Exam 11: Managing Individuals and a Diverse Workforce

Why would some companies prefer older workers over younger workers if older workers cost more?

Narrative 11-2 Women working in certain occupational groups at Canada Post were systematically underpaid for nearly 20 years,according to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in 2011. Women tended to work in clerical roles,whereas men tended to work in postal operations roles (letter carriers,mail handlers,and mail sorters). The Public Service Alliance of Canada argued that the principle of equal pay for equal work wasn't being followed. Canada Post has implemented a Human Resources and Compensation Committee to ensure it complies fully with its myriad accountabilities. Unfortunately,it's not clear that Canada Post has addressed all the inequities within its organization,as another pay equity review,this time involving rural and urban carriers,has launched. -Refer to Narrative 11-2. If Canada Post sought to hire women into postal operations roles in proportion to their representation in the applicant pool,what is the relevant concept at play?

The purpose of employment equity is to achieve equality in the workplace so that no person shall be denied employment opportunities.

With surface-level diversity,differences are immediately observable,easy to measure,and which of the following?

When Betsey Bernard became president of AT&T,she credited her rise to top management to her mother,who showed her that a woman could work and have a family,and to Eunice Assani,a woman who indoctrinated Bernard with a love of continuous development. What role was played by both Bernard's mother and Assani?

Activity-based diversity training teaches employees the practical skills they need for managing a diverse workforce,such as flexibility and adaptability,negotiation,problem solving,and conflict resolution.

The learning and effectiveness paradigm for managing diversity focuses on the acceptance and celebration of differences,so that the diversity within the company matches the diversity found among primary stakeholders,such as customers,suppliers,and local communities.

For which of the following positions would the hiring organization be most likely to require someone who has a high degree of emotional stability?

Which of the following paradigms for managing diversity is similar to the business growth advantage of diversity?

When Suzanne Pogell wanted to learn to sail,she could find no one to teach her because men were the ones who sailed,and women were their crew. She finally did convince someone to teach her to sail,and after mastering sailing,she started an all-woman sailing school,called Womanship,as a sole proprietorship. By creating her own business,Pogell overcame a type of problem while creating a different version of the same problem. What type of problem was it?

Explain how a manager's typical patterns of thought and action can unintentionally turn manifestations of surface-level diversity into serious legal problems of discrimination for an organization. Explain the implications of this fact for the role of diversity management in contemporary business organizations.

What is diversity? Briefly explain why it is an important issue for contemporary business.

What is the most commonly used paradigm for managing diversity?

A disability is defined as an activity limitation or participation restriction associated with a physical or mental condition or health problem.

Teresa is the publicity manager at a large charity organization. She is very outgoing and mingles well in fundraising events. She loves being around people as she finds interaction with others really energizes her. Which Big Five Personality Dimension does Teresa exhibit?

Which barrier prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top jobs in organizations?

Whereas men's careers and job choices are often driven by the search for higher pay and advancement,women are more likely to choose jobs or careers that also give them the greater sense of accomplishment,more control over their work schedules,and easier movement in and out of the workplace.

Ryerson University has numerous programs in support of diversity,including programs in lesbian and gay history,programs for internationally trained physicians,and the Viola Desmond Awards for Black women. The purpose of its diversity program is to integrate deep-level differences into the university culture. Which paradigm does Ryerson use?

In addition to their employees,where else must organizations have variety in order to achieve diversity?

Narrative 11-1 Unilever has operations in 150 countries. Recently,Unilever took 100 of these top managers on a jungle retreat to Costa Rica. To the dismay of Unilever's chair,no women were in the group. Upon investigation,he learned that only one woman had even been invited. As the retreat progressed,its participants commented on the richness of diversity in nature and how for anything to grow,there needs to be diversity. These comments caused Unilever's chair to establish an executive committee to examine practical ways to overcome barriers to women's promotion. They decided to avoid setting numerical targets because they encourage positive discrimination and instead examined recruitment and promotion practices. -Refer to Narrative 11-1. Which paradigm would Unilever need to use to focus on deep-level diversity?