Workplace Diversity and Communication Strategies

http://hsc.csu.edu.au

The question of how to deal with an increasingly diverse workforce is a matter of debate amongst academics and practitioners.  The journal article, "Managing your diverse workforce through improved communication",  proposes two solutions to attract, retain, and reward members of diverse groups within the workplace: managing personal growth and employee mentoring.

The authors explain that diversity issues arise from perceptions about the similarities and differences between people.  For example, managers may react more negatively towards an employee who they perceive to be dissimilar from themselves than they do towards an employee who they perceive to be similar.  These reactions can create an environment where the potential of employees is limited; this, in turn, limits the potential of the organization as a whole.

The three most common approaches to workplace diversity are affirmative action, valuing diversity, and managing diversity.  The article deals specifically with the latter, since the authors believe that it is the most effective.

The focus of managing diversity is on skill-building and the creation of polices that bring out the best in an organization's employees.  While affirmative action is legally driven and valuing diversity is ethically driven, managing diversity is strategically driven, meaning that the main goal is to achieve organizational goals and objectives such as increased productivity and profit.  If diverse groups within an organization can create new ways of working together, then these goals can be achieved.  However, people may be resistant to this approach for various reasons; they either deny that diversity is a reality that needs to be addressed and/or they are resistant to learning new skills, new systems, and exploring new solutions because of the challenges in doing so.

The authors contend that one way of achieving the goal of managing diversity is to improve supervisor-subordinate communication.  Communication has to be relational, meaning that it is based on openness, mutual respect, trust, support, and power-sharing.  Since workers are more involved in the process, and feel that they are being being treated fairly and equally, they experience greater satisfaction and are more productive.

http://careersoutthere.com

A more specific strategy for improving supervisor-subordinate communication is the managing personal growth process.  This process involves four phases: pre-workshop assignment, workshop, development discussion, and continued feedback.  In short, the employee and the manager independently define the employee's job responsibilities and capabilities, they exchange their ideas, and then agree on the employee's development plan, job priorities, strengths, and areas for improvement.  The idea is for managers and employees to establish a partnership that facilitates success at both the individual and organizational level.  This partnership is sustained by ongoing meetings where the two parties meet to discuss the employee's progress.

Mentoring is the second strategy for achieving better supervisor-subordinate communication.  Unlike the managing personal growth process, mentoring is a long-term communication strategy between a senior organizational member (the mentor) and a junior member (the protege).  The authors contend that change must occur at the cultural, structural, and behavioural levels of an organization before a mentoring strategy can be successfully implemented.  This requires that managers and supervisors communicate to all employees their commitment to the program as well as its importance for the organization.

The purpose of mentoring is to influence and socialize the protege.  Mentors provide both career development roles, such as coaching, sponsoring advancement, and fostering positive visibility, as well as psychosocial roles, such as personal support, acceptance, and role modelling.  The focus here is on interpersonal activities and the creation of an open dialogue between the two individuals.  If successful, this mentoring relationship enables the protege to transition from an outsider to an insider more easily, and can also challenge the mentor's stereotypical and ethnocentric attitudes.

Through engaging in a managing personal growth process in the short term, and an employee mentoring program in the long term, the authors contend that organizations can succeed in mitigating some of the diversity-related problems encountered in the workplace.

We found this article to be a good introduction to the managing diversity approach.  The solutions proposed by the authors are a good starting point for tackling some of the issues that may arise in diverse workplaces.  Since the article is not intended to provide a comprehensive answer to these issues, it allows for a more focused and detailed examination of possible strategies within the managing diversity framework.

Even so, we think that there there was not enough analysis devoted to how the two strategies challenge existing stereotypes and prejudices.  For example, the authors do not adequately explore the possibility that these attitudes may interfere with the ability of supervisors/mentors to engage with their subordinates in the manner necessary for a mentorship program or managing personal growth process to succeed.  Moreover, if the chief goal of managing diversity is to increase profit and productivity, rather than increase opportunities and equality for diverse groups, can inaccurate stereotypes and feelings of ethnocentrism really be eliminated?

http://www.cartoonwork.com

Furthermore, the authors argue that improved supervisor-subordinate communication can only happen if managers relinquish some of their control and share responsibility for decision-making with their employees.  However, they fail to explain how this strategy can be implemented if managers prefer to retain most, if not all, control in relation to decision-making.  What happens if an organization is dominated by these types of managers?  Would training workshops be necessary to change their leadership style?

