Expanding Diversity Consciousness Essay Example

Expanding Diversity Consciousness Essay Example Expanding Diversity Consciousness Paper Expanding Diversity Consciousness Paper As our country has gotten to be more culturally diverse, it as become quite obvious that there is a need for diversity training in different places like the workplace and even schools. Sometimes ignorance can be ones biggest enemy when it comes to dealing with someone who is considered diverse from the norm. The minority group that the focus of this paper will be on are Hispanics. This group was chosen because often times they are looked at as if they are immigrants Just because of their accents or they are looked at as if they dont know more than they actually do because of the accents. Its very unfortunate that this goes on everywhere including the workplace. The Hispanic or Spanish speaking errors could very well know more than the boss, but because of the accent that knowledge can often times go unnoticed. Introduction There are many different stereotypes, myths and discriminatory acts when it comes to diversity. Whether youre talking about race, sex, age, religion, culture, sexual orientation, etc. There is always going to be someone that doesnt agree with your differences/or your decisions because it is not the same as them. Diversity/cultural awareness is important in this day and age because you have so many different people who have live, work and go to school with so many different types of people it ay often be hard to know what may or may not be offensive to that person or to even know that something that may be offensive to you is a part of their culture. We may not like it but if we have to share space with people other than ourselves then it is important to know exactly who you are sharing this space with. According to Davis, M. , Cappuccino, S. , Krause, L. 2010) our society it has always been the norm to say that men are more forceful and dominating during conflicting situations while being steady and consistent with their gender stereotype which is known to be more assertive and task oriented; women have been said to be more disarming or appeasing which is also consistent with their gender stereotype of being more relationship oriented. Diversity Awareness According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it is illegal to discriminate against individuals because of their color, religion, sex, race, national origin, or disability. One must recognize and be aware of diversity and its importance. Diversity consciousness is ones awareness of others differences that are unlike yours. Along with that awareness that one has to be accepting of those differences and prejudice of them. Diversity Competencies are ones knowledge or the skills theyve acquired in order to be successful at not only respecting others differences but creating an atmosphere where acceptance is the norm in any organization including work and school. Cole and Salivate (2012) discuss how the increase in diversity awareness over the last 30 years or so has made it mandatory for changes to be made regarding diversity. Because employees are of all different walks of life now it has prompted organizations to be more politically correct when addressing any issue; formal or informal. Cole and Salivate (2012) also talk about the benefits as well as the sedateness for companies who do or do not implement rules and or training for diversity. One has to implement rules in order for the organization to be in sync when it comes to diversity. Hinderer, Jordanians, and Soldiering (2013) speak of the shortage of nurses and nursing faculty and their practice of with seeking a number of the nursing faculty from the underrepresented population such as males and culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. In order for that diversity competencies that one develops and is then able to apply to everyday life. Different aspects of diversity awareness has been increased over the last couple of cascades. When it comes to the workplace Cole and Salivate (2012) discuss how the increase in diversity awareness over the last 30 years or so has made it mandatory for changes to be made regarding diversity. Because employees are of all different walks of life now it has prompted organizations to be more politically correct when addressing any issue; formal or informal. Hinderer, Jordanians, and Soldiering (2013) speak of the shortage of nurses and nursing faculty and their practice of with seeking a number of the nursing faculty from the underrepresented population such s males and culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Accepting our Differences According to Davis, M. Cappuccino, Krause, L. (2010) there is not only race or culture bias in the work place but there is also gender bias as well. Based on public opinion, Cat. Org conducted a small survey about peoples opinions about technological and social changes: This study shows that Just base on a small random survey conducted on the street that people feel as though ethnic diversity and the opinions on the gay and lesbian community has made quite a change for the better. Though it has, there is still a lot ore work to be done and a lot more growing to do. According to a study from a sample of 6,130 workers in the retail industry in 743 of large retailer in the U. S. By McKay, Avery and Morris (2008) Blacks and Hispanics were less favorable in the stores where the diverse atmosphere was less prominent. Bullying in the Workplace According to Lava, H. Martin, W. M. Bullying in the workplace has become quite a serious problem; somebody has either experienced or knows someone who has personally been a victim of it. There are signs that one could look for to know if they are being bullied at work. Some of the feelings or experiences one might have while not at work are: feeling nauseous at Just the thought of going to work obsessing about work even when youre not there; including days off believing that you somehow caused the treatment feeling embarrassed to tell anyone about someone controlling you at work While at work one may experience the following: feeling isolated or alienated by your peers because they were told not to socialize with you confronting your tormentor only to have the roles reversed and they accuse you surprise meetings that seem as though they are only meant to harass you youre ever able to complete your Job alone