Diversity in Organizations

Suraj Francis Noronha

Assistant Professor
School of Management
Manipal University

Adapted from: Organization Behavior, 15th Edition, Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., Vohra, N., Person

Women in Top Management Positions

More than 50% of the junior management positions are filled by women.

Only 5-14% of the senior management position are held by women.

Public sector has had only two Chairman and Managing Directors since
independence.

Of the 25 top most powerful women at least 10 have started their own
businesses and risen to the top.
Disproportion that exists in the Indian corporate sector.

The reason why there are few

women in top management
Women are often expected to take responsibility of raising
children.
Resistance by both men and women in the workplace.
Same behavior considered positive in men are considered
negative in women.
Emotions: Men being sensitive. Women weak and vulnerable.

Demographic characteristics of the

workforce
Past OB gender balanced, multiethnic workforce

Present Aging of the workforce

Loss of skills due to retirement.

India Largest youth population in the world.

Understanding the group their motivation and preferences.

Diversity Management

Surface-Level Diversity
Deep-Level Diversity
Surface level diversity:
Differences in easily perceived characteristics,
such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, or
disability, that do not necessarily reflect the
ways people think or feel but that may
activate certain stereotypes

Deep level diversity:

Differences in values, personality, and work
preferences that become progressively more
important for determining similarity as people
get to know one another better.

Discrimination
Effective diversity management means working to eliminate
unfair discrimination.
Discriminate Note a difference between two things.

Unfair discrimination assumes that every one in the group is

the same harmful for the organization.

Biographical Characteristics
Age

Sex
Disability

Tenure, Religion, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those readily available in a personnel file

Age
Belief is widespread that job
performance declines with
increasing age.
The workforce is aging.

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those readily available in a personnel file
Sex
Few issues initiate more debates, misconceptions, and unsupported
opinions than whether women perform as well on jobs as men do.
Few, if any, important differences between men and women affect
job performance.
Psychological studies have found women are more agreeable and
willing to conform to authority, whereas men are more aggressive
and more likely to have expectations of success, but those
differences are minor.

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those readily available in a personnel file
Race and Ethnicity
Employees tend to favor colleagues for their own race in performance
evaluations, promotion decisions, pay raises.
Different attitudes on affirmative action with African-Americans
preferring such programs than do whites.

African-Americans generally do worse than whites in employment

decisions.
No statistical difference between Whites and African-Americans in
observed absence rates, applied social skills at work, or accident
rates.

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those readily available in a personnel file
Disability
A person is disabled who has any physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major
life activities.

The reasonable accommodation is problematic for

employers.
Strong biases exist against those with mental impairment.2-12

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those readily available in a personnel file
Tenure
The issue of the impact of job seniority on job
performance has been subject to
misconceptions and speculations.

Religion
Although employees are protected by U.S.
federal law regarding their religion, it is still an
issue in the workplace.

Biographical Characteristics
and How Are They Relevant to OB
Those not readily available in a personnel
file
Sexual orientation
Federal law does not protect employees against
discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Gender identity
Often referred to as transgender employees, this topic
encompasses those individuals who change genders.

2-14

Ability
Intellectual Abilities

Physical Abilities
The role of Disabilities

Implementing Diversity Management

Strategies
Attracting, Selecting, Developing, and Retaining Diverse
Employees
Diversity in Groups

Effective Diversity Programs

Diversity in Organizations
Suraj Francis Noronha
Assistant Professor
School of Management
Manipal University
suraj.noronha@manipal.edu
+91 9886551058

Adapted from: Organization Behavior, 15th Edition, Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., Vohra, N., Person