Transcript MANAGING CONFLICT IN A DIVERSE WORKPLACE

MANAGING CONFLICT IN A DIVERSE
WORKPLACE
SOME TYPICAL ISSUES THAT ARISE IN A DIVERSE
WORKFORCE.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF FRAMING AND ADDRESSING THESE
ISSUES
PURPOSE: SENSITIZE PARTIES. ENHANCE THEIR
INTERACTIONS. ENHANCE THEIR LEARNING AND
PERFORMANCE
PERSPECTIVE 3
• WOMEN OFTEN FEEL EXCLUDED FROM INFORMAL
CHANNELS OF INFORMATION, HELP, DECISION
MAKING
– LUNCH
– SPORTS EVENTS
– NIGHTS OUT ETC
• MEN MAY HESITATE TO INCLUDE WOMEN. MAY
FEAR THAT IT MAY BE MISINTERPRETED
I. INTENTIONS AND PERCEPTIONS
• ANTOINETTE MAYER’S MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
– HER PERCEPTIONS
– HER BEHAVIOR
– HER RESPONSIBILITIES
• JAY STRONG’S MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
– HIS BEHAVIOR
– HIS INTENTIONS
– HIS RESPONSIBILITIES AS A BOSS
– THIRD PARTY???
• OPTIONS
• PERCEPTIONS
PERSPECTIVE 1
• HALF THE MEN THINK WOMEN ARE FLATTERRED
BY FLIRTING.
• 5% OF WOMEN AGREE
PERSPECTIVE 2
• WOMEN ARE MORE CONCERNED
ABOUT
• THEY PERCEIVE A BIGGER THREAT OF
ASSAULT
• BECAUSE THEY GET ASSAULTED
MORE
• MEN ARE OFTEN SURPRISED BY
WOMENS’ SENSITIVITY
PERSPECTIVE 3
• WOMEN OFTEN FEEL EXCLUDED FROM INFORMAL
CHANNELS OF INFORMATION, HELP, DECISION
MAKING
– LUNCH
– SPORTS EVENTS
– NIGHTS OUT ETC
• MEN MAY HESITATE TO INCLUDE WOMEN. MAY
FEAR THAT IT MAY BE MISINTERPRETED
PERSPECTIVE 4
• POLITE GESTURES
– GENEROUS BEHAVIOR
– MAY BE PERCEIVED AS “NICE”
– MAY ALSO BE PERCEIVED AS SUBTLE POWER PLAY
• “I AM GRANTING THIS NOW, I CAN TAKE IT AWAY”
PERSPECTIVE 5
• GENDER DIFFERENCES ARE JUST BEING
DISCOVERED
• MAN’S CONDUCT MAY OFTEN BE PERCEIVED AS
THE “NORM”, “STANDARD”
• WOMEN’S ORIENTATION TOWARDS
INTERDEPENDENCY AND RELATIONSHIPS MAY BE
PERCEIVED AS “DEVIATION”
• THESE TWO ARE JUST GENDER DIFFERENCES.
• WOMEN: 75/25 RELATIONSHIP/TASK BEHAVIOR
• ONE OR THE OTHER IS NOT SUPERIOR OR MORE
PRODUCTIVE
II. POWER AND ACCESS
• NIKKI BLISS
– MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
– BEHAVIOR
– PERCEPTIONS
• BERTRAM LAW
– MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
– BEHAVIOR
– PERCEPTIONS
PERSPECTIVE 1
• WALL STREET:
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HIGH INCOME POTENTIAL
40% WOMEN. 4% PARTNERS/MANAGING DIRECTORS
OLD BOY NETWORK
GUYS SWAP FAVORS/ INFO
LEWD BEHAVIOR IS THE NORM
COMPLAIN; YOU GET BLACKBALLED
“WOMEN JUST DON’T BELONG HERE”
PERSPECTIVE 2
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CLEAR CASE OF SEXUAL HARRASSMENT
CREATES “HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT”
PURPOSE: TO EXCLUDE WOMEN
MEN MAY FEEL:
– THEIR DOMAIN IS INVADED
– NEED TO EXERCISE POWER TO DEFEND THE PRESERVE
– NOT MUCH ABOUT SEX
WHAT SHOULD WOMEN DO?
-EXCELL AT JOB
-FORM FRIENDSHIPS
-PLAY MEN’S SPORTS??
