Category: Discussions/Homework

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Week of 5/25 Discussion Post

In their article, “The Impact of Organizational Diversity Policies on Minority Employees’ Leadership Self-Perceptions and Goals”, Seval Gündemir, John F. Dovidio , Astrid C. Homan , and Carsten K. W. De Dreu conclude that organizations with policies which favor acknowledgement and encouragement of differences at either a sub-group or individual level have a higher chance of minority retention and advancement. They deduce this has an overall positive effect on the organization. I believed as much before ever reading the article.

I gravitated towards using this approach in an attempt to set up the rest of my argument. It is clear to the reader after three sentences what my position is and establishes expectations for the remainder of my piece. I will cite the article further in an attempt to explain myself. I may or may not cite sources which feature differing views. However, the ultimate conclusion the reader will draw is that I support the authors’ premise that diversity has a positive effect on organizations.

I am lucky enough to have seen with my own eyes the positive effects of an organization having embraced diversity. As I mentioned last week, my company has been implementing several initiatives as it works to attract, retain and advance a more diverse workforce. The Gundemir article reinforced conclusions I’ve drawn as I have observed these changes over my thirteen years with the company.

There are a number of “Employee Resource Groups” which celebrate the qualities that make certain sub-groups unique. These groups typically sponsor initiatives and host events which focus on matters which are of particular interest to their members. However, any employee is welcome to participate. For example, a group for Developing Young Professionals, which focuses on the specific challenges faced by younger employees, continues to invite me to participate in events despite the fact that I’m not that young anymore (Bruce Springsteen reference most definitely intended.).

A few years ago, one of the responsibilities of my team was to coordinate the monthly IT security patch process. For those who may be unfamiliar, this essentially required members of my team to coordinate the discovery, review and application of security patches (changes intended to remove a security vulnerability in computer software) on thousands of IT devices. As the scope of our work increased, one of the options discussed was exactly the type of arrangement described in the article by Austin and Pisano. While we wouldn’t be employing neuro-diverse staff ourselves, we would be working with an outside vendor in a managed service agreement.

Senior leadership ultimately decided to go with a different approach but reading Austin and Pisano’s article led me to think back on that and imagine what that arrangement would have been like. There was certainly the “feel-good” factor of working with people who might not otherwise find this type of well-paying employment. Yet, I’m struck more by a sense of opportunity lost. There are many challenges which continue to exist with our patch management process, and I remain convinced that the services provided by the vendor who employed neuro-diverse staff would have been a tremendous help.

It wasn’t until I read the article that I even considered some of the many changes that would have been required. The example about changes to communications was particularly striking. I wonder just how many emails and other communications sent to neuro-typical and neuro-diverse staff alike lead to misunderstandings today. The last paragraph of Austin and Pisano’s article made me immediately think about the rectangle and triangle presentation I shared with you all last week. Being a manager has its share of challenges. I’ve found that connecting with each of my direct reports as individuals is the best way to achieve our collective goals. It certainly isn’t easy, but thinking about how everyone is a puzzle piece, just waiting to fit next to one another is a great way to look at it.

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Week of 5/25-(Mikayla)

 

  1. While they rarely admit as much, members of minorities and marginalized groups offer benefits and skills that are of immense value to workplace communities granted that they fail to uncover their true potential due to unequal representation and lack of opportunity. Whereas some are convinced that valuing the group rather than emphasizing the value of the individual unites more groups, Others maintain that emphasizing the value of the individual rather than the group focuses on the skill and leadership one person can contribute to the company. 

I used these two templates to depict the aspects of Gundemir Et Al article and the different stances the companies take. They both hold the position that minorities hold many skills and achievements yet they fail to demonstrate them in the workplace. However, they disagree on how to make the workspace more inclusive towards the individual. These two sides were highlighted in the article as Multiculturalism and Value-in-homogeneity, However, with the use of the They say/ I say templates it wasn’t necessary to explicitly state which side held which argument.

 

2.  In this weeks passages from Gundemir Et Al and Austin/Pisano, I found myself very intrigued and I came to appreciate the ideas uncovered in the articles. Throughout my entire life I have struggled in an attempt to pave a path for myself and become a successful individual despite the way that I am depicted in society. As a minority I constantly find myself underrepresented and undervalued in terms of school, work and everyday life. It has been a constant battle to push myself ahead despite constantly being underestimated by those who wish to see me fail. However, these articles were a breath of fresh air for me. To see that underrepresentation of minorities in the workplace is a widespread issue and that there are worldwide attempts being made to make communities more understanding and inclusive is amazing to me. These articles show us the power that we have to make a change in the lives of each individual and show them how much they are truly valued.