We also have concerns with regards to the managing growth process.  For example, the 'development discussion' phase is supposed to be an open dialogue between the manager and the employee, and is not meant to be a performance review.  However, the line between the manager being a 'coach' and being a 'judge' is a very fine one, especially when the power dynamic between a supervisor and subordinate is exacerbated by the fact that the latter belongs to a disadvantaged or marginalized group.

Another criticism that we have is that the solutions presented are very individual and employee-focused, and are directed at assimilating employees into the institutional culture of the organization.  Although the authors stress that organizational change has to occur on a cultural, structural, and behavioural level in order for initiatives to be successful, they do not devote enough discussion to how this change can be achieved.  These barriers play such a crucial role in hindering fairness and equity within the workplace that they deserve further analysis.

Finally, it is unlikely that diversity within organizations can truly be facilitated without addressing cultural and structural barriers within society at large.  For example, if poverty is a barrier to higher education for certain ethnic groups within society, then those groups will continue to be underrepresented within segments of the  workforce.  As the article notes, women still assume the bulk of child-related activities, which can lead to difficulties in balancing work and family life.  Until this double duty is addressed within society as a whole, men will continue to occupy the majority of upper level management positions.  Given these realities, it could be argued that mentorship programs and managing personal growth are micro solutions to macro-level problems.

Please give us your thoughts on this blog post by answering the survey questions to the right.  We look forward to analyzing the results of the poll!

Sadr, G., & Tran, H. (2002). Managing your diverse workforce through improved communication. The Journal of Management Development, 21(3), 227-237. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/ docview/216368650?accountid=3455

Getting the Most Out of a Multi-generational Workforce

Businesses today have workforces that cross as many as four generations. It can be difficult navigating the challenges of an intergenerational workplace, but by taking the time to consider all the ideas of young and older employees the business can benefit.

Workplace diversity is shifting. It is estimated that about 40% of the workforce is made up of boomers; 35% Generation X and 25% Generation Y. It is estimated that 75% of the population will be made up of millennials by 2025.

http://jonathanserafin.com/balancing-multiple-generations-at-work/

Older generations are now working longer and retiring at later ages while, at the same time, younger workers are entering the workforce more educated, and with higher aspirations/expectations for career progress. Younger generations are less focused on long-term career goals, and like to have the option of more flexible hours. Younger, ambitious workers are less willing to put in longer-term work at an organization for the promise of a promotion. If younger workers do not see the opportunity for progression in the workplace, they will leave and go somewhere else. In dealing with younger generation employees, companies should listen and be open to their ideas, give them the freedom to do their job, and recognize them for their efforts. Also, businesses need to look at improving things like available technology and access to social media.

Although the preoccupation of different generations of workers may differ, all workers have similar desires for leadership and organizational culture.  Workers want to have supervisors who create a respectful work environment, and provide clear expectations in relation to job performance. By creating an organizational culture and social environment that facilitates communication between the generations, and by listening to staff feedback, businesses will continue to grow and innovate.

Taking advantage of all levels of skill sets and combining them is the best way for businesses to take advantage of multi-generational staff. Older workers provide the experience that younger workers have yet to gain. Younger staff are better at adapting to new technologies, using social media, and multitasking.  Mentoring programs that have more experienced employees mentoring ambitious young staff is one way to bridge the generational divide. By getting the different generations working and socializing together, the generations in time will better understand each other.

Rewards and recognition have different implications for different generational groups. Boomers seek public recognition for their individual efforts, while millennials are more team oriented. It is important that businesses have reward and recognition programs that recognize these differences. Also, benefits coverage needs to take into consideration a range of generational desires. Older generations (boomers) desire comprehensive programs, while younger workers are not as interested in these programs.

As workplace diversity continues to change, and multi-generational workplaces become more prevalent, business will need to adapt their policies to better navigate the generational differences.

