Diversity and Inclusion at

the Workplace
What comes to mind when
you hear the word
DIVERSITY?
What comes to mind when
you hear the word
INCLUSION?
 Why is it important to
have conversations
surrounding Diversity and
Inclusion in organizations?
Diversity
Diversity refers to ways in which people differ from each other.
• Diversity: All the ways people within a group differ from one
another
• Inclusion: Actions that help everyone feel welcomed and
respected
• Belonging: A sense of fitting in or feeling like you are an important
member of a group
Reflection Questions
1. As you think about your organization, are these three definitions in
place?
2. Are they being practiced daily? In what ways?
3. Would all of your employees agree?
4. When you look back at employee complaints and or employee
litigation, are there any incidents that stem from lack of diversity,
lack of opportunity for diverse employees, or a feeling of not being
included?
5. Have you had to manage any discrimination situations? If so, what
part did exclusion and not feeling accepted or included play?
1. What is inclusion and how
does it impact on workplace
outcome?
2. How can organizations assess
inclusion?
3. Which behaviors, practices
and organizational values
increase and build workplace
inclusion?
4. How do we help people
belong?
 Diversity Management Practices in Select Firms in India:
A Critical Analysis
Sanghamitra Buddhapriya,IJIR, Vol. 48, No. 4, April 2013

• Cultural diversity is the hallmark of Indian society and very few

countries in the world are as diverse as India.
• At the governmental level, there have been affirmative efforts (in the
shape of caste and region based reservations) right since
independence to strike a balance in terms of different castes and
communities in the governmental workforce.
• This had often led to accusations of trumping merit in the name of
balanced social development.
• Therefore, in the private business houses there has been a
conventional distaste for ensuring diversity through affirmative
action.
• Diversity initiatives within the private organizations thus largely
imitate global practices to ensure a diverse workforce.
• Various organizations have now started linking ‘diversity’ with their
strategic objectives.
• Especially, the issue of gender diversity, which is narrowly defined as
more women participating in the workforce, has been a new trend
with organizations going overseas and looking for global reach.
Aim of research (2015)
• Collate the practices of various organizations in the space of diversity
and inclusion
• Understand why they were doing what they were doing
• Share pointers with new entrants in this journey on diversity and
inclusion about the dos and don’ts in the field.
Methodology
• qualitative method used to answer the research questions.
• Semi-structured interviews with D & I practitioners was a natural
starting point for collecting data.
• data was also collected from the business heads from the
organization /HR leads, members of minority groups spread in
participating organizations.
Key Findings
(making a business case for D&I)
• In India started a around 2008-09
• Several factors that made diversity discourse find a foothold in
organizations
• induction of talent in large numbers,
• median age in organizations shifting down,
• glaring absence of women in the middle and senior positions have
• ensuring diversity and looking at inclusion seems to be a more recent
one, gaining momentum only after 2015 for most companies.
• Organizations are looking at a multi-pronged approach to promote
inclusion –
• be it through communication,
• polices,
• sensitization efforts and support mechanisms to help people succeed.
• Gender does seem to be a primary area of focus across all the
organizations interviewed.
• Attempts at inclusion, have varying levels of reach and
focus.
• At one end of the spectrum is
• finding occasions to represent that diversity (for e.g. ensuring
representation of the minority groups in different committees
and decision making processes) or celebrate the diversity
(marking all religious events, to ensuring policies are in place
for maternity benefits, equal pay and equal opportunities).
• At the other end is the broadening of understanding of
diversity and differences beyond the labels of language,
gender and age to ensure respect for all.
• Inclusion is a matter of passion and is driven by few
people.
 Questions for Discussion
What should organizations do when they spot such social
media behavior?

What impact do such social attitudes have on workplace

inclusion?
A Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion

• According to McKinsey: Companies with high levels of gender and ethnic

diversity outperform others by up to 35%. (Dixon-Fyle et al., 2020)
• A Boston Consulting Group study found that companies with more diverse
management teams have 19% higher revenues due to innovation.
(Lorenzo et al,. 2018)
• 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important factor when
considering employment opportunities, and more than 50% of current
employees want their workplace to do more to increase diversity.
(Glassdoor, 2014)
• Higher representation of women in C-suite positions results in 34% greater
returns to shareholders. (Dishman, 2015)
• Companies with diversity are 45% more likely to report that they captured a
larger portion of the market and 70% more likely to have entered into a
new market in the past year. (Hewlett, Marshall & Sherbin, 2013).
https://www.ted.com/talks/janet_stovall_how_to_get_serious_about_
diversity_and_inclusion_in_the_workplace#t-649923

Intersectionality - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6dnj2IyYjE
 Prejudice and
Discrimination
Case:
Organization X is a startup truck aggregator company.
It job is to provide truck services-on-call.
It believes in recruiting fresh graduates to handle all the depts.
especially the IT dept.
The head of IT dept is 45 year old M.Tech. from a US univ.
having 15 years of experience in IT and supply chain.
He is very innovative.
But the owner wants to replace him with two young Engineers
since he feels that age has negative impact on output.
The owner therefore is often tempted to find faults in the work of
IT Head.
What can be done to salvage this situation?
What is Prejudice and Discrimination?

prejudice is "an unfavorable attitude toward people

because they are members of a particular group,"
discrimination is "an unfavorable action toward people
because they are members of a particular racial or
ethnic group"
Prejudice and Discrimination: Cause
and Effect?

People assume that prejudice is the cause and

discrimination is the effect;
thus, if a person seems to be prejudiced against others,
then that person is more likely to discriminate.
Attitude does not always result in action, and action
does not always stem from attitude.
Theories of Prejudice
1. Cultural Transmission Theory: Stereotypes
and Social Distance
According to the cultural transmission theory of prejudice, "the building blocks
of prejudice are contained within the society’s traditions or culture and are
transmitted to children in a natural way as they are exposed to those traditions
in the home and community" (McLemore, Racial and Ethnic Relations, 123).
◦ (eg. Making fun of disabilities like speech, walk)

According to this theory, children within a cultural group are

taught stereotypes—simplified images—of people outside the group.

