Managing Diversity - Assignment Example

Project: 506297 Question There is legislation to deal with overt discrimination in the workplace and even in our day-to-daylives, such as the Civil Rights Act, Equal Pay Act and housing anti-discrimination laws. How does change come about when acts of discrimination were once acceptable but are now illegal? Describe and use examples of factors that can lead to acts of discrimination becoming law.  As the country have legislated national policies to protect civil rights and to correct traditional social norms toward egalitarianism, people can now enjoy the fundamental constitutional rights as human beings.

This means that they are now shielded from prejudicial practices that are present in all hierarchies, bureaucracy, and organizational structures. This also entails that government is mandated to perform their duties to accord social services to people specially those who are disadvantaged to avail health care, homes, opportunities, and advancement. The Fourteenth Amendment was clear when it stipulated in Section 1 that ”All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The complexity of discrimination operates badly to the extent that person’s lost their dignity, integrity and self-esteem. It built a structural divide: black and white races; men and women’s disparity in workplaces; inequitable distribution of opportunities; and unfairness in labor practices due to gender segregation.

The latter have even exposed women to threats and sexual harassment at workplaces simply because of their gender identity. For sexual discrimination, the state responded by legislating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination or unfair labor practices based on sex (Ehrenreich,1999). Indeed, the policy of non-discrimination “preserved institutional freedom and flexibility in organizational management” (Green, 2003). As a protectionist’ policy, it held all discriminatory acts punishable under the law.

It upholds respect to human rights and dignity as well as promotes multiculturalism because people, regardless of race and beliefs, are fairly treated to realize their full potentials. Question #2:  ABC Company has just been notified that the federal government wills cut-off funding to the company because it does not have a diverse workforce that is representative of the community where it does business. Its workforce is 75% white men and the other 25% are minorities but only in unskilled positions.

The community comprises women, people of color, people with disabilities, and other people who would be considered a minority. The company is given three months to develop a plan to address how it will become diverse, including having minorities in management positions. ABC Company has hired you, a diversity expert, as its consultant to develop the plan. What is your plan for ABC Company? Describe in detail including your rationale for specific actions of the plan.  If I am given the opportunity to provide consultancy services to the ABC Company that is conservatively obvious of their racial prejudice, I will recommend to the Board of Directors the following: 1.

Repeal discriminatory policies of ABC Company in hiring and managing their human resources. Their policies must be contextualize to the multicultural character of their community and must be attune to the international and national non-discriminatory standards or state policies without disregarding an evaluation of workers’ competency. 2. The ABC Company management must undergo seminar and training on managing human resources that appreciate diversity for business’ success. There are numerous programs that focus on differences and which can be considered as opportunities in strategizing in improving positively the business flows.

The international trend these days is diversification and that means enjoying the opportunities that can be sourced from multicultural communities. Question #3:  Diversity in the workplace is so wonderful, says Jane who is a graduate student. Paul, another graduate student, rebuts, Diversity in the workplace sucks! What are at least five points that Jane could argue to support her position and what are at least five points Paul could argue to support his position? Describe the rationale for your each one of your points.

  Jane can argue that “diversity is wonderful” because of the following premises that were extolled by legislators and defenders of human rights (Kendrick, 1914), to wit: 1. The right of personal security consists on “uninterrupted enjoyment of life, limbs, his body, health, and reputation”; 2. The right of personal liberty; sail through the power of locomotion, changing conditions, or right to travel as desired without threats of “imprisonment or restraint, unless by due course of law"; 3.

People can enjoy the right to possess real and personal property by freely using enjoying and disposing those acquired legally; 4. People are enjoying equal protection of laws and right to neutrality; 5. Humanity requires the exercise of the freedom of speech and of the press, hence people are guaranteed to enjoy the right to articulate their thoughts based on prevailing circumstances or their experiences in a platform that is sensitive to diversity; Paul on the other hand can rebut by explicating that the non-discrimination policy is irrevelant because of the following reasons, to wit: 1.

Civil rights lead to absolutism. People can just invoke rights and freedom as if these are unlimited precepts of the state. 2. Policy of non-discrimination in workplaces will cost companies to revise their policies and stash more investment to capacitate human resources through seminars and trainings to develop their competencies. The company can better operate if it’s hiring employees with sense of discrimination to those who are inherently expert on the fields; 3. Civil rights include the “right to bear arms” which is however a policy that promote instruments of violence and may cause heightening of crimes that can be done with immunity; 4.

Freedom of the press and expression cause ramification or misinterpretation to varying information and can bolster civil disorder and strife. 5. Equality is a hoax. All human beings area born different ergo, we cannot be similar or equal in acquiring opportunities and in advancing our rights. Question #4:  You have a job as a trainer at a Diversity Training firm. You’ve been busted for DUI. Now, you must do community service. For your community service, you have been assigned to conduct an eight-hour workshop on diversity-sensitivity in the workplace.

The judge would like to see an outline of the workshop content, including why you are choosing each topic area. Provide your outline, as well as your rationale for choosing each topic area.  As a trainer, I will outline my discussion using the following themes: a. Diversity defined. b. Diversity: tool for social cohesion c. Business and diversification d. Civil rights and policy of non-discrimination e. Rights and Bridging Leadership f. Multiculturalism and Opportunities g. Diversity and Nation building The outline simply logically arranged topics in such order.

It is always reasonable to start the discussion with definitions to clarify meanings and to come up a common understanding of the framework of which these terminologies are defined. Contextualized in a postmodern setting where communities are populated with people of varying culture, traditions, and racial roots, diversity must therefore be understood sociologically as tool for understanding. Hence, it’s an instrument for social cohesion. Diversity is also helpful in strategizing business endeavors by cross-cutting or expanding service areas or clients to all people regardless of race, culture, stature, community disposition and beliefs (Thomas, and Ely (1996).

As such, we employ the theories of state policies and about “bridging leadership” to better appreciate our differences and ensure better direction toward nation building. Question #5:  Inclusion of diversity in the workplace has changed much over the last fifty years. Identify (and state why) at least five classifications of people that might be subject to diversity legislation in the next 25 years that are not currently supported by legislation. The trend of the world for understanding and social cohesion is interculturalism, interfaith, multi-ethnicity and dialogues.

In business and governance, diversity flows from the “assimilation” to the “diversity management process.” This integration of similarities and differences could contribute to flexible, productive, and more responsive workforce without straining or fracturing relations. But there are still sectors of the society that are marginalized because of the teleological nature of our faith. I guess in the next 25 years, there will be more struggles to advocate the legislation of more rights for women, indigenous peoples, disadvantaged or the poor sectors marginalized from development including the migrants, as well as gays and lesbians’ rights.

REFERENCES Green, Tristin, (2003), Discrimination in Workplace Dynamics: Toward a Structural Account of Disparate Treatment Theory. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Vol. 38, January 2003. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=367701 or doi:10.2139/ssrn.367701 Rosa Ehrenreich (1999). Dignity and Discrimination: Toward a Pluralistic Understanding of Workplace Harassment. November, 1999. 88 Geo. L.J. 1 Georgetown Law Journal Georgetown Law Journal. Halbrook, Stephen P., (1998) Freedmen, the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Right to Bear Arms, 1866-1876, Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998. B. Kendrick (1914).

The Journal of the Joint Committee of Fifteen on Reconstruction 46. Journal of the Joint Committee. United States of America.. Thomas, David A., and Robin J. Ely (1996). “Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm For Managing Diversity.” Harvard Business Review, September-October 1996, 79-90.