Exam 11: Managing the Diverse Workforce

At one time in Portland, Oregon, about one-fifth of the city's population consisted of various ethnic minorities, but only 12 percent of new construction employees were minorities. The city government responded, increasing minority group members' participation in public contracts with what type of program?

Future trends in the labor force include a

The underlying goal of managing diversity is to

Discuss the competitive advantage gained by employing a diverse workforce.

When individuals' interests, values, and cultures act as filters to distort, block, or select what they see and interpret, they may _________ their "different" colleagues.

Beth has hired a new young employee of Iranian descent. She assigned Bahman to the accounting department because it needs to improve efficiency, and Beth assumed that the new employee could provide the needed energy. Unfortunately, the workers seem to resent Bahman's presence and have excluded him from the work group. Bahman's work is more difficult since he is not given the inside information needed to do it expediently. Which challenge of a diversified workforce is occurring in this scenario?

Carmela is, more specifically, a victim of

A multicultural workforce can provide a company with greater knowledge of the preferences and consuming habits in this diverse marketplace.

An organization that values cultural diversity and is willing to utilize and encourage diversity is an organization that would be referred to as

Nationwide, turnover rates have been decreasing as more people are staying with their organizations for a longer period.

Nearly 90 percent of marriages are dual-earner marriages.

The average full-time working woman earns only about 80 percent as much as a man in the same job.

Discuss the challenges of a diverse workforce.

Less restrictive policies and procedures and fewer standardized operating methods are approaches to

Oscar recently applied for an administrative position with your firm. He is impressive in many ways: his grades in college were good, he's active in his community, and his references were very favorable. You would hire him in an instant except that during an interview with him, you realized that he is blind. You cannot imagine how a blind person could perform the job. You and your organization most likely need

Contrast "managing diversity" and "affirmative action" and provide examples of each.

As related to managing human resources, diversity refers to

Diversity includes differences in religious affiliation, age, disability status, military experience, economic class, and educational level.

Accommodating all sorts of differences among employees is sufficient for managing diversity.

Rosalina has recently been passed over for a promotion. This is the third time it has happened despite excellent performance reviews. Her manager assures her that she was qualified for the promotion but that "that's just the way things go." After this last disappointment, Rosalina discovered that no women or minority candidates have been promoted to upper management positions at the company. Rosalina appears to have