Stereotypes do not necessarily reflect hostility; they may simply reflect a

group’s shared beliefs about groups outside their own. Children within a group
are also taught principles of social distance, the desired limits that their group
sets on contact with other groups. Stereotypes help children to recognize those
persons they are taught to keep their distance from.
For example
◦ after WW II Germans were stereotyped as "warlike" and the
Japanese as "sly."
The creation and promotion of stereotypes is
aggravated by imagery in mass communication.
◦ Eg. news media’s constant portrayal of
drug- abusers as violent, antisocial black youth
Social distance begins when certain traits are identified
as "good" or "bad," and then are linked with stereotypes
of particular groups.

Individuals learn to stick with some groups and avoid

contact with others.
◦ Eg formation of Ghettos in US and minority neighbourhood in
India
Theories of Prejudice
2. Personality Theory: Frustration and
Aggression
Frustration/aggression hypothesis asserts that social frustration
caused by struggles for power within society causes aggression
by members of one social group against members of another.
When such abuse occurs and cannot be prevented, people have a
natural impulse to retaliate.

● Reservation issue
Since they often cannot retaliate against the source of their
troubles, they look for someone with equal or less social power to
retaliate against in place of the real (but too powerful) target.
Frustration, drives subordinate members of powerful social
groups to commit aggressive injustice against social
scapegoats, who are usually individuals in an even lower
level of the power structure.
people who commit aggressive injustice against social
scapegoats, and who experience guilt and fear as a result of
their unjust actions, can learn to justify their actions by their
actions’ results.
If someone unjustly harms someone else, and the person
who has been hurt retaliates, the original offender can
justify further because of the harm done to them by the
retaliation.
For doers of injustice who have moral qualms about their
own actions, justifying their injustice eliminates painful and
frustrating cognitive dissonance, or thoughts (social and
moral) that sharply conflict with each other.
Theories of Prejudice
3. Group Identification Theory: Ethnocentrism

When people gather into groups, they naturally tend to view

groups outside of their own as different, and they are more
likely to view other groups as inferior. This tendency is
called ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism hinges on the notion that the primary
importance of one’s own group is a "given," and that the
standards and behaviors of other groups are of questionable
value, at best.
Ethnocentrism creates strong communities through familial
and social ties based on intimacy, but it also creates deep
conflicts between different groups compelled by law to
tolerate one another
There are two major exceptions, however, to the rule
that it is ethnocentrism that causes prejudice
◦ First, people frequently admire groups or individuals "outside"
of their own group. Enemies may admire each other’s tactics;
sports competitors from different cultures may praise each
other’s accomplishments; and groups may embrace each
other’s music and even "fuse" them.
Second, ethnocentrism is often derailed by self-hate,
especially in society’s minority groups. Self-hate
causes individuals belonging to a marginalized group to
look down on their own group and imitate a dominant
one.
● Westernization and sanskritization of lifestyle like wearing of jeans
and celebration of birthdays
Give examples of some attitudes/prejudices you learned
as a child with reference to
◦ Minorities
◦ Women
◦ Government jobs
◦ Private jobs

How is it coming in your way in your professional life?

Theories of Discrimination

How can discrimination cause prejudice?

