Chapter III – DIVERSITY

According to Harrison & Klein, 2007

- It is the distribution of differences among the members of a unit
with respect to a common attribute.
According to Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007
- A group characteristic that reflects the degree to which there
are objective and/or subjective differences among group
members.

TYPES OF DIVERSITY:

1.Surface-Level Diversity –characteristics that are noticeable when you look at someone on the surface.

ex. Age, sex, weight, height and race.

2. Deep Level Diversity – attributes that are not immediately observable.

ex. Values, personality, attitude.

Distinct Types of Diversity according to Harrison and Klein:

 Diversity as Separation

- It refers to differences on a particular attribute as attributes, beliefs and values.

ex: Cultural Values, job, attitudes, political beliefs

 Diversity as Variety

- It refers to differences in knowledge, life experiences

ex. Professional background

 Diversity as Disparity

- It refers to differences in status and power.

THEORIES OF DIVERSITY

Relational Demography Theory (cited by Pfeffer, 1983)

-It represents the earliest works in the team diversity literature which examined the basic characteristics of teams.

-this theory suggests that people compare their own demographic characteristics with those of their own

teammates to determine whether they are similar or different.

Social Categorization Theory

•Self-Categorization Theory –maintains that people categorize themselves and others into in-group (those who
are similar to them) and out-group (those who are different from them) membership based on surface-level
characteristics. It is also called as the “pessimistic view” of diversity.

•Social Identity Theory –shows that people derive part of their self-esteem from their identity groups. Therefore,
people tag positive characteristics in their in-group, and negative characteristics to their out-group.

Similarity-Attraction Hypothesis

•It predicts that diverse teams will be less productive than homogenous teams because homogenous teams share

similar attributes and are more attracted to working with one another.

Value in Diversity Hypothesis

•It has been called as the “optimistic” view of diversity. It proposes may ways in which diversity can create value
for teams and how that value could overshadow any negative effects of team diversity, providing a competitive
advantage.

Value in Diversity Hypothesis

•Problem-solving Argument –diverse teams should produce better decisions via a wider range of
perspectives considered and a more thorough analysis of issues.

•Cost argument –as organizations become more diverse, those are able to integrate diversity more
smoothly will

realize cost advantages.

Resource-acquisition argument

- proposes that companies with a good reputation for being inclusive and integrating diversity well will win with the
competition for best talent.

Marketing Argument

-diverse companies with a wealth of cultural information among employees will be able to better market their
products in foreign markets as well to domestic subgroups of the population.

System flexibility argument

-companies adopting a multicultural approach to managing diversity will be less rigid and more fluid, which will
allow them to better respond to environmental changes.

Information-processing perspective
-argues that any time there is a task uncertainty, there is a greater amount of information which must be processes
to accomplish a task and obtain good performance.
ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSITY PROCESSES:

Biases –tendencies, inclinations or feelings, particularly ones that are preconceived and lack reasoning; they are
often implicitly or subconsciously driven.

•Stereotypes –generalizations or beliefs about a particular group or its members which are unjustified because
they reflect over-generalizations and factual errors as well as misattributions to other groups.

•Prejudices –unfair, negative attitude toward a social group or a person who is a member of that group.

•Discrimination –is to treat someone in a way less desirable from the way one would normally treat others
because of their group membership.

Bias in Organization has two components:

1. PREJUDICE – refers to negative attitudes toward an organization member based on his/her culture group
identity.
2. DISCRIMINATION- refers to observable behaviour for the same reason.

THREE PHASES ESTABLISHED TO ATTEMPT TO MOVE PAST THESE DISCRIMINATI0N

1. First- generation affirmative action

the organization is concerned with meeting legally mandate requirements for gender and ethnic diversity.
2. Second – generation affirmative action
the firm has met affirmative action goals in terms of numbers and the emphasis shifts to supporting female
and minority employees
3. Multicultural Organization
moves beyond the concept of support for minority members to the institution of policies that deliberately
capitalize on cultural and gender diversity.

The Impact of Diversity:

Learning- diversity in any situation is a chance for others to learn about people who are different from themselves.

Experience and Knowledge- the experiences a person has often are impacted by their background and cultural
traits which allows each employee to bring a unique set of skills and strength into the business.

International Skills – with globalization become an integral part of business ,its more important that ever to
companies to be able to interact in the global market.

Reputation – employers who have a reputation for being fair tto workers from all walks of life and having no
tolerance for discrimination are far more appealing than employers who do not.

Discrimination- it is the business responsibility to establish what the policies are in regards to discrimination and
to ensure that they follow any and all anti discrimination laws

Poor Interaction –a lack of understanding or misconceptions about a particular demographic can generate a ton of
issues between the affected employees and their interactions.

