VALUING DIVERSITY

Chapter 6, page 113

Lecturer: MR T.F Liambo

 KEY TERMS
Employment Equity: The Employment Equity Act attempts to achieve equality in the
workplace so that no person shall be denied employment opportunities or benefits for
reasons unrelated to ability and, in the fulfilment of that goal, to correct the
conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced in the past by designated
persons.
It gives effect to the principle that employment equity means more than treating
persons in the same way but also requires special measures and the accommodation of
differences (Tucson Corporate LGBT Coalition 2005).
Diversity: A broad definition of diversity ranges from personality and work style to all
the visible dimensions of diversity, to secondary influences such as religion, socio-
economics and education.
Valuing Diversity: Valuing diversity builds upon the critical foundation laid by
workplace equity initiatives. The focus is on recognizing the uniqueness in everyone,
valuing the contribution that each can make and creating an inclusive work
environment where awareness of, and respect for those of different cultures is
promoted.
Diversity Management: Managing diversity is different from valuing diversity because
it focuses on the business case for diversity. In this scenario, capitalizing on diversity is
seen as a strategic approach to business that contributes to organizational goals such
as profits and productivity.
As we approach some twenty years
post democracy, South African
businesses are challenged and
strengthened by several diversity
issues.

It is important to realize that those

companies that not only have
diversity, but also value and manage
diversity effectively, have a great
advantage over those who do not.
 WHAT IS DIVERSITY?
Diversity is differences in racial and ethnic,
socioeconomic, geographic, and
academic/professional backgrounds. People
with different opinions, backgrounds (degrees
and social experience), religious beliefs,
political beliefs, sexual orientations, heritage,
and life experience.

The Mix
The Importance of diversity
 WHAT IS INCLUSION?
 Inclusion involves bringing together and harnessing
diverse forces and resources in a way that is
beneficial. Inclusion puts the concept and practice
of diversity into action by creating an environment
of involvement, respect, and connection—where the
richness of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are
harnessed to create business value and overall
success.

Inclusion:
“Making
the Mix
Work”

Source: http://www.diversityjournal.com/1471-moving-from-diversity-to-inclusion/
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION?
 Diversityis simply a representation of many
different types of people
(gender, race, ability, religion, etc.)

 Diversity often focuses on the differences

and is referred to as "the mix.“
INCLUSION

Inclusion is the deliberate

act of welcoming diversity
and creating an
environment
where all different kinds
of people can thrive and
succeed.

Inclusion is the act of

"making the mix work."
The right mind-set: Approaching
diversity
and inclusion in South Africa

Value Beyond Compliance series

January 2020

https://www2.deloitte.com/cont
ent/dam/Deloitte/za/Documents/
africa/ZA-Deloitte-Approaching-di
versity-and-inclusion-in-South-Afri
ca.pdf
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is on top of many organisations’
agendas,1 in both private and public sectors across the world.
D&I is particularly important in South Africa, where the legacy of
exclusion is still prevalent.

To address this in the workplace, the South African government

has designed legislation prescribing targets that are largely based
on race and gender.

The most prominent transformation legislation is South Africa’s

Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Codes of
Good Practice.

However, progress remains inadequate with many organisations

struggling to diversify their workforces.
 The South African context and
diversity gap
The B-BBEE Codes consist out of five core elements, each aiming to
drive inclusive growth.
The elements are
1. ownership;
2. management control (which includes employment equity and is
seen as a measure of workplace diversity);
3. skills development;
4. enterprise development;
5. and lastly, socio-economic development.
A company achieves a transformation level according to their
scoring on these elements.
 THEREFORE: Diversity is what you have.
Inclusion is what you do.

Simply having a diverse group, team, workforce,

classroom, etc., is not enough.

*Everyone should feel safe and encouraged to

fully participate and share and be on equal
footing
as everyone else.
There is a wealth of evidence
worldwide which shows a
clear correlation between
diversity and profitability.

The companies which take

the time and effort to
develop positive relationships
between employees and
between subordinates and
managers have the edge
every time in combating
prejudice in the workplace.
 What Diversity Issues do South African
Businesses Face?

https://diversi-t.co.za/what-diversity-issues-do-south-african-busines
ses-face/
Why Does Diversity Matter at Work Anyway?
Diversity enhances social development. Interacting with people from a
variety of groups widens your social circle by expanding the pool of
people with whom you can associate and develop relationships.

Diversity prepares individuals for future career success. Successful

performance in today's diverse workforce requires sensitivity to human
differences and the ability to relate to people from different cultural
backgrounds.

Diversity prepares individuals for work in a global society. No matter

what profession you enter, you'll find yourself working with employers,
employees, coworkers, customers and clients from diverse backgrounds—
worldwide.
Why Does Diversity Matter at Work Anyway?
Interactions with people different from ourselves increase our knowledge base.
 Research consistently shows that we learn more from people who are different from us
than we do from people who are similar to us.

Diversity promotes creative thinking. Diversity expands your capacity for viewing issues or
problems from multiple perspectives, angles, and vantage points.
Diversity enhances self-awareness. Learning from people whose backgrounds and
experiences differ from your own sharpens your self-knowledge.
Diversity enriches the multiple perspectives developed by a liberal arts education.
How Can You Embrace Your Diversity as a
University Student?

5 Minute Group Discussion

How To Embrace Your Diversity?

Everyone’s Narrative - Consider your own life, and everything that has
shaped your beliefs.
Where are you coming from? - When you find yourself thinking poorly of
someone, stop and consider what influences have created your negative
views of that individual.
Befriend all people – If you know that you tend to avoid befriending
certain types of people, go out of your way to find friends of all kinds.
Empathy – When you encounter anyone, try to imagine, understand, and
sympathize with that person’s story, with everything that has made them
who they are.
Actively accept – meditate upon embracing other people, with all of the
diversity that comes with them. Don’t allow yourself to define a person
based upon one stereotype about one aspect of their complex identity.
Show compassion - Perform random acts of kindness for all types of
people. It can be as simple as a friendly smile or holding open a door.

Source: http://www.refinethemind.com/embracing-diversity/
THANK YOU
NEXT LECTURE

The work environment: culture and technology

• Organizational culture: its basic nature

• Creating and maintaining organizational culture
• Role of culture at the workplace
• The effects of workplace culture