Management Chapter 9 Homework Shelley Willingham Hinton President The National Organization For

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Exhibit 9.11: Milestones in the History of Corporate Diversity

B. Diversity on a Global Scale

1. For organizations operating globally, social and cultural differences may create more

VIII. MANAGING DIVERSITY

INSTRUCTOR’S NOTES_________________________________________________________

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A. What is Diversity?

1. Diversity is defined as all the ways in which employees differ. Many companies

once defined diversity in terms of race, age, gender, lifestyle, and disability. Today,

2. Managing diversity, a key management skill in today’s global economy, means

Exhibit 9.12: Traditional Versus Inclusive Models of Diversity

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B. Dividends of Workplace Diversity

1. Corporations that build strong, diverse organizations reap numerous dividends,

including:

a. Better use of employee talent. Companies with the best talent are the ones with

the best competitive advantage.

b. Increased understanding of the marketplace. A diverse workforce is better able

to anticipate and respond to changing consumer needs.

IX. FACTORS SHAPING PERSONAL BIAS

INSTRUCTOR’S NOTES_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

A. Prejudice, Discrimination, and Stereotypes

1. Prejudice is the tendency to view people who are different as being deficient.

Discrimination occurs when people act out their prejudicial attitudes toward other

people who are targets of their prejudice. Although blatant discrimination is not as

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2. Stereotype threat describes the psychological experience of a person who, usually

engaged in a task, is aware of a stereotype about his or her identity group suggesting

Exhibit 9.13: Difference between Stereotyping and Valuing Cultural Differences

B. Ethnocentrism

1. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own group and subculture are inherently

superior to other groups and cultures, thus making it difficult to value diversity. The

Benchmarking: Google

Employees in Google’s corporate headquarters come from all corners of the world, but the feel a

little closer to home when they see familiar foods from their homelands on the cafeteria menu.

With a goal of satisfying a diverse, ethnically varied palate, Google’s first food guru and chef

X. FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN’S CAREERS

A. Glass Ceiling

1. The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that separates women and minorities from top

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2. Homosexuality is another related issue. Many gay and lesbian workers believe they

Discussion Question #10: What is the glass ceiling, and why do you think it has proven to be

such a barrier to women and minorities?

Exhibit 9.14: The Wage Gap

3. Establishing Mentor Relationships. The successful advancement of diverse group

members means that organizations must find ways to eliminate the glass ceiling. One

B. Opt-Out Trend

1. Many women choose to get off the fast track long before they hit the glass ceiling. In

this opt-out trend, highly-educated, professional women are deciding that corporate

C. The Female Advantage

1. Some people think women might actually be better managers, partly because of a

more collaborative, less hierarchical, relationship-oriented approach that is in tune

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New Manager Self-Test: Are You Tuned into Gender Differences?

XI. CULTURAL COMPETENCE

A. A successful diversity plan leads to a workforce that demonstrates cultural competence in

the long run. Cultural competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of

different cultures. There are five steps to implementing a diversity plan.

1. Uncover diversity problems in the organization. Organizations can’t assess their

3. Choose solutions to fit a balanced strategy. To be most effective, solutions should be

4. Demand results and revisit the goals. Diversity performance should be measured by

Exhibit 9.15: Five Steps to Develop Diversity

XII. DIVERSITY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS

A. Changing Structures and Policies

1. Many leading companies are changing structures and policies to facilitate and

B. Expanding Recruitment Efforts

1. A new approach to recruitment means making better use of recruiting strategies,

Exhibit 9.16: The Most Common Diversity Initiatives: Percentage of Fortune 1000

Respondents

C. Establishing Mentor Relationships

1. One of the most successful structures for eliminating the glass ceiling is the

D. Accommodating Special Needs

1. Many top managers are often unaware of the special needs of employees who are

single parents, are non-English-speaking, or have elderly parents. Alternative work

E. Providing Diversity Skills Training

1. Most of today’s organizations provide special training, called diversity training, to

help people identify their own cultural boundaries, prejudices, and stereotypes and

F. Increasing Awareness of Sexual Harassment

1. Sexual harassment creates an unhealthy and unproductive work environment and is

illegal. As a form of sexual discrimination, sexual harassment in the workplace is a

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a. Generalized. This form involves sexual remarks and actions not intended to lead

to sexual activity.

2. The Supreme Court has held that same-sex harassment as well as harassment of men

XIII. NEW DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

A. Multicultural Teams

1. Multicultural teams are made up of members from diverse national, racial, ethnic,

and cultural backgrounds. These teams provide even greater potential for enhanced

2. Multicultural teams are more difficult to manage because of the increased potential

for miscommunication and misunderstanding. Multicultural teams typically have

B. Employee Network Groups

1. Employee network groups are based on social identity, such as gender or race, and

are organized by employees to focus on concerns of employees from that group.