Authority and Trainings- it’s a good that business take the initiate in training their staff on diversity, it can be
problematic if mishandled. There maybe some resistance to diversity from staffers and they may see training as
forcing them to accept unnecessary changes.
CHAPTER IV CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Cultural diversity - is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, the global
monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural evolution.

 Culture is the way people resolve people dilemmas.

 Customer Service provides support for customers through information, assistance, and creating a trusting
environment.
 Employees must understand the importance of inclusivity and cultural differences to engage with variety
of cultures.
 Dispelling negative stereotypes and personal biases about different groups it helps us recognize “ways of
being” in building bridges of trust and respect across cultures.

Dimensions of Culture
1.Neutral vs Emotional Cultures
Neutral Cultures emotions are thought to distort showing “unprofessional”.
Emotional Cultures are regarded as what makes us human, allowing us to communicate and understand one
another.

When dealing with customers from neutral cultures:

 Don’t be depressed by a seeming lack of emotions.
 Keep your own emotions in control, focus on objective arguments.
 Pay attention to subtle hints to understand the customer’s opinion on something.

When dealing with customers from emotional cultures:

 Don’t be overwhelmed by seemingly dramatic scenes of emotions.
 Return warmth when it is expressed, avoid expression less behavior
 Clear positive or negative emotions don’t mean the customer

2. UNIVERSALIST vs PARTICULARIST CULTURES

Universal cultures - expect to be treated like everyone else.
Particularistic culture- expect more privileges if they have a personal relationship with the company.

When dealing with customers from universalistic cultures:

 Don’t be offended by ‘get down to business attitudes’.
 Focus on rational, objective arguments.
 Treat customers according to clear set of rules.

When dealing with customers from particularistic cultures:

 Take “small talk” seriously it’s to build up a relationship.
 Focus on building up personal relationships with customer s, since this will give you privileges.
 Grant priorities to loyal or known customers.

3. HIGH vs LOW CONTEXT COMMUNICATION

Low context cultures, people are very explicit, simple, clear, and straightforward.
High context cultures, leave much more space to the other side to read between the lines.

When dealing with customers from higher cultures:

 Don’t take what the customer says at face value.
 Pay attention to hidden, subtle messages.
 Beware of any double meanings that your own communication might have.
When dealing with customers from lower cultures:
 Take what your customer says at face value.
 Be simple, precise, and clear in your communication.

4. INDIVIDUALISTIC vs COMMUNICATION CULTURES

Individualistic cultures- Trompenaars argues, people regard everyone as an individual with independent
opinions.
Communication cultures- what other people think of you is very important.

When dealing with customers from individualistic cultures:

 Present productive/ service in terms of how it helps the customer stand out.
 Address the customer’s personal decision making power.
When dealing with customers from communitarian cultures:
 Focus on building lasting relationships.
 Present product/ service in terms of how it helps the customer fit in or how it benefits her group.
 Try to get buy-in from the group.

5. POWER DISTANCE
Customer from high power distance cultures are likely to ask to “speak to the manager” when they have a
complaint.
Customer from lower power distance cultures are less likely to ask this, because they don’t value authority that
much.

When dealing with customers from high power distance cultures:

 Respect and mention the customer’s (high) job title or position.
 Expect customers to ask for your position.
 Don’t expect that ‘empowered employees’ can resolve issues with important customer.

When dealing with customers from low power distance cultures:

 Don’t mention the customer’s job title or position when it isn’t relevant.
 Empowered and trained employees can resolve issues with important customers.

6. ACHIEVEMENT vs ASCRIPTION CULTURES

Achievement cultures- your self value is based on what you’ve done on your performance.
Ascription cultures- it’s based on who you are --- your power, title, age, position, attended university, etc.

When dealing with customers from achievement cultures:

 Show respect for status based on achievements.
 Don’t mention titles when irrelevant to the issue.
 Focus on data for making a point.
When dealing with customers from ascription cultures:
 Show respect for status based on age, power, position, etc.
 Mention titles, even when irrelevant to the issue.
 Have an older member in your service team who can talk with older customers on an equal footing.

7. NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
-Meyer explains that some cultures are very direct in giving direct feedback, while others will do so subtly and
politely. Being aware of this will protect you from a falsely positive or negative perception when receiving
feedback from culturally diverse customers.
When dealing with customers from direct feedback cultures:
 Don’t be shocked by direct feedback.
 Don’t assume that negative feedback means you’ve lost the customer.
 Be clear in your communication.

When dealing with customers from indirect feedback cultures:

 Be more perceptive to what sounds like mere suggestions.
 Take explicit negative feedback very seriously: you’ve almost lost the customer.
 Be gentle in your communication.

8. DEDUCTIVE vs INDUCTIVE PERSUASION

Deductive presents a thesis statement and then provides supportive facts or examples.
Inductive presents facts and then wraps them up with a conclusion.

