Managing Diversity - Research Paper Example

MANAGING DIVERSITY Managing Diversity Word Count: 250 If characterized as an individual who is broad-minded in some areas with less tolerant ideas in other areas of life, such as your attitude toward older people, or male–female social roles, what generalizations involving ethics can be made? Being an intolerant person can hinder or help, depending upon the employee’s gender. According to Goodson (2008), a “…qualitative study found that men actually enjoy hidden advantages over women when entering these female-dominated professions.

The advantage to men provides a glass escalator (as opposed to a glass ceiling) that encourages rapid promotion in their careers” (pgh. 5). So, it really depends upon whether one is the employee or the boss, and how one perceives gender roles in the workplace. Generally, being intolerant says quite a lot about one’s ethics, namely that they need to be spotless—so one must change one’s attitude if prevailing views about men are women are stereotypical. 2. Assume you are a manager of a bank and have just hired a new loans manager who is highly qualified for the position.

This new employee is a Muslim woman who is wheelchair-bound and the first woman in the loans department. What challenges do you, as the manager, need to consider in terms of workplace diversity, discrimination and stereotypes? Other employees might consider the factors of being a woman, disabled, and a religious minority in like a Muslim as a triple threat. This might convey the idea that the addition to the loans department is ‘bad news.’ French and Quigley (2012) indicate that “…a key indicator of an organization’s effectiveness in communicating ‘bad news’ messages is its organizational culture.

Developing an organizational culture that values positive organizational behavior can transform the way that ‘bad news’ messages are crafted and received in the workplace” (pp. 208). If facts about the new employee are given a positive twist—like how she has overcome adversity to become a professional—this will help greatly in helping her be accepted as part of the team of employees. Softening the negative images employees have through diversity training can definitely help during the transition process.

REFERENCES French, S. L., & Holden, T. Q. (2012). Positive organizational behavior: a buffer for bad news. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(2), 208-220. doi:10.1177/1080569912441823. Retrieved from . Goodson, P. (2008, October). Male librarians: gender issues and stereotypes. Library Student Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2012, from .