about the quality of their work, and are less likely to quit, show up late, or be absent, the costs of which can be substantial

Question 8

To combat age discrimination

Answer 8

• Recognize its pervasiveness
• Dispel faulty perceptions
• Provide training

Question 9

Sex discrimination

Answer 9

treating people differently because of their sex

Question 10

Glass ceiling

Answer 10

the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top jobs in organizations
* Studies show when men and women performed their jobs equally well, men received 14 times the rewards in terms of salary, bonuses, and promotions
compared to women

Question 11

Strategies to make sure that women have the same opportunities for development and advancement

Answer 11

• Mentoring or pairing promising female executives with senior executives from whom they can seek advice and support
• Ensuring male-dominated social activities do not unintentionally exclude women

Question 12

Sexual orientation

Answer 12

an individual’s attraction to people of the same and/or different sex

Question 13

Sexual orientation discrimination

Answer 13

treating people differently because
of their sexual orientation

Question 14

Transgender person

Answer 14

someone whose personal and gender identity differ from the person’s birth sex—for example, someone born female who identifies as male

Question 15

Gender identity discrimination

Answer 15

treating people differently because of their gender identity
* A US Supreme Court decision in 2020 expanded workplace protections for sexual
orientation and gender identity to all 50 states

Question 16

Racial and ethnic discrimination

Answer 16

treating people differently
because of their race or ethnicity

*While progress has been made in terms of racial and ethnic workplace
discrimination, many studies provide strong direct evidence of continuing racial or ethnic discrimination in the workplace

Question 17

Strategies to make sure that people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds have the same opportunities for development and advancement

Answer 17

• Comparing the hiring rates of whites with the hiring rates for racial and ethnic applicants
• Surveying employees to compare white and nonwhite employees’ job satisfaction
• Considering employing a private firm to test the hiring system
  *Eliminating unclear selection and promotion criteria

Question 18

Disability

Answer 18

a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities

Question 19

Disability discrimination

Answer 19

treating people differently because of their disabilities
* Studies show that as long as companies make reasonable accommodations for
disabilities (e.g., changing procedures or equipment), people with disabilities perform their jobs just as well as people without disabilities

Question 20

Strategies to make sure that people of all ability backgrounds have the same opportunities for development and advancement

Answer 20

• Committing to reasonable workplace accommodations
• Providing workers with assistive technology
• Actively recruiting qualified workers with disabilities

Question 21

Five basic dimensions of personality account for most of the
differences in peoples’ behaviors: attitudes, and emotions:

Answer 21

extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness,
and openness to experience

Question 22

Disposition

Answer 22

the tendency to respond to situations and events in a
predetermined manner

Question 23

Personality

Answer 23

the relatively stable set of behaviors, attitudes, and emotions displayed over time that makes people different from each other

Question 24

Extraversion

Answer 24

the degree to which someone is active, assertive, gregarious, sociable, talkative, and energized by others * Extraversion is related to performance in jobs, such as sales and management, that involve significant interaction with others

Question 25

Emotional stability

Answer 25

the degree to which someone is not angry, depressed, anxious, emotional, insecure, and excitable

Question 26

Agreeableness

Answer 26

the degree to which someone is cooperative, polite, flexible, forgiving, good-natured, tolerant, and trusting

Question 27

Conscientiousness

Answer 27

the degree to which someone is organized, hardworking, responsible, persevering, thorough, and achievement oriented * Conscientiousness is related to job performance across five different occupational groups (professionals, police, managers, salespeople, and skilled or semiskilled workers)

Question 28

Openness to experience

Answer 28

the degree to which someone is curious, broad-minded, and open to new ideas, things, and experiences; is spontaneous; and has a high tolerance for ambiguity

Question 29

Discrimination and fairness paradigm

Answer 29

* Most common method of approaching diversity * Focuses on equal opportunity, fair treatment, recruitment of minorities, and strict compliance with the equal employment opportunity laws * Benefit: generally brings about fairer treatment of employees and increases demographic diversity * Limitation: the focus of diversity remains on the surface-level diversity dimensions of sex, race, and ethnicity

Question 30

Access and legitimacy paradigm

Answer 30

* Focuses on the acceptance and celebration of differences to ensure that the diversity within the company matches the diversity found among primary stakeholders * Benefit: establishes a clear business reason for diversity * Limitation: the focus is only on the surface-level diversity dimensions of sex, race, and ethnicity

Question 31

Learning and effectiveness paradigm

Answer 31

* Focuses on integration of deep-level diversity differences, such as personality, attitudes, beliefs, and values, into the actual work of the organization * Benefits: 1. Common ground is valued 2. Distinction is made between individual and group differences 3. Conflict, backlash, and divisiveness associated with diversity programs are less likely to be encountered 4. Different talents and perspectives are brought together

Question 32

Organizational plurality

Answer 32

a work environment where: (1) all members are empowered to contribute in a way that maximizes the benefits to the organization, customers, and themselves (2) individuality of each member is respected by not segmenting or polarizing people on the basis of their membership in a particular group * Consistent with learning and effectiveness paradigm

Question 33

Diversity Principles

Answer 33

* Carefully and faithfully follow and enforce federal and state laws regarding equal opportunity employment * Treat group differences as important but not special * Find the common ground * Tailor opportunities to individuals, not groups * Maintain high standards * Solicit negative as well as positive feedback * Set high but realistic goals

Question 34

Skills-based diversity training

Answer 34

training that teaches employees the practical skills they need for managing a diverse workforce, such as flexibility and adaptability, negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution * Flexibility and adaptability * Negotiation * Problem solving * Conflict resolution

Question 35

Awareness training

Answer 35

raining that is designed to raise employees’ awareness of diversity issues and to challenge the underlying assumptions or stereotypes they may have about others

Question 36

To better manage diversity, companies also use:

Answer 36

* diversity audits * diversity pairing * minority experiences for top executives

Question 37

Diversity audits

Answer 37

formal assessments that: * measure employee and management attitudes * investigate the extent to which people are advantaged or disadvantaged with respect to hiring and promotions * review companies’ diversity-related policies and procedures

Question 38

Diversity pairing

Answer 38

a mentoring program in which people of different ages, cultural backgrounds, sexes, or races/ethnicities are paired together to: 1. get to know each other 2. change stereotypical beliefs and attitudes

Question 39

What works?

Answer 39

* Diversity training works best as part of an overall approach to diversity in which companies conduct skills and awareness training in combination with other diversity initiatives * Diversity mentoring and appointing diversity managers responsible for diversity programs were among the most effective approaches * Focusing on deep-level diversity appears to have strong positive effects

Question 40

* Methods to reduce defensiveness that may accompany defensiveness training

Answer 40

* Expanding the focus to specific workplace situations, such as recruiting/hiring, team dynamics and career development * Exploring practical actions, like structured interviews (so everyone gets asked the same questions), * Clarifying what job qualifications are most important * Making sure that quieter voices are heard in group and team discussions