2. Employees, not the organization, form network groups, and membership is

Answers to Discussion Questions

1. Assume it is the year 2020. In your company, central planning has given way to front-line

decision making, and bureaucracy has given way to teamwork. Shop floor workers use

handheld devices and robots. A labor shortage currently affects many job openings, and the

few applicants you do attract lack skills to work in teams, make their own production

decisions, or use sophisticated technology. As vice president of human resource

management since 2008, what should you have done to prepare for this situation?

This question should get the point across that the field of human resources is always changing.

One of the things that should have been done is human resource planning. You should have kept

2. Which selection criteria (personal interview, employment test, assessment center) do you

think would be most valuable for predicting effective job performance for a college

professor? For an assembly-line worker in a manufacturing plant? Discuss.

Because college professors must present vast quantities of complex material to students within a

limited time, communication skills are very important. The personal interview is a good

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3. How do you think the growing use of telecommuters, temporary and part-time workers, and

virtual teams affects human resource management? How can managers improve recruiting

and retention of these employees?

Telecommuters perform their jobs in part at the company, as well as in other locations. Human

resource managers must ensure that productivity and quality of work will be preserved in this

4. One human resource manager recently got a thank-you note on her iPhone that said “Thx 4

the Iview! Wud ♥ to wrk 4 u☺.” The manager had like the candidate’s interview, but after

getting the note, she put him in the reject pile. Do you think it was fair for the manager to

automatically reject the candidate? Should “textspeak” be considered acceptable workplace

communication? Discuss.

5. As a manager, how would you draw up a telecommuting contract with an employee? Include

considerations such as job description, compensation and benefits, performance measures,

training, and grounds for dismissal.

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The job description for a telecommuter should, in addition to the details of what work is to be

6. Is it wise for managers to consider a candidate’s postings on social networking sites such as

Facebook as grounds for rejection before even interviewing a promising candidate? Is it

fair? Discuss.

Social networking sites such as Facebook can provide managers with important information

7. Explain how a manager’s personal biases and stereotypes may affect an organization’s

success in creating a workplace that is culturally competent.

Prejudice is the tendency to view people who are different as being deficient. Discrimination

8. Shelley Willingham-Hinton, president of the National Organization for Diversity in Sales and

Marketing, was quoted in the chapters as saying, “Our country’s consumer base is so varied.

I can’t think of how a company can succeed without having that kind of diversity with their

employees.” Why should corporations have workforces that mirror the country’s diverse

consumer base?

Vast changes are occurring in today’s workplace and consumer base. The average worker is

older now, and many more women, people of color, and immigrants are seeking job and

9. Evaluate your own experiences so far with people from other backgrounds. How well do you

think those experiences prepared you to understand the unique needs and dilemmas of a

diverse workforce?

10. What is the glass ceiling, and why do you think it has proven to be such a barrier to women

and minorities?

The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to

top management positions. As corporations grew, a monoculture developed within the top levels

11. Why do you think a large number of women are opting out of the corporate world? Discuss

whether this trend is likely to continue over the next ten years.

Women are opting out of the corporate world because they see that they must sacrifice their

personal lives with their families, their health, and face a high stress level. They want time with

12. How can organizations strike a balance between respecting and meeting the needs of a

diverse workforce and shaping a high-performance corporate culture where shared values

contribute to the accomplishment of strategic goals?

One good way to strike such a balance is by creating multicultural teams in the organization.

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Multicultural teams are made up of members from diverse national, racial, ethnic, and cultural

backgrounds. These teams provide even greater potential for enhanced creativity, innovation,

TEACHING NOTES FOR LEARNING EXERCISES

Self Learning: How Tolerant Are You?

Student survey answers will vary.

Total Score

15–28: You are basically a tolerant person, and others think of you as tolerant. In general,

29–42: You are less tolerant than most people and should work on developing greater tolerance

43–56: You have a very low tolerance for diversity. The only people you are likely to respect

Group Learning: An Ancient Tale

Students read the Introduction and Case Study presented in the exercise, then form groups to

discuss their answers to six questions asked in the exercise.

Additional Material

The case study or tale has implications regarding the impact of the organization on the

individual, the ability to protect him- or herself in the organization, and how to manage the

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Role-Play Option

If you want to bring life to the case, you could ask students to perform role-plays; to act out, for

Group Discussion Format

One suggestion is to use a group discussion format for the case as follows:

1. Prior to class, assign members to read the case and answer the questions at the end of

the case.

3. Assign each group to discuss the five questions and to arrive at a consensus decision.

This should take about 10-20 minutes.

5. After each group has made a presentation, follow the Class Discussion guidelines

Simulated Court Trial

Another way (optional) of stimulating discussion on “An Ancient Tale” is through the use of a

court trial.