First, children frequently learn to discriminate before they
learn to be prejudiced. If they hear members of their group
using a racist term about another group, for instance, they
are likely to conform to their group by using that term, even
if they do not know what it means.
Later, when prejudice has taken root in these children
through instruction or experience or both, the discriminatory
acts they learned before "make sense," providing
foundations for further discrimination and prejudice.
Second, pre-existing discrimination can create a
"vicious circle" of discrimination. Suppose, for
instance, that racial prejudice forces a minority group to
live in poverty. For members of the dominant social
group, this poverty provides a rationale for prejudice
against the minority group and discrimination against
it.
Theories of Discrimination
1. Situational Pressures Theory
Situational pressures theory is based upon the fact that people’s actions, under pressure
of particular situations, do not always match their professed beliefs and attitudes.
Discrimination can appear or disappear, depending upon the situation.
The gap between belief and action is called the creed/deed discrepancy. Usually, the
creed/deed discrepancy occurs when people who profess not to be prejudiced actively
discriminate against "outside" groups due to their fear that members of their group will
ostracize or otherwise punish them for accepting the "outside" groups. Sometimes,
however, the creed/deed discrepancy can arise when people discriminate less than they
are generally inclined to do
LaPiere (1934) study
◦ In a classic study, LaPierre (1934) drove through the U.S. with a Chinese couple. They stopped at
over 250 restaurants and hotels and were refused service only once. Several months later, the owners
were surveyed on whether they would serve Chinese people. The response was overwhelmingly
negative, 92 percent of those surveyed said that they would not. In this case, clearly, their behavior
gave less evidence of racial bias than their expressed attitudes did.
Thus prejudice and fear of peer group disapproval can be neutralized by unexpected
reactions and perhaps even basic decency on the part of individuals
Theories of Discrimination
2. Group Gains Theory
Group gains theory argues that dominant social groups
discriminate against subordinate groups because individual
members of the dominant groups enjoy concrete gains as a result.
"white supremacy" tradition in the United States, for instance,
remains in force because all white people—rich or poor, social
elite or misfits—can use it to their benefit in mean, unjust, but
concrete ways.
◦ From the days of the slaveholding South to the advent of effective civil
rights laws, the black population supplied the dominant white population
with cheap labor, easily seizable property, and other points of exploitation.
◦ In less material ways, white people adhering to white supremacy have
been able to see themselves as superior to all non-white people, even if the
people considered inferior are wealthier, better educated, and better
attuned to the manners of the dominant culture.
The group gains theory of discrimination, like the
situational pressures theory, offers some hope in terms of
possible social change.
After all, individuals in a dominant group can feel such
guilt, anxiety, and fear of retribution because of their
group’s injustice to others that they may seek a change in
the system.
The group gains, in this case, are overcome by moral
disgust and a desire not to see history repeated.
This is why many white people who remained prejudiced
against black people supported the civil rights legislation of
the 1960s
Theories of Discrimination
3. Institutional Structure Theory
Prejudice and discrimination have only grown more devious.
In the past few years, many white Americans have become ashamed of
the prejudices they have, especially racial prejudices. This shame,
combined with the prejudice that remains, results in discrimination of a
tricky variety.
◦ For instance, members of a wealthy, mainly white neighborhood may wish to
avoid having their children bussed to schools in poorer neighborhoods, arguing
that neighborhood desegregation is a better idea.
◦ At the same time, they may actively work to maintain a real estate market in
which only affluent white people are likely to be their neighbors. These people
may profess a belief that schools should be desegregated, but in fact (consciously
or not), they are working to keep segregation in place.
◦ Such a situation is especially difficult because many people in the dominant
group may mean no harm at all, and are genuinely puzzled when they are accused
of racial discrimination because they prefer secure, prosperous neighborhoods
with good schools
Social Identity Theory
Social identity is a person’s sense of who they are
based on their group membership(s).
The theory was originally developed to understand the
psychological basis of intergroup discrimination
Tajfel (1979) proposed that the groups (e.g. social
class, family, football team etc.) which people belonged
to were an important source of pride and self-esteem.
Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of
belonging to the social world.
In the Social Identity Theory, a person has not one, “personal self”, but
rather several selves that correspond to widening circles of group
membership.
Different social contexts may trigger an individual to think, feel and act
on basis of his personal, family or national “level of self” (Turner et al,
1987).
Apart from the “level of self”, an individual has multiple “social
identities”.
Social identity is the individual’s self-concept derived from perceived
membership of social groups (Hogg & Vaughan, 2002).
In other words, it is an individual-based perception of what defines the
“us” associated with any internalized group membership. This can be
distinguished from the notion of personal identity which refers to
self-knowledge that derives from the individual’s unique attributes.
Social Identity Theory asserts that group membership
creates ingroup/ self-categorization and enhancement in
ways that favor the in-group at the expense of the out-group.
The examples (minimal group studies) of Turner and Tajfel
(1986) showed that the mere act of individuals categorizing
themselves as group members was sufficient to lead them to
display ingroup favoritism.
After being categorized of a group membership, individuals
seek to achieve positive self-esteem by positively
differentiating their ingroup from a comparison outgroup on
some valued dimension.
This quest for positive distinctiveness means that people’s
sense of who they are is defined in terms of ‘we’ rather than
‘I’.
Tajfel and Turner (1979) identify three variables whose
contribution to the emergence of ingroup favoritism is
particularly important.
◦ A) the extent to which individuals identify with an ingroup to internalize
that group membership as an aspect of their self-concept.
◦ B) the extent to which the prevailing context provides ground for
comparison between groups.
◦ C) the perceived relevance of the comparison group, which itself will be
shaped by the relative and absolute status of the ingroup.
Individuals are likely to display favoritism when an ingroup is
central to their self-definition and a given comparison is
meaningful or the outcome is contestable.
In order to increase our self-image we enhance the status
of the group to which we belong.
◦ For example, England is the best country in the world! We can
also increase our self-image by discriminating and holding
prejudice views against the out group (the group we don’t belong
to).
◦ For example, the Americans, French etc. are a bunch of losers!
Therefore, we divided the world into “them” and “us”
based through a process of social categorization (i.e. we
put people into social groups).
The central hypothesis of social identity theory is that
group members of an in-group will seek to find
negative aspects of an out-group, thus enhancing their
self-image.
Prejudiced views between cultures may result in
racism; in its extreme forms, racism may result in
genocide, such as occurred in Germany with the Jews,
in Rwanda between the Hutus and Tutsis and, more
recently, in the former Yugoslavia between the
Bosnians and Serbs.
Henri Tajfel proposed that stereotyping (i.e. putting
people into groups and categories) is based on a normal
cognitive process: the tendency to group things
together. In doing so we tend to exaggerate:
◦ 1. the differences between groups
◦ 2. the similarities of things in the same group.
Examples of In-groups – Out-groups
◦ Northern Ireland: Catholics – Protestants
◦ Rwanda: Hutus and Tutsis
◦ Yugoslavia: the Bosnians and Serbs
◦ Germany: Jews and the Nazis
◦ Politics: Labor and the Conservatives
◦ Football: Liverpool and Manchester United
◦ Gender: Males and Females
◦ Social Class: Middle and Working Classes
Tajfel and Turner (1979) proposed that there are three
mental processes involved in evaluating others as “us”
or “them” (i.e. “in-group” and “out-group”.
The first is categorization. We categorize objects in
order to understand them and identify them.
In a very similar way we categorize people (including
ourselves) in order to understand the social
environment.
We use social categories like black, white, Australian,
Christian, Muslim, student, and bus driver because they
are useful
In the second stage, social identification, we adopt the
identity of the group we have categorized ourselves as
belonging to.
If for example you have categorized yourself as a student,
the chances are you will adopt the identity of a student and
begin to act in the ways you believe students act (and
conform to the norms of the group).
There will be an emotional significance to your
identification with a group, and your self-esteem will
become bound up with group membership
The final stage is social comparison. Once we have
categorized ourselves as part of a group and have
identified with that group we then tend to compare that
group with other groups. If our self-esteem is to be
maintained our group needs to compare favorably with
other groups.
reference
Chapter 1: Theories of Prejudice and Discrimination
◦ http://www.texas-poseit.org/textcourses/culturaldiversity/pageview.asp?un
it=chap1.htm&cur_id=676970
Social Identity Theory
◦ http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of
intergroup conflict. The social psychology of intergroup
relations?, 33, 47.
SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY
HTTP://WWW.UTWENTE.NL/CW/THEORIEENOVERZI
CHT/THEORY%20CLUSTERS/INTERPERSONAL%20C
OMMUNICATION%20AND%20RELATIONS/SOCIAL_ID
ENTITY_THEORY/
Unconscious Bias: From Awareness to
Action
Basic Definitions

• Bias – Preference that inhibits impartial judgment

• Prejudice – Strong feelings or beliefs about a

person or subject; pre-judging others without
reviewing facts or information; often based on
fear. Prejudice is CONSCIOUS.

