Exam 3: Managing Diversity

Jackson Larkin is the general manager of Royal City Club in the business district of Toronto. The club is now over 100 years old with a proud tradition of serving its members who mostly work in finance, legal systems, and commercial properties. When the club originally was opened its membership was limited to men only. Due to pressures of the twentieth century equal opportunity movements, the club began accepting women as members in the late 1990s. The club board of directors, as well as the membership is predominantly white males with about 15% of the members now female. Jackson is reviewing the operating reports of the club. His main concern is stagnation in revenues due to very few new members coming in, operating costs increasing, competition from several new clubs in the downtown area that seemed to offer both modernized facilities, innovative services, and open memberships. Jackson is preparing a presentation to the board of directors specifically pointing out the bottom line which may be headed to closing of the club if revenues and operating budgets don't increase. He has some specific suggestions which he feels will improve the club, but at the same time he is apprehensive as he knows the club is known as the "old boys club" that is not exactly excited about anything that would change the comfort they feel in keeping the status quo. Some of the things he plans to bring up are more openness in membership, diversity in accepting new members as well as in hiring of staff, and revamping the restaurant menus to reflect the multiculturalism of the business world. -Jackson knows that several of the members who do not seem to belong to the old boys network seem quite accepting and friendly toward Mala.He plans to approach Gerald Taylor,the club secretary,with the suggestion that Gerald ________ Mala to provide advice and guidance,and most of all social support to get her more widely accepted as a club member,and eventually as a board member.

Glass ceiling refers to the invisible barrier that separates women and minorities from moving into top management positions.

Employee resource groups or networks are an important part of finding support for people connected by some common dimension of diversity.

Today the greatest religious diversity issue in Canada revolves around ________.

Gender diversity issues are no longer an issue in Canadian workplace as women are treated equally with men.

Strategic benefit of workforce diversity is an increased quality of team problem-solving efforts.

Jeremy, Amanda, Taylor, and Omar work in the design department at Casuarina which makes casual and fitness related clothing for the local market. The company has been up and running for over five years and is making profit. Now they are in the process of expanding to the Japanese market where Canadian brands and quality are highly valued. The company has from the beginning embraced diversity as the founders were from Ireland and Turkey. As the company expanded, more diverse and multicultural employees were brought in. There are one or two pockets of the company where talented Caucasian employees at times seem standoffish and keep themselves apart from the rest of the employees during breaks or social occasions. -Amanda works as a technical support manager in the design department.Which of the following factors,if TRUE,could trigger certain stereotypes about Amanda among the standoffish group,though not necessarily reflecting the way they feel or think about her?