Deck 11: Managing Employee Diversity

Question 1

Diversity is

A) the wide spectrum of individual and group differences.
B) reflected in characteristics that can be controlled by the individuals involved.
C) used to accurately explain group membership.
D) on the decline.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A diverse team may be able to find better solutions because of

A) the homogeneity of personality types.
B) similar mindset.
C) divergent thinking processes.
D) similarity in conceptualizing problems.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Research on group dynamics suggests that groups with members from a variety of backgrounds are likely to ________ than groups whose members are homogeneous.

A) come up with more ideas and solutions
B) be less creative
C) bring fewer skills and abilities to bear on the task at hand
D) experience groupthink

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Mixed identities

A) are slowly disappearing.
B) create stereotypes.
C) have erected social and legal barriers keeping ethic groups apart.
D) are now allowed by the Census Bureau for classification of racial categories.

Question 5

A belief among majority-group employees that their way of doing things, their values and their norms are inherently superior to those of other groups is referred to as

A) ethnocentrism.
B) a monoculture.
C) segmented communication channels.
D) a glass ceiling.

Question 6

Which of the following is a potential benefit of diversity?

A) Better market access
B) Greater creativity
C) Improved team performance
D) all of the above

Question 7

Motorola's phones with a zoom function to bump up the font size on the screen and internal speakers that can be connected to hearing aids were intended to target ________ consumers.

A) female
B) aging
C) disabled
D) minority

Question 8

The homogeneous organizational culture that results from turnover of dissimilar employees is referred to as a(n)

A) segmented communication channel.
B) glass ceiling.
C) monoculture.
D) ethnocentric culture.

Question 9

Which of the following statements concerning the U.S. workforce is true?

A) American-born white males constitute only 15% of the new entrants to the workforce.
B) Women now represent about half of the workforce.
C) The Hispanic community in the United States is increasing by 1.7 million a year.
D) all of the above

Question 10

The "American melting pot" is a myth because

A) employees often abandoned their ethnic and cultural distinctions while at work to keep their jobs and get ahead.
B) diverse European groups entered the mainstream in America.
C) the U.S. workforce is really a mosaic.
D) there are more similarities than differences and characteristics overlap between any two groups.

Question 11

The opinion that "U.S. managers are more able to adapt to other cultures and environments than managers from other countries" has been attributed to the fact that

A) U.S. managers travel abroad more.
B) U.S. managers have more foreign assignments.
C) U.S. managers grow up leading a more diverse workforce at home.
D) all of the above

Question 12

A diversity program

A) is a political solution to societal ills.
B) is another name for affirmative action.
C) recognizes an organization's need to employ women and minorities in order to succeed.
D) is a government-mandated program.

Question 13

A diverse team minimizes

A) creativity.
B) groupthink.
C) the multiplicity of viewpoints.
D) the number of ideas generated.

Question 14

When First Community Bank Boston presents seminars to diverse communities and provides an 800 line for people who do not speak English well, they are attempting to reap which benefit of diversity?

A) Better market access
B) Greater creativity
C) Improved team performance
D) Global competitiveness

Question 15

Because people are attracted to others they believe are similar to themselves, there is a natural tendency for organizations to

A) become demographically homogeneous.
B) become ethnocentric.
C) become less cohesive.
D) experience more conflict and tension.

Question 16

Stereotyping

A) dates back to Egyptian hieroglyphs.
B) allows one group to feel superior to another.
C) helps us simplify reality.
D) all of the above

Question 17

A challenge presented to HR managers and companies by diversity programs is that

A) white males may view a program as a threat to their own opportunities for advancement.
B) the perception of special treatment may undermine the formal procedures, policies, and enforcement mechanisms of the diversity program.
C) women and minorities in positions of authority may not receive as much respect from their subordinates and colleagues as do white men.
D) all of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is not true concerning affirmative action?

A) Affirmative action is the same thing as employee diversity.
B) Affirmative action may lead to reverse discrimination.
C) It would be difficult to prove what the real effect of affirmative action has been.
D) Affirmative action aims to accomplish the goals of fair employment by urging employers to make a conscious effort to hire members of protected classes.