• Stereotype – Assumption that everyone in a group

is the same.
 BIASES ARE OFTEN:
HIDDEN/UNSCONSCIOUS/AUTOMATI
C
Do these describe male or female?
Tomboy Doctor Bossy Nurse Strong

Caring Hero Emotional Leader Athlete Artistic

Tough Smart Science teacher mechanical pilot

Elementary teacher logical sweet

foolish
 Implicit Association
Test
• Implicit Associations Test
• Examine your level of bias related to things like gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion,
body
type, and more.

• The IAT is available online, free of charge, via Project

Implicit (implicit.Harvard.edu)
• Researchers have indicated that the IAT has shortcomings, HOWEVER,
still useful for awareness of one’s biases
Who Would You
Hire?
(Assume all are equally qualified)
Position: Marketing
Director

or
Position:
Trainee

or
Position: Bank Director

or
Position: PR
Representative

or
Position: Construction
Manager

or
Position:
Nurse

or
What is The Safer Method of
Transport?

or
What Are You Most Afraid
Of?

or or
Who Is More
Competent?

or
The smoker was Germany´s
Chancellor for 8 years – Helmut
Schmidt

The nicely dressed physician on the left is on German TV daily to give his
expertise for advertisement purposes only. He has nothing to do with
health concerns nor is he a doctor.
A group of researchers in America sent two fictional job applications
to 127 professors for a position of laboratory manager. Both
candidates were 22 years of age, had the same grades and the same
references. The only difference was that one was called ‘John’ and
the other one ‘Jennifer’. Can you guess what happened?

• Jennifer’ was more likely to be hired than ‘John’, with a starting salary of $4,000
more
• ‘John’ was more likely to be hired than ‘Jennifer’, with a starting salary of $4,000
more
• Both ‘John’ and ‘Jennifer’ were as likely to be hired and with the same starting salary
• According to a 2012 Yale University study, male applicants were
more likely to be hired and with a higher salary than female
applicants. This in spite of having otherwise identical
characteristics.
A British study found that job applications with a British sounding
name received a 24% positive response rate from employers. What
positive response rate did candidates with the same CVs (resumes),
but non-British sounding names receive?

• 24%, the same as applicants with British sounding names.

• 20%
• 15%
• C – 15%

• A 2017 study by Anthony Heath and Valentina Di Stasio found that, on average,
nearly one in four applicants from the majority group, i.e. with British sounding
names (24%), received a positive response* from employers.

• As for people with non-British sounding names, only 15% of them received a
positive response despite having identical resumes and cover letters.

• (*By ‘positive response’, the researchers meant any reply suggesting a genuine
interest in the applicant, such as invitations to job interviews, requests to provide
additional information on skills or previous experience, to complete a test or to
schedule a phone appointment with the employer.)
If one of your employees returns from maternity leave, it is
unconscious bias to spare her the trouble of going on business trips or
taking on extra responsibilities. Is this:

• True?
• False?
• A – True

• This is an example of so-called benevolence bias. You might think

you are doing a new mum a favour by sparing her extra stress.
However, this is for her to decide so you should at least ask her
what she thinks.

• Assuming that, because somebody just had a baby, she may not
want extra responsibilities, implies unconscious assumptions on
motherhood. Instead, everybody is different and assuming that
someone wants to take it easy after having a baby might just harm
her career.
Implicit/Unconscious Bias
• Unconscious, outside of our control
• Automatic
• Lead to perceptual bias
• Influences how we see, feel, remember, know, judge
• Learned associations
Types of Implicit Bias
Types of Implicit Bias
• Affinity Bias • Anchoring Bias
• Conformity Bias • Beauty Bias
• Contrast Bias • Colour/culture bias
• Age Bias • Gender bias
• Confirmation Bias • Benevolence bias
• Halo/horn Bias • Overconfidence bias
• Attribution Bias
Implicit Bias Test
• https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
How to deal with our biases?
1. Know the minority groups well – recognize that they exist – be
mindful in your words and action.
2. Think critically (attend to data and evidences – Look at problems
as diamonds (with multiple facets) – and not as a coin (with only
two sides)
3. Challenge assumptions and traditions – take a contrary view –
and ask why and why not often – practice empathy
 PRIVILEGE IS WHEN
YOU THINK
SOMETHING IS NOT A PROBLEM
BECAUSE IT IS NOT A PROBLEM
TO YOU PERSONALLY
 SOCIAL
PRIVILEGE,
POWER &
SAccess
e.g. TATUSto
Opportunities/
Resources

*LEARNING OR ATTENTION SWGS 6050: OPPRESSION & SOCIAL

DISORDER (e.g. ADHD)
Winning… Check your Privileges
English Speaking Thin No speech Majority religion
impairment

Male Fair skin Attractive Heterosexual

Able-bodied No criminal record Human Tall

(Free space)

Wealthy Intelligent Employed Well connected

family

Upper-caste/forwar Residing in Government Professionally

d caste Metropolitan city servant educated
White
Privilege
Male
Privilege
Gender Diversity
Understanding Patriarchy
• Subordination of women to men often leading to discriminations,
humiliations, exploitations, oppressions, control and violence
• Sex is considered a fact - one is born male or female
• Gender is considered a social construction - it grants meaning to the
fact of sex.
• Conversely, it could be said that only after specific meanings came to
be attached to the sexes, did sex differences become pertinent”
Understanding Patriarchy
• Gender differences are man made and they get legitimized in a
patriarchal society.
• Patriarchy literally means rule of the father in a male-dominated
family.
• It is a social and ideological construct which considers men (who are
the patriarchs) as superior to women
• The nature of control and subjugation of women varies from one
society to the other as it differs due to the differences in class, caste,
religion, region, ethnicity and the socio-cultural practices.
Feminism
• Feminism is a struggle to achieve equality, dignity, rights, freedom for
women to control their lives and bodies both within home and outside.
• Liberal Feminism: championed equal legal and political rights for women to
enable them to compete with men in the public realm on equal terms.
Thus, while the first wave feminism ended with winning suffrage rights.
The emergence of second wave feminism in 1960s acknowledged that
political and legal rights were insufficient to change women’s
subordination.
• Socialist Feminism: socialist feminist argue that women do not simply face
political and legal disadvantages which can be solved by equal legal rights
and opportunities but the relationship between sexes is rooted in the
social and economic structure itself. Therefore women can only be
emancipated after social revolution brings about structural change.
Gender Diversity
Gender diversity refers to male to female in the workplace.

