Exam 11: Section 1: Managing Human Resource Systems

Differentiate between diversity and affirmative action. Explain why affirmative action tends to be more controversial than diversity. Explain which of these two approaches you personally feel is fairer and why you feel that way.

Affirmative action is required by law for all private employers, while diversity is voluntary.

Affirmative action actually makes good business sense in terms of cost savings, the ability to attract and retain talent, and business growth.

In diversity pairing, people of different cultural backgrounds are paired together for mentoring.

Bentley College launched a comprehensive diversity initiative, which includes frequent diversity retreats for faculty, staff, and student leaders. What basic type of diversity training is Bentley using?

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.

_________consists of differences such as personality and attitudes that are learned only through extended interaction with others and are communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

Why does fostering diversity in companies make good business sense?

Unilever 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, there were no women 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 everything needs diversity to grow. 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 Unilever. By encouraging the promotion of more women to top management positions to better match the diversity of its stakeholders, Unilever was managing diversity through the ____________paradigm.

Unilever 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, there were no women 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 everything needs diversity to grow. 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 Unilever. After studying the problem, the executive committee discovered that the company recruited the same number of men and women, but women were not being promoted to the top management positions. This probably resulted from the existence of a(n)____________ .

_________helps companies grow by improving the quality of problem solving and improving marketplace understanding.

The Big Five dimensions of personality are autonomy, Machiavellianism, empathy, locus of control, and affectivity.

Diversity helps companies grow by_________ .

_________within P&G's management has led the company to realize that Hispanic consumers "are more likely to support a company or brand that is active in their community."

What does the term diversity mean? Briefly explain why it is an important issue for contemporary business.

Which of the following is an example of a diversity principle that will help managers do a better job of managing company diversity programs?

People with the Big Five dimension of____________ respond well under stress.

As a German pharmaceuticals company decided to implement a diversity training program, its human resources managers discovered that Americans typically reach decisions very quickly. One German manager described them as "hip shooters." He said, "We [Germans] are more analytical. We're more logical and systematic." This discovery had to do with_________ .

The two basic types of diversity training programs are____________ .

The glass ceiling is most closely associated with________ .