1. Chapter 3
Diversity in the Workplace
• What is Diversity?
• Developing Cross-Cultural
Interaction
• Increase Personal Awareness
• Managing Cultural Diversity
in the Workplace
• Establishing Inclusion Plans
• Managing Diversity Issues
Positively
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2. Culture: Our values, the way we speak, behave,
think, dress, religious beliefs, the music we like,
our interactions, and the food we eat.
Failure to
understand
these diversities
can result in
tension, poor
performance
and morale, and
higher rates of
turnover.
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3. Primary dimensions of diversity
distinguishes individuals and
groups:
• Culture
• Ethnic Group
• Race
• Religion
• Language
• Age
• Gender
• Physical Abilities
• Sexual Orientation 3
5. CHAPTER
3 Diversity
Leading Cultural Diversity in the
Workplace
Supervisors & managers who are not able to
handle diversity in the workforce are a liability.
Poor supervision can cost companies dearly in
the following ways:
• Discrimination lawsuits
• Litigation time & money
• Legal fees /settlements
• High employee turnover rates
• Negative community image
6. CHAPTER
3 Diversity
How to Recognize and Practice Cross-Cultural
Interaction
3 problem areas to overcome include:
1. The tendency not to listen carefully or pay
attention to what others are saying.
2. Speaking or addressing others in ways that
alienate them or make them feel uncomfortable.
3. Using or falling back on inappropriate stereotypes
to communicate with people from other cultures.
7. CHAPTER
3 Diversity
How to Recognize and Practice Cross-Cultural
Interaction
To be an effective supervisor in a culturally
diverse workforce, you must be able to:
•Recognize the different ways that people
communicate.
•Be sensitive to your own employees’ cultural values.
•Adapt accordingly.
8. Diversity
Examples of Cultural Differences
• Body Language
• Personal Space
• Eye Contact
• Facial Expressions
• Speech
• Being Direct in Conversation
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9. Diversity
Leading Cultural Diversity in the
Workplace
• Recognize, respect, & capitalize on the
different backgrounds in our society in
terms of race, ethnicity, gender, & sexual
orientation.
• Diversity, or sensitivity, training is now
commonplace in the corporate world.
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10. Developing Cross Cultural
Interaction Skills
1. Increase personal
awareness.
2. Recognize and practice
cross- cultural
interaction skills.
3. Maintain awareness,
knowledge, and skills.
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11. How to Increase Personal Awareness
• Be careful about being culture bound:
believing that your culture and value system
are the best, the one and only.
• Learn various facts of other cultures
• Take part in diversity or sensitivity training.
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12. Managing Cultural Diversity in the
Workplace
• Recognize, respect and
capitalize on the different
backgrounds in our society in
terms of race, ethnicity, gender,
and sexual orientation.
• Create a balance of respect
and understanding in the
workplace.
• You AND your employees
must be aware of the 12
importance of respecting
13. Establish a Diversity and Inclusion
Program
• Develop a mission statement that includes diversity and
inclusion.
• Develop goals for diversity and inclusion for each key
operating area.
• Develop objectives/strategies to show how the goals
will be met.
• Develop measurements to monitor progress towards
the goals.
• Monitor progress toward goal accomplishment
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14. Managing Diversity Issues
Positively
• Listen to and get to
know your
employees
• Treat them equitably
but not uniformly
• Watch for signs of
harassment
• Foster a work
climate of mutual
respect
• Encourage and 14
15. Gender Issues
• Make sure you do
not show favoritism.
• Show the same
amount of respect
for both genders.
• Know the
companies sexual
harassment policies,
and take misconduct
seriously. 15
16. Cultural Issues
• Do not become culture bound
(believe that your culture is the
best).
• Learn some of the language used
by your employees (how to
address them, phrases commonly
used, avoid slang).
• Give meaningful and culture
appropriate rewards.
• If employees have trouble with
English speak clearly and slowly.
Check to make sure they
understand you.
• Avoid touching.
• Be cautious about 16 the
interpretations and use of gestures
17. Religious Issues
Be consistent in
allowing time off
for religious
reasons.
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18. Age Issues
• Treat both young and older employees
with respect. Make them feel like part of
the team.
• Younger workers want to have fun while
doing worthwhile work, listen to them
and let them participate.
• Don’t have higher expectations of older
adults than their peers.
• Don’t patronize.
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19. Differently-Abled Issues
• Look at a differently abled employee as a
whole person with likes, dislikes, hobbies,
etc. and encourage co-workers to do so.
• Speak directly to them.
• They are good for the communities and
employers.
• They may not be the most productive but
they show up for work on time and they
work great with the staff and customers.
• Remember that the hospitality industry
has responsibilities to provide job
opportunities for all.
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