Transcript Slide 1

chapter
14
Supervising a Diverse
Workforce
Supervision:
Concepts and Practices
of Management,
Second Canadian Edition
Hilgert, Leonard,
Shemko, and Docherty
© 2005 by Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited
Learning Objectives
1. Recognize how effective diversity
management can lead to better business
results.
2. Identify demographic changes that are
making the Canadian workforce more
diverse.
3. Explain the issues involved in the
supervision of a diverse workforce.
4. Discuss factors that are particularly
important when supervising female
employees.
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Learning Objectives
5. Discuss considerations involved when
supervising workers with
disabilities,older workers and
employees with different religious
beliefs.
6. Explain the issue of reverse
discrimination.
7. Discuss the overriding concern in
supervising all employees in a diverse
workforce.
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Diversity Management
The diverse nature of
the Canadian workforce
requires that
supervisors be
prepared to manage
many different people in
the workforce.
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Diversity Management
Diversity management
now encompasses
many considerations:
•
•
•
•
Legal
Demographic
Economic
Political
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Demographic Change In The
Canadian Workforce
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•
Women
Older Employees
Ethnic Minorities
People with
Disabilities
• Gay and Lesbian
Workers
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OUCH
O – Objective
U – Uniform
C – Consistent in effect
H – Have job relatedness
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Supervising A Diverse Workforce
• Regardless of personal views, be
sensitive to possible illegal
discriminatory actions
• Recognize the strengths and potential
contributions of all employees
• Supervise in ways that do not limit
employee development for
inappropriate reasons
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Supervising A Diverse Workforce
• Appreciate cultural
differences
• Understand
discrimination’s effects
• Overcome language
difficulties
• Be fair in all
supervisory actions
and decisions
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Barriers for Minorities
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•
•
•
Lack of role models
Limited mentoring opportunities
Exclusion from informal networks
Stereotypes or preconceptions based
on race or ethnicity
• Perception that corporate culture
favours non-minorities
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Discrimination’s Effects
• Be sensitive to feelings of minority
employees
• Don’t enter into racial debates
• Strive to be fair and considerate when
making decisions
• Supervise minority employees in the
same manner you supervise other
employees
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Workforce Barriers Facing Women
• Lack of females at the
board level
• Male-dominated
corporate cultures
• Stereotypes about
women
• Exclusion from informal
networks
• Lack of mentoring
opportunities
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Sexual Harassment
Sexual advances, requests for sexual
favours, or other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature when:
• Submission to such conduct is made a
condition of employment
• Submission to or rejection of such
conduct is used as basis for employment
decisions
• Such conduct unreasonably interferes with
work performance
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Sexual Stereotyping
The use of language or
judgments to demean
someone:
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“Girls”
“Chicks”
“Fireman”
“Stewardess”
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Training and Development for
Women
Women employees often benefit from
special training and development
opportunities and focus on enhancing
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Self-esteem
Communication skills
Career development
Mentoring relationships
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Equitable Compensation
• Canadian Labour Code since 1971—
men and women performing equal
work must receive equal pay
• Comparable worth—jobs should be
paid at the same level when they
require similar skills or abilities
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Employees with Disabilities
The Canadian Human
Rights Act stipulates that
employers have a duty to
accommodate workers
with disabilities
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Employees with Disabilities
Reasonable Accommodationaltering the usual ways of
doing things so that a
qualified person with a
disability can perform the
essential job duties, but
without creating an undue
hardship for the employer
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Older Employees
• The Canadian Human Rights Act and
corresponding provincial acts state that
every person has a right to freedom from
discrimination on the grounds of age
• When hiring, promoting, or discharging, be
aware of legal protections afforded to older
workers.
• Document decisions to demote or terminate
older employees with sound, objective
performance appraisals.
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Supervising an Older Worker
• Open channels of communication
• Ask probing questions
• Avoid putting the employee on the
defensive
• Listen actively to the older employees’
ideas
• Involve older employees in the
decision-making process
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Religious Beliefs
• Employers must make
reasonable
accommodations for
employees with differing
religious beliefs
• An employee may not
create a hostile work
environment for others by
harassing them about what
they believe
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Reverse Discrimination
Preference given to minority group
members in hiring and promotion over
other more qualified or more
experienced workers from nonprotected groups
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Managing Diversity
• Post the organization’s policy
statement in a prominent, visible place.
• Periodically review the statement with
employees.
• Discuss diversity issues at department
meetings with employees.
• Investigate alleged discrimination or
harassment thoroughly.
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Managing Diversity
• If a matter can’t be resolved, report the
case to HR.
• Do not react negatively to an employee
who has filed a charge.
• Always be fair and objective and
supervise with equitable performance
standards.
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