Month: June 2021

Kaplan & Donovan Summary

In the article, Kaplan and Donovan claim that it is difficult for managers to embrace differences in the workplace due to unconscious bias’, insider-outsider group dynamics, and the idea of different levels in systems. They also suggest that good intentions are often not matched with a positive impact. For example, the article speaks about, Kim, a manager, going into a separate cafeteria only available to a small population. Although the intent is to create a quite space for upper management, it comes off as elitist because of separation from the rest of the employee population.

The authors also illustrate that by giving uniform performance reports, Kim is damaging the opportunity for organizational growth. The article speaks that it is difficult to review others who are different from us, as people are often unaware of the other person’s needs. As a result, the author states that daily actions as well as reflecting on our own biases are essential to foster diversity and inclusion.

After reading the article, I support the idea that changing daily processes are essential in promoting diversity and inclusion. Continuous development and growth are required and can only be done by matching intent with impact within the organization.

A call to action: Preparing a disability-competent health care workforce Summary

Bowen et al.’s scholarly article comes from the Disability and Health Journal and explains the insufficient approaches to people with disabilities in the health care workforce and biased opinions based on the quality or function of their life given by employees. The authors introduce the notion of implementing disability training for healthcare providers while also addressing real organizations and their effort. Two initiatives are proposed in the article: The Disability Competencies and the DCC (Disability Competent Care) model. Both approaches would demonstrate high-quality health care by being more personable and allowing for more access to care, improving responsiveness, and enabling support. The authors use these two initiatives to provide a foundation for a future disability-competent health care workforce. The Disability Competencies consists of objectives that hone in on specific skills and behaviors that would provide quality health care to those with disabilities. At the same time, the DCC model would demonstrate structure to give disability competence training to the health care workforce. The authors stress the urge for systematic change in interprofessional health education and are confident that these initiatives would establish a place to start. Although both initiatives have slightly different objectives, both, when implemented, would improve the health care for people with disabilities by educating the health care workforce. 

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/276914/1-s2.0-S1936657420X00045/1-s2.0-S1936657420300662/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEPr%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJGMEQCIBXaIpO7jqAKgQm0XLU07QEuw5Sj2YHZ1GfmhhGcCThkAiA0BeWpN%2BQlJ87BbTX0Ph8WXdOoouX8UqkNjdysMK7gfCqDBAjD%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F8BEAQaDDA1OTAwMzU0Njg2NSIMd4c7kLFhFunuWDPNKtcDN8KNEtwD7UN66i%2BRqZYAxRFon8s5Dt1Yh3MoNifN15nwBrKmGdwrEvRrY%2BqQoQ6nvsML3foKr1iVf0x8nMoEYQWiCIyFtXbvSFlHaUMU8veSfkugv2m9y%2Bw7KwNY0r1o4cNW5FMjFcGnt9IZEWDlNALBnuKNH%2FNKewJxm%2BejwxpxKRjkK%2FOciz5910LpbbrrpzImNjQXOvHtfLqUkuhM9SuPmV6dwNaeX9a9qpo7zE3Mp4UVhT4RsnKkOPC9n4tc8Z0o7A%2BXCEnUY5G8Ni8K44b81W7FfIXpdAIwqvJRinAAjVku5X%2Fp4PlxfKvGILcFfvKeMKy2l%2BMaANfGjXyGCK6ccXuTMjtpUU37UJnsl2YE4kMoSkF%2BnZyniUcAEf8zMgTK3KaxhWtgehVHmEXTNNpGGS0aEFmPIrrpQ3oWXOKDlaOl5HOuEpNk9VbHgPQVjacm1c8Y2f9TDihx9Nx21VXWT5Yg597lXqJSnyVGaSCWRAvlI3mNI1sGt9tl%2BWtyNf3uFSXwKXV%2B06heWj%2B7gUgnUjt9q0HWFvEBRCD7oAdQwEoLQV6zVAZI8CeoqKXB23P5J9SdNiVl85RW7VEe8pBI3n4zUUWnau0D9vTTkiZxSL%2BL8p8lMMiXw4YGOqYB6EUaCbrgRiWhH9ayqimuMbZXP1H4kmDexweco1I3PdDY5Xy%2BLpJwCP2I2u37sZm09XlHlBbE%2BmxCYmsNIXGVOejJEvFkaDHAs60mPWqm229QDH5zUxNy%2F0OQ%2BC8WmPdo8QR%2BcJEDRKckr5BrZYPZpIOmDYeLQsRJjtfOlpu0MPTpZOe2Yz5WU7Su9b9Y5y54I7tsOI5nHQqgZmAqi2xDcZmLoJ8G%2Bw%3D%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20210621T175303Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQ3PHCVTY3FCKRL5P%2F20210621%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=9754a652ff4f008e651ea3629b9a8868307fc3806775e23a2321415266d854cd&hash=c0143100eb9cc17513f4de3f0cd2505653d05dc7625ec7f3fe86cf04e6e355ae&host=68042c943591013ac2b2430a89b270f6af2c76d8dfd086a07176afe7c76c2c61&pii=S1936657420300662&tid=spdf-3c7b4324-aaa7-42fa-9c9f-4ebca94bbf7a&sid=dd8b593970511946284ae7256feb381afe8fgxrqa&type=client

