Since we have defined diversity as the ways in which people differ that may affect their organizational experiences in terms of performance, motivation, communication, and inclusion, we need to learn more about those differences and what they can mean especially to individuals unlike ourselves. While these differences mean that everyone is a member of numerous social identity groups that make us who we are, and contribute to our notion of self, they also affect our experiences both in the workplace and in our personal lives.
One of the simplest and most popular models for organizing the discussion of workplace diversity was developed by Loden (1996). She divided the personal dimensions of diversity into two major categories:
• Primary dimensions—those social group memberships that are fixed and usually central to one’s self-identity such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, mental and physical abilities, and sexual orientation.
• Secondary dimensions—those characteristics that are usually more changeable, not as visible, and less central to one’s experience such as income, religion, communication style, marital status, appearance, and first language.
In Sections II and III, we will explore the primary dimensions and in Section IV, the secondary dimensions.
Although this model is a straightforward way to organize social identity group memberships, in any discussion of differences, two additional factors—multiple group memberships and saliency—also need to be considered. Multiple group memberships refers to our belonging to many of these primary and secondary social identity groups, such as being a male (gender), white, (race), Jewish (religion), divorced (family status/parent), and a manager (organizational role).
However, saliency refers to the importance of these characteristics to a person which varies among individuals. In the example above, if this individual has custody of his children and childcare responsibilities, his status as a parent may be more salient to him than his gender, race, or religion. The late Shirley Chisom, the first Black woman to serve in Congress, was known for saying that her being female was more of a factor in her government experience than being African American (About.com). So, for her, gender was more salient than her race.
As a transition, Section IIThe first reading opens with an assignment, Being an Only, that will allow you to experience and reflect upon having visible minority status before you complete additional readings. The next two articles explore the issues of racial and ethnic identities: Thriving in a Multicultural Classroom and Since We Elected an African American President Twice, Is Racism Still an Issue in America? To minimize stereotypes, we have deliberately avoided emphasizing differences between specific cultural groups. Today, so many people have multiple origins, cultural influences, and international experiences that we hesitate to apply generalized characteristics to individuals who belong to ethnic groups.
However, it is important to examine current immigration patterns that are changing the racial and ethnic composition of the U.S. workforce as presented in Immigration Patterns: The Transition Process.
The Coca-Cola Company: Then and Now case illustrates the consequences of poor leadership in an organization that led to an expensive lawsuit but finally managed to turn itself around to respond to the challenges of diversity.
Bibliography
1. About.com. Women’s history: Shirley Chisom’s quotes. Retrieved from http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/shirleychisholm.htm
2. Loden, M. (1996). Implementing diversity. Chicago: Business One Irwin.
Diversity on the Web
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nd4WyfMOT0. Watch this video Being the Only Black Kid in Class. Then proceed to analyze how these students’ experience may be different or similar to yours. How do you account for these differences?
Being an Only: a Field Assignment
Carol P. Harvey
Assumption College
Given the demographic changes in today’s workforce, it is important to understand what it feels like to be a visible minority. Sometimes, differential treatment is due to the context of the workplace situation rather than to discrimination. When an organization or a department has one or a few people who are different in terms of some visible social identity group membership, the majority may, often unconsciously, treat them differently. In turn, the minority employees may find that they react differently to their contextual situation than they would if there were more balanced numbers in the work situation. If one is a part of the majority, it may be difficult to recognize the impact of this phenomenon. One of the most effective ways to recreate this learning experience is to watch the award-winning video, “A Tale of O” (Goodmeasure) and to complete the following field assignment.
Instructions
1. Watch the film, “Tale of O,” and take meaningful notes about the experiences of the O’s (minority) and X’s (majority).
2. Think creatively about how you could place yourself in a safe, alcohol free field situation where you would be a visible minority, i.e., be an “O.” (Some examples include a female student going truck shopping at a local automotive dealer, a male student attending a Tupperware party, a student standing on a street corner soliciting money as a homeless person and then donating it to a shelter, a young student going to a water aerobics class with senior citizens, an able bodied student shopping in a mall in a wheelchair and others attending religious services of faiths very different from their own, etc.) Submit your idea to your professor for approval. (Note: Some experiences are inappropriate for this assignment. For example, attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, going to a gay bar, or trying to recycle your study abroad semester, or any additional situations that your instructor considers inappropriate will not fulfill the requirements of the assignment. Also, sometimes, you may need to obtain permission from the person in charge of the organization, such as the minister, rabbi, etc.) to attend the activities of an organization.
3. Once your idea is approved, complete the field experience, keeping in mind the material from the video. Do not have a friend accompany you on the field experience.
4. Write a 3–4 page typed report that analyzes your field experience from the perspective of the consequences of being an “O.” How does it feel? How did you act differently in this situation? How did people treat you differently? What did you learn about yourself and others? Try to relate your experiences closely to the information presented in the video.