Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Instructor’s Manual
Chapter 4: Diversity, Inclusion, and the Equal Employment Laws
Chapter Summary
Diversity in organizations should not just be a “management” discussion of the day. The
effective organization learns to leverage diversity through its HR and leadership systems. This
chapter will discuss the following:
– Challenges and Benefits of Managing Diversity Effectively
Chapter Learning Objectives:
After completing this chapter, students should be able to:
LO 4.1: Describe the challenges and benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
LO 4.2: Identify major U.S. laws pertaining to equal employment opportunity and how they
apply to various kinds of employment decisions.
LO 4.3: Discuss the impact of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
– “Reverse discrimination” is still discrimination.
– Equitable relief refers to payments made to plaintiff.
– 4.5ths (or 80%) rule
– Harassment involves unwelcome behaviors based on identified individual characteristics.
Sexual harassment
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
LO 4.4: Identify additional antidiscrimination acts and protections in the workplace.
– Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978
– Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
LO 4.5: Recommend ways in which organizations can maintain legal compliance and address
key analytical, legal, ethical, and global issues associated with diversity and inclusions in HRM.
– Use of affirmative action
Suggested Exercises or Projects
Exercise 4.1 Identify a made up category of individuals that are in the workplace today. It could
be people who have pets, drive electric cars or don’t have a college education. Put the class into
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
E4.2 Diversity in the workplace exercise
The Cocktail Party Simulation
How to Use “The Cocktail Party” Intercultural Simulation
In College Classes or Professional Seminars
Daphne A. Jameson, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
and James W. Schmotter, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Objectives of the simulation:
• Concrete demonstration of principles of intercultural communication:
➢ Emotional versus rational responses to cultural differences
• Can be used with small or large groups (has been used with 6–200 people).
➢ Needs no equipment that constrains size
• Can be adapted for different levels and interests of students/participants
➢ Modify number of categories or number of descriptors in each category.
• Logistics can be simplified by eliminating the food category.
Supplies needed:
large nametags made from three colors
Food:
pins for nametags
raw vegetables (e.g., carrots and celery)
markers or pens for writing names
fresh fruit (e.g., grapes)
small paper plates and cocktail napkins
cheese and crackers
plastic or paper cups
chips and dip
serving plates and knives
Drinks:
mineral water, fruit juice, pop, wine, etc.
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Procedure:
1. Choose the vice presidents. You may want to talk to them in advance. It is best to choose two
women (for the Red and Blue cultures) and one man (for the Green).
2. Decide how to divide students or participants into three groups. One easy way to do this is to
3. Introduce the event after distributing the one-page general handout (do not give the specific
cultural descriptions yet).
4. Explain logistics and procedure, referring to the general handout:
5. Groups meet separately for about 10 to15 minutes. Members receive the one-page handout
describing their own culture (don’t give out the others). Ensure that the groups not only read
7. Debrief for 20 to 30 minutes. During or after this debriefing, you may want to distribute the
full set of cultural descriptions to all participants.
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Suggested procedure for the debriefing:
1. Ask the Blues and Greens to say how they feel about the Reds. Have them describe the Reds’
behavior, interpret it, and explain how they feel toward these people. The Reds must keep quiet
2. Allow each group to respond by explaining its culture to the others by highlighting the
3. Ask for examples of how people adjusted to the cultural differences as they discovered them.
For instance, sometimes a female VP decides to send a male envoy to interact with the male–
dominated Greens. Sometimes after the Blues discover the Reds’ raw food taboo, they make it
a point to politely offer them cooked foods—in this case, crackers and chips.
Suggested points to bring out in the debriefing:
Cultural values are relative, not absolute. What is positive in one culture may be negative in
another.
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION EXERCISE
The most overt cultural differences, such as greeting rituals and name format, can be overcome
most easily. The underlying, intangible differences are very difficult to overcome. In this case, the
underlying cultural differences are the following:
• assumptions about the purpose of the event (Is the party strictly for fun and for relationship
building, or are there business matters to take care of?)
Many (though not all) cultural differences can be overcome if you carefully observe other people,
think creatively, remain flexible, and remember that your own culture is not inherently superior to
others. The Scenario
Three corporations are planning a joint venture to sponsor an international concert tour. The
corporations are Decibel, an agency representing the musicians (from the United States, Britain,
During the 3-day meeting, the companies have the following goals:
Decibel
• as high a royalty rate as possible on sales of T-shirts, videos, and CDs
Image
• well-known bands that will be easy to market
Event
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• bands that are not likely to provoke stampedes, riots, or other antisocial behavior
With the other people from your corporation and culture,
1. Meet with the managers from your company to discuss what your objectives and approaches
will be at the cocktail party.
BLUE CULTURE
Image (Marketing Company)
Beliefs, Values, and Attitudes That Underlie Your Culture’s Communication
You believe that fate and luck control most things.
Nonverbal Traits of Your Culture
You treat time as something that is unimportant. It is not a commodity that can be lost.
Verbal Traits of Your Culture
You frequently express gratitude and other emotions to others.
Business Customs in Your Culture
Your treat women as superior to men.
Greetings and Courtesies
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Food
RED CULTURE
Event (Special Events Company)
Beliefs, Values, and Attitudes That Underlie Your Culture’s Communication
You believe that people determine their own destinies.
Nonverbal Traits of Your Culture
Your conversational distance is far (about 35 inches, face to face).
Verbal Traits of Your Culture
You are direct in expressing your ideas and opinions.
Business Customs in Your Culture
You welcome conflict as a way of reaching better decisions.
Greetings and Courtesies
When meeting someone or leaving them, you shake hands firmly.
Food
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
GREEN CULTURE
Decibel (Musicians’ Agents)
Beliefs, Values, and Attitudes That Underlie Your Culture’s Communication
Members of your culture are strongly religious and believe that a higher power directly and
Nonverbal Traits of Your Culture
Verbal Traits of Your Culture
You never contradict others directly in conversation.
Business Customs in Your Culture
You treat men superior to women.
Greetings and Courtesies
You call people by the courtesy title “Brother” or “Sister,” followed by their first names.
Food
In your culture, people are very conscious of cleanliness, so you always tuck a napkin in your
Bauer, Human Resource Management
SAGE Publishing, 2020
1. Research the Griggs v. Duke Power Company from 1971. Identify the type and relationship
between the discrimination involved and what law applies. Do you think this type of
discrimination is still happening today?