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Accent Errors (e.g., missing or wrong articles, wrong prepositions, incorrect use of
idioms) commonly characterize the writing of non-native speakers. Accent errors—which
are nearly impossible for non-native speakers to correct in the short term—will often be
ignored by readers. Accent errors rarely interfere with communication and usually do
not damage the writer’s credibility.
Academic writing: In terms of errors, all are applicable to academic writing.
Source: Adapted from Robyn Walker, Strategic Business Communication: An Integrated, Ethical
Approach (Thomson South-Western, 2006).
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Checklist/Feedback Sheet for Evaluating Messages
Area of Focus - √ + Comments
WRITING TASK
Provides a clear purpose
Meets assignment criteria/purposes
AUDIENCE
Is audience-centered
Answers audience’s needs/questions/
Objections
ORGANIZATION
Introduces the topic
Provides a logical structure
Provides coherent flow
Links with transitions
Forecasts
Provides a conclusion
CONTENT
Focuses toward goal
Provides relevant supportive information
Provides sufficient information
VERBAL EXPRESSION
Uses an appropriate tone
Chooses an appropriate style
VISUAL IMPRESSION
Considers overall appearance
Uses design features, i.e. headings/lists
Uses space/graphics
MECHANICS/ERROR INTERFERENCE
Uses correct grammar
Uses correct spelling
Uses correct sentence structure
Achieves clarity and credibility
Strengths/Areas of Development
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OUTLINES FOR OPENING ESSAYS
34
[OUTLINES FOR OPENING ESSAYS IN PART I]
Chapter One Essay: Outline
“Diversity in the Workplace: A Theoretical and Pedagogical Perspective”
I. Introduction
a. Diversity training has become a multibillion-dollar industry.
b. There is a movement in corporate America to embrace diversity.
c. There is no clear discussion of the challenges associated with managing diversity
and how this complex process can be handled effectively.
d. Diversity only becomes an exciting business opportunity when it is managed
effectively at all levels of an organization and understood in light of both its
advantages and disadvantages.
e. Three phases will help to illuminate the complexities of diversity management.
These phases are to:
i. Articulate a variety of definitions of diversity and consider alternative
frameworks for defining and understanding diversity.
ii. Examine different approaches for how organizational leaders can
manage diversity.
iii. Describe the business case for diversity, which argues that diversity
contributes to the bottom line; and discuss the challenges, counter-
arguments, and paradoxes associated with the business case philosophy.
f. Definition of diversity management: an organizational commitment and systemic
approach that moves beyond compliance with legal requirements and statements
that simply express that the organizations claim to value diversity.
g. Effective diversity management is systemic because its dimensions are
incorporated throughout the inner workings of a business and linked to strategic
business goals. A required component of an effective diversity management
policy is a steadfast commitment from organizational leadership.
h. Although there are both opportunities and challenges of teaching diversity
management, the three-phase pedagogical framework will help diversity
educators navigate diversity’s complexities and create a more accurate and
therefore more useful conversation about diversity and diversity management.
II. Phase One: Defining Diversity
a. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
i. Diversity refers to differences based on ethnicity, gender, age, religion,
disability, national origin, and sexual orientation, as well as unique
characteristics and experiences such as the way one communicates, one’s
height and weight, and one’s speed of learning and comprehension.
b. Taylor H. Cox, Jr.
i. Diversity is the variation of social and cultural identities among people
existing together in a defined employment or market setting.
c. Marilyn Loden
i. Diversity is reflective of important human characteristics that impact
individuals’ values, opportunities, and perceptions of self and others at
work.
