Making Differences Matter - 8932 Words

Harvard Business Review September, 1996 / October, 1996 HEADLINE: MAKING DIFFERENCES MATTER: A NEW PARADIGM FOR MANAGING DIVERSITY BYLINE: by David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely; David A. Thomas is an associate professor at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. Robin J. Ely is an associate professor at Columbia University s School of International and Public Affairs in New York City. Their research and teaching focus on the influence of race, gender, and ethnicity on career dynamics and organizational effectiveness. ABSTRACT: MAKING DIFFERENCES MATTER: A NEW PARADIGM FOR MANAGING DIVERSITY DAVID A. THOMAS and ROBIN J. ELY Diversity efforts in the workplace have been undertaken with great goodwill, but, ironically, they often†¦show more content†¦Most people assume that workplace diversity is about increasing racial, national, gender, or class representation -- in other words, recruiting and retaining more people from traditionally underrepresented identity group s. Taking this commonly held assumption as a starting point, we set out six years ago to investigate its link to organizational effectiveness. We soon found that thinking of diversity simply in terms of identity-group representation inhibited effectiveness. Organizations usually take one of two paths in managing diversity. In the name of equality and fairness, they encourage (and expect) women and people of color to blend in. Or they set them apart in jobs that relate specifically to their backgrounds, assigning them, for example, to areas that require them to interface with clients or customers of the same identity group. African American M.B.A. s often find themselves marketing products to innercity communities; Hispanics frequently market to Hispanics or work for Latin American subsidiaries. In those kinds of cases, companies are operating on the assumption that the main virtue identity groups have to offer is a knowledge of their own people. This assumption is limited -- and lim iting -- and detrimental to diversity efforts. What we suggest here is that diversity goes beyond increasing the number of different identity-group affiliations on the payroll to recognizing that such an effort is merely the first step in managing a diverse workforce for theShow MoreRelatedMaking Differences Matter - Review1480 Words   |  6 PagesMaking Differences Matter Abstract and background of the article In order to investigate that what will it take for organizations to reap the real and full benefits of a diverse workforce, a research effort taken by the article author’s team. In order to understand three management challenges for Diversity, it conducted its research over a period of six years. The challenges undertaken were: a) How do organizations successfully achieve and sustain racial and gender diversity in their executiveRead MoreA T Test1338 Words   |  6 Pagestheir thought process in deciding on matters [specifically the tasks included in the experiment). Based on the data collected, the general average time of completion accounts to a mean average of 330.581113.When results were accounted for separately, the male response timing could be noted at a mean-average rate of 318.51603; the female response timing is noted at a mean average of 342.348296. These numbers provide a distinct form of insistence on the difference of time-measurement in the responseRead MoreWhat A Work Of Art Is And How It Comes Into Being911 Words   |  4 Pagesthe word creation to describe God’s making of the world and therefore some may see a problem with using the world for art (Collingwood). However, the word create is also used daily to talk about items that have nothing to do with God (Collingwood). Accor ding to Collingwood, creating something refers to making that is non-technical, happens voluntarily, does not require an end, has a plan, and does not transform raw material (Collingwood). Therefore, the making of art is referred to as creating. Read MoreEthics Of Business Sex Differences At The Management Level Essay1651 Words   |  7 Pagesthe alpha view, of ethics in business sex differences at the management level will carry over to ethical issues. There are various studies that support this particular view. Evidence has it that women and women differ on about four accounts regarding ethics. These accounts include moral development, ethical behavior, and sensitivity to ethical and ethical value system. This paper looks at the differences between men and women when it comes to ethical matters within the working environment. Moral developmentRead MoreI Interviewed My Family Friend Sandi Mahoney907 Words   |  4 Pagesinvestigative social worker for 29 years before she retired from that profession. Mahoney decided that she wanted to be a social worker because she had a big interest in counseling and helping children with family problems. She felt that she would make a difference in their lives if she became a social worker. The purpose of her private practice is to help people to their maximum potential. There are many issues that she comes in to contact everyday at her job that she discussed with me. Mahoney has to dealRead MoreSex Discrimination in the American Workplace Still Stands848 Words   |  3 Pagesof discrimination against women when it comes to the corporate world. Although women’s overall presence in the work force has seen a boost in numbers in America, men today still get paid more than their female counterparts. To begin with, differences in the pay of workers between both genders seems to be an ongoing issue ever since the time women joined men in the work place. For that reason, â€Å"America made a commitment to equal pay for equal work regardless of the worker’s sex† when they passedRead MoreAre The Brains Of Reckless Teens More Mature Than Those Of Their Prudent Peers? Essay811 Words   |  4 Pagesrecent brain-imaging data showed white matter that resembled those of adults. This provided support for the new claim that adolescent risk-takers exhibited mature brains. This paper will review the traditional view, current research findings, and will analyze criticisms and support for the research question. Review of Key Findings The authors explored the traditional view, focusing on structural and functional studies of grey matter and developmental differences in frontal lobe and emotion-relatedRead MoreFeminism : A Feminist Perspective1505 Words   |  7 Pagesplight of women became a great issue. Feminism then and now still promotes equality for women. Discussed below will be feminism in its various forms and in different environments. Some types of feminism have been criticized taking into account our differences in culture and beliefs, and this has led to the formulation of ethnically specific and multicultural forms of feminism (Adel 77). The Feminist theory aims to understand why women are undergoing gender inequalities in the political, job and householdRead MoreCompare/Contrast1010 Words   |  5 Pagesthat can be rewritten in many different ways, but still gets the deeper gist of the story. It does not matter if the story is fiction or based on actual events, the message that is meant to get across will almost effortlessly. Just Walk On By and Girl are unlike in minor and immense ways, a couple significant differences are the time period and the narrator’s gender. In spite of the differences, Just Walk On By and Girl show very important similarities which are the longing to fit into social standardsRead MoreEssay On The Iron Jawed Angels1418 Words   |  6 Pagesopportunity knew it wasn’t fair at all. Because of this, women had no control over anything. They were always known to just take care of the children and listen to their husbands and do what their husbands tell them. The law was made for al l Americans, no matter the gender or race. Therefore, women activists such as Alice and Lucy set out to fight and stand for what they believe is right. The film follows these two women that were sent to Washington D.C. to take over a NAWSA (National American Women’s Suffrage