This can have an impact on how people interact and behave with one
another in the workplace and would impact culture and social
environment.

Diversity is beneficial to both organization and its members

Benefits of Gender Diversity
Employee’s point of view
• Equality at work
• Satisfaction at workplace
• Dignity at Work
• Motivation
Benefits of Gender Diversity
Organization’s point of view
• Studies show that greater the diversity of a team, greater the
possibility for innovation and problem solving.
• Statistics also show that companies with women on their board are
more successful that those without.
• Inclusive culture facilitates both attraction and retention of talent.
Women on Board
Securities and Exchange Board of
India (Sebi) rule of, having at least
one woman director on the board
of all listed companies by April
1,2015.
Reasons
• Corporate India has not internalised the need to have woman
directors.
• The need for gender diversity isn't truly felt across boardrooms, and
the business case isn't compelling for companies.
• The proportion of senior management roles held by women in India
is among the lowest in the world.
• Nearly 50 per cent of Indian women drop out of the corporate
employment pipeline between junior and mid-levels, compared with
29 per cent across Asia.
Moving mindsets on gender diversity:
intervention
• To ensure that corporate culture supports—not hinders—the ability
of women to reach top management, companies must address
mindsets and develop a more inclusive, holistic diversity agenda

• Culture has a critical role to play in either supporting or hindering

efforts to advance diversity.

• Research suggest that mindsets and company culture are significant

in affecting women’s confidence to achieve their career goals
Diversity Issue – Male Perspective
• There is a notable gap in how men and women perceive
gender-diversity problem
• Men are much more likely than women to disagree that female
executives face more difficulties in reaching top management, and
men see less value in the diversity initiatives that can correct the
gender imbalance.
Supportive initiatives
• Increase male sponsorship. One specific way to include more men
while generating more support is through sponsorship. Professional
women tend to lack effective sponsors who advocate for them and
make sure they have access to all possible opportunities
• Diversify performance models. Another way companies can make
diversity programs more inclusive is by evolving performance and
leadership models so they are more gender neutral (that is, so they
offset the negative impact of maternity leave and work flexibility on
career tracks).
Disability
What is Disability?
• The Convention does not explicitly define disability
• Preamble of Convention states:
• ‘Disability is an evolving concept, and that disability results from the interaction between
persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders full and
effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’
• Article 1 of the Convention states:
• ‘Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or
sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and
effective participation in society on an equal basis with others’.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities
What is Disability?
• Disability results from an interaction between a non-inclusive society and
individuals:
• Person using a wheelchair might have difficulties gaining employment not
because of the wheelchair, but because there are environmental barriers
such as inaccessible buses or staircases which impede access
• Person with extreme near-sightedness who does not have access to
corrective lenses may not be able to perform daily tasks. This same person
with prescription eyeglasses would be able to perform all tasks without
problems.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities
 Equal Opportunities

To guarantee a fair
selection, all will
have the same exact
test – climb up on
that tree.

Functional Diversity Environment

 WHAT IS DISABILITY?

Disability is the interaction between

people with different levels of
functioning and an environment that
does not take those differences into
consideration.

Disability= Functional limitation x Environment

Exercise
• Divide yourselves in to groups and act out the following:
• You are in a country where you do not know the local language and people
are non supportive
• You are an illiterate and you want to open a bank account
• You are too fat and have come for the interview of a receptionist and people
laugh at you
Disability is part of the life cycle of everyone

Besides the typical physical, sensory and

mental disabilities, people in general face
disabling conditions on a society that is
unprepared for diversity, when they are too
small (as in childhood) or too tall, late in
pregnancy, temporary sick or ill, too fat,
illiterate, a foreigner, an older person…
Largest and most diverse group
• People with disabilities constitute our largest and most
diverse minority group encompassing all ages, genders,
religions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels. It is also the
only group that any% person can join at any time, and will if
they live long enough.
• Disability is a natural part of the human experience. People
have the right to live independently, control their life, and
fully participate in their community.
• Disability is often a result of social, architectural and
environmental barriers. Barriers exist within society, not
within the person.
• Children and adults with disabilities are unique individuals
with unlimited potential, like everyone else (Snow, 2008).
M
Convention Terminology
• YES:
• ‘persons with disabilities’
• Intellectual disability (for mentally challenged)

• NO:
• ‘handicapped’
• ‘physically or mentally challenged’

• Note: Preferences for terminology among persons with disabilities and

among geographic regions may vary. The individual wishes of persons with
disabilities should be respected as much as possible.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities
Indian Scenario
• Persons with disability in India face many challenges when looking to
develop employable skills and in gaining meaningful employment in
conditions of decent work.
• Whilst India has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of People with disability (UNCRPD), persons with disability continue
to face many difficulties in the labor market.
Provisions by the Govt.
• Even though disabled people constitute a significant 5 to 6
percentage of the population of India, their needs for meaningful
employment largely remain unmet, in spite of the implementation of
the ‘Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016
• This Act reserves 3% of all categories of jobs in the government sector
for disabled persons, and provides employment incentives for public
and private sector companies, that have at least 5% of their
workforce comprising of disabled persons.
• In the RPWD Act, 2016, the list has been expanded from 7
to 21 conditions (cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular
dystrophy, acid attack victims, hard of hearing, speech
and language disability, specific learning disabilities,
autism spectrum disorders, chronic neurological disorders
such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, blood
disorders such as haemophilia, thalassemia, and sickle cell
anaemia, and multiple disabilities.)
• The nomenclature mental retardation is replaced by
intellectual disability which is defined as “a condition
characterized by significant limitation both in intellectual
functioning (reasoning, learning, problem‑solving) and in
adaptive behavior which covers a range of every day
social and practical skills including specific learning
disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.”
Background: Setting the context:
• People with Disability (PwD) in India
• In India, the disability sector in general estimates that 4-5% of
the population is disabled
• The Planning Commission (2008) recognizes this figure as 5%.
• The Census of India showed that the prevalence of disability in
India was 2.2% translating into 21.9 million affected
individuals. 12.6 million are males and 9.3 million females
• Among the five types of disabilities on which data had been
collected in the 2001 Census, visual impairment constituted
48.5%; mobility impairment 27.9%; mental disability 10.3%;
speech impairment 7.5% and hearing impairment 5.8%.,
Total disabled population in India