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ii. There are two dimensions of diversity: primary dimensions (i.e. age,
ethnicity, gender, mental/physical abilities, race, and sexual orientation)
and secondary dimensions (i.e. work style, geographic origin, income,
work experience, military experience, family status, religion, native
language, communication style, organizational role and level, and
education).
d. Anita Rowe and Lee Gardenswartz
i. Primary and secondary dimensions are articulated and two more
dimensions are added:
1. In the center they add personality.
2. On the periphery they add organizational membership (i.e.
union affiliation, management status, work content/field,
seniority, division/department, work location).
e. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.
i. Diversity is any mixture of items characterized by differences and
similarities.
f. Myrtle P. Bell
i. For Bell, the areas of diversity include only race, ethnicity, sex, religion,
age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, work and family
status, and weight and appearance; she focuses on these identity groups
in the context of power relations and historical inequities.
g. David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely
i. Diversity directly impacts work – these authors define diversity as “the
varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of different
identity groups bring.”
h. Michàlle E. More Barak
i. Barak extends the discussion of diversity across national and cultural
boundaries.
i. Four Principles for an Improved Definition of Diversity (authors’ contribution)
i. Diversity is expansive but not without boundaries
1. Diversity cannot be too narrowly defined (as, for example, the
color of one’s skin) or too broadly defined (if diversity were to
become inclusive of every characteristic of every unique
individual in any workplace, it would end up void of both
clarity and usefulness).
ii. Diversity is fluid
1. Although diversity affiliations are often portrayed as absolute
and clearly distinct, they are fluid, continuous, and indefinite.
2. People move in and out of diversity categories.
iii. Diversity is based on both similarities and differences
1. Individuals will view themselves as having qualities in common
rather than narrowly defining themselves in terms of how they
differ.
iv. Diversity is rooted in non-essentialist thought
1. Essentialism is damaging because it “encourages individuals to
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2. A non-essentialist framework transcends such generalizations
while encouraging us to see the complexities of each individual.
v. Diversity is directly related to how one experiences work
1. Diversity is often incorporated superficially in an organization
when it should be considered in terms of its direct relationship
with how employees perceive and perform their work and
interact with both their colleagues and those outside their
organizations.
III. Phase Two: Understanding Leadership-based Organizational Paradigms for
Managing Diversity
a. The Resistance Paradigm
i. This paradigm is based on the rejection and evasion of diversity and
diversity initiatives.
ii. Example: Cracker Barrel Restaurants and Dan Evins
b. The Discrimination-and-Fairness Paradigm
i. This paradigm is based on accommodating the legal responsibilities of
diversity, specifically in terms of federal mandates.
ii. Example: EEOC Regulations and Affirmative Action (University of
Michigan)
c. The Access-and-Legitimacy Paradigm
i. This paradigm is based on bottom-line reasons for incorporating
diversity; hiring specific diverse employees to market to their specific
markets is a competitive business advantage.
ii. Example: Avon and Andrea Jung
d. The Integration-and-Learning Paradigm
i. This paradigm reflects characteristics of both the discrimination-and-
fairness paradigm and the access-and-legitimacy paradigm but goes
beyond them by embracing the business case for diversity and
incorporating employees’ perspectives into the main work of the
organization.
ii. Example: IBM and Louis Gerstner
IV. Phase Three: Understanding and Assessing the Business Case for Diversity
a. Cost Savings: Argument—By embracing the value of diversity and diversity
management, an organization will reduce costs and create a competitive
advantage.
i. Specifically, the organization will experience less turnover, absenteeism,
and fewer discrimination lawsuits.
b. Winning the Competition for Talent: Argument—An organization with a strong
reputation for managing its diverse workforce will be more likely to attract and
recruit the most talented workers.
c. Driving Business Growth: Argument—By embracing the value of diversity and
diversity management, an organization will experience more overall business
growth.
i. Specifically, the organization will grow in terms of marketplace,
creativity and problem solving, and flexibility and global relations.
d. While the business case arguments are a necessary first step in understanding the
complexities of diversity management, the authors probe the following
assumptions of the business case:
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i. Assumption: A diverse workforce will increase overall productivity.
ii. Assumption: The results of diversity efforts are easy to measure.
iii. Assumption: Diverse employees embrace diversity initiatives.
iv. Assumption: Diversity training adds value to an organization.
v. Assumption: Diverse employees are more likely to capitalize on diverse
markets.
vi. Assumption: The relationship between white men and diversity is
clearly articulated.