PERSPECTIVE 3
• 90 % OF HARRASSMENT IS UNREPORTED
• WOMEN FEEL
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WILL LOSE PRIVACY
WILL BE DISCREDITED
WILL BE DOUBTED
WILL BE SEEN AS PROVOCATIVE
WILL BE SEEN AS TROUBLEMAKER
AFRAID OF REPRISALS
SO “SHUT UP AND PUT UP”
PERSPECTIVE 4
• DOMINANT MALE CULTURE EXCLUDES WOMEN
FROM POSITIONS OF POWER AND INCOME
• I.E: MEN TRADE, WOMEN SELL
• CREATES LEGAL VULNERABILITIES FOR THE FIRM
• FIRMS’ LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE THE
WORK ENVIRONMENT
– NOT INTIMIDATING
– NOT HOSTILE
– NOT OFFENSIVE
III. IS EQUAL TREATMENT ALWAYS FAIR
TREATMENT
• MOSES WU:
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LOVED
SOCIALLY INCLUDED
PROFESSIONALLY RESPECTED
HITS A GLASS CEILING
BECAUSE HE IS NOT ONE OF THE “COWBOYS”
• JULIA MACK
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ACCEPTED
RESPECTED
TREATED AS “ONE OF THE GUYS”
UNTIL THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF PREGNANCY
PERSPECTIVE 1
• ARE LEADERSHIP TRAITS DEFINED AS GENDER
NEUTRAL
• CULTURE NEUTRAL
• OR ARE THEY REFLECTIONS OF THE DOMINANT
CULTURE
• IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT”
– PERFORMANCE RANKINGS
– PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
– PROMOTION DECISION
CAREFUL ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL BIAS
PERSPECTIVE 2
• NORMS OF PARTICIPATION
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FAVORS MALE COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR
JUMPING IN
INTERRUPTING OTHERS
ESTABLISHING DOMINANCE
EFFECTIVENESS OF BRAINSTORMING MAY BE
COMPROMISED
MAY BE THE RESULT OF DIFFERENT SOCIALIZING FOR
MALES AND FEMALES
PERSPECTIVE 3
• SKEWED GROUPS HAVE “DOMINANTS” AND
“TOKENS”
• DOMINANTS ESTABLISH THE NORMS AND EXPECT
EVERYONE TO COMPLY
• TOKENS
– ARE TOO FEW TO GENERATE A CONTERCULTURE
– EITHER ACCEPT ISOLATION AND BE EXCLUDED
– 0R, TRY TO BECOME INSIDERS
• RISK TURNING AGAINST THEIR OWN
• AND PAY THE PSYCHIC COST
PERSPECTIVE 4
• LEGAL STATUS
– GENDER CONCIOUS EXAMINATION OF HARRASSMENT
– TAKING A “REASONABLE WOMAN” STANDARD
IV. CREATIVE CONFLICT
• CASSANDRA BARTON
– FORMS A CROSS FUNCTIONAL GROUP
– EXPECTS PEOPLE TO FORGET ABOUT THEIR FUNCTIONAL
IDENTITIES, NORMS, IDEOLOGIES, METHODOLOGIES ETC
-EXPECTS THAT AN OVERARCHING GOAL WILL REDUCE
FUNCTIONAL IDENTITIES
-EXPECTS ”LITTLE TEAM SPIRIT” TALK WILL UNITE THE TEAM
-RUNS UP AGAINST THE DOMINANT ENGINEERING CULTURE.
