Bài giảng Managing Diversity - Chapter 12 Ethnicity, power and culture at work

Chapter 12Ethnicity, power and culture at workLoong Wong Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*‘Fit’ versus ‘cultural fit’‘Fit’ has become a tool associated with an organisation’s value system or workplace culture.‘Cultural fit’ is broader in scope encompassing a multitude of meanings but generally encompassing both a personal and social component.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and ‘cultural fit’The notion of ‘cultural fit’ arises when the issue of ethnicity and race of candidates intrudes into the discussion.Knowledge of English may be insufficient.Candidates may be judged not just on the standard of their spoken English or their merit for the position, but also on their knowledge of workplace culture.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Workplace discourses in recruitmentThe institutional – reflects workplace and organisation cultureThe professional – includes technical expertise and language of the professionThe personal – includes small talk, jokes, etc. Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and MDRecruiters have expectations of how candidates will conduct themselves and these expectations are revealed in informal ‘backstage’ comments.Often deemed lacking is small talk; particularly with Asian candidates.The use of small talk for recruiters signals an easy-going personality. Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and MD (cont.)Recruiters rarely listen to candidates at the interview but judge body language instead.Non-verbals as opposed to verbals are seen as more important.The interview and shortlisting processes serve two different purposes – judging candidates’ interpersonal and technical skills and judging how they may fit with the company’s prevailing values.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and MD (cont.)Proponents of MD advocate a broader recruitment pool to recruit the best talent.Yet cultural predisposition is towards recruiting a particular group due to the following:Recruitment exercises are not value-free exercises. Recruitment exercises are linked with power.Recruitment exercises have a submerged discourse. Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and ‘cultural fit’‘Cultural fit’:is often whimsical and inconsistentoften contains inferential decisions that favour those who display congruence with the recruiters’ personal cultural preferencesoften employs a discourse of ‘whiteness’ including personal reference, spatial reference and temporal reference.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Power and ‘cultural fit’Personal referencesUse of ‘we’ and ‘them’ terms in reference to a way of life A ‘culturally fit’ sense of humourQuestioning of authenticity of qualificationsSpatial referencesDescribing place as desirable, e.g. Australia seen as a desirable place to work rather than Asia and gratitude required for such an opportunity.Temporal referencesQuestioning of the skills and capabilities of candidates – as though such skills were achieved long ago and relevance may be questionable.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Australian recruitment for diversityBackstage talk and recruiters’ views mask values which identify the range of acceptable behaviours.Power, domination and privilege are cloaked in civility and coded professional practices.Discourses make professional rationalisations seem reasonable and objective.Western model of development is reaffirmed.A discourse of ‘whiteness’ shapes daily practice, and interpersonal and social relations.Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*Recruitment and MDIt is not a simple process for managing diversity to include a meaningful and effective diversity ethic.Managing diversity requires engagement with deep-seated views, and challenges to the social and individual issues of power and control and race.Diversity is an ethical and political concern within organisational theory and practices. Copyright  2010 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd PPTs to accompany Strachan, French and Burgess, Managing Diversity12-*