V. Conclusion
a. There are no easy answers about how to manage a diverse workforce effectively.
b. Managers should recognize the complexity of this task and embrace it as a
learning opportunity for themselves and their organizations.
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Chapter Two Essay: Outline
“Diversity in the Workplace: A Legal Perspective”
I. Introduction
a. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
i. The most sweeping and important civil rights legislation ever enacted in
this country.
ii. Title VII outlaws discrimination in hiring, promoting, and the general
treatment of employees.
b. Administration of The Law
i. Title VII is administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC).
c. Amendments to Title VII
i. Title VII was expanded in 1967 with the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act (ADEA); in 1974 with the Vietnam Veterans
Readjustment Assistance Act; in 1978 with the Pregnancy Discrimination
Act; and in 1990 with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
II. The Protected Classes
a. Race
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly on the basis of race (race as defined by the federal government).
1. Case: Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
b. National Origin
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly based on his or her country of birth, ethnicity, ancestry, or culture.
1. Case: Fragante v. Honolulu
c. Color of Skin
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly based on his or her color of skin (this applies to all colors of skin).
1. Case: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Trailways,
Inc.
d. Religion
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly because of his or her beliefs (belief is defined broadly to include
almost any belief system including agnosticism and atheism).
1. Case: Corporation of the Presiding Bishopric of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos
e. Age
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly because of his or her age; the act applies only to workers age 40
and over.
1. Case: General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. v. Cline
f. Veterans
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly if he or she is a Vietnam veteran and/or a disabled veteran.
1. Case: United States v. Board of Trustees of Illinois State
University
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g. Disability
i. An employer may not treat an employee or applicant differently or
poorly if he or she has a disability.
1. The ADA includes protection from discrimination based on a
disability as well as requirements for employers and those
offering other public facilities regarding access and
accommodations for disabled employees.
a. Case: Lanman v. Johnson County
b. Case: PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin
c. Case: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v.
Williams
h. Sex/Gender
i. Pregnancy Discrimination: Protects women from being treated
differently or poorly based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical
conditions.
ii. Sexual Harassment
1. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment (Latin for “this for that”)
a. This type of sexual harassment occurs when a
supervisor promises or confers benefits in return for
sexual favors, or where a supervisor adversely affects an
employee’s status based on the employee’s rejection of
the sexual advances.
b. The perpetrator must maintain a position of power over
the victim, and the victim must suffer some tangible
employment action as a result of the harassment.
i. Case: Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth
2. Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment
a. The claimant must demonstrate:
i. He or she has been subjected to conduct that is
sexual in nature.
ii. The sexual conduct must be severe and/or
pervasive.
iii. The sexual conduct must be unwelcome and/or
unwanted.
1. Case: Ellison v. Brady
2. Case: Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore
Services, Inc.
III. Advice for Managers
a. Have a Title VII policy and procedure.
b. Be clear about the “legitimate business purpose” concept.
c. Develop objective job criteria.
d. Do not retaliate.
IV. Advice for Employees
a. Follow policies and procedures.
b. Behave reasonably.
V. A Word About Affirmative Action
40
a. Affirmative Action is not a component of Title VII and does not generally impact
the private sector.
b. It does, however, impact government organizations and universities.
c. Currently, it requires government employers and state actors to actively recruit
and reach out to minority candidates but does not allow quotas or preferences.
VI. The Future of Title VII
a. Example of the Oakland Raiders football team being an unlikely organization to
flourish under Title VII.
b. It is more important than ever for employers to understand when their conduct
or their employees’ conduct is unlawful and how to protect themselves from
unwanted cost and scrutiny of a Title VII lawsuit.
c. Title VII will continue to be an important law that protects employees from
discriminatory workplace conduct and therefore fosters workplace diversity.