Disability in India - A statistical profile, March 2011,Central Statistics office, Ministry of

Statistics & Program Implementation, Government of India
Bleak scenario
• The bleak scenario is of the approximately 70 million persons with
disability in India, only about 0.1 million have succeeded in getting
employment in the industries till now.
• In a survey conducted by National Centre for Promotion of
Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) on top 100 companies in
1999, the rate of employment of disabled in private sector was a
dismal 0.28% and in multinational companies, it was 0.05%.
• Employment rates of persons with disability vary with geographical
location (urban or rural), gender, education, and type of disability
• According to 2011 Census of India, 68% of India lives in rural areas.
Therefore, in the overall population, the number of disabled is
proportionately higher in rural areas, accentuated by general
poverty considerations and poor access to health services
• The rural disabled are significantly disconnected from skills and
markets.
• Literacy levels are low, with the Census of India estimating that 51%
of persons with disability are not literate;
• 26% reach up to the primary level;
• 6% middle level and only
• 13% secondary level and above
Gender & disability
• Disabled women are the most marginalized
• A report by United Nations Enable, which is the official website of
the Secretariat for the Convention for the Rights of Persons with
Disability, indicates global literacy rate is a low 1% for women with
disability
• In the third world, girls with disability are excluded from education,
even basic, because of the gender aspect.
• The general opinion is it is important for boys with disability to get an
education but little thought is given to girls in the same situation,
especially in the rural areas.
Stages of Sensitivity to disability
1. Denial: does not recognize disability differences
2. Defense: Recognizes some differences, but sees them as negative
3. Minimization: unaware of projecting of own values; sees own values
as superior
4. Acceptance: shifts perspectives to understand
5. Adaptation: Can evaluate other’s behavior from their frame of
reference and can adapt behavior to fit the norms of a different
person

*** from affirmative action to affirming diversity

JC
PWD & reservation
• It took the Indian Government until 1995 to pass its Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act. And it then took us till 2016 to then grant
disabilities like Parkinson’s Disease, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism
Spectrum Disorders recognition under the law.
PWD and Reservation
• While a step like increased “reservation” for disabled people (as per
the 2016 legislation) may be a step in the right direction, it is
questionable what impact this decree will have. Another one of the
government’s initiatives (“Accessible India”) was also launched
around the same
PWD
• Private sector is leading the way with quite a few innovative
initiatives. Some examples include Wipro Technologies integrating
Braille signages, ramps, voice-enabled elevators, and wheelchairs into
their workspaces.
• Another example is the transport team at ANZ Bangalore being
trained to communicate in sign language for their hearing-impaired
peers.
General Communication Recommendations for People
with Disabilities
• Rethink your attitude about people with disabilities.
Don’t make assumptions.
• Treat them the same as everyone else. Don’t treat
them like a child.
• Always ask before helping. Wait and listen.
• Ask how they prefer to communicate.
• Treat individuals with disabilities with respect, dignity
and courtesy.

M
Communication with Persons Who are Blind
• Visual impairments range from mild to severe.
• Identify yourself and anyone with you. Don’t just start talking. Let the
person know when you leave.
• Speak in a normal tone of voice.
• Always ask the person what is the best way to provide assistance.
• Describe , (e.g. there is a table on your right).

S
Guiding a Person who is Blind
• If you need to guide the person, offer your elbow, and let the person
hold on to you and identify obstacles, such as steps, low hanging
objects.
• If you offer a seat, place the person’s hand on the back or arm of the
chair or pat the chair.
• Don’t grab, distract or pet a guide dog.
• Don’t separate the dog from the person.

S
Exercise 1
• Break in to groups and identify how you can help create an inclusive
environment for employees having impairment in
• Speech
• Hearing
• Movement
• Mental
Managing the Millenials
 What is a Generation?

“In addition to coincidence of birth year

grouping, a generation is also defined by
common tastes, attitudes, and experience….
Those times encompass a myriad of
circumstances – economic, social, sociological,
and, of course, demographic.”
Zemke, R. Raines, C., & Filipczak, B. (2010)Generations at work: Managing the clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in your workplace
. New
York:Amacon.
Why Understand Generations?
• Preferred Leadership Approach
• Communication Style
• Motivational Buttons
• How they Interact with others
• Preferred approach to feedback
• When generations fail to communicate with each
other:
✔ May impact turnover rates, recruitment, hiring, training,
retention)
✔ May impact grievances and complaints
✔ May impact perceptions of fairness & equity
Generational Perspectives
• Whatever your age, the other ages you have are still
inside of you.
• That’s what gives you the compassion and patience
for those who are irritatingly younger (or older) than
you!
• The principles other generations used to get through
life remain relevant – yet you may need a
completely different set of tools in order to tackle
modern nuances of the current workplace.
Current Working Generations
• Veterans or Traditionalists
(1900-1945)
• Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
• Generation X
(1965-1980)
• Generation Next or Millennials
(1981-1999)
Millennials: Born 1981-1999
• Also known as Echo Boom, Generation Y, Baby Busters
• Defining events: live on social networks with texting as major
communication vehicle
• Realistic; optimistic yet cautious; multiculturalism, believe in
group consciousness and collaboration
• “Personal Safety” is a workplace concern; appreciate diversity;
deeply worried about future and employment
Perceptions of Traditionalists
Workplace Characteristics
• Strict adherence to rules and directives and a strong respect
for authority.
• Hard working and loyal to the institution, believing that duty
and responsibility takes precedence over personal leisure
pursuits.
• Promotions in a traditionalist workplace may be based upon
time served and seniority.

