Category: Discussions/Homework

Discussion 6/21

  1. In order for me to start expanding the canon on my own, I decided to look more into the themes of the previous works that we as a class were reading.  After isolating these themes that I picked out from our blog, I went immediately to the Syracuse library database to enter them into google search.  The themes I chose were diversity in the workplace, diversity in organizations, unconscious bias, intent vs impact, etc.  These topics were all aspects of the previous articles that I wanted to explore further.  The particular article I enjoyed the most so far has been the Kaplan and Donovan excerpt from chapter three of their book The Inclusion Dividend.  Therefore, I think that those themes are going to be the ones I explore the most.  Personally, I find this aspect of the class a bit difficult because I am not the biggest fan of sifting through various articles trying to find the ones that correspond the best to my argument.  I tend more towards picking the first articles I see and forming my argument around those main ideas instead of having my articles back up my thesis. 

3. The project that Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan are working towards in chapter three of their book The Inclusion Dividend is to create more aware workplaces, especially in reference to inclusion of all outsider groups. These outsider groups are mentioned within the book as the minority age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or on education level, class, or geography.  The authors, through their text, are spreading the ways in which executives and other people in the insider groups in workplaces hinder growth from a diversity standpoint.  To execute their project, Kaplan and Donovan give examples of how companies can be exclusive through the use of a day-to-day storyline of a supervisor.  I enjoyed this set up because it actually showed me the whole picture of how places can inadvertently be exclusive.  Throughout the scenario there was not one part of the day when I could easily say that the executive was being intentionally biased; but when I took a step back it became obvious how elitist the department was. 

Discussion Questions Week of 6/21

1) As I was searching for an article that would be appropriate for the canon, I utilized the “Summons” search engine. I was interested in “peer reviewed”, “full text online” “journal articles” “past five years”. I found this type of search was able to initially narrow down my selection. At this point, I could continue to narrow my choices with terms such as “organizational diversity.”

One of the aspects that was of particular interest was analyzing how CEO’s indicated their diversity management policies to the employees. I don’t mean the flashy brochures and signage but rather the unspoken – read between the lines message. Can we somehow ascertain what they’re really thinking? Now, we’ve recently had political figures that let us know exactly what they’re thinking but this is rare. Usually only a select few know their true intentions. I began to wonder, were the CEO’s truly serious or just giving the concept of organizational diversity efforts “lip service”? How does this commitment or lack of commitment within the company result in the successful execution of diversity programs?

2) Robert Austin and Gary Pisano in their article, Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage content that discriminatory practices against hiring individuals with neurodiversity result in organizations missing out on valuable employees whereas in the article Understanding Key D&I Concepts, authors Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan’s objective is to assist employers in comprehending the how diversity and inclusion policies can have a positive influence on organizations however the good intentions of these policies may have unexpected results.  It should be noted that Austin and Pisano report data from multiple organizations.  On the other hand, although Kaplan and Donovan provide an engaging example of various policies that had unanticipated impact there are no authentic illustrations of managing bias.

One point that I found particularly compelling in the Kaplan and Donovan article was the concept that by failing to appropriately assess employees can impact diversity and inclusion. Regrettably diversity and inclusion groups without this necessary feedback fail to improve and develop. When I think back on this concept, I can remember several instances in which managers took this approach.

In the Austin and Pisano article is filled with examples of neurodiversity success in organizations and the unexpected benefit of managers developing a better working relationship with all employees. The soft-skills that sometimes are overlooked in managers are critical attributes when dealing with neurodiverse individuals.

Discussion Questions Week of 6/21

Response to #1

I began my search to expand the canon by going back to Fundamentals of Management, the textbook for the management course I took last semester. We did a unit on “Managing Human Resources and Diversity,” so I thought the endnotes of that chapter in the book would lead me to some interesting articles. The chapter covered the full range of diversity from gender to race to sexual orientation to age and more, so there were many possible angles to pursue. I used Summon on the SU library website to search for the scholarly articles, and I found other articles directly on the web from the links that were in the endnotes. I also did keyword searches using terms from our readings and from concepts I came across that I was jotting down as I did my research. One idea led to another and another. So far, I have downloaded about 25 mostly academic articles, and I have started skimming them looking for one that could be influential. Some articles are narrowly focused on a specific industry like healthcare or IT or are based on research in another country. I think I will choose an article that has a broader scope with a US focus probably written by an expert in human resources or management.