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Responses Week of 5/25

  1. The sentences I chose to write are the following:
    In discussions of workplace diversity climate, one controversial issues has been that there is an indirect relationship between diversity policy and minorities leadership goals. On the one hand, Gundemir et al argues that diversity policies positively impact minority employees goals of leadership.

    I used the basic template that Graff and Birkenstein used for opening a debate. I used one of the hypothesis that was proven to be false as the counter and the conclusion that the study drew as the argument for Gundemir et al. This approach framing was useful as it was able to filter my thinking. Usually when I write, I include other information or “fluff” that does not need to be included. However, this framing was able to filter my thinking and have me think about what exactly is important and needs to be included, and what isn’t.

  2. Gundemir et al and Austin and Pisano created a deeper level of understanding to diversity in organizations. For Gundemir et al, diversity inclusion gave hope to those in the minority and made them feel more comfortable going for authoritative opportunities and achieving their goals. This type of environment reflects a society that we as a whole hope to have one day — one where anyone can achieve their goals. Those who disabilities are also included in this, which Austin and Pisano elaborate on. Not only is diversity about race and ethnicity, it is about ability or disability or any identity. These articles cemented the idea that those who are given the opportunity, will thrive just like everyone else. As a member of SU and someone who is aspiring to become part of the work force, these articles further my drive to be apart of a job that doesn’t discriminate against anyone.
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5/25 Responses

  1. From the templates in They Say/I Say I will be using this approach: In recent discussions of organizational diversity, a controversial issue has been whether structured organizational diversity policies affect minorities’ leadership-relevant self-perceptions and goals. From the perspective of Gundermir et al’s argument, his data shows that companies that use programs specifically for multicultural diversity increase diversity within their organizations. On the other hand, some companies choose to have a Value-in-Homogeneity policy.

I just used that template to structure a practice statement about Gundemir et al’s argument. I began with the They Say to set my writing up for my own opinion on this topic and give the reader context about what I am writing about and why they should care. This template helped me focus on the information in my writing more than just the filler words that structure it. A lot of the time when I first begin writing I find myself not knowing how to begin. Having the words from the template there for me to use made it much easier to start and I felt like I could use my time writing more efficiently.

2. This weeks readings from Gundemir et al and Austin and Pisano add to my understanding of diversity in organizations greatly. On one hand, Gundemir’s article answered a lot of the questions that last week’s readings brought up for me, such as what the strategies used to increase and maintain diversity in a company are. Gundemir’s research showed me that diversity in companies can be maintained by programs that these companies create to make people feel comfortable and included. From the data, I could see that companies with multiculturalist ideologies made diverse workers feel valued, and equal resulting in those employees feeling more comfortable to strive for leadership roles and advancements within that same company. Austin and Pisano’s article expanded my knowledge of diversity but in a very different way. They discussed neurodiverse people which I didn’t think to include in the discussion of diversity till after I read this. Learning about neurodiversity supported why diversity is so positive in companies. Austin and Pisano highlight how neurodiverse people can add so much benefit to a company. They also educate on how including them and creating programs for them to get through job interviews, and thrive at a company is  so important. In conclusion both readings this week expanded what I thought I knew about diversity and made me think about what is considered diverse in a company.

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Responses- Week of 5/25

When it comes to the topic of diversity, most of us will readily agree that it is an important and healthy part society and culture. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of organizational culture. Whereas some are convinced that a Value-in-Homogeneity policy is best for an organization and its culture, others maintain that a Multiculturalism or Value-in-Individual Differences policy is better for minority employees, the organization and its culture.

I used a sentence outline designed to open a debate to describe Gundemir et al’s research. It worked for my sentence because, as a minority, I am biased towards multiculturalism-focused organizations, which the sentence demonstrates. It also worked because the results of Gundemir et al’s research did support the hypothesis that “minorities [would] report more positive leadership self-perceptions and leadership-related goals” in a company focused on multiculturalism rather than homogeneity, so it’s likely that many believe Multiculturalism or Value-in-Individual Differences is better for an organization’s minority employees.

I found that the messages behind the Gundemir et al article and the article from last week about organizational diversity were similar in that both articles were ultimately promoting the acceptance of diversity in the workplace. As a minority, reading both of these articles was refreshing since I had never really thought about diversity in a business setting and it felt like the authors of both articles had a mindset similar to mine. In my limited experience working at FedEx and Costco, I hadn’t heard anything about company diversity policies, but there were policies about harassment and respecting other people and their cultures. I hadn’t noticed in the moment, but since reading these articles and thinking about my coworkers, almost everyone I worked with at FedEx was different from me, whether they were a different race, religion, or sexual orientation versus Costco where everyone was relatively similar.

