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exercise, you should encourage students to brainstorm and quickly capture their recollections. Bullet point
format would be a good option for this assignment. In any case, you want students to recollect and write
freely, without editing.
You may want to plan how to assign students to discussion groups in advance. This exercise works
usually a good idea to “mix it up” when making discussion or work group assignments.
In-Class Use
Step 3 is the heart of this exercise, and it requires students to “teach their fellow group members what a
young person would need to know to fit in with this subculture, including…” (cultural dimensions such as
Group level discussion of these two questions should be lively, and you may need to set a time limit so
that you can move to the class-level discussion. Fifteen to twenty (15-20) minutes should suffice,
The class level discussion shifts attention to the business context. The questions framing this
discussion are the following:
• Based on your group discussions, what are the challenges for organizations who are seriously
attempting to value diversity?
• What are the benefits to these organizations?
• How do organizations train people about cultural (and sub-cultural) differences without falling
into stereotyping?
The first question in the class-level discussion may seem like an abrupt transition. Surely IBM is not like
high school, students may think, and so what’s the connection? You may want to add your own
One option with this exercise is to use clips from the film “Remember the Titans” either prior to, or
during, the session in which you conduct this exercise. The film is set in a high school in Virginia in the
1970s, and is an inspiring story of a charismatic coach (played by Denzell Washington) and his attempts
to bond football players across seemingly insurmountable racial barriers. Three scenes would work
particularly to reinforce this exercise. Just before the team heads off to “summer football camp,” Coach
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Develop Your Career Potential
FROM MAJORITY TO MINORITY AND BACK AGAIN
Questions
1. Describe the event, meeting, activity, and/or organization you visited.
Have students describe the different places they visited. Process the answers on the board.
2. How were you different from others in attendance? Describe what it was like to be different from
everyone else.
This can be a difficult question to process, especially since these feelings can be strong for students
who have never before experienced what it’s like to be in the minority. Nonetheless, give students an
3. In what ways was this experience actually similar to previous experiences that you‘ve had? In other
words, while question 2 focuses on differences, this question focuses on similarities and
commonalties.
The purpose of this question is for students to realize that many of the ideas or stereotypes or
4. What did you learn from this experience?
Give students the opportunity to share whatever lessons or conclusions they may have drawn from
this experience and class discussion.
This is also a good time to have students discuss the diversity paradigms that are reviewed in the
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reason for diversity. However, like the discrimination and fairness paradigm, it does no more than
focus on the surface-level diversity dimensions of gender, race, and ethnicity.
Furthermore, employees who are assigned responsibility for customers and stakeholders on the
basis of their gender, race, or ethnicity may eventually feel frustrated and exploited.
Reel to Real – Biz Flix
Because they are so short, the Biz Flix videos are best used to supplement your lesson plans. They are
designed to illustrate the content rather than convey all of the chapter concepts.
Video: Because I Said So
Segment Summary:
In the 2007 romantic comedy Because I Said So, Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is a meddling,
overprotective, and divorced mother of three grown girls. Maggie and Mae (Lauren Graham and Piper
Discussion Questions from Text:
1. Have you ever had someone meddle in your life the way Daphne does? How did it make you feel?
Do you think this kind of behavior is justified if the person’s intentions are good?
Student answers to these questions will vary based on their own personality dimensions. Most
2. Which Big Five personality traits best describe Daphne? Give examples of behavior from the film
scene to support your observations.
Daphne can best be described as extroverted, less emotionally stable, less agreeable, low
conscientiousness, and highly open to experience. Daphne displays extroversion while chatting on the
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3. Which Big Five personality traits best describe Milly? Give examples of behavior from the film
scene to support your observations.
Milly can best be described as introverted, emotionally stable, agreeable, conscientious, and less open
to experience. She displays introversion when she hesitates to answer the phone to speak to Jason.
eager to go on a date with Jason.
Additional Discussion Questions:
1. Suppose that Milly goes on a date with someone of a different race or ethnicity than herself. How
could she create a positive dating environment by showing that she is comfortable with these
differences?
Milly can apply workplace diversity principles to her personal life in order to achieve a positive
2. Which work-related personality dimensions best describe Daphne? Give examples of behavior
from the film scene to support your observations.
Daphne can be described as authoritative, Machiavellian, Type A, negatively affective, and someone
Reel to Real – Management Workplace
Management Workplace videos can support several in-class uses. In most cases you can build an entire
50-minute class around them. Alternatively, they can provide a springboard into a group lesson plan. The
Management Workplace video for Chapter 12 would be a nice companion to your introduction to the
course on the first day teaching this chapter.
