Workforce
Diversity
“Getting ‘Culture Smart’™:
The Key Component of Corporate Culture Change”
by Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.
A
re you tired of hearing the phrase,
“workplace diversity?” Do you find
yourself responding to the topic as if
it were nothing more than a buzzword de-
signed to sell books, market consultants,
and promote hours of expensive training?
If so, you are not alone. Since its incep-
tion two decades ago, the diversity move-
ment has been in an uphill battle to gain
respectability as a practical approach to
management and a key element of culture
change in the ‘90’s.
As someone who has participated in
diversity efforts for much of the past 20
years, I realize that many of us created
our own problems and caused much of
the resistance which has arisen. Plagued
by exaggerated claims, soft terminology
-- “sensitivity” being the chief culprit --
and hard-to-measure benefits such as “in-
creased creativity,” it is understandable
that many organizations have resisted em-
bracing diversity as part of much-needed patible with these programs, diversity is
ancestors were schooled on the playing
culture change. Fortunately, those days by-no-means synonymous with quotas,
fields of Eton have no more advantage
are numbered. Prompted by a struggling parity goals, nor even with deliberate ef-
than the qualified immigrant, woman, or
economy and the recent backlash against forts to hire and promote diverse employ-
person of any racial background. Looked
Affirmative Action, diversity profession- ees. Diversity provides an alternative to
at this way, it becomes clear that diversity
als have been forced, not to change their legislated solutions to bias and discrimi-
is nothing more, and nothing less, than a
goals, but to reposition their efforts so that nation. Rather than focusing on redressing
refinement of good management skills.
the benefits are better understood and the past imbalances, diversity programs are
One of the most important ways in
monetary and emotional costs more palat- designed to create a culture in which all
which to bring about this culture change
able. employees -- regardless of gender, racial
is through knowledge, the knowledge
Ongoing difficulties in the economy group, or lifestyle -- are treated in a way
with which to “take advantage” -- to coin
have forced diversity leadership to sys- that will increase their effectiveness in the
a very un-politically-correct phrase -- of
tematically explore the “bottom line” workplace.
the strengths which different personal-
benefits of a diverse workforce and of the Whereas many Affirmative Action pro-
ity types, cultures, and genders have to
need to utilize every employee to their grams are vulnerable to attack because of
offer. This knowledge -- which I have
maximum potential. The global economy, real or perceived quotas and reverse dis-
called “Culture Smarts”TM -- is two-fold.
diverse consumer base, and increased ra- crimination, diversity is immune from
First, it involves the willingness to learn
cial, ethnic and gender diversity in the la- such criticism. Diversity has nothing to do
about ourselves. This means to confront
bor pool, have provided fertile, and very with hiring a particular individual because
squarely the biases and stereotypes that
real, justification for the financial benefits of his skin color, promoting a person be-
leave us as individuals, and our compa-
of diversity efforts. cause she is disabled, giving a contract to
nies as corporate entities, incapable of
Within the last two years, a conserva- a vendor because of an ethnic last name,
making the most of our workforces. Ev-
tive backlash has made it necessary for di- or creating a position just to accommo-
ery person, and every corporation, has bi-
versity professionals to clarify their rela- date a woman at the higher levels of an
ases and prejudices. The bad news is that
tionship to Affirmative Action and Equal organization. It has everything to do with
skin color, political persuasion, ethnic
Employment Opportunity. Although com- creating a culture in which those whose
background, gender, or race excludes no
22
www.blackeoejournal.com The Black E.O.E. Journal
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84