7
Perceptions of Boomers
Workplace Characteristics
• Values hard work, demonstrated by long hours on the
job.
• Members of this generation are considered
workaholics, particularly by younger generations who
value work-life balance.
• Place value on education and require a high-quality
work product; emphasis on teamwork, with regular
face-to-face meetings.

8
Perceptions of Generation X
Workplace Characteristics
• Has been skeptical of authority and tends to not respect hierarchy,
status or title emphasizing flattened hierarchy.
• Though now going into more senior positions, skepticism is
adapting somewhat into traditional heirarchy
• Seeks work-life balance and prefer an informal, fun workplace.
• Focus on self-reliance, individual projects and minimal supervision.
• This generation is not interested in spending hours in meetings;
• Demands high productivity; prefers to complete tasks as quickly to
free up more personal time.

9
Perceptions of Generation Y
(Millennials)
Workplace Characteristics
• Now well-established within the organization, this generation is
the most diverse of all the generational groups -- one in three is
a minority.
• Those in generation Y are optimistic, confident, civic-minded
and fully committed to moral and ethical principles.
• Expects full communication, speedy decision-making and
requires information to be available immediately. constant
email or texting communications, multitasking and a
recognition that work is a means to an end.

10
Case Situation
• Mohan is a young 27 years old Engineer who has joined
the ABC bank as a probationary officer. He is very good
with his work but is most of the time engrossed on social
sites, twitter, Instagram etc. His boss who is 53 years old
finds his behaviour very casual. He has tried to check him
for his phone habits but Mohan has replied that he has
completed all him work on time and beyond that he
should not be questioned by the boss.
• The boss was afraid that Mohan’s casual attitude will
have a negative influence on other subordinates. He
informally tried to find out how other colleagues felt
about Mohan’s attitude. To his surprise all Mohan’s
colleagues did not find any thing wrong in Mohan’s
attitude. When Mohan came to know about the informal
feedback he simply smiled.
• Was the boss wrong in his perception about Mohan
• How can Mohan save the situation.
Five Techniques For Managing Generational
Differences
• Focus on goals and set clear expectations
• Mentoring and Inclusion
• Break the bonds of tradition
• Show employees the future
• Encourage balance
Recruitment and Millennials:
Considerations Before Interviewing
• Prior experience has not necessarily meant effectiveness or
success on the job.
• Know your own generational biases; assess yourself.
• What stereotypes do you have of people from different
groups and how well they may perform on the job?
• What communication styles do you prefer?
• Sometimes what we consider to be appropriate or desirable
qualities in a candidate may reflect more about our personal
preferences than…
• about the skills needed to perform the job.
Recruitment and Millennials:
Considerations Before Interviewing
• Specify the need for skills to work effectively in a diverse
environment in the job, for example: "demonstrated ability to
work effectively in a diverse work environment."
• Make sure that good faith efforts are made to recruit a diverse
applicant pool.
• Focus on the job requirements in the interview, and assess
experience but also consider:
• transferable skills and demonstrated competencies, such as analytical,
organizational, communication, coordination.
LGBTQ
Gender and Sexually Diverse (GSD) Individuals
• People whose gender identity and/or sexual identity/orientation fall
outside the scope of cisgender heterosexuality

• Traditionally referred to as LGBTQ+ but this is not as inclusive as needed:

• Lesbian
• Gay
• Bisexual
• Transgender
• Queer

• Let’s break down the terminology!

Current Terminology
 Current Terminology

Gender Identity: One's internal sense of being male, female, neither, both, or another
gender. Everyone has a gender identity. For transgender and gender non-conforming
people, their sex assigned at birth, or natal sex, and their internal sense of gender
identity are not the same.
 Current Terminology

Gender Expression: Outward manifestations of one's gender identity as presented by

one’s vocal tenor, body shape, hairstyle, clothing selection, behavior, etc. Many
transgender people seek to align their gender expression (how they look) with their
gender identity (who they are), rather than with the gender associated with their sex
assigned at birth. For example, a transgender man who was assigned female at birth
may want to have a masculine gender expression, whereas someone who was assigned
female at birth and identifies as genderqueer may want to have a more androgynous
(neither masculine nor feminine, or both masculine and feminine) gender expression.
 Current Terminology
Sexual orientation: Sexual orientation is the type of sexual, romantic, and/or physical
attraction one feels for others, often labeled based on the gender relationship between
the person and the people they are attracted to. Sexual and romantic attraction can be
based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, gender identity, gender
expression/presentation, and sex assigned at birth.
The terms ‘sexual preference’ and ‘homosexuality’ are outdated and should not be used.
Current Terminology