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Question Responses Justin

  1. The template that I’d like to use showcasing starting from what others are saying is from the templates on page 23. It has become common today to dismiss ____________.  It has become common to today to dismiss the lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in organizations all over the U.S. With statistics showing that it is rather beinficial to be more diverse within these companies. This template offers a statement from someone saying how it is common so dismiss an issue that is currently going on. This is a good template because it also has many facets to it. You can substitute any word for dismiss and completely change the template. in the introduction, the authors were addressing how some people think the templates can be repetitive and boring especially if everyone is using them. But with subsidizing words and phrases, there are manY ways of saying what you want to say while still using the “they say technique and still being effective.

3. When it comes to diversity in the workplace, there are many different factors that are taken into account and play a role. The organization and leadership of that organization plays a huge role because they are hiring individuals based off what they think can help their company in the long run and what they see best fit. From the point of view of Austin and Pisano in their article, they state that the behaviors of many neurodiverse people run counter to what most companies are looking for in an employee. For example, good communication skills, team work, persuasiveness,  networking, and a ton of other qualities the article states. this kind of criteria automatically screen out people who are unable to do these types of things without certain help. Companies tend to go along with what society is fixated on and what they are personally comfortable with. On the other hand, Gundemir et al, looks at it from the point of view of the workers. They conducted a study that shows certain policies create a more diverse culture. They look at the goals of the individuals and what it takes for them to be successful within different working conditions. Both of these ideas are important because hiring happens all the time and it is making it harder for neurodiverse people to obtain jobs.

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Week of 5/25 – Discussion

1. When it comes to the topic of organizational diversity policies in the workplace, most of us will readily agree that said policies bring beneficiary values.  Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of “whether and how these can play a pivotal causal role in shaping minority group member’s leadership-related perception” (p 173). Whereas some are convinced that we should explicitly value the characteristics of diverse minority members, others maintain that suppressing the categorization of people into distinct groups will eliminate negative consequences such as prejudice or conflict. My own view is that ideologies of colorblindness will always influence a time and place for assessing the best possible workplace type and climate based environment.

For this exercise I worked off a template that introduced an ongoing debate. Where I decided to expand off this template was in the last sentence of the paragraph. Here I’m basically trying to say that the nature of colorblind theory (whether positive or negative) carries a be-all and end-all placement for determining the direction of diversity policies in the workplace. I think because my knowledge on the subject is fairly new and limited, the point I wanted to make may read a bit difficult, however, it is an area of research I’d be interested in exploring further. Overall I found this approach pretty useful for getting my thoughts to follow a logical process onto the page.

2. Something these weekly readings have began to do is expand my horizon for how I think about diversity in organizations. In my earlier views I always thought about diversity kind of as a black and white slate. The readings particularly on neurodiversity illuminated groups I had not fully considered. Even more so as I kept reading on the topic, it unveiled how widespread these organizations can be. Often times they’ll break up into further subgroups and subcultures within an already distinct body. Being a minority myself found me agreeing with a lot of the claims made especially in Gundemir’s reading. It made me reflect on conversations I’ve had in the past with family or friends alike whom identify as such. From our discussions we would talk about how being a minority places one on a constant pedestal (showcase) to society. As individuals we have a role and responsibility to live up our name or fall in either stereotypical category. Its sad to think like that though most would agree that if there were greater personal and leadership examples in the workplace, we would feel more motivated to excel. The reality is though with our current policy standards and systems in place, it isn’t as easy to progress. To say “yes we support diversity, here it is” is not enough. Theres a teetering and sensitive balance for how companies and individuals can work. As I’ve come to learn, instilling a new message requires discussing all grounds no matter how uncomfortable or confrontational they may be.

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Discussion Responses week of 5/25 – Dominique

 

  1. Many People assume that __________ 

Many people assume that in order to allow for a safe and respectful work environment, Value-in-Homogenity Policy should be used. .However, Value-in-Individual Differences and Multicultural Policy makes it so that minorities feel respected. It also allows minorities to feel capable of achieving their goals and work in leadership positions.

This template is very simple, yet effective. In order to complete the template, I first talked about what others believe by saying “Many people assume…”. Next, I stated my argument. This allows for two sides of the argument instead of just one. Writers could use this template in any order. For example, the writer could state their argument, they say: However, many people assume… I think that the simplicity of this template makes it better because it is easy for readers to understand. The framing of the template is very  useful because the two arguments are clearly outlined in only a sentence or two.

  1. This week’s reading adds to my understanding of diversity in organizations because all of the readings have shown that there are positive outcomes to having different people work for companies/businesses. The Gundemir article talks about minorities, and how to diversify a work community in that way. This article focused on ways to appreciate different cultures so that they are respected and talked about. The Austin and Pisano article talks about neurodiversity in the workplace, and explains the benefits. Unfortunately, the workforce is not nearly as neurodiverse as it should be. This article highlights the fact that everyone has different abilities, and that people who have disabilities do not need to be cured. Both articles show the importance of diversifying work communities. Diversity allows for different life experiences that can be utilized in the workplace to enhance work performance. While there may be challenges in diversifying companies or businesses, these articles show that in the end, it makes a huge difference. 