without someone over your back Individuals are targeted for bullying for many different reasons. A lot of times those reasons cant even be explained. There are many times that someone will target an individual because of their diversity or even because they feel they are threat. Bullying usually happens when employers and certain employees creat e a workplace culture. One of those workplace cultures is the way we do things around here Myths and Stereotypes There are many different myths and stereotypes that exist in the workplace; ones oracle can be flooded with different stereotypes and myths that can be very distracting and Just down right degrading to certain people and or certain groups of people (Woos, 2011). Its very unfortunate that some people learn these traits as children and they then carry them into adulthood and they never learn to break the cycle no matter what type of diversity training or even diverse people they are exposed to (Woos, 2011). The Hispanic community is one of the fasting growing minority in the United States; yet Hispanic people are definitely one of those groups that are targeted quite often (Woos, 2011). Often times its automatically assumed that they dont speak or understand English Just because they may have an accent. Its important that people treat people how they would like to be treated because you never know when your race, culture, sex, age, etc. Will be targeted next. Its also important that we dont engage in those types of behaviors or conversations with other people who are engaging in those types of behaviors because it can ultimately send a signal stating that the behavior is acceptable when it actually is not. There definitely needs to be more diversity training because a lot of people dont know how o interact with people who are not the same as them. Because of their accent, a lot of people often speak slowly to Hispanics Just assuming that they arent comprehending. Here are a list of some of the more common myths: They dont speak and/or understand English They are all illegal immigrants They all have large families (lots of children) They prefer labor/blue collar Jobs These are all myths that many people have heard before. These simply are not true. In fact, all of these statements can hold true for Just about any culture there is. There are some Hispanics who are bilingual and there are some who dont even peak Spanish at all. Its fair to say that they prefer labor/blue collar Jobs. There are many well educated Hispanics who are Dentists and Doctors, lawyers and paralegals out there that love what they do and would not prefer a blue collar Job. There is an increase in workplace bullying that is going on and it really has to stop (Lava Martin, 2008). These workplace bullies are causing unnecessary stress to people for no reason. In order to make sure that this workplace bullying stops; mandatory training will be introduced. Also, during this training there would be some role playing to keep everyone thinking. Sometimes people need to place the shoe on the other persons foot for they can truly understand what they experience personally for themselves. This also need to be a continuous effort on behalf of the company because unfortunately these types of reminders are necessary in order for people to understand certain things; especially things that are not a priority for them. This survey signifies the rate of union Jobs that have been secured by the increasing Hispanic population throughout over a 30 year period: According to Responded Clambake (2009) this study shows the declining unionization and growth of the Hispanic population. Employer Interviews The interviews began with Ms. Mean (Molly) Dimmitt]evict, who is the co-owner/ manager of Victor Bakery in Highland Park, Michigan. Although Victor Bakery is a relatively small family owned bakery and only employs approximately 10 people, they do take the necessary steps to make sure they are diverse with their hiring process and to make sure that their staff is diverse because they have such a diverse cultural base. Mean and her sister Dona are both co-owners of their family owned bakery located in Highland Park, Michigan. Mean and Dona were born in Yugoslavia and have since taken on American names, Molly and Donna. They took over Victor Bakery about 15 years ago once their parents were too old to run it. The bakery does cater to a very diverse population because of the location. They are located on a main street the leads into downtown Detroit so there are always different people in there constantly even though they are located in a predominantly African American city/ neighborhood. Because they are a privately owned small company they typically post help wanted ads in the store for their customers to see, they typically get commendations from their regular customers, and they also post ads online as well when they are hiring. Molly states that she also provides an employee handbook to make sure that all of her employees are well aware of their policies and procedures. This handbook also has a section on diversity as well because they want make sure that their employees can all handle working with diverse people. Although Molly and Donna moved here as children they still have their heavy accents and their cultural beliefs that they still practice. The bakery actually has Molly, Donna, Mollys husband Danny and their cousin Victor, they also have 6 African American females who work there as well. Although they seem to be doing well with it, think one thing that they could also do that may be a cost effective way for them to provide their employees with diversity training is to maybe have them watch videos of diversity awareness. The next interview was conducted with Ms. Tamari Johnson, principle of University Preparatory Elementary School in Detroit Michigan. According to Ms. Johnson she strictly hires according to who is better qualified for the Job. Ms. Johnson states that her goal is to give everyone a chance. Though the school is located in a highly populated African American community, the area has become more diverse over the years and slowly but surely the students who attend the school are becoming more diverse as well. The school posts Job offers on its own website, indeed. Com, and most of the charter school staff and substitute teacher Job boards. Ms. Johnson, who is African American, states that she has a staff that consists of 1 Indian (female) teacher, whos married to a Caucasian man that comes to visit and volunteer at the school frequently, 1 Chinese teacher(female), 1 Middle Eastern Janitor (male), 7 African American teachers (1 male 6 female), 2 African American office staff members both female, 6 Caucasian teachers (4 females 2 males), and 3 Caucasian staff members that hold other position is in the school; 2 of them males 1 of them female. Ms. Johnson obviously hires a very diverse work staff based on their skill set as well as their attitudes towards the children they will be working with and not solely based on her race or the majority of the population of the schools population. She does state that it is important for her to have teachers of color because it is an inner city school ND its important to show the students someone to look up to that looks like them, however it is equally important to show them diversity at an early age so that they can take that into their later years. She states that she feels that the students arent getting what they deserve by not exposing them to teachers of diverse backgrounds. According to Ms. Johnson when she hires anyone she is sure to have them read and sign a handbook that outlines their diversity policies and procedures that are according to the entire district. They also go over a diversity presentation during orientation once they are hired. They are strict and have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to diversity and acceptance/respecting others. This goes for the staff and it also goes for the students as well. The other employer interviewed with Ms. Christina Brothers, manager of the Sprint retail store located in the busy suburb of West Bloomfield Michigan Just about 35 minutes away from Detroit Michigan. West Bloomfield is a primarily Caucasian city with a median household income of about $102,000. Ms. Brothers is an African American single mother of two who lives in Detroit, which is primarily African-American with a median household income of bout $25,000 dollars annually. Ms. Brothers says for that reason she tries to be extremely diverse when it comes to hiring employees for her store. She does not judge for candidates based on their zip codes and she gives everyone that is qualified a fair shot at the Job. Although the city is primarily Caucasian, there are other races who live and work in the area that visit the store and she does try to reflect that with her staff in her store. There is 1 Indian employee who is also the assistant manager there are 5 Caucasian men, there are 3 Caucasian females and 2 African American females including her that work in the store. She stated that she posts her openings for the Jobs that are available online on the online Job boards as well as referrals from other people, as well as in store postings. Because of the nature of this Job Ms. Brothers sates that they also have a strict zero tolerance policy when it comes to diversity and accepting/respecting ones differences. Because they not only work with each other, but also get a lot of foot traffic in the store and have to greet these people face to face, they have to make sure that any negative feelings awards anyone for their race, sexuality, culture, etc. Is totally turned off and that they are customer oriented and treat each customer like they would want to be treated. Because it is a Sprint Store they usually have their training electronically during orientation as well. They too have to sign a handbook that discusses the policies and procedures that the company has in place to make sure that they not only hire but train the most diverse and well qualified individuals for the positions. This particular Sprint store, Just like University Preparatory Elementary both do not have any Hispanics working there at this time. When asked, both employers stated that it was not something that was overlooked or purposely ignored, it was Just because they did not have enough qualified candidates to apply for the postings. Recommendations For my recommendations I would definitely have to take some pointers from my interviewees. The all had great ideas for how they handle diversity in their respective workplaces, which were all diverse establishments. This workshop/ training that will be offered will not be the same type of training that employees normally dread. Initial Assessment In order to begin to try and create a diverse atmosphere in a not so diverse atmosphere one must first assess that atmosphere. It will include interactive games and exercises that will engage the employees into wanting to know more. The training will also teach management on the importance of making their diverse staff of want to stay with the company (Enchilada, A, 2011). Through this assessment it should become more clearer how to conduct he diversity training; whether or not it should be an ongoing training, testing, one on one counseling, group training, and just information being passed out. The purpose of this initial training would be basically an assessment to pick everyones brains to see where everyone is on the subject. The goal is to try and have everyone on the same page and getting along before any real issues arise during training scenarios. The bottom line is that everyone has and should have the right to work in a diverse atmosphere. This atmosphere should be free from hatred Judgment, and should always respects ones differences, even if you dont agree with them. Getting to the Bottom Line Getting to the bottom line will be determined from that initial assessment. Normally when individuals are more aware of diversity and what they should or should not be doing it becomes more clearer and they begin to take more responsibility for their role in both creating and maintaining that environment. Employees should also be more aware on how to improve workplace relationships as well. This is a factor that definitely plays a major role in diversity training and diversity awareness because it should help to open communication skills which will also improve work ethics and teamwork. After the employees needs have all been assessed and it is determined hat type of diversity training is necessary for the group then it is equally important for things such as team building exercises and the posing of critical thinking exercises to boost the actual results of the training. Finding a Solution With finding a solution there definitely take a lot