Discussion Questions Week 3

Response to #1

When it comes to my addition of valuable texts that will expand our “canon”, I want to focus on the neglect of disability. However, as we have seen how those with disabilities have been treated in the workforce, I want to research how they are treated in the health care workforce. I began thinking about this after reading Pisano’s article about neurodiversity. In the past, neurodiversity, and disability, when introduced into a business-type setting, could have been seen as foreign to uneducated and biased people. However, I want to explore what happens when these people are introduced into a legally supposed setting to cater to them and help them. I have been googling my topic, trying to find a majority of articles, and then will want to hone in on a reoccurring theme between them. I hope that once I find this theme or idea that I want to follow up on, Summon Libraries will have an article that encompasses it well. 

Response to #2

For this week’s template exercise, I decided to use two “theys.” The articles I will be referring to are Pisano’s and Kaplan and Donovan’s. My attempt reads:

Pisano reminds us through SAP’s experience that by acquiring people in the workforce that see differently, employees won’t all look in the same direction for an answer, while Kaplan and Donovan acknowledge that while having the good intention of hiring diverse employees, the desired impact will only be tangible if there is common ground. Kaplan and Donovan do not suggest avoiding diverse employees but rather encourage the balance between intent and effect, which all happens by being aware of words and behavior.

This template was harder for me than the previous weeks’ attempt. However, it was easier for me to make my point by using two “theys” because the ideas bounce off each other, and I did not have to think too hard yet about my opinion and input. I am glad I did two theys first because now I will feel more confident about creating a “they say/i say” sentence. 

Kaplan and Donovan Summary

Kaplan and Donovan’s article drew upon the importance of visual maps regarding diversity and inclusion. The article starts by going into detail about a manager’s day and then explains each key inclusion concept. Key concepts then are seen, such as intent and impact, unconscious bias, insider-outsider dynamics, and levels as systems. By learning about “Kim”, readers know that good intent does not always mean good impact. Kaplan and Donovan use these key concepts to explain Kim’s day in the office. Failures of intent can get even worse when diversity is a goal. Kaplan and Donovan clarify that because we aren’t educated about everyone around us, our “unconscious bias” blurs the reality that we perceive. Insider-outsider dynamics often create a decorrelation between intent and impact. When talking about unconscious bias, ultimately, in the recruitment process, it takes place, causing a plethora of candidates not to be seen or heard. With insider-outsider dynamics, it is explained that there are unfair advantages for insiders, while there is a disadvantage for outsiders. When it comes to levels as systems, Kaplan and Donovan define four levels that help to understand successful inclusion. The authors then explain what Kim could have done differently and how she could have applied these key concepts to create healthy inclusion. This hypothetical situation is very relatable, I would assume, to many managers, which produces almost a guideline for those reading it. Kaplan and Donovan’s main points they want readers to take away are that when it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workforce, good intent does not always mean good outcomes, small changes can have a drastic positive effect, and continual development is needed to fully understand each other.