Video: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
Managing Diversity
Summary:
When Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams started their furniture company in 1989, they had a vision for how
they wanted to run things. They would guarantee comfort, minimize costs, enact rigorous controls, and
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Discussion Questions from Text:
1. What are advantages and disadvantages of diversity at Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams?
A commitment to employee diversity can help MG+BW maximize performance, creativity,
problem solving, innovation, and recruitment. In the video, Mitchell Gold sees diversity as a way
2. How does MG + BW’s approach to diversity reflect the learning and effectiveness paradigm?
The learning and effectiveness paradigm focuses on integrating deep-level diversity differences,
3. How might a commitment to diversity at MG+BW help managers with globalization?
As companies go global, managers must deal with people from diverse countries and
backgrounds. Going global means interacting with a world of new stakeholders, suppliers,
Workplace Video Quiz
Video Segment 1
Video segment title
Managing Diversity
Start time (in sec)
1:32
Stop time (in sec)
2:46
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Quiz Question 1
Understanding cultural, demographic, and personal differences among
employees is part of:
Option a
Stereotyping
Option b
Discrimination
Quiz Question 2
According to Mitchell Gold, a company’s overall treatment of people is
sometimes signaled by the presence or absence of:
Option a
Ceremonies
Option b
Openness to diversity
Option c
Benefits
Option d
Pay for performance
Correct option
b: Openness to multiculturalism
Quiz Question 3
According to Bob Williams, businesses can promote a people-centered
diverse work environment by:
Option a
Making sure workplace conditions are safe and comfortable for workers
Option b
Offering attractive benefits
Option c
Making sure the workplace is free of discrimination
Option d
All of these
Option c
Diversity
Option d
Ethnocentrism
Correct option
c: Diversity
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Video Segment 2
Video segment title
Managing Diversity
Start time (in sec)
2:47
Stop time (in sec)
4:18
Quiz Question 1
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ approach to diversity, which celebrates
individual’s differences, is best described as:
Option a
Access and legitimacy paradigm
Feedback for option a
Correct. The access and legitimacy paradigm focuses on the acceptance
and celebration of differences.
Feedback for option b
Incorrect. The access and legitimacy paradigm focuses on the acceptance
and celebration of differences.
Feedback for option c
Incorrect. The access and legitimacy paradigm focuses on the acceptance
and celebration of differences.
Feedback for option d
Incorrect. The access and legitimacy paradigm focuses on the acceptance
and celebration of differences.
Quiz Question 2
A commitment to diversity at MG+BW helps the company save money in
all of the following ways except:
Option a
Decreasing absenteeism
Option b
Reducing turnover
Option c
Avoiding lawsuits
Option d
Preventing new workers from entering
Correct option
d: preventing new workers from entering
Feedback for option a
Incorrect. Diversity actually helps companies by helping attract and retain
Feedback for option b
Incorrect. Diversity actually helps companies by helping attract and retain
Feedback for option c
Incorrect. Diversity actually helps companies by helping attract and retain
talented workers.
Feedback for option d
Correct. Diversity actually helps companies by helping attract and retain
talented workers.
Quiz Question 3
An initiative that MG + BW could introduce to show concern for the
growing number of people groups in its diversity program is:
Option a
Employee network groups
Option b
Diversity training
Option c
Multicultural teams
Option d
All of these
Correct option
d: All of these
Feedback for option a
Incorrect. All of these are ways that an organization can show concern for
Feedback for option c
Incorrect. All of these are ways that an organization can show concern for
diversity.
Option b
Learning and effectiveness paradigm
Option c
Discrimination and fairness paradigm
Option d
Tolerance and celebration paradigm
Correct option
a: Access and legitimacy paradigm
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Feedback for option d
Correct. All of these are ways that an organization can show concern for
diversity.
Video Segment 3
Video segment title
Managing Diversity
Start time (in sec)
4:45
Stop time (in sec)
7:06
Option d
Mitchell Gold says that working hard to be all you can be is part of the
American Dream
Correct option
b: Store manager Maria Thompson says her gender does not negatively
affect her performance or evaluations at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Feedback for option a
Incorrect. A glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and
minorities from advancing to the top jobs in an organization.
Feedback for option b
Correct. A glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and
minorities from advancing to the top jobs in an organization.