When dealing with customers from more deductive cultures:

 Explain value by moving from theories and deeper concepts to practical applications.

When dealing with customers from more inductive persuasion cultures:

 Explain value by starting at practical application, and back up with concepts.
 Avoid deep theoretical arguments.

9. TIME SCHEDULING
Meyer argues that some cultures believe the future can be strictly planned (linear time). A tight deadline
schedule is made, and perfect execution is followed.
Adaptability and flexibility are valued.

When dealing with customers from more linear time cultures:

 Realize that the planning mentioned by you or the customer is interpreted as precise
 Be very explicit when a planning, like delivery date or time, is an estimation

When dealing with customers from more flexible time

cultures:
 Realize that the planning are always intentions and estimations.
 Be as flexible as possible.
CHAPTER V - Communication in a Diverse Environment

Cross Cultural Communication Skills – are essential.

Cross-cultural communication is a process of creating and sharing meaning among people from different cultural
backgrounds using a variety of means.

Challenges of Communication in a diverse workplace are common but solvable.

Civil Rights Act of 1964- means that businesses must hire without discriminatory practices and must offer a safe
workplace that's void of discrimination.

Workplace Diversity Explained

Diversity comes in many different forms in business. Gender roles, race, different culture groups - and even migrant
workers - are represented in diverse workplaces. Essentially, any business environment operating without a
uniform, looks like a group of employees that has diversity in the workplace.

Benefits of a Diverse Workforce

 Diversity brings fresh ideas and a multicultural view to the work environment. It can stimulate creativity
while also serving the greater marketplace.
 The business can utilize first-hand experience and empathy from the market-test group to build a better
product.
 Build more relevant, genuine messaging for marketing campaigns.
 A melting pot of ideas and creativity is capable of bringing more vision to the production process.

Develop Listening Skills

 Working in a diverse environment requires excellent listening skills. Every cultural group communicates
differently, and great co-workers and managers will listen to each other before speaking.
 Listening develops the ability to communicate more clearly and to better understand individuals and
groups from different cultural groups.
 Listening is a skill that requires time and patience.

Encourage Self-Expression
 Self-expression is difficult for anybody at work, but this is especially true for minority groups in a business.
Challenges of Language Barriers
 creating training manuals to represent every language – while also using ambassadors as a point of
contact – can help overcome some of those linguistic issues

The Holistic Vision

 Equality in a diverse workplace requires equal standards for every employee. Building a holistic vision
means stepping back to view the workplace without bias. See it from every perspective and use that vision
to build empathy and understand about the roles played by every employee, including minority groups.
Uniform Training and Expectations
 Managing expectations and setting a training regimen that places everyone on equal footing, is an
important element for communicating in a diverse environment.

Workplace Sensitivity Training

 The Human Resources department in every business is tasked with encouraging and enforcing equality.
The HR team can create sensitivity training programs to teach communication skills while bringing
everyone together.

Strategic Mentor Programs

  Utilizing strategic mentors is one of the better ways to introduce new employees to a diverse and
potentially uncomfortable workplace. Focus on mentors that are successful and respected to take the new
workers under their wing.

Attitude Is Everything
 Finding effective ways to communicate in a diverse workplace is often a simple matter attitude.

Communicating With Body Language

 Even though a positive, outgoing attitude is great for communicating, using body language also should be
considered. Your body language is especially important when interacting with different cultural groups.

Seven Tips for Communicating In Today's Diverse Workplace

1. Learn how the source culture best receives communications.
2. Train international employees early and often.
3. Train the non-foreign-born, too.
4. Assign mentors and take care of the spouses.
5. Practice open-door communication carefully.
6. In company-wide communications, avoid jargon and slang.
7. Play by the rules and stick to business.

Verbal Communication Skills in a multi-cultural Environment

 Its basic level communication is quite easy with a limited knowledge of a different language; however a
successful communication in a working environment requires a high level of expertise.
 The verbal skill involves your ability to understand different accents, to use it in an internationally
recognizable pronunciation and to master the word-craft-ship in the better correlation with the signifier
and signified

Non-Verbal Communication Skills in a multi-cultural Environment

 Chad Lewis, in his Successful Communication in Multi-cultural Environments, orchestrates how the non-
verbal expressions matter to the successful communication under a diverse cultural rainbow.
 To him even the secondary channels like smell, movement (fidgeting), our body position (posture), facial
expressions, yawning to convey a message are important to have a control over, though it not always
possible to do so.

Kinesics -refers to the usage of body language, gestures, eye-contacts etc. can be another issue to pose challenges
in a diverse culture.

Eye-contact- is treated as a sign of paying attention or showing interest, but still there are communities that would
rather readily take it as a sign of aggression.

Head wobbling - used in India as a body language to answer a question can lead to misinterpretation to some
other cultural context.