Transcript Week 2 - Diversity

Week 2 - Diversity
MGT 424
Senior Seminar In Management
Sullivan University –WJ Patterson
What is Diveristy
 No clear – cut definition of diversity
 Means different things to different people
 Can be based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, etc
Webster's defines diversity as: “the state of being diverse,
different, variety, multiformity.”
Diversity is found in business in customers, vendors, employees.
Businesses need to be proactive when it comes to diversity to
leverage and capitalize on these differences.
Why do we have Diversity
 Immigration and Migration
 Political reform and upheaval
 Improvements in technology
 Increases in Transnational mergers/acquisitions
 Increase in FDI (foreign direct investment)
 Changing social trends
Why do we need to understand
Diversity?
 Growth expansion opportunities will increasingly come from
parts of the world which have traditionally been overlooked
by US and European businesses.
 Businesses will increasingly hire or manage a globally diverse
workforce both domestically and abroad
 Competition now transcends national boarders.
What is Managing Diversity about?
 Corporations that encourage and nurture diversity among




their employees.
Understanding differences and developing a framework for
transferring knowledge more quickly and effectively.
Leveraging products and markets
Ensuring that individuals of different background are able to
contribute fully to the organization’s success.
Aligning corporate culture to be flexible and adaptable with
multiple cultures and growing global work force, workplace
and market realities.
The Key to Achieving Synergy is
through:
 Understanding cultural differences
 Appreciating diversity implications
 Breaking down stereotypes
 Providing cross cultural training.
 Integration through interaction
 Taking the best features from each culture
Barriers to Gender Equality Issues
 Education
 Types of jobs
 Insufficient quality of child care
 Dual roles of worker and homemaker
 Negative stereotypes of the dual roles
 Pregnancy dismissals
 Reluctance of employers to hire because of family
responsibilities