In our opinion, businesses can benefit from taking advantage of the different age and experience levels of employees. Businesses can take advantage of the experience of older workers, and also the new perspectives and ideas that younger workers bring to the workplace. We think that mentorship programs are a good way to take advantage of the diversity of ages in the workforce, while preparing the future generation of workers.

However, we do not believe that the younger generation is being given as many opportunities today. Youth unemployment, especially among university and college graduates, is high. It seems that young workers are finding it harder to find jobs in their field of study when they graduate. Young workers are also underemployed, meaning that individuals with university degrees and high education levels are working in positions where they are overqualified educationally; these jobs are often part-time, temporary, or casual.

In our opinion, young staff can grow and develop in the business arena, but only if they are able to outcompete the growing number of young, unemployed job hopefuls. Many companies are looking for experience when they are hiring staff, and most young workers do not have the necessary qualifications. Finding employment is also difficult for younger workers because they are now competing with more experienced workers who have been laid off or are working towards starting a new career. Also, with more experienced workers retiring later, positions are not as readily available.  This combination of factors is making finding stable employment extremely challenging for young workers, which is concerning to say the least.

Here are some questions to discuss:

1.  What are some of the advantages to having a multi-generational workforce?

2.  Do you think having a mentorship program would help bridge the generational divide in the workplace?

3.  Reflect on the age diversity of your workplace. How would you describe the relationship between the different generations in your workplace?

Deveau. D. (2012, October 29). Getting the Most Out of a Multi-generational Workforce. National Post. Retrieved from http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/29/getting-the-most-out-of-a-multi-generational-workforce/?__lsa=a6e1-7f3b

A Second Class of Labour?

http://unavidaescondida.blogspot.ca

As we have established in our previous posts, Canadian workplaces are becoming more diverse, particularly with respect to culture and ethnicity.  We think it is important to examine where, or in what types of jobs, this trend is most evident.

According to an article published last May in the Globe and Mail, there are now more than 300 000 temporary foreign workers in Canada, which is triple the number it was ten years ago.  These workers are not immigrants to Canada, but temporarily live and work here during certain times of the year.  Critics of the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program believe that Canada is creating a second class of labour consisting of primarily racialized workers who do not benefit from the same rights and freedoms that Canadian workers enjoy.

To illustrate what is meant by the term 'second class' of labour, we have posted two YouTube videos from a short film entitled "Canada's Migrant Workers".  The film explores this issue by looking at the working conditions of six Guatemalan migrant farm workers in Quebec.

According to the film, a report released in 2009 by the Auditor General stated that the TFW program has opened the door for the abuse of migrant workers. It also noted that the federal government has done a poor job of ensuring fair treatment and adequate living conditions for workers brought to Canada through the program.

To explore these claims further, the film switches back and forth between interviews with the group of Guatemalan workers and Eric Eingel, a university student who has spent the past six years working for the same employer.

Eric explains how the conditions for these workers are very different from their Canadian-born counterparts.  For example, he talks about how the migrant workers are given more challenging and dirty duties to perform. He even describes them as being treated like pieces of meat because they are asked to perform tasks that would normally be done using a machine. In Eric's opinion, the living conditions for these workers are also substandard.

Health and safety issues are another concern; the workers are not given proper safety equipment and are required to operate machinery for which they are not licensed.  Furthermore, the employer is deducting two hours off the workers' salaries every pay cheque, as compensation for the initial fees he is required to pay to transport the workers to Canada.  The workers have no knowledge of this practice.    

Benjamin, one of the workers from Guatemala, tells the interviewer that he finds Canadians to be very kind people and, when asked, he does not offer any recommendations for how his working conditions could be improved.  However, it is difficult to determine if Benjamin is answering honestly, given that he could face serious repercussions for speaking out against his situation. Ultimately, it is his employer who decides if he will come back to Canada to work for another season.  This means that Benjamin has little choice but to remain quiet about the exploitative conditions under which he works.  As the film explains, the number of applicants for the TFW program is greater than the number of positions.  If Benjamin speaks out, he will easily be replaced by one of the many individuals waiting to be recruited by a Canadian employer.