Question 19

As organizations become more diverse

A) mistrust and a lack of understanding may lead to decreasing cooperation among employees.
B) it may cause stress and interpersonal friction.
C) it may become more difficult to reach agreement on issues.
D) all of the above

Question 20

Which of the following is a potential problem that can emerge when there is increasing employee diversity?

A) Pressures toward homogenization
B) Lower cohesiveness
C) Interpersonal conflict and tension
D) all of the above

Question 21

Studies indicate that most foreign-born immigrants

A) have a higher standard of living than do native-born Americans.
B) do not create an economic threat to those who are native born.
C) are driving the trend of offshoring.
D) are undocumented.

Question 22

To learn to work with a diverse workforce, individual employees should

A) show respect for others no matter how different they are from you.
B) go out of your way to work with people who are different from you.
C) avoid being overly sensitive to perceived slights by other employees who are different from you.
D) all of the above

Question 23

The term Hispanic

A) encompasses a wide variety of groups.
B) includes American Indians of the Southwest.
C) includes immigrants from Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba.
D) all of the above

Question 24

According to one report, a new wave of race discrimination cases focuses on African Americans who feel they are being passed over for

A) disabled Americans.
B) Hispanics.
C) white Americans.
D) Asian Americans.

Question 25

The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, has led to complaints of discrimination by

A) undocumented workers.
B) Arab Americans.
C) immigrants.
D) people with disabilities.

Question 26

A promising development in increasing the employment rate of Americans with disabilities is

A) federal legislation.
B) telecommuting.
C) training.
D) changing perceptions.

Question 27

There are at least ________ million workers in the United States illegally or without immigration papers.

A) 2
B) 6
C) 11
D) 17

Question 28

People designated as Asian Americans include people of

A) Chinese, Japanese, and Korean descent.
B) Japanese, Korean, and Indian descent.
C) Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and Pakistani descent.
D) Indian and Pakistani descent.

Question 29

Policies concerning tolerance for religious diversity cover

A) permissible garments at work.
B) the display of religious symbols on company premises.
C) religious holidays.
D) all of the above

Question 30

The increase of large scale immigration

A) is exclusive to the province of the United States.
B) has ended in the United States.
C) has been experienced globally, particularly in Western Europe.
D) has had little impact on firms across the globe.

Question 31

Which group of Americans has suffered the most blatant forms of discrimination?

A) Disabled Americans
B) Foreign-born Americans
C) African Americans
D) Homosexuals

Question 32

The term invisible minority is used to describe

A) homosexuals.
B) people with disabilities.
C) Hispanics.
D) Asian Americans.

Question 33

Stereotypes of older workers in the United States include

A) being inflexible.
B) being knowledge champions.
C) suffering promotion discrimination.
D) rising costs of health insurance.

Question 34

An ethical issue concerning older workers today is

A) the rising cost of health insurance.
B) transferring knowledge to younger workers.
C) whether organizations are systematically terminating older workers to save money.
D) mentoring programs.

Question 35

In recent years, religious tolerance has been most severely tested in

A) Europe.
B) the United States.
C) Asia.
D) South America.

Question 36

The prevalent thinking today is that

A) organizations must make everyone fit a common corporate mold.
B) organizations should support, nurture, and utilize people's differences in a way that respects employees' unique perspectives and promotes a shared vision.
C) employees have a single identity.
D) all of the above

Question 37

Contrary to popular belief, the typical cost of an accommodation for a disabled employee is

A) $100.
B) $500.
C) $1,000.
D) $5,000.

Question 38

The U.S. workforce

A) is growing older each year.
B) holds negative stereotypes of older workers as being inflexible.
C) between 50 and 65 is increasing at twice the rate of the overall population.
D) all of the above

Question 39

Homosexuals are

A) protected by federal antidiscrimination law.
B) protected by all states with antidiscrimination laws.
C) not protected by federal antidiscrimination law, but are protected by a small number of states.
D) not protected by any states with antidiscrimination laws.

Question 40

While the U.S. census data reported almost 28 million people are of Hispanic origin, the actual number is believed to be closer to

A) 10 million.
B) 30 million.
C) 40 million.
D) 50 million.

Question 41

What percent of the U.S. workforce consists of families with dual career couples?

A) 30
B) 40
C) 50
D) 60

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of gender differences in communication as presented by Deborah Tannen?