more research because as people change, their circumstances change as well. Having a code of ethics is one step closer to having everyone on the same page. Theres really no guaranteed way to keep everyone focused on being diverse and accepting others whether black, white, Hispanic, Asian etc. The code of ethics brings them one step closer to being unified as a group. According to Long and Discoid (2008) there may be a high demand with companies to adopt different institutions of ethics; which is something that gets overlooked in during the creating of organizational culture that encourages ethical behavior (Kelly, 2005). Literature Review The minority group that the focus of this paper will be on are Hispanics. This group was chosen because often times they are looked at as if they are immigrants Just because of their accents or they are looked at as if they dont know more than they actually do because of the accents. Its very unfortunate that this goes on everywhere including the workplace. The Hispanic or Spanish speaking person could very well know more than the boss, but because of the accent that knowledge can often times go unnoticed. Woos (2011) speaks about the different stereotypes that Hispanics have to go through in the workplace. This article will be used to discuss some of the different stereotypes mentioned are their accents and the relation because they have a certain last name. There are also talks about how employers are quick to hire Hispanic employees especially when they know that it will help them out, mainly hen needing a translator. The paper will show that bullying in the workplace is an ongoing issue that does not seem to be going away anytime soon (Lava Martin), 2008. It may not be as common because of the different employer rules and regulations that are being established; and also holding people accountable for their actions. Unfortunately this bullying can be age discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual orientation, and of course race. According to Lava Martin (2008) there are even different rivals between different Hispanic groups; there are often issues with he legal status of Hispanics from Puerco Rice and is often contrasted with the illegal status of Mexican and Central America Hispanics. Davis, Cappuccino, Krause conducted a study to see a relationship for gender effects in conflict behaviors by examining the ratings according to peers, subordinates and bosses of 2,000 adults that participated leadership programs. Of those 2000 adults about 5% of them were Hispanic. They took a deep look into different conflict situations and who the initiator was (race and gender) as well as how the conflict was resolved if it were resolved. McKay, Avery, and Morris (2008) were about to assess whether diversity climate moderated mean racial ethnic differences in employee sales performance using the data from approximately 6130 employees out of 743 stores of a large US retail organization. According to a study McKay, Avery Morris (2008) stated that when it came to sales Whites out performed both Black and Hispanics but Blacks also beat Hispanics. This article talks about how Responded Clambake (2009) sought to research the minority population as it relates to securing union Jobs. Unfortunately Responded Clambake concluded that there was little to no research out there that purported the relationship between Hispanics and the union labor market. The research that they used to support were surveys that dated from 1973 2007. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education speaks about the trend at making higher education students more of a priority than bringing aboard more capable faculty. This information will be used to determine the factors that take place when considering faculty that will cater to the Hispanic population in higher education. Sips, Johnson and Fisher (2009) speak of University students perception of gender discrimination in the workplace. This will also look at the significance of race along tit gender to see if there is a determining factor. The goal of this article was to gain students perception of how the workforce may be. There are real issues that plague diversity in corporate America today. According to the Hispanic Outlook for Higher education, it was thought that the US would a little more diversity because of having an African American President but unfortunately this has not been an easy task to handle Cooper, M. (2013. Cultural diversity affects all of us in the United States Pope, M. (2012). These cultural differences include race, gender, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. They also speak about the career development issues that occur often due to language barriers. This paper will also discuss hiring processes and employee retention as it relates to having a diverse faculty in a social work program. According to Hughes, Hornier Rotor (2012) the recent doctoral graduates put together 3 narratives about the role that diversity played in their Job searches. They even talked about at some point being that next diversity hire without knowing. Annotated Bibliography go unnoticed The articles that have been chosen for this project are as such: Woos, D. (2011). Who is Hispanic/Latino in the workplace? Diversity Factor (Online), 19(1), 1-2. Retrieved from http://search. Protest. Com. Library. Capable. Deed/ docketed/863501021 Woos (2011) speaks about the different stereotypes that Hispanics have to go through in the workplace. This article will be used to discuss some of the different stereotypes mentioned are their accents and the relation because they have a certain last name. There are also talks about how employers are quick to hire Hispanic employees especially when they know that it will help them out, mainly when needing a translator. Lava, H. , Martin, W. M. (2008). Bullying in the U. S. Workplace: Normative and recess-oriented ethical approaches. Journal of Business Ethics, 83(2), 147-165. Dot:http://DXL. DOI. Org/lo. Locoweeds-007-9608-9 Bullying in the workplace is an ongoing issue that does not seem to be going away anytime soon (Lava Martin), 2008. It may not be as common because of the different employer rules and regulations that are being established; and also holding people accountable for their actions. Unfortunately this bullying can be age discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual orientation, and of course race.