Perceived Gender

Gender Expression

Gender Identity

Sex Assigned
at Birth
 Gender Identity
Boy/Man A person who identifies as a boy or man.
Girl/Woman A person who identifies as a girl or woman.
A person whose gender identity, gender expression, and assigned sex at birth align (e.g.,
Cisgender man, masculine, and male). (Sometimes the shortened “cis” is used).
An umbrella term used to describe people who are not cisgender, who have a gender identity
Transgender different than their sex assigned at birth. (Sometimes the shortened "trans" is used.)
An individual assigned female at birth and identifies as a boy or man. (Other terms used may
Transgender Boy/Man include: trans guy, trans man, trans boy, or boi.)
Transgender An individual assigned male at birth and identifies as a girl or woman. (Other terms used may
Girl/Woman include: trans woman or trans girl.)
Genderqueer / Terms used to describe people whose gender falls outside of the woman/man gender binary,
Non-Binary / and includes individuals who identify as both a boy/man and a girl/woman, or as neither a
boy/man nor a girl/woman. Individuals in this group may or may not identify with the term
Gender Non-Conforming
“transgender.”
/
Gender Expansive /
Gender Diverse
LGBTQ + voices = Learning from Lived Experiences
McKinsey Quarterly (2020)
• Coming out is especially challenging for junior employees.
• Women are far less likely than men to be out.
• Coming out is more difficult for people outside Europe and
North America.
• People who are open about being LGBTQ+ often have to come
out repeatedly.
What steps should a leader take to make the
workplace more comfortable for LGBTQ+
employees?
• Don’t stumble into microaggressions
• Set a meaningful public example
• Display visible symbols of support, and encourage employees to do the
same
• Sponsor LGBTQ+ events such as Pride
• Educate your team
• Strengthen your pipeline
• Sustain support networks
• Strengthen your policies
From Affirmative Actions to
Affirming Diversity
Self Perpetuating self defeating cycle
• Self Perpetuating self defeating cycle shown by affirmative action efforts in
companies
1. Problem recognition: eg minorities and PWD are not featured in the
organization
2. Intervention and great expectations: recruitment drive for women, PWD
and minorities
3. Frustration: affirmative action recruits see themselves stagnating/hitting
a plateau leading to their exit. Management is embarrassed and the
diversity efforts are quashed
4. Crisis: social activists and government again put pressure leading to the
rerun of the complete cycle
Roots of the failure
• Roots of the failure lie in the framing of the problem
• If the question asked is ‘how are we faring on women,PWD and
minority issues?’, there will never be there will never be parity.
• The question asked should be ‘is this a workplace where ‘we’ means
everyone?’
• Continuous posing of this question at all levels and depts. will lead to
diversity
Some guidelines
• 1.Clarify your motivation. What is your company’s real goal on seeking diversity?
• A lot of executives are not sure why they should want to learn to manage
diversity.
• Legal compliance seems like a good reason. So does community relations.
• Many executives believe they have a social and moral responsibility to employ
minorities, PWD and women.
• Others want to placate an internal group or pacify an outside organization.

• Much more than regulatory compliance and positive public image, a belief in
diversity as a business goal will supply long term motivation.
• For example diversity will allow more choice when it comes to recruitment
• When the organization’s work force mirror’s the customer base the sales improve.
• 2. Clarify Your Vision.
• When managers think about a diverse work force, what do they
picture? Not publicly, but in the privacy of their minds?
•
• One popular image is of minorities,PWD and women clustering on a
relatively low plateau, with a few of them trickling up as they become
assimilated into the prevailing culture. Of course, they enjoy good
salaries and benefits, and most of them accept their status, appreciate
the fact that they are doing better than they could do somewhere else,
and are proud of the achievements of their race or sex. This is
reactionary thinking, but it’s a lot more common than you might
suppose.
•
• Another image is what we might call “heightened sensitivity.”
Members of the majority culture are sensitive to the demands of
minorities, PWD and women for upward mobility and recognize the
advantages of fully utilizing them. Minorities and women work at all
levels of the corporation, but they are the recipients of generosity and
know it. A few years of this second-class status drives most of them
away and compromises the effectiveness of those that remain.
Turnover is high.
•
• 3. Expand your focus: Diversity programmes should not ignore the
majority population.
• Improve the working culture for everyone. Not only includePWD,
women and minorities but also age, back ground, education,
function, and experience.
• Aim should be to create dominant heterogeneous culture.
• 4. Audit your corporate culture: Is company run by some with vested
interest in not being open to change?
• Modify your systems: tap the potential capacities of all
• Critics of diversity fear lowering of standards. Therefore the
challenge is to get the same output from the diverse talent as that
with the majority community.
• 5. Modify Your Assumptions.
• The real problem with this corporate culture tree is that every time
you go to make changes in the roots, you run into terrible opposition.
Every culture, including corporate culture, has root guards that turn
out in force every time you threaten a basic assumption.
•
• Take the family assumption as an example. Viewing the corporation
as a family suggests not only that father knows best; it also suggests
that sons will inherit the business, that daughters should stick to
doing the company dishes.
• Another destructive assumption is the melting pot . A diverse
organization respects differences rather than seeking to smooth
them out. It is multicultural rather than culture blind, which has an
important consequence: When we no longer force people to
“belong” to a common ethnicity or culture, then the organization’s
leaders must work all the harder to define belonging in terms of a set
of values and a sense of purpose that transcend the interests, desires,
and preferences of any one group.
• 6. Modify Your Systems.
• The first purpose of examining and modifying assumptions
is to modify systems.
• Promotion, mentoring, and sponsorship comprise one
such system, and the unexamined cream-to-the-top
assumption can tend to keep minorities, PWD and women
from climbing the corporate ladder.
• After all, in many companies it is difficult to secure a
promotion above a certain level without a personal
advocate or sponsor.
• In the context of managing diversity, the question is not
whether this system is maximally efficient but whether it
works for all employees.
• 7. Modify Your Models.
• The second purpose of modifying assumptions is to modify models of
managerial and employee behavior.
• For eg the Doer Model, often an outgrowth of the family assumption
and of unchallenged paternalism. It works like this:
• Since father knows best, managers seek subordinates who will follow their
lead and do as they do. If they can’t find people exactly like themselves, they
try to find people who aspire to be exactly like themselves. The goal is
predictability and immediate responsiveness because the doer manager is
not there to manage people but to do the business.
• 8. Help Your People Pioneer.
• Learning to manage diversity is a change process, and the managers
involved are change agents.
• There is no single tried and tested “solution” to diversity and no fixed
right way to manage it.
• Assuming the existence of a single or even a dominant barrier
undervalues the importance of all the other barriers that face any
company, including, potentially, prejudice, personality, community
dynamics, culture, and the ups and downs of business itself
• 9.Apply the Special Consideration Test
• Since affirmative action is artificial and transitional but essential on
the road to true diverse workforce, it requires constant attention to
make it work.
• 10. Continue Affirmative Action.
• The ability to manage diversity is the ability to manage your
company without unnatural advantage or disadvantage for any
member of your diverse work force. The fact remains that you
must first have a work force that is diverse at every level, and if
you don’t, you’re going to need affirmative action to get from
here to there.
•
• The reason you then want to move beyond affirmative action
to managing diversity is because affirmative action fails to deal
with the root causes of prejudice and inequality and does little
to develop the full potential of every man and woman in the
company.
• In a country seeking competitive advantage in a global
economy, the goal of managing diversity is to develop our
capacity to accept, incorporate, and empower the diverse
human talents of the most diverse nation on earth. It’s a reality
and We need to make it our strength.