A) People tend to judge men for what they say and do while women are often judged by how they look and dress.
B) Men tend to engage in rapport talk while women engage in report talk.
C) Women tend to be direct when making requests and males tend to be more indirect.
D) Men have a greater information focus while women have more of an image focus.

Question 43

It is difficult for women to move beyond a certain level in the hierarchy due to

A) the glass ceiling.
B) lack of mentoring.
C) the mommy track.
D) all of the above

Question 44

The differences between diverse groups are smaller than the differences within groups.

Question 45

________ passed the toughest immigration law in the United States in 2010.

A) California
B) Arizona
C) Texas
D) Florida

Question 46

Accountability tools used by companies to ensure the implementation of diversity strategies include all of the following except

A) 360-degree feedback.
B) employee surveys.
C) diversity training.
D) self-evaluations.

Question 47

Today the prevalent thinking is to make everyone fit a corporate mold.

Question 48

Diversity management aims to accomplish the goal of fair employment by urging employers to make a conscious effort to hire members of protected classes.

Question 49

According to Deborah Tannen, men tend

A) to be judged by how they look and dress.
B) to engage in report talk.
C) to be indirect when making requests.
D) to ask questions to understand something.

Question 50

One of the sectors of the economy dominated by undocumented workers is

A) financial services.
B) nonprofits.
C) government.
D) agriculture.

Question 51

Over half of the workers in the United States who are here illegally are from

A) Canada.
B) Mexico.
C) South America.
D) India.

Question 52

The odds of miscommunication and conflict are increased with

A) the glass ceiling.
B) different communication styles of men and women.
C) diversity audits.
D) age.

Question 53

Lower-level managers and employees are likely to take diversity seriously if senior executives are

A) giving diversity management a high priority.
B) taking an active role in diversity management.
C) attending multiple meetings on diversity issues.
D) all of the above

Question 54

Developmental activities to improve diversity management include

A) diversity learning labs.
B) apprenticeships.
C) senior mentoring.
D) all of the above

Question 55

An issue for women is that unlike many of the industrialized counties, companies in the United States are not legally mandated to provide

A) vacation.
B) comparable pay.
C) maternity leave.
D) equal pay.

Question 56

Diversity may lead to a fragmented workforce with little cohesion and even a lack of commonality around organizational values and goals.

Question 57

Diversity is an important source of innovation that helps fuel creativity and improve a firm's competitive position in the marketplace.

Question 58

The informal relationships that exist among managers and executives in which important communication occurs is known as

A) senior mentoring.
B) the "old boys' network."
C) a business network.
D) the glass ceiling.

Question 59

The caution in creating diversity support groups is to ensure they do not become

A) too large.
B) self-contained units.
C) a requirement.
D) too nurturing.

Question 60

Announcing a diversity program without corporate support

A) holds managers accountable for diversity.
B) sends the message the company is simply going through the motions.
C) encourages diversity networks.
D) suggests that executives have empowered line managers to take the lead in diversity management.

Question 61

What is diversity?

Question 62

Employer diversity objectives should be key components of corporate mission statements and company strategies.

Question 63

What are diversity learning labs and how are they used?

Question 64

Who comprises the Asian American segment of the workforce? What are some of their unique challenges?

Question 65

The perception that Asian Americans are already successful paradoxically makes some managers insensitive to their needs and problems.

Question 66

Discuss immigration in the United States and Western Europe.

Question 67

What is the difference between affirmative action and diversity?

Question 68

What is the purpose of a diversity audit?

Question 69

Discuss the number of disabled Americans and their employment rates. What are the benefits of hiring people with disabilities?

Question 70

Apprenticeship programs have been a successful strategy for improving the management of diversity.

Question 71

What are some of the unique challenges of women in the workforce?

Question 72

Companies may help employees handle family and career simultaneously with compressed workweeks, job sharing, and telecommuting.

Question 73

What is the role of top management in improving the management of diversity?

Question 74

Women face sexual harassment at work far more often than men.

Question 75

What are the advantages of employee diversity?

Question 76

What are the myth and the reality of the "American melting pot"?

Question 77

What are some options available to organizations to help employees handle family and career simultaneously?

Question 78

What are the potential problems with increasing employee diversity?

Question 79

How does diversity impact team performance?

Question 80

Discuss the stereotypes and reality of older workers.