Response to #3

In “Understanding Key D&I Concepts,” authors Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan aim to help managers understand the complex nature of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and point out ways they can adapt their behavior to have a more positive impact. In their own words, Kaplan and Donovan describe workplace diversity and inclusion as “a thousand-piece puzzle … [with] no picture on the box cover to show where the pieces might fit” (1). While their project has a broad scope, they make the concepts relatable by describing them in the context of a typical manager’s day. From their experience as management consultants, the authors understand that concepts such as “unconscious bias” are difficult to grasp yet must be understood before they can be addressed. That is why their method of highlighting moments where improvements can be made and offering possible solutions is so effective. While it is true that not every manager in the real world works in a structured organization like the one described, Kaplan and Donovan reveal many insights, share useful tips, and help managers understand that “good intent is not enough” (6). In other words, to improve workplace diversity and inclusion, managers must be active and not passive about it.

Discussion Questions Week of 6/21

Response# 1

As I read Robert Austin and Gary Pisano’s article, Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage, I was immediately reminded of HBO Max’s documentary “Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests”. While viewing the film, I was utterly appalled when I learned how personality tests are used as a screening tool for employment, which unfairly discriminates against neurodivergent and other disabled people.  I think this is a topic in need of further exploration in the D&I arena. I have googled several articles and posts and discovered there is a field of study called Psychometrics meant to measure skills, attitudes and personality traits.  I think it will be helpful if I can find an article by a person in that field who disagrees with using personality tests as an employment screen.  So far, I have a report on algorithms and disability discrimination. Next, I will check out the SU library where I’ll look for any journals related to disability and Human Resources, as well as any on Psychometry.

Response #2

Although “Understanding D&I Concepts” from The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off by Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan offers us an incredibly insightful and detailed dissection of the meaning and implementation of crucial D&I concepts, the authors fail to mention real world examples of best practices for handling bias. Whereas Robert Austin and Gary Pisano’s Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage gives us a robust report on how to recognize discriminatory practices against the neurodivergent, as well as detailed plans from existing businesses on D&I implementation. As exhibited in Austin and Pisano’s piece, they have convincingly demonstrated to us that the reported strategies work, based on listed companies’ willingness to implement them.

As you can see above, I have utilized 2 theys and have tried to remain somewhat neutral in what my beliefs are. With that said, I still employed the use of descriptive and emphatic verbs to help get the point across that real world examples are important when recommending strategies for workplace improvement.

Austin and Pisano Summary

“Neurodiversity as a competitive advantage” by Austin and Pisano is an analysis of the effects current workplace standards have on the Neurodiverse. From onboarding to the criteria for promotion, members of the Neurodiverse community often go overlooked and struggle to find employment as a result. Austin and Pisano refer to the Neurodiverse community as an “untapped pool of talent” and support their claim through the use of various studies that prove Neurodiverse people to be more than capable of completing the jobs they are qualified for. The idea that “Innovation is most likely to come from parts of us that we don’t all share.” reflects the core ideas of this text. This article not only raises awareness around the lack of diversity for the Neurodiverse within global workplace settings, but it also shows examples of the prospects of cultivating equity and promoting inclusion. 

Kaplan and Donovan Summary

In Kaplan and Donavan’s book, The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off, they advocate for the practice of considering diversity in all of the daily decisions a person makes. The authors discuss the struggles of an individual who consistently demonstrates good intentions in the workplace, but ultimately causes harm to coworkers. This article shares a story about a woman named Kim who operates as a Senior Manager at a company. This excerpt from the previously mentioned book highlights Kim’s daily obstacles and how she works around them. However, her actions are not sufficient enough. The reading presents examples of Kim’s unconscious bias and harmful actions. This piece of writing uses Kim’s experiences to advocate for change within the workplace for minority groups (women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+). This article has the potential to spark change within because of the realistic and powerful story told. It explores different concepts of workplace privilege and calls for change. These authors have identified detrimental patterns in the culture of careers, and it is clear that they hope to spark change through their writing as they promote awareness for diversity and inclusion

Kaplan and Donovan Summary

The issues concerning diversity and the lack of inclusion in the workplace have largely gone unnoticed or unaddressed.  Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan bring awareness to this problem in their book The Inclusion Dividend: Why Investing in Diversity & Inclusion Pays Off;Specifically in chapter three they discuss the ways in which executives might unconsciously create biased and unequal workplaces and how companies should recognize these occurrences.  Kaplan and Donovan provide examples of these accidental prejudices, such as intent and impact, unconscious bias, insider-outsider dynamics, and levels of systems.  These are all things that hinder diversity and inclusion and through recognition of the aforementioned barriers, the workplace can begin to adjust and correct the wrong behavior. 

