Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan for PBQ - Case Study Example

? Analysis and Critique of Francoise Roy's Diversity Management Plan for PBQ Applying the Conceptual Framework of Shen and Others of the Name of the Institution Diversity Management Plan The Present Scenario The new HR manager Francoise Roy has created a diversity management plan for the People’s Bank of Quebec (PBQ) and is just in the process of implementing it. However it is clear that she has to comply with various legal requirements, among them the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Employment Equity Act. Moreover the Canadian Human Rights Commission has begun conducting audits relating to the compliance of various organizations both in the public and private sector and this includes banks. Although Francoise has outlined and detailed various aspects of the plan, she is still unsure as to how to implement it within the organization as she foresees that it will be opposed by many managers and workgroups. The present organizational makeup is highly ethnocentric, with the Quebecois population proud of their heritage and achievements. Since the People’s Bank of Quebec has been lagging behind in its diversity plan for the last ten years or so, there has been no serious or determined effort to comply with the requirements and the results are that the diversity element is visible in only about 6 percent of the bank’s workforce of over 7000 employees compared to the national average of 18 percent. 12 percent is the legal requirement for meeting the diversity goals. It is clear that Francoise and others in senior management echelons will have to take drastic steps to hurriedly push forward the program so as to meet the legal requirements. Meanwhile there are also a number of elements missing in the plan developed by Francoise which will be explained below. Strengths and Weaknesses of Francoise's Plan According to Das (1998) creating and implementing a good, effective and efficient diversity plan consists of the following steps: (1) identify current and future ideal state; (2) analyze present systems and procedures; (3) change policies, procedures and practices as needed, and (4) follow up and evaluate results (Panacchio & Waxin, 55-56). Step 3 itself is also comprised of a number of sub-steps, such as getting senior management commitment, establishment of a diversity committee, education and training of key personnel and an institution-wide communication of changes. Let us now evaluate the steps in Francoise’s plan from this point of view. The CEO, Pierre Belanger, has assured her his support of the diversity initiative, and had even written senior management a letter to this effect, but much more needs to be done. Francois has not arranged for the necessity of the implementation to be officially communicated through the Board of Directors or the Diversity Committee. It would have been good for the CEO to communicate the necessity of implementing such a plan and the need to do so quickly to meet legal requirements. Francoise has also not identified the current and future state of the enterprise regarding diversity goals and implementation. She has yet to redesign and convert HR policies to incorporate the diversity elements. While she has identified the training needs for key personnel, she has not included the employee training requirements and programs. She has also identified the need for a Diversity Committee but has not appointed a head. Normally this function resides with the Head of Human Resources so Francoise must be ready to undertake this responsibility. After implementing the diversity plans, there must be some method of feedback and correctional control for which open and transparent communication must be fostered at both ends but this element is also missing so Francoise will never know how well or badly the plan is working or what needs to be improved and what doesn’t. Although Francoise’s diversity plan includes most of the necessary attributes, there are certain missing elements or misplaced priorities and moreover she does not have the courage to implement it in the face of opposition from the current managers who are satisfied with the status quo. On the other hand, in Australia it is part of good corporate social responsibility (Syed & Kramar, 2010). Recommendations for Improvement From the above, it is clear that while Francoise is clearly excited and eager to implement the diversity plan in the organization, there are a number of missing elements that need to be addressed as well as the major issue of how to convert the dissenting managers and employees to a more receptive frame of mind. This involves changing the culture and mindset from an ethnocentric to a geocentric one. In this respect Francoise has no other recourse but to turn to the Board of Directors and the CEO to help them implement this plan from a top down perspective all through the Bank. The mindset of the managers has to change as evidenced by the case of Lemma, (Touron, 2008) which also converted from an ethnocentric to a geocentric organization. Filling available jobs internally from an already diverse workforce, creating and using an internal database of skill inventories, and implementing a referral policy for minority populations are some measures to fill up the diversity gap. Of course, the importance of skills and experience cannot be forgotten. To fill the diversity gap through external candidates, the bank can target ads placed in minority community centers, establish a bond through community sponsored projects or developing a network of contacts through community leaders and elders, religious representatives, or radio and television channels directed towards these ethnic minorities. Another way is to sponsor educational and professional training initiatives for these groups. It is clear that experiences while growing up contribute to biases and feelings about diversity (Fox, 2011). To ensure inclusion in the selection process, it is important that a minority representative should also form part of the selection panel. This will ensure that less discrimination prevails due to ethnocentric ideals. In fact it is important that all the interviewers be trained properly to remove any biases or prejudices that may be present, before being allowed to sit on the panel. Lastly, some degree of recognition must also be given to those in minority groups who have foreign qualifications of international repute. They have struggled against the odds to prove themselves and need to be appreciated. The diversity initiatives once approved and finalized should also form part of the organization’s goals and values and be included in the orientation program. Even the selection of mentors and supervisors should be such that no known biases exist. In any case there should always be room for complaints, feedbacks and redress without fear of retribution in the modern workplace. If any employee feels he is being discriminated against in any way in regard to promotions, bonuses or other rewards in the performance appraisal process due to reasons of ethnicity, he can raise the issue with HR and hope for an equitable solution. In the worst case scenario he can be transferred to another department. It is also important that supervisors give measurable goals to their subordinates, so that it is clear to both parties to what extent a goal has been achieved. It is in this way that diversity initiatives can be implemented throughout an organization (Crosby, 1992). The best way to manage diversity is to pretend that you are color blind. Because world history has traditionally been an account of the white man dominating other nationalities and making them subservient to his own, a proper understanding of what needs to be corrected in the workplace and how, without injuring the feelings of others needs to be practiced with tact and diplomacy (Cross, 2000). To properly understand diversity, we must be able to remove personal biases and gain a better understanding and control over ourselves and our professional judgments. References Crosby, P. (1992). The Eternally Successful Organization. Signet Books. Cross, E.Y. (2000). ‘What we need to know to manage diversity’. In Managing Diversity: the Courage to Lead. Quorum Books. Fox, A. (2011). ‘Mixing it up’. HR Magazine, Volume 56, Issue 5. Society of Human Resource Management, Alexandria, USA. Muratbekova-Touron, M. (2011). From an Ethnocentric to a Geocentric Approach to IHRM. The Case of a French multinational company. Cross Cultural Management, Volume 14, Number 4, 2008. Syed, J. & Kramar, R. (2010). What is the Australian model for managing diversity? Personnel Review, Volume 39, No.1. Read More