Feedback for option c
Incorrect. A glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and
minorities from advancing to the top jobs in an organization.
Feedback for option d
Incorrect. A glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and
minorities from advancing to the top jobs in an organization.
Quiz Question 2
Mitchell Gold states that having a diverse workforce can help businesses
better understand and serve their diverse customer segments. This is a
rationale for which benefit of diversity?
Option a
Cost savings due to reduced turnover
Option b
Driving business growth
Option c
Attracting talented workers
Option d
Avoiding lawsuits
Correct option
b: driving business growth
Feedback for option b
Correct. Diversity helps companies drive business growth by attracting
new customers.
Feedback for option c
Incorrect. Diversity helps companies drive business growth by attracting
new customers.
Feedback for option d
Incorrect. Diversity helps companies drive business growth by attracting
new customers.
Option a
Personality differences
Option b
Dispositional differences
Which of the following statements in the clip relates to the issue of glass
Option a
Mitchell Gold says immigrants are the next frontier in diversity
Option c
Bob Williams says the Golden Rule is a guiding principle for diversity
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Option c
No discrimination based on sexual orientation
Option d
Taking care of introverted workers
Correct option
c: no discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Review Questions
1. Explain the difference between diversity and affirmative action.
Diversity and affirmative action are different is several critical ways. Affirmative action is required
2. Does diversity make good business sense? Explain.
3. What is the current trend in the United States with respect to workplace diversity?
Demographics in the United States indicate some emerging trends with respect to workplace
4. Distinguish between surface-level diversity and deep-level diversity?
Surface-level diversity involves differences such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and physical
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Over time, initial impressions give way to deeper impressions based on behavior and
5. Identify and describe the Big Five dimensions of personality. People with which dimension are
inherently more motivated and better at their jobs?
The Big Five dimensions of personality are extroversion, emotional stability, agreeableness,
conscientiousness, and openness to experience. Extraversion is the degree to which someone is active,
levels of conscientiousness.
6. Identify and describe the work-related personality dimensions.
Work-related personality dimensions include authoritarianism, Machiavellianism, type A/B
personality dimension, locus of control, and affectivity. Authoritarianism is the extent to which an
individual believes that there should be power and status differences within organizations.
7. What is affectivity? Why do managers need to understand affectivity?
Affectivity is the stable tendency to experience positive or negative moods and to react to things in a
generally positive or negative way. People with positive affectivity consistently notice and focus on
the positive aspects of themselves and their environments. In other words, they seem to be in a good
mood
most of the time and are predisposed to being optimistic, cheerful, and cordial.
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8. Compare the three paradigms (methods) for managing diversity. Discuss the benefits and limitations
of each.
Three main paradigms for managing diversity are discrimination and fairness, access and legitimacy,
and learning and effectiveness. The discrimination and fairness paradigm focuses on equal
9. Explain the difference between organizational plurality and diversity.
Organizational plurality is a work environment where (1) all members are empowered to contribute in
a way that maximizes the benefits to the organization, customers, and themselves, and (2) the
10. Define and give examples of two types of diversity training. Which do you think would be more
successful? Why?
The two types of diversity training are awareness training and skills-based diversity training.
Companies also manage diversity through diversity audits and diversity pairing and by having top
Additional Assignments and Activities
Out-of-Class Project: “Diversity Case Study.” Divide the class into small groups. Each group should
thoroughly research a dilemma that a particular company has had with discrimination. The discrimination
can be related to gender, ethnicity or race, physical or mental disability, or deep-level differences. Did the
company successfully resolve the dilemma? The research should culminate in a paper or presentation to
the class.
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In-Class Activity: “Deep–Level Diversity.” Before class, have students complete the Internet exercise
“Personality Test” to determine what type of personality they are. When they come to class, divide them
into groups of four or five to discuss: 1) what type of personality each individual has; 2) a brief
description of the personality; 3) problems that might arise if these students worked together on a team
project because of personality differences; and 4) how they might solve these problems.
Out-of-Class Project: “Authentic Happiness.” Dr. Martin Seligman, of the University of
Pennsylvania, has created a series of questionnaires as part of his development of positive psychology,
Personality Type. Take the free on-line Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test at
Americans with Disabilities Act. Go to the Web site of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Go to the Web site of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 at
Diversity Training. There are a number of organizations – both for-profit and nonprofit – that consult
with private business on diversity training. Research three such organizations on the Internet. Write one
paragraph summarizing what each organization has to offer.