1. Prior to the class in which the story will be discussed, assign individuals to play the role

2. Instruct each role player to be prepared to explain in the next session why he/she (or

3. Select an articulate student (or have the instructor) perform the role of prosecuting

4. On the day of the trial, a jury is selected (volunteers) along with a jury foreman, and the

classroom is arranged in the following manner:

The trial proceeds in the following manner:

1. The defendant and “defense attorneys” for each character proclaim the defendant’s

innocence (two minutes per character).

2. After each character proclaims his/her innocence, the prosecutor presents the case for

3. After all the characters have been tried, the jury retires (maximum period – 10 minutes)

Class Discussion

After the trial or after each group has made their presentation, the following questions can be

raised with the entire class.

1. What are the criteria by which we find people responsible for their actions in

organizations? Many would argue that the Princess is guilty because individuals must

2. How likely are individuals in organizations to pass responsibility off onto someone else?

3. If individuals fail to accept responsibility for others (such as the Knight, the Godfather, the

Vagabond failing to accept responsibility for the Princess’ welfare), what will be the

consequences for the individual? For the organization?

4. What are the value issues underlying the jury’s decision on guilt? Some will decide that the

5. When relating the case to organizational processes, one class made the following analogy:

“The Princess is a manager who is not being paid attention to by her manager (the Lord).

The Vagabond (an executive headhunter) calls upon the manager and she leaves the

Action Learning: Interview Questions

Students meet with four of five people who have recently gone through job interviews, asking

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TEACHING NOTE FOR ETHICAL DILEMMA

Sunset Prayers

1. Continue the current policy that leaves it up to the Muslim workers as to when they leave the

assembly line to perform their sunset rituals.

2. Try to hire the fewest possible Muslim workers so the work line will be efficient on second

shift.

3. Ask the Muslim workers to delay their sunset prayers until a regularly scheduled break

occurs, pointing out that North Woods is primarily a place of business, not a house of

worship.

This may be the best of the three alternatives. Having a large number of workers leaving the

CASE FOR CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation

1. What kinds of employees would you suggest Dawson Rutter hire next? Why?

2. Which of the three broad HRM activities (finding people, managing talent, or maintaining

the workforce) would you invest in most heavily in order to begin building the human capital

Commonwealth needs? Discuss.

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3. Suggest at least one idea for training, one for performance evaluation, and one for

compensation that might be used to develop and maintain a committed corps of limo drivers?

Commonwealth’s drivers should receive extensive training in the most likely local topics of

discussion for their respective locations, such as sports teams, arts and entertainment

ON THE JOB VIDEO CASE

Barcelona Restaurant Group: Managing Human Resources

1. List the three main activities of human resource management (HRM) and identify which

activity is examined at length in the video.

The three activities and goals of human resource management are (1) finding the right people, (2)

2. Of the various steps in Barcelona’s employee selection process, the job interview is the most

brief. Do you agree with the company’s approach to interviewing? Why or why not?

For most firms, the selection process involves multiple tools for assessing the “fit” between the

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3. Identify Barcelona’s three-stage process for matching job applicants with its organizational

objectives, and explain how each stage reveals the fit between job applicants and the needs of

the restaurant.

(1) The interview – managers at Barcelona use interviews to give candidates information about

(2) The “shop” – this employee assessment activity requires that candidates dine at a Barcelona

restaurant, observe their experience, and write an essay that grades the presentation of food and

BIZFLIX VIDEO CASE

Played

Video Case Synopsis

Ray Burns (Mick Rossi) does prison time for a crime he did not commit. After his release, he

focuses on getting even with his enemies. This fast-moving film peers deeply into London’s

criminal world which includes some crooked London police, especially Detective Brice (Vinnie

Jones). The film’s unusual ending reviews all major parts of the plot.

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These scenes begin with a close-up of a photograph of an ape that Riley (Patrick Bergin)

carefully examines. They follow Detective Brice’s order to Riley to kill the person who will not

give them money. He shoots him in a pub. The scenes end after Ray Burns accepts Riley’s offer.

He walks away while saying, “All right. Let’s rock and roll, man. All right. Thanks, Riley”.

Riley says, “Thank you, Ray.” The film cuts to Terry (Trevor Nugent) talking to Nikki (Meridith

Ostrom) before Ray’s arrival.

Video Case Discussion Questions and Suggested Answers

1. This chapter emphasized a strategic approach to human resource management. Detective

Brice outlines a strategy in the opening of these scenes for the job he describes to Riley.

What are the key parts of that strategy? What are the human resource implications of the

strategy?

2. Riley’s next step is to recruit Ray Burns. Which recruitment guidelines and activities does he

follow? Give examples from that portion of the film scenes.

3. Does Riley give Ray a “realistic job preview”? Use examples from the film scenes to support

your answer.