CHAPTER 15
Valuing Workforce Diversity and Inclusion
CHAPTER PREVIEW
After studying this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Define the primary and secondary dimensions of diversity.
2. Discuss how prejudiced attitudes are formed.
3. Develop an awareness of the various forms of discrimination in the workplace.
4. Understand why organizations value diversity and inclusion.
5. Identify ways in which organizations can enhance workforce diversity.
6. Discuss the current status of affirmative action programs.
PURPOSE AND PERSPECTIVE
This chapter begins with a discussion of the value and dimensions of workforce diversity. With the
emerging global economy, organizations will have to begin to identify, respect, and enhance individual
differences in order to remain competitive. The changing demographics of world-wide consumers and
the available workers in the United States are becoming a vital economic issue for most organizations.
The chapter examines the interaction of primary dimensions of diversity such as gender, age, race,
physical and mental abilities, and sexual orientation with secondary dimensions including religious
beliefs, ethnic customs, and others to shape an individual. Students will learn that prejudiced attitudes
are usually based on childhood experiences, ethnocentrism, and economic factors and need to be
critically reexamined before they result in discriminatory behaviors that can damage career success.
Organizations are learning to value their work force diversity and make it a system-wide process rather
than a once-a-year event. Students will learn about effective and ineffective strategies to promote
diversity and inclusion within organizations, including the role of affirmative action programs.
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
I. Workforce Diversity and Inclusion
A. What are diversity and inclusion?
B. Dimensions of diversity
1. Primary dimensions are core characteristics of each person that cannot be changed,
such as age, gender, race, physical traits, and sexual orientation
2. Secondary dimensions are those elements that can be changed or modified, such as
education, religious beliefs, work experience, or socioeconomic status
II. Prejudiced Attitudes
A. Unconscious bias
B. How prejudicial attitudes are formed and retained
1. Childhood experiences
2. Ethnocentrism
3. Economic factors
58 Chapter 15: Valuing Work Force Diversity and Inclusion
III. The Many Forms of Discrimination
A. Gender
B. Age
C. Race
1. The myth of race
D. Multiracial and multicultural trends
1. Race as social identity
E. Religion
F. Disability
G. Sexual orientation
H. Subtle forms of discrimination
1. Discrimination against the unemployed
I. What can you do?
IV. The Economics of Valuing Diversity and Inclusion
V. Managing Diversity and Inclusion
A. What organizations can do
1. Organizational commitment
2. Employment practices
3. Training and development
VI. Affirmative Action: Yesterday and Today
A. Affirmative action issues
CAREER INSIGHT EXERCISES
Encourage students to review and update their résumés regularly, and to follow the tips offered to
combat discrimination against the unemployed, should they find themselves in that position.
TRY YOUR HAND EXERCISES
1. Dominant heterogeneous culture means that no group within an organization or society gets
preferential treatment and none are discriminated against. Obviously this would result in a very
productive environment.
2. If you are requiring students to maintain a journal during your class, you might ask them to record
their observations in it. Remind them daily to keep their eyes and ears open, and provide at least
thirty minutes of class time at the end of the week for students to discuss their findings openly.
3. Ask students to share their experiences, including the commonalities and growth opportunities
they discovered, with their classmates.
4. After they have reviewed the material presented on the websites, ask students to share how they
would respond to someone who displays an anti-Muslim bias.
CRITICAL THINKING CHALLENGE
Obviously students’ answers will vary. Help them focus on how to overcome those conditioned
prejudiced attitudes.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
After taking the assessment, students can share their ideas for responding to any prejudice or
discrimination against themselves or others that they encounter in the workplace.
Chapter 15: Valuing Work Force Diversity and Inclusion 59
YOU PLAY THE ROLE EXERCISE
Offensive material is in the eye of the beholder, not necessarily the perpetrator. What is offensive to one
person might not be to another. After the role-play, encourage students to share their views on this
issue.
CASE QUESTIONS
BELOW THE SURFACE: Sex-Bias Trial—Questions Linger
1. Students’ answers will vary. Encourage students to logically apply information from the chapter
(e.g., benefits of diversity/inclusion) when defending their responses.
2. Students will likely suggest that Kleiner Perkins must make a real commitment to promote
CLOSING CASE: Racial versus Behavior Profiling
1. Encourage students to openly discuss their views on racial profiling.
2. Encourage students to openly discuss their views on behavior profiling.
3. Students can offer suggestions for improving the training programs discussed so they compensate
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION EXERCISES
1. Instruct students to read recent newspapers, magazines, and government reports and describe any
discrimination charges being filed against organizations in the courts. Students can be asked to
explain their attitude toward the situation and possible solutions to the problem.
2. Invite an industrial psychologist into the classroom to discuss ways to overcome discrimination in
an organization. Ask the guest lecturer to focus on all forms of discrimination, not just racism and
sexism.