Exam 4: Managing Diversity

Additional Case 4.1 As the Director of HR, David is leading a management discussion to plan and implement a diversity management program. David is concerned that management, while tolerant, tends to stereotype minorities and this will eventually lead to difficulties for the firm. The company's top three markets are in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. All three markets are heavily Latino in make-up. The senior management team is all male. The youngest member is 58 years of age. Martinez, the VP of Operations, feels that people should blend together and that focusing on differences merely creates divisions. He thinks that you should have a common training program to create a unified "American" company culture. Patrick, VP of Finance, doesn't see the need for a program. He respects that people are different, but he feels that once you get to know a Hispanic, African-American, or Asian-American, you know how to work with any Hispanic, African-American, or Asian-American. Moreover, Patrick doesn't believe the company should get into affirmative action programs. The firm tried it ten years ago, and it created many problems. -Refer to Additional Case 4.1.Patrick is most likely directed by:

Effective implementation of a diversity management program requires that managers be held accountable for failures and rewarded for successes.

________ and ________ are two groups that have experienced workforce participation increases in recent years,and they are expected to continue that trend in the future.

Additional Case 4.2 MGN, Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that wants to manage its diverse workforce more effectively. HR is facilitating meetings among middle managers to communicate this idea and to gather input from the managers about the best way to accomplish this goal. Mercedes, a Latina manager, suggests that the company does not need to do more than what is already being done. She cites the company's previous affirmative action plan. "Also," she argues, "we've given African-Americans and Asian-Americans more than enough opportunity. I tried to promote a Latino to supervisor position, and you guys (HR dept.) told me I really needed to give Kym, an African-American, the opportunity." Paul, a white supervisor, feels that management is management. Managing diversity is just a gimmick or a passing fad. "I've been a supervisor for 20 years, and I've found that if I treat people fairly and listen to them, things work out just fine." Ana, a relatively new middle-manager, is a bit more positive about the idea but has significant reservations. She feels, however, that the company really needs to give women and minorities access to the "old boys' network." If all the company does is conduct training and devise slogans, nothing will happen. Finally, Rahkim, an African-American supervisor, says he doesn't care what they do. He's giving notice because he's joining some other African-Americans in starting their own company. He's been a supervisor for five years and has been passed over for promotion twice. He feels that he has experienced discrimination because he's African-American. -Refer to Additional Case 4.2.Ana's concerns most likely reflect the experiences of women and minorities with:

After work on Fridays,the male middle managers at Health Equipment,Inc.go to the golf course to play a quick nine holes and to discuss business for the upcoming week.Sharon,who is an excellent golfer,has tried to join them several times but is always put off.Her boss says,"We have our foursome." Sharon is most likely experiencing the effects of:

Which term refers to the idea that one can infer an individual's motivations,interests,values,and behavioral traits based on the individual's group membership?

The set of activities involved in integrating nontraditional employees into the workforce and using their diversity to the firm's competitive advantage is referred to as ________.

Studies have shown that the old boys' network no longer exists since most high-level positions are filled by women.

Additional Case 4.3 Your retail company has 80% of its stores located in downtown metropolitan areas. Your biggest stores are in communities where minorities represent 60% of your customers. Your middle-management team has been changing over time so that 50% of your managers are women and about 30% are ethnic minorities. A significant number of your hourly employees, about 35%, have served over 20 years in their respective stores and many are over 40 years of age. Top management feels that African-Americans are under-represented in the hourly workforce and in middle management. They want HR to initiate an aggressive recruitment process to address the situation. Hispanics are the biggest minority group, besides women, in your workforce. In a discussion about where the company should target its diversity program, the CEO explains she wants to implement a training program for managers to raise their sensitivity to minorities, especially Hispanics. She also notes that there are no disabled persons in the workforce and very few Asian-Americans. Carlos, the VP of facilities, notes that he has accommodated all the Asian-American employees he can in his MIS and facility support services. He also argues that he only has about $10,000 in his budget for reorganizing display space in the stores to accommodate disabled employees and that this amount probably isn't sufficient to accommodate a disabled employee. -Refer to Additional Case 4.3.Which of the following should HR establish to complement its recruiting efforts and most likely improve retention rates for hourly African-American workers?

Shakira,who is Latina,is concerned that Latinos seem to be receiving less employment assistance and training than African-Americans at local businesses.Her concern is most likely the result of:

Additional Case 4.4 Xavier has just become the head of HR at Hot Rods, Inc. He notices that the company is very homogenous, especially in light of the very diverse community in which it is located. He is surprised to find that the number of women and other minorities is quite low in all positions. As one of his first responsibilities, Xavier wants to implement a diversity program at Hot Rods. -Refer to Additional Case 4.4.In order to determine where biases are coming from,Xavier should consider which of the following?

Additional Case 4.3 Your retail company has 80% of its stores located in downtown metropolitan areas. Your biggest stores are in communities where minorities represent 60% of your customers. Your middle-management team has been changing over time so that 50% of your managers are women and about 30% are ethnic minorities. A significant number of your hourly employees, about 35%, have served over 20 years in their respective stores and many are over 40 years of age. Top management feels that African-Americans are under-represented in the hourly workforce and in middle management. They want HR to initiate an aggressive recruitment process to address the situation. Hispanics are the biggest minority group, besides women, in your workforce. In a discussion about where the company should target its diversity program, the CEO explains she wants to implement a training program for managers to raise their sensitivity to minorities, especially Hispanics. She also notes that there are no disabled persons in the workforce and very few Asian-Americans. Carlos, the VP of facilities, notes that he has accommodated all the Asian-American employees he can in his MIS and facility support services. He also argues that he only has about $10,000 in his budget for reorganizing display space in the stores to accommodate disabled employees and that this amount probably isn't sufficient to accommodate a disabled employee. -Refer to Additional Case 4.3.Carlos' comments about hiring disabled employees:

Additional Case 4.4 Xavier has just become the head of HR at Hot Rods, Inc. He notices that the company is very homogenous, especially in light of the very diverse community in which it is located. He is surprised to find that the number of women and other minorities is quite low in all positions. As one of his first responsibilities, Xavier wants to implement a diversity program at Hot Rods. -Refer to Additional Case 4.4.Xavier most likely finds that there is relatively little interaction between men and women and between minorities and non-protected class members at Hot Rods.These are clear examples of:

The management concept holding that all management practices should be standardized is called the ________.

One place where diversity has grown with little difficulty is in the aging of the workforce,since managers do not hold negative assumptions about older workers as they do with other protected classes.

Homosexuals are extended the same employment discrimination rights as other protected-class groups under the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

Workforce diversity can most likely enhance organizational effectiveness by:

Heterogeneity in organizations tends to lead to communication confusion and groupthink.

Extended leave is LEAST likely to include:

There are at least ________ Latinos in the United States.