Overview of Week of 6/21

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 schedule and assignment sheetDownload

The SU libraries’ website is a good starting point. You can use the Advanced Search functions there to help filter the results so they meet some of the basic criteria to start with (i.e. adjusting the publication dates, limiting the types of publications, etc.). 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 “weekof6/21,” and [your name] (due Weds., 6/23) 
  • respond to 2 of this week’s discussion questions (linked below). Categorize as “Discussions/Homework”; tag with “weekof6/21,” “unit1,” and [your name]. (due Thurs., 6/24):  https://ksoakes.expressions.syr.edu/wrt205summer2021/2021/06/21/discussion-prompts-for-week-of-6-21/
  • respond to at least 2 of your classmates’ discussion posts on the blog (due Sat., 6/26) 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,” “weekof6/21,” and [your name]. (due Sun., 6/27)

Discussion prompts for Week of 6/21

This week you’ll begin injecting into this conversation about diversity and inclusion that we’ve been reading about. Each of you will suggest an article to add to this body of information, so that we can all continue to expand our understanding of the issues. Please be sure to reread the last page of the the Unit 1 assignment sheet (linked below).

Unit 1 schedule and assignment sheetDownload

First, a quick refresher on rhetorical situation. This is the idea that everything is written by someone, for someone, for some purpose, and within some broader context. Considering these different elements of a text can give us a window into how the text works, why it looks the way it does, whether it is likely to be successful for its intended reader, etc. You’ve already seen rhetorical situation represented in visual form like this:

Just a little something to keep in mind as we move into discussion for the week–we’ll be thinking a lot this week about how authors respond to their writing situation in order to produce successful communications, and in particular about how an author’s audience connects to his/her purpose in writing.

On to the prompts–this week everyone should respond to the 1st question and then select 1 of the other 2 to answer. Responses should be >150 words each. Please tag your responses with “unit1,” “weekof6/21,” and [your name]. Categorize as “Discussions.”

  1. It’s time to get moving along with your unit 1 assignment. For this assignment, you will be adding to the set of sources we’re reading about diversity and organizational culture (which amount to a canon of sorts–a collection of important texts). We’ll expand this canon by suggesting additional valuable resources. So, for your first discussion post this week, please tell us a little about how you’re doing that: what kinds of material are you looking for? what topic are you following up on? what sort of expert(s) do you think we need to hear from? how are you looking (i.e. what particular databases or search tools are you using)? what techniques or strategies are proving helpful?
  2. This week’s readings move from the theoretical conversation about diversity that unfolds in the pages of scholarly journals to the practical–consideration of what is actually involved in creating and maintaining a diverse workforce, this time through the lens of (dis)ability. Let’s start to put the pieces together, as we’re adding to our growing foundation of knowledge: construct a they say/I say sentence (or series of sentences) that connects one of this week’s readings about disability inclusion with one of the readings from the last 2 weeks. (There are a number of templates in chapter 2 of TSIS that might help you with this work.) You are welcome to include yourself as an I in this formulation, but you may also choose to use 2 theys here–i.e. While Austin and Pisano contend that…. Kaplan and Donovan suggest that… Be creative, and use this work to further your understanding both of the texts you’re employing, as well as your own perspective.
  3. In chapter 1 of Rewriting, Joe Harris asks us to consider a writer’s project when we’re trying to make sense of a particular text. That is, he encourages us to think of “something far more complex than a main idea, since it refers not to a single concept but to a plan of work, to a set of ideas and questions that a writer ‘throws forward (Latin, pro + jacare)” and to recognize that “a project is something that a writer is working on–and that a text can only imperfectly realize” (Harris 17). Thinking in these terms, how would you characterize the project that Kaplan and Donovan undertake in “Key D&I Concepts”? That is, what do you think they are “working on” in this article? (Review Harris’s steps at the bottom of page 15.)