By providing perspectives from Guatemalan workers and a Canadian-born worker, the filmmakers illuminate the many abuses that occur under the Temporary Foreign Workers program, and lend credence to the claim that Canada is creating a second class of labourers.

http://talkingunion.wordpress.com

We found this short film to be very informative, and relevant to our examination of diversity within the workforce.  The film presents a stark contrast to much of the business communications literature dealing with this topic.  Nevertheless, it is evident that the diversity issues discussed in the literature, such as stereotyping, prejudice, and ethnocentrism, are applicable to the work environment portrayed in the film. However, given the nature of the work--temporary, seasonal, and labour-intensive--these attitudes are likely more prevalent in jobs under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program than in full-time, stable, white-collar jobs.

While the increasingly diverse nature of the workforce undoubtedly presents challenges for businesses, those challenges seem insignificant in light of the fact that a large proportion of that diversity--at least in terms of ethnicity--is concentrated within certain sectors of the economy, and in jobs that are exploitative.  It is interesting how many of the journal articles and websites devoted to diversity in the workplace do not mention or discuss this reality.

The one question that kept coming to mind while watching the film was: "Is this the increasingly diverse workforce that people in the business world are talking about?"  Does having a diverse workforce also mean that we have a second class, or underclass, of racialized workers?  The fact that the concept of equal pay for equal work does not apply to migrant workers left us wondering what kind of country we live in.  How can we be okay with workers like Benjamin doing the same, or in many cases more difficult, jobs as Canadian-born workers, but being paid less?

With the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada increasing each year, this 'second class' is also likely to grow, especially if nothing is done to change the programs that perpetuate it.  Like Eric, we agree that the substandard living and working conditions, as well as the pay discrepancies, experienced by temporary foreign workers need to be urgently addressed.  It is also clear that the program lacks adequate regulation and enforcement, which is the responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.  Canadians should demand that their representatives make these much-need changes to the TFW program as soon as possible.

Retrieved from http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/

National%20Office/2011/03/Colour%20Coded%20Labour%20Market.pdf

Here are some questions to consider/discuss:

1. At the end of the film, we are told that it is up to us, as Canadians, to ensure that migrants workers have the same rights and privileges that we do.  Do you agree?  Why or why not?  If you agree, how do you think this can be achieved?
2. In the past year, the federal government has made changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program.  One of these changes allows employers to pay workers 15% less than what a Canadian would earn for the same job. Why do you think this change was made?  Do you agree with it?
3. In the above graph, what do you notice about the occupations that have the highest percentage of racialized workers?  How are those occupations different from the jobs done by non-racialized workers?  Can you relate this graph to what is portrayed in the film?
4. How do the issues raised in the film relate to law in Canada?  Do we have laws in place to protect workers  from the types of abuses that are discussed?

Vanderklippe, Nathan. (2012, May 6).  Does temporary foreign workers program create a second class of labourers?  The Globe and Mail.  Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/does-temporary-foreign-workers-program-create-second-class-of-labourers/article4105800/

Aboujay.  (2009, December 6).  Canada's Migrant Workers Part 1. Retrieved February 23, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117Afbsoq3E

Aboujay.  (2009, December 6).  Canada's Migrant Workers Part 2. Retrieved February 23, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvD9YVmHexY

Training Across Cultures

http://www.kaleidoscopeconsulting.com.au

As the workforce becomes more culturally diverse, it is important that trainers/instructors become aware of these changes and adapt their training methods accordingly.  

Companies are now international corporations with factories and offices in other countries outside of Canada. As a result, the employees staffing these foreign locations are nationals of different countries that will need to be trained in different ways.

Also, the growth of immigration across national borders means the Canadian workforce is now comprised of a significant number of immigrants. These cultural differences do not disappear as immigrants live and work together with Canadians.

As employers have come to terms with the changing make-up of their workforce, they have begun to implement programs such as valuing diversity and managing diversity. These programs take into consideration that most foreign employees have to learn a new language and adapt to new learning environments.  This is why it is a good idea for trainers to tailor their methods to the culturally-specific learning styles of their participants. 

