Workplace Diversity [HR0331]

Overview/Description
 What is diversity? What constitutes a diverse workforce? If you were to take a survey, chances are that you would find the answers to these two questions as "diverse" as the people you survey. The fact is that most workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse as people from different genders, races, cultures, ethnic origins, and lifestyles find themselves working together. Perhaps your organization is just now encountering the effects of a diverse workforce. Or, maybe your company is trying to overcome the changes wrought by diversity. The bottom line is you can't deal with it if you don't understand it, and that's exactly what Workplace Diversity does--helps you understand what diversity is all about! You'll learn what diversity is and how the demographics of the workforce and the marketplace affect your company and how it does business, both internally and externally. You'll find a growing understanding of how diversity might be valued in your organization. Finally, you'll discover the impact that diversity may have already had on your company.

Target Audience
 Employees at any level who desire an understanding of diversity and how to positively implement and maintain valuing diversity programs within the organization.

Expected Duration
4.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

What Is Workplace Diversity?

  • recognize the critical importance of understanding the concepts inherent in diversity issues.
  • match the two mandated programs (Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action) addressing workplace diversity with their correct purposes.
  • identify the core dimensions of self-image.
  • identify the secondary dimensions that may be part of an individual's self-image.
  • identify the concept of "unearned privilege."

    • Demographics: Work Force and Marketplace Trends

  • recognize the importance of understanding the impact of cultural diversity in a global economy.
  • match work force changes forecast by the Workforce 2000 report to workplace diversity issues.
  • identify benefits that a company might gain from capitalizing on its diverse work force.
  • determine whether a company is effectively following a policy to stabilize its workforce, in a given scenario.

    • Diversity and Change in Your Organization

  • recognize the benefit of understanding how the change process affects employee segments.
  • use the concept of change acceptance based on level of perceived risk to order employee segments' risk perceptions.
  • determine whether a given leader has effectively considered the areas that affect a successful change implementation, for given employee segments.
  • determine whether a company effectively used a survey to place employees on the diversity adoption curve, in a given scenario.
  • determine whether a leader has effectively considered the variables that enable a group of employees to quickly adopt a diversity program, in a given scenario.

    • Starting a Valuing Diversity Program

  • recognize the importance of understanding the key elements for successful implementation of a diversity program.
  • develop an effective vision statement that values diversity for a given company.
  • determine whether a company effectively assesses its organizational climate prior to implementing a valuing diversity program, in a given scenario.
  • determine which employees should be added to the diversity program core leadership team, in a given scenario.

    • Course Number: HR0331