Discussion 6/14

  1. It has become common today for diversity in leadership positions to be ignored and overlooked despite statistics proving that more diversity results in more productivity, creativity, and altogether, a much better atmosphere.  For about the past twenty years there has been little to no change regarding this problem, which indicates that many companies do not see this diversity issue as it really is.  Gundemir et al addresses the problem in the article The Impact of Organizational Diversity Policies on Minority Employees’ Leadership Self-Perceptions and Goals and mentions ways to potentially address it, such as Multiculturalism or Value-in-Individual Differences policies.

I decided to use the prompt “It has become common today to dismiss…” but chose to exclude the “to dismiss” part because I thought that saying exactly what was common better accentuated my point.  The reason I decided on this prompt was because many of the others required more of my opinion, something that was assumed, or more of a debate set up.  Personally, those templates did not appeal to me due to the nature of the article and how I interpreted it.  I utilized the chosen template to state the problem and then used my next sentence to bring up the potential solutions Gundemir et al suggested.  Templates are very useful to me because I usually get stuck writing when I do not have some form of guidance so I am enjoying learning more from Graff and Birkenstein.

3. The decisions companies make have the ability to impact everyone that already works for them and those attempting to get hired.  Both the Gundemir et al article The Impact of Organizational Diversity Policies on Minority Employees’ Leadership Self-Perceptions and Goals and the Austin and Pisano article address the need for more diversity in the workplace, whether racial diversity in leadership positions or an increase in neurodivergence people.  Both articles talk about how the increase in diversity in either aspect results in positive outcomes and, in many cases, increases in productivity.  Specifically, from Austin and Pisano’s article we know that the reason neurodivergence in so important is due to the fact that many neurodivergent people are able to recognize patterns and certain aspects of their jobs that many neurotypical people do not pick up on.  Unfortunately, due to the hiring process these individuals are more often than not overlooked because of the very rigid criteria that many neurodivergent people do not consciously abide by, such as difficulty interviewing, ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence, being a team player, etc.  It is important to bring awareness to the companies that could really benefit from the inclusion of neurodivergent people and have an increase of diversity everywhere.

Something fun that happened this past week was that my friends from Syracuse stayed with me so I was able to show them around the Philly area and down the shore before they had to travel back to Scotland where they’re from.

Response 6/14

  1. In their recent work, Gundemir et al offered harsh critiques of organizations lack diversity for higher level positions. The disproportionate number of White people vs BIPOC in positions like CEOs is disturbing and hard to understand given the stated researched benefits that increased diversity has on the workplace. Because of this discrepancy, the researchers of this article conducted two studies that investigate how a change in diversity mission statements/initiatives can impact the self-perceptions and goals minority groups.

I found the templates very useful. I am not sure if I picked this best one or accomplished what the prompt asked me to do but it was interesting to trial and error a bunch of them. I think templates are a great tool to model writing and help with beginning a writing piece. For me, that is where I struggle the most. I am curious to see the other prompts throughout the book.

3. Both articles discuss how the benefits that come from different forms of diversity in organizations. The ripple effect that can come from these articles is a deeper understanding of diversity that can improve current disparities. These articles have important results and examples that other companies can read and implement. As stated in the Gundemir article, having a diverse workforce has “positive outcomes such as increasing the quality of decision making, stimulating creativity, and enhancing performance”. Even though there is an increased awareness for workplace diversity and the benefits have been found through research, there still is a disconnect. How and when will there be real changes? Are these studies and ideas feasible for every company to implement? What are the barriers? These are all questions I had. Diversity clearly matters and is important, so I still am struggling to understand why people are so opposed to differences.

I had my brothers high school graduation yesterday! It was so nice to reconnect with family I have not seen since before the beginning of the pandemic.

