When it comes to diversity and inclusion in an organizational culture everybody intends to Have a positive and healthy workplace. The article ‘The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off’ uses a highly realistic fictional story to convey the difference between somethings intention and the actual impact. An example-manager the authors named Kim worked her way through a typical busy day and included how her actions and words can have a larger impact when you take a second glance. The article’s key points include unconscious bias that occurs in most decision-making settings, as well as the systematic levels and insider-outsider dynamics that form in every organizational culture. These are consequences that are formed when aspects of a culture don’t receive enough attention. For an organization to have a fully equal workplace the executives and staff must turn their focus to themselves and the people around them rather than just the company.
Prompt Discussion/Responses
Prompt 1) The standard way of thinking about diversity policies has it that they are instrumental in stimulating minority leadership and impacting leadership self-perceptions of minority categories in organizations. However, by manipulating the environment to the degree in which they did in Gundemir et al’s argument, I was left wondering what would happen if they spent time in actual environments, those known to have undergone diversion policy integration, to see how it’s operating without any manipulations. This was such a scientific experiment, it seemed to lack an experiential human component of observation and witness. In tern eliminating a sense of the call and response of human interaction that takes place on a daily basis in the workplace.
Prompt 2) While many might automatically assume that any efforts to expand on and progress any type of diversity in the workplace, whether we are looking at how diversity is framed, or the opportunities and challenges diversity brings to a workplace; they are efforts generally determined as good works automatically. Gundemir et al make very thorough attempts to show factual data of the findings of their research, and Austin and Pisano speak very freely about the current low standard deviation of neurodiversity in our society. They both implicate clearly why and what the challenges are in changing certain low standard deviations when it comes to diversity in the workplace. I wonder though, by just bringing these things to attention, is there actual impact from this that is scalable? Not in the diversity itself, but the research being done about diversity.
Overview of Week of 6/1
Now that we’re getting our feet under us in terms of what organizational culture is, why diversity and inclusion are part of the conversation, and how thinking about rhetorical situation can help us to engage with complex texts, it’s time for us to build on that.
As a group, we’ve all been working with the same set of texts, and that gives us a shared foundation of knowledge. What I’ve tried to assemble here is a set of texts that function as a canon–works that are essential to an understanding of the subject matter, important and influential works. But there’s so much more out there to explore, and that will be your primary work for the week–looking around to locate an additional text that you think should be part of the canon.
Canonical works are substantive–building on careful and thoughtful research. They provide new insights and ideas, and don’t simply re-present known information. They work well for their audience, so that they can contribute to the world of knowledge.
Chances are you’ll need to look at several articles to find one that does all this and that meets the particular criteria that are set forth on the unit 1 assignment sheet . The SU libraries’ website is a good place to start here. You can use the Advanced Search functions there to help filter the results so they meet some of the basic criteria to start with. You’ll find a number of useful tutorials on the library site if you’re not already familiar with using it. This search tips page is a good place to start.
(A quick note on using SU libraries vs. Google Scholar–you’ve already paid for the SU services and won’t ever bump into a paywall; on Google Scholar, you often will. The library also provides free research support, which you can’t get on Google.)
So, where to begin? Here’s an overview of your tasks for the week:
Reading assignments:
- chapters 2 and 3 of TSIS
- chapter 1 of Rewriting by Joe Harris (PDF on Blackboard)
- “Understanding key D&I concepts” (PDF on Blackboard)
- your selected article (that you plan to contribute to the canon)–to write an effective summary, you will need to read this carefully and probably more than once. Be sure to consult the close reading handout and the handout on summary.
Discussion/writing assignments:
- write a 100-200 word summary of either the Kaplan and Donovan article from this week OR the Austin and Pisano article from last week, and submit this on the blog (categorize as “Discussions/Homework”; tag with “K&D” or “A&P” as appropriate, along with “week of 6/1,” and [your name] (due Weds., 6/3)
- respond to 2 of this week’s discussion questions (available here). Categorize as “Discussions/Homework”; tag with “week of 6/1,” “unit1,” and [your name]. (due Thurs., 6/4):
- respond to at least 2 of your classmates’ discussion posts on the blog (due Sat., 6/6)
- write a 200 word summary of your selected article. Include a link to or PDF of the article you’re working with, and reference the author and title of the text you are summarizing. Categorize this as “Expanding the Canon”; tag it with “summary,” “week of 6/1,” and [your name]. (due Sun., 6/7)
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.
Question Responses Justin
- 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.
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.
Discussion Responses week of 5/25 – Dominique
- 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.
- 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.
Unit 1, They Say, Aaron
- 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. - 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.
Unit 1-5/18 (Mikayla)
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- The modern world is encompassed by a vast majority of different languages, cultures and ideas and they affect the way we live and the way we learn. Different backgrounds and perspectives allow us to be more multi faceted and diversity within communities allows us to relate to larger groups of people. The chapter readings expose us to some of the truths of the world and generate the idea that the more knowledge and experience we have, the more we can change the systems and structures within the world. Culture to me is the traits and ideas a society is encompassed of and how they use their knowledge to create a way of being for the whole. The more exposure it has and the more diverse it is directly correlates to the way changes are made within it. After reading these papers a question that arose is whether having a diverse community and culture will truly make an environment more structured and more likely to succeed?
2. Whenever I am exposed to a new environment or community I ask myself what I have to offer or what I can bring to the table. When an opportunity to make a change is presented you begin to assess your knowledge and your experiences. Whether it can offer a new idea or a different way of seeing something and make the whole more likely to succeed. When I first arrived on the Syracuse University campus I viewed myself as an outsider, someone who had a different culture and background than the rest of the students. Although I had a hard time adjusting to the environment I soon learned that the only way to succeed was to use the things I already knew. My culture and my background were not a hindrance but a tool I used to push myself ahead. The skills that I developed, although they were different from the rest allowed me to not only push myself forward but build on the community around me.
Organizational Culture and Diversity
As I read Michael Watkins’ article, I began to think about the various organizations of which I am a member. What sort of cultures do they have? How do I contribute (or not) to the fostering of that culture? What do I like and dislike about each? I have been reflecting lately on how lucky my wife and I both are to have jobs which allow us to work from home during the pandemic. While both jobs have their fair share of stress, I find that my company has been much better about establishing a work/life balance. This comes directly from the CEO, who has been an advocate for such a balance prior to the pandemic. Moreover, since the beginning of self-isolation, he and the rest of the leadership team have been emphasizing the importance of self care during this time. This includes taking time away from work to focus on one’s physical, emotional and mental health.
The McKinsey report on diversity immediately reminded of the diversity discussions we’ve had at work. In particular, during the last several IT leadership conferences, there have been presentations and discussions around the company’s efforts to improve diversity at every level of the organization.
I found one such presentation particularly memorable. The speaker acknowledged that while most discussions on diversity focus on such important areas such as race and gender, diversity of thought and experience are equally critical to an organization’s success. To illustrate his point, he displayed a diagram representing a small team. The team was made up of six boxes. He then told us that leadership were interested in adding some diversity to the team. On the screen popped up a number of circles, triangles, rectangles, ovals, etc. This represented the candidate pool. Leadership decided to hire the triangle, and a new team diagram was displayed. This time there were six squares and the triangle.
The next slide simply said “One Year Later”, before switching to another featuring seven squares. The speaker then shared a warning. It was of course wonderful to strive for diversity. However, without an openness to different perspectives and a willingness to try new ideas, organizations run the risk of converting triangles into squares.