 

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Unit 1, They Say, Aaron

  1.  In the first chapter of They Say/I Say, using the templates that are given, I would like to try this exercise: At the same time that I believe that people are more comfortable around their own peers, neighborhood, or ethnicity, I also believe that diversity is a truly healthy thing. Not just for the social aspect of expanding your horizons and ideas and sharing experiences with different people, but there is also evidence that it really does contribute to higher production in the workforce.
    This template did help me to construct an argument sentence a lot easier than if I was just using stream of conscious writing, and it also made it easy for me to express that things can be nuanced. It’s not always all this way or all that way and if given the opportunity to argue that more than one thing can be true at the same time, I tend to take that challenge at every opportunity.
  2. The two readings this week obviously have some differences since they are about two different kinds of diversity: The Gündemir study relying heavily on gender and ethnic diversity and the Austin&Pisano piece about neurodiversity. Both writings gave me much more information than I previously had about the subject- for instance, the studies done by Gündemir were very detailed and the correlation between more people of diverse backgrounds leading to diverse candidates being willing to take positions of leadership in a company was honestly a little bit higher than I would have assumed, which is a really good thing! The article about neurodiversity was really eye opening to me to see that some very reputable technology companies were doing quite a bit to implement employing people who were neurologically different, and seeing some complaints about concessions being made to these employees (such as having their own office while other employees had to share an office with multiple other employees). That sort of led me to remember some of my experiences when I worked at UPS (I worked inside their hub loading trucks for a large number of years). One peak season (holiday season), there was an influx of workers that were hired on a temporary basis- some were Sudanese refugees, some were Arabic refugees and some were from South and Central America. This naturally peaked my interest because I must be weird but I naturally enjoy being around other cultures, I find it interesting. Well, as soon as they were done being trained and left to load on their own, they had nobody to help them- nobody could speak their language, and (this really bothered me) nobody wanted to work with them, for some blatantly racist, nationalistic reasons. I requested my boss that I move from my area to work with them and help them out, and although I couldn’t speak in depth sentences with them, we got along fine when it came to work, and we even would chat about non work things like which soccer club we supported. Some of my other coworkers who I have known for many years sort of gave me condescending looks and that gave me a bad taste in my mouth, but it instantly made me think of these articles because if you treat someone unfairly and like they don’t matter, than of course the chances are high that you aren’t going to have a super excited employee who strives to go above and beyond for a company while the people there look down on them.
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Week of 5/25, Isaac

1.

In discussions of X, one controversial issue has been_______.  On the one hand_________, argues. On the other hand,__________ contends. Others even maintain__________. My own view is____________.  

 

In discussions of the improvement of diversity and minorities affected in organizational cultures, one controversial issue has been about whether a Value-in-Homogeinty policy or a Multiculturalism/ Value-in-Individual Differences is more beneficial to an organization. On the one hand, some argue that people will work better surrounded by others with matching characteristics. On the other hand, many believe a culturally diverse organizational culture that values individual strengths and characteristics creates a stronger organization. My own view is in line with multiculturalism, where a team of people use their unique strengths and perspectives to work together in an improved workforce unalike to one that values homogeneity.

 

This template certainly delivers a coherent statement regarding either side of this argument. I removed “Others even maintain___” since there are mainly two sides in Gundemirs article, but the fact that sentences are interchangeable in the templates allows for them to help fit to an article, and I can infer how useful they could be for creating a statement you want to elaborate on.

 

  1. In many cases, organizations allow prejudice to take place because staying in one’s comfort zone seems much easier than working with people who have a different perspective and mindset than the majority. However, as our contemporary culture shifts to an openly diverse melting pot of differences, we must be accepting of those who have opposing views to continue to evolve in a forward motion. In both articles the subject of designing a welcoming workplace for minority groups is faced head-on. In the Gundemir article, experiments show results of how certain policies/tactics create a more openly diverse culture, they tested hypotheses and created charts with the data collected to create a concrete study of diversity in the workplace. The Austin and Pisano article is a study of ongoing missions to improve neurodiversity in large companies based around the world. Both articles deal with the main goal of improving diversity in organizations to create a wider spectrum of mindsets and skills that can help the organization grow. The neurodiversity article stated, “Historically, companies have asked employees to trim away their irregularities, because it’s easier to fit people together if they are all perfect rectangles. But that requires employees to leave their differences at home—differences firms need in order to innovate”. The articles are meant to tackle the ongoing cookie-cutter mindset that only hinders and hurts organizations and the minorities that are pushed to the side. Without articles addressing the complexity of these issues the bias and closedmindedness will continue to dominate industries.