Discussion Questions Week 2

Question 1 Response

It has become common today to promote diversity within the workplace, however, the definition of what it means to be diverse is fluid in understanding. Because of this, many companies have resulted in promoting diversity but fall short in representing individuals from all walks of life. In Guntemir, et al’s work he states that “in an increasingly diversified workplace, minority leadership is crucial to optimally utilize the talent of all employees for competitive advantage” he then goes on to highlight the disproportion between African Americans and their European counter parts in almost all positions of leadership throughout global workplace settings. The standard way of thinking about diversity has it that promoting diversity and or increasing the amount of people from a specific background (IE: people with disabilities, African-Americans, members of the LGBTQIA+ community) is effective in diversifying a professional setting. Although this is a crucial aspect of creating a diverse culture, making sure those very same individuals feel safe and accounted for by promoting equity within both the hiring process and throughout every other aspect of their career also has a substantial influence on the success of an organization.

Question 3 Response.

“Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage” by Austin and Pisano as well as “”The impact of organizational diversity policies on minority employees’ leadership self-perceptions and goals” by Gundemir et al, serve the purpose of constructing the definitions of diversity and its impact on organizational leadership. Gundemir et al delves into the broader spectrum of the affects of lack of diversity in a workplace and sheds light on the differentiation between the perceptions of diversity across the glob. SImilarly, Austin and Pisano focus their lenses on a the lives of Neeurodiveese individuals and what exactly should be done in order to make proper use of their talents. Both reading force the reader to question their own beliefs on diversity and the take a step back to view both a systemic and personal perspective of what forms diversity can take.  Austin and Pisano and Gundemir et al both elucidate the need for the inclusion in order to utilize the skills of all members of a work place through the promotion of diversity.

Discussion Questions wk 6/14

  1. In her article ” The Impact of Organizational Policies on Minority Employees” Gundemir has concluded that multiculturalism and value-in individual differences policies are preferred red by minorities because they make them feel safe in their environment as well as motivate them to do their best work. This conclusion seems valid when taking into account that in the studies conducted, minority groups were more likely to strive for leadership positions when they felt included and valued in their organizations, which also increases the overall productivity of the organization as a whole.

I included Gundemir’s conclusion as the they say and then for my I say I supported the “they say” since I agree with Gundemir’s findings. I’m not sure if I did this correctly since I didn’t see any templates for supporting the “they say” in the chapter. I think the framing is fairly simple to follow but I’m confused on how it would be formatted if we are supporting the they say claim.

  1. After reading the articles by Gundemir et al and Austin and Pisano I am left with a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity and inclusion when it comes to the workplace. I’ve noticed that really intrigues me is in this weeks articles as well as last weeks articles there was a very prominent connection between diversity and the overall improvement of organizations. The article by Austin and Pisano was very enlightening to me. Something that stood out to me was that companies and organizations have been trying to be more inclusive to people with autism but then it was mentioned that there these accommodations haven’t been adapted to include people with other neurological abilities. I think that although these organizations are trying to take things one at a time, it is also important that they at least begin including people with other neurological abilities as well even if it is on a small scale. In the Gundemir studies both times the minority groups favored the multiculturalism and value-in individual differences policies because they made them feel more included and valued in the organization. This connects to the Austin and Pisano article because in both articles I have seen that when accommodations are put in place to guarantee the inclusion of everyone, then the organization will overall be more successful as well as motivate the individuals to do their best. Also I find it very important that both articles mentioned that diversity also means that you will have multiple ways to reach a goal since people will have different ideas based off of their own experiences.

I can think of a few ways that I am able to connect my experience to the bigger idea of diversity and inclusion presented in these articles. Prior to coming to SU’s campus, I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone and I also didn’t really understand how college worked because I am a first gen student. I was afraid that I would feel left out, however once I got on campus I soon realized that the school does a lot to make sure that each student feels included. I would always get emails about zoom events for the first generation students which allowed me to find a community I related to and have people I could go to if I ever had any questions. This did in a way motivate me because I realized that it was possible for me to survive in this new and challenging atmosphere. I honestly believe that if I did not have these people around me trying to help me, my first year wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as it did.

Highlight of my week

On Monday I had a picnic at Roosevelt Island with my sister and cousin. We also went and got ice cream from Surreal Creamery afterwards. Sadly I didn’t take any pictures but I had a really fun time.