Organizational

Behavior
FACILITATED BY
MS. JAVERIA SATTAR
Diversity in Organizations

Recap

Highlights
Levels of diversity
Biological characteristics
Abilities
Diversity
Diversity is a broad term, and the phrase workplace
diversity can refer to any characteristic that makes people
different from one another
Levels of Diversity
Surface-level Diversity
Differences in easily perceived characteristics, such as
gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability, that do not
necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel but that
may activate certain stereotypes.
Deep-level Diversity
Differences in values, personality, and work preferences
that become progressively more important for determining
similarity as people get to know one another better.
Discrimination
A Noting of a difference between things; often we refer to
unfair discrimination, which means making judgments
about individuals based on stereotypes regarding their
demographic group.
Stereotype Threat
The degree to which we agree internally with the
generally negative stereotyped perceptions of our groups.
Biographical Characteristics
Personal characteristics—such as age, gender, race, and
length of tenure—that are objective and easily obtained from
personnel records. These characteristics are representative of
surface-level diversity.
Age
Sex
Race & Ethnicity
Disability
Race & Ethnicity
Positive Diversity Climate
In an organization, an environment of inclusiveness and an
acceptance of diversity.
Hidden Disabilities
Unless an individual decides to disclose a disability that isn’t
easily observable, it can remain hidden at the discretion of
the employee.
Biographical Characteristics
Other Biographical Characteristics:
Tenure,
Religion,
Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
Culture Identity
Ability
Ability
An individual’s capacity to perform the various tasks in a
job.
Intellectual Abilities
The capacity to do mental activities—thinking, reasoning,
and problem solving.
Ability
General Mental Ability (GMA)
An overall factor of intelligence, as suggested by the
positive correlations among specific intellectual ability
dimensions.
Ability
Physical Abilities
The capacity to do tasks that demand stamina, dexterity,
strength, and similar characteristics.
Implementing Diversity Management Strategies
Diversity management makes everyone more aware of and
sensitive to the needs and differences of others. This
definition highlights the fact that diversity programs include
and are meant for everyone.
Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining Diverse
Employees
Implementing Diversity Management Strategies
Most research shows fairly minimal effects of biographical
characteristics on job performance.
A job analysis will provide information about jobs currently
being done and the abilities individuals need to perform the
jobs adequately. Applicants can then be tested, interviewed,
and evaluated on the degree to which they possess the
necessary abilities.
Implementing Diversity Management Strategies
Diversity management must be an ongoing commitment
that crosses all levels of the organization. Group
management, recruiting, hiring, retention, and development
practices can all be designed to leverage diversity for the
organization’s competitive advantage.