Kaplan and Donovan show these biases in action through an in-depth example of a day in the life of an executive Kim in a company.  Throughout the day, Kim countlessly shows that while she might have good intentions, she contributes heavily to creating a workplace in which she does not respect people who differ from her ideas of a hard worker: from evidence, an outgoing assertive male.  The sort of behavior that she exhibited was not inclusive and clearly necessary for assistance to create a safe space for all the workers in the company, especially minorities.

Kaplan and Donovan Summary

Mark Kaplan (a principal for The Dagoba Group) and Mason Donovan (Managing Partner at The Dagoba Group, a diversity and inclusion consultancy that specializes in leadership development, unconscious bias and inclusion dynamics) write a compelling article on the intent– impact mismatch. They suggest that while organizations may have good intentions in their development of policies, these policies may have unexpected results.  There are many different approaches to inclusion and diversity within organizations reflected by various methodologies.  Kaplan and Donovan while exploring the daily routine of a female executive, discovered multiple instances during the day in which the concept of intent versus impact shows up. The article offers examples of situations that “Kim” finds herself in throughout a given day. While the intent of the organization may be to create an expeditious circumstance in which to perform her duties, the impact is that she is isolated from other employees, lacks critical feedback to all employees (including diverse employees) and projects an atmosphere of elitism.  

This intent- impact difference reminds me of when a supervisor instituted a new policy at my work. This policy was under the pretext of improving the company culture, but the employees got the sense it was a surveillance situation. The impact was an increase in mistrust and decrease in morale versus intent of enhancement of efficiency. This is a cautionary tale as outlined by Kaplan and Donovan, for all organizations to carefully consider that good intentions can meet a bad impact and potentially cause unintentional consequences.

Kaplan and Donovan Summary

In Chapter 3 of The Inclusion Dividend, authors Mark Kaplan and Mason Donovan take a close look at the workday of a typical senior manager to discuss diversity and inclusion concepts and highlight key moments when changes to behavior can make a positive impact. With 20 years as consultants in leadership development, diversity and inclusion, and organizational change, the authors have witnessed the challenges to progress that can occur from mismatched intent and impact, unconscious bias, insider-outsider dynamics, and a failure to consider the different levels of systems in an organization. They argue that a typical manager’s day is so full of deadlines and distractions that important actions related to diversity and inclusion “can be easily lost in the noise of the daily office grind” (Kaplan and Donovan 1). The authors also claim that the leadership courses or webinars managers occasionally take are not enough. In other words, it is difficult if not impossible for the typical manager to invest the time that is really needed each day to make a difference. By using many examples, Kaplan and Donovan also show how the shortcuts managers take, such as when a manager gives everyone a stellar performance review, can harm diversity and inclusion efforts. In the end, the authors offer practical solutions for cutting through the “noise” to make diversity and inclusion a daily priority.

Discussion Questions wk 6/21

  1. For my assignment I’ve been looking for all types of materials that I can find, I haven’t limited it to just one type (at least not yet). I’ve found 1 experiment, and 2 articles that discuss the topic like Austin and Pissano did. As of right now I’m leaning more towards my topic being Neurodiversity just because I’d like to learn a lot more about it because I wasn’t aware of this term before this course. I also think that it’s very important to realize that neurologically diverse people are just as capable as everyone else. I think it would be very beneficial if I can come across an article that was written in the point of view of someone who is neurologically diverse as well as their coworkers just so we can see a first hand account of how it is in the workplace. So far I’ve used google scholar and i’ve been watching a few youtube videos to find information.
  2. In discussions of challenges that may arise when hiring neurodiverse employees, Austin and Pissano state that many people they have interviewed believe that there should be an emphasis on on the need to be sensitive to their stress. Similarly, Kaplan and Donovan contribute that it is very important to take time to find positive solutions because “a mismanaged event may not lead to a bigger crisis but rather to an unintended impact.

I think I did better on this They say /I say than the first time. I chose to use two they says so that I could connect both articles. Although Austin and Pissano is about Neurodiversity, I think the quote that I chose from the Intent and impact section of Kaplan and Donovan definitely applies the same because if the situation is not handled correctly it can make matters worse.