Some organizational cultures are centralized and autocratic; these organizations focus on orders/lecture based training models. Effective training is based on the knowledge and expertise of the trainers, therefore all knowledge is obtained from the trainer. Organizations in Latin American take this approach, while Asian organizations also take a more content and trainer based approach.

http://funnysalescartoons.com/photo/funny-sales-cartoon-on-sales-3

Organizations with a decentralized, participative organizational culture focus on trainee initiatives that focus on the learner. In decentralized workplace cultures, the effectiveness of a trainer is determined by their ability to encourage communication between themselves and participants, as well as among participants. Knowledge can be gained from both participants and the trainer. Organizations in countries like the USA, Canada and most European countries take a more interactive approach to training.

The most appropriate training methods for a particular group are the ones that challenge participants, while resulting in the least amount of resistance or discomfort for participants. For the best training results, more than one type of learning technique should be used by the instructor.

Trainers should also be aware of how their own personal values and beliefs affect their teaching methods. It is important that trainers do not appear to be imposing their own values and beliefs on their audience or they might appear preachy, and alienate participants.

Instructors also need to be aware of cultural stereotyping, which may affect the assumptions they make about the audience they are training. Stereotyping can also lead to the alienation of  the participants or audience.

Training methods need to be adjusted to accommodate the changes occurring in the gender, age and cultural diversity of the modern workforce.   



http://vnutravel.typepad.com

We agree with the authors conclusions that trainers need to become more flexible, and willing to change their training method to better accommodate the cultural values of employees from different countries. We think a good instructor is able to adapt their training method to fit the audience, or even fuse approaches to include more interactive activities and oral presentations. Also, we think training sessions should facilitate open discussion and disagreement, because this could lead to more creative thinking and innovation in the worplace.

An important aspect of successful training exercises that was not mentioned in this article is having a streamlined message. Too often trainers try to fit too much information into one session and end up losing the audience’s attention to information overload or boredom. It is important to keep the audience engaged so that they can actually absorb what they are being taught. It also prevents employees from missing important information.

Here are some questions to consider and discuss:

1.  Take a look at the cartoons connected to this post. What are your thoughts? What message are they trying to convey?

2.   Do you think that training in a more diverse workplace should focus on engaging workers through a more interactive training approach or a lecture based approach?

3.  Have you ever been to a work training session? If so what was your experience with your trainer?

Training across cultures. (1995). Education & Training, 37(7), 21-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237073694?accountid=3455

Changing Demographic Trends

In chapter one of Business Communication: process and product, the authors discuss how changes in demographic trends affect the workplace.

In Canada, the workforce is becoming more diverse. It is projected that, by 2017, approximately one fifth of the Canadian population will be part of a visible minority group. This trend, along with an aging workforce, is creating the need for changes to communication practices within the workplace. New attitudes and strategies will need to be developed for communicating with workers of diverse ages, genders, and ethnic backgrounds. The authors argue that the advantage of a more diverse workplace is that employees are better able to respond to a diverse customer base both within Canada and abroad.  Also, customers appreciate their values, beliefs, and backgrounds being reflected in the structures and hiring patterns of organizations.

"CST Chinese and South Asians Would Remain the Largest
Visible Minority Groups," adapted from Statistics Canada publication
Canadian Social Trends, Catalogue 11-008, Winter 2005, no. 79, page 20
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-ccl/olc-ccl?lang=eng&catno-11-008-X.

Work environments in Canada are undergoing changes in demographic composition.  As a result, businesses are seeing a need to implement changes in their business communication practices in order to remain competitive and responsive to consumers.

In our opinion, the authors raise several significant points with respect to how the Canadian workforce is changing. However, some of their points should be scrutinized. For example, are workplaces becoming more diverse across the board, or is this diversity concentrated in certain occupations, such as the service sector and temporary, part-time work?  Furthermore, the authors focus primarily on how diversity helps a company make money, rather than improving the organization itself and providing opportunities for minority groups. We also think that increased diversity will require businesses to provide sensitivity training, including anti-harassment and anti-oppression training to minimize discrimination within the workplace.

http://www.glasbergen.com

Here are some questions for you to think about and discuss:

1.  What are some benefits to a more diverse workforce?

2.  What communication challenges are diverse workplaces going to face?  How can these be addressed?

3.  Are businesses focusing on workplace diversity as a means to further their own agendas?   

Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., Rogin, P. (2011). Communicating in today's workplace. In A. Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., Rogin, P. (Eds.), Business communication: process and product (6th ed.) (pp. 12).  Toronto: Nelson.