PERSPECTIVE 1
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FIRMS OFTEN SCREEN OUT THE DIVERSITY
SELECT PEOPLE THAT THINK ALIKE
SAVES TIME
MORE EFFICIENT
BUT LESS QUESTIONING
LESS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE CONFLICTING INFO IS
NOT CONSIDERED
• CREATIVITY MAY BE HINDERED FOR THE SAKE OF
EFFICIENCY
PERSPECTIVE 2
• HOMOGENOUS GROUPS HAVE HIGHER MORALE,
BETTER COMMUNICATION, HIGHER
COHESIVENESS
• HETEROGENOUS GROUPS HAVE DIVERSITY OF
IDEAS
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MORE MISUNDERSTANDING
MORE CONFLICTS
MORE ANXIETY
MORE DISCOMFORT, HIGHER TURNOVER
• BUT:MORE INFO
• HIGHER CREATIVITY
GROUPTHINK PHENOMENON
PERSPECTIVE 3
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MINORITY VIEW EXPRESSED
FIRST RESPONSE MAY BE DERISION
MINORITY INSISTS
BEARS THE CONSEQUENCES
SHOWS BEHAVIORAL CONSISTENCY
MAJORITY MAY START PERCEIVING THE MAJORITY
VIEW LESS NEGATIVELY
• IF ONE OF MAJORITY MOVES OVER, IT MAY
SNOWBALL
• MAY LEAD TO HIGHER CREATIVITY
V. BYSTANERS, THIRD PARTIES, WHISTLE
BLOWERS
• EVANS FINDS OUT THE BANK FAMILY DAY IS
SCHEDULED AT A WHITES ONLY CLUB
• HE IS TOLD TO “RELAX”, “DON’T MAKE WAVES”
• “THINGS CHANGE SLOWLY”
• STEWART FINDS OUT THAT A SUSPECTED GAY
LAWYER WILL NOT MAKE PARTNER
• CUMBERLAND IS BEING DENIED FOR HIS
PREFERENCE
• STEWART HAS A GAY FRIEND, HAS PROBLEMS
MAINTAINING HIS FRIENDSHIP
PERSPECTIVE 1
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HOW MUCH OF IT TO TOLERATE
WHERE DOES ONE DRAW THE LINE
PERSONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
WHEN TO OBJECT
HOW TO DEAL WITH REPERCUSSION
• FATHER MARTIN NIEMOLLER’S
PREDICAMENT
PERSPECTIVE 2
• BYSTANDERS ARE THE BIGGEST THREAT
• THEY ARE ABOUT 60%
• THEY WATCH AND SILENTLY CONDONE BIGOTTED
BEHAVIOR
• THEY CONSIDER IT SOCIALLY APPROVED
• SO, NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT, NOBODY TAKES
NOTICE
• NOBODY PAYS A PRICE EXCEPT THE VICTIM
• SEGREGATION MAY BE PERPETUATED BY SOCIAL
CONTROLS AND SOCIALIZATION PROCESSES
PERSPECTIVE 3
• EEOC USES “NOT ONLY THE
INDIVIDUAL VICTIM BUT ANYONE
AFFECTED BY THE OFFENSIVE
BEHAVIOR” STANDARD.
VI. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
• JILLIAN REESE: HAIR STYLE-ETHNIC IDENTITY
• JACQUELINE LARUE: “EUROPEAN PREFERENCES
FOR APPEARANCE”
• NAHUM PRAGER: WILL NOT WORK OR TAKE CALLS
DURING SABBATH
• TERRY O’LEARY: BENCHED FOR NOT ALLOWING
DIVERSITY IN MANAGEMENT. AND DECLARING IT
– CENSORSHIP???
PERSPECTIVE 1
• DIVERSITY TRAINING IS
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AN ATTEMPT TO TEACH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
THIS IS REINFORCED BY ANTI-HARRASMENT CODES
SUPPORTED BY SENSITIVITY TRAINING
NOTHING MORE THANMORAL THERAPY THAT
ENCOURAGES GROUP IDENTITIES
• GEORGE WILL
PERSPECTIVE 2
• ACTING PROFESSIONALLY
• SPEAKING PROPER ENGLISH
• ARTICULATING CLEARLY
IS AMERICAN SUCCESS A WHITE
ATTRIBUTE? WHO SETS THE
STANDARD?
PERSPECTIVE 3
• BLACK DOUBLE BIND
• RACIAL IDENTIFICATION OR INDIVIDUALISM
• ETHNIC CONCIOUSNESS URGES AN ADVERSERIAL STANCE
• INDIVIDUALISM URGES WORK ETHIC, EDUCATION, INITIATIVE,
INTEGRATION, MAINSTREAM VALUES
• TWO IDENTITY DIMENSIONS AT A TUG OF WAR
• WHITE BACKLASH
• POST RACIAL SOCIETY: IS IT UPON US ALREADY?
VII. RESULTS OF INVOLVEMENT
• ANDIE THE MOVIE GUY. GAY BUT KEEPS IT
PRIVATE. NOW GETS AN OFFER TO MAKE A GAY
POSITIVE MOVIE
• REYNOLDS, SPILLER, ADDAMS FEEL PRESSURED
TO SUPPORT WOMEN, BLACKS AND
PROFESSIONALS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL THREE.
• THEY FEEL PIGEONHOLED AND FRUSTRATED
THREE PERSPECTIVES
• BLACK DOUBLE BIND
• GAYS FEEL AFRAID ANDISOLATED IF THEY TRY TO
PASS
• GLASS CEILING FOR GAYS
• INCREASING % OF FIRMS PLEDGED NOT TO
DISCRIMINATE BASED ON SEXUAL PREFERENCE
• ARE THESE ATTITUDES CHANGING?