Chapter 4:

Supervising a Diverse Workforce

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Learning.
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Reserved.
May
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part, except
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2016Cengage
Learning.
All Rights
Reserved.
May not
be not
copied,
scanned,
or duplicated,
in whole
or in part,
for usefor
asuse
permitted
in a license
distributed with
distributed
with
a
certain
product
or
service
otherwise
on
a
password-protected
website
for
classroom
use.
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42

AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU

WILL BE ABLE TO:
Define the concept of workforce diversity and identify the major
categories of legally protected employees and general guidelines
for supervising a diverse workforce.
Explain the issues involved in supervising racial or ethnic minority
employees.
Discuss factors that are particularly important when supervising
female employees.
Identify and discuss the legal and other considerations of
supervising employees with physical and mental disabilities.
Discuss the considerations of supervising older workers and
managing an intergenerational workforce.

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43

AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER, YOU

WILL BE ABLE TO: (cont.)
Provide examples of religious accommodation.
Describe the unique challenges of supervising globally dispersed
employees.
Recognize several pressures faced by supervisors who are
members of protected groups.
Explain the issue of reverse discrimination.
Understand how to best supervise a diverse workforce.

2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with
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44

FIGURE 4.1

The value of diversity

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45

Managing Diversity is the

Bottom-Line Concern
Protected-group employees
Classes of employees who have been afforded certain legal
protections in their employment situations.
Classes of protected-group employees:
Racial or ethnic origin
Gender (women)
Physical or mental disability
Age (over 40)
Religion
Military Service

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46

FIGURE 4.2

Managing diversity

Managing diversity means being aware of differences and managing employees

as individuals. To manage diversity does not mean just recognizing and tolerating
differences but also supporting and using the differences to the organizational
advantage.
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47

FIGURE 4.3

A myth occasionally voiced by some supervisors is that

protected-group employees cannot be disciplined or
discharged

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4-8

Supervising Racial and Ethnic

Minorities
Barriers for minorities (from 2013 Joseph Rowntree Foundation
interviews)
Lack of role models in leadership positions
Language difficulties
Lower education levels
Low self-confidence
Exclusion from informal networks
Lack of organizational understanding of ethic minority communities
Unequal access to opportunities for training and development
Prejudice and stereotyping
Under-recognition of existing skills and experience

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49

Supervising Racial and

Ethnic Minorities (cont.)
Understanding Discriminations Effects
Supervisors must be sensitive to employees who have experienced
discrimination in the past.
Supervisors should always strive to be fair and considerate, no
matter the type of employee.
Appreciating Cultural Differences
Supervisors could discuss with employees about cultural
backgrounds and customs so employees understand cultural
differences better.
Overcoming Language Differences
Some employers sponsor English improvement and business
courses for minority employees.
It is encouraged for supervisors to add more language skills.
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410

Supervising Women
Entry of women into many career fields
Due to changes in the workforce, were seeing greater numbers of
women in traditionally male donated jobs such as financiers,
scientists, engineers, sales, technical representatives, accountants
and managers.
Supervisors should make it clear that any woman taking a
previously all-male job will be afforded a realistic opportunity to
succeed based on her ability to perform the job.
Balancing work-life issues
One of the most important aspects of job satisfaction for women.

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411

FIGURE 4.4

Two women who changed the world

Meet Rosie the Riveter

Betty Hunter remembers her first job interview. It was
the 1940s, and women were needed to fill jobs left
vacant by men who had gone to war. But despite the
demand for workers, management was reluctant to put
an inexperienced woman on the factory floor. Millions
of other women like Hunter worked in World War II
defense industries and support services.
During World War II, Ford Motor Companys Richmond,
California, factory was converted from automotive to
tank production to support the war effort. Prior to
1940,
only three women had worked at the planta daytime
telephone operator and two typists. But as an
increasing
number of men headed off to war, Fords managers
quickly learned that women made excellent industrial
workers. In certain tasks, they even concluded that
women were superior to men. Betty Hunter,
like thousands of other women, became known as
Rosie the Riveter. According to Tom Butt,
president of the Rosie the Riveter Historic Trust, It was
the first time in American history that
women and minorities worked side by side with men
for almost comparable wages. During
the closing months of the war, Ford hired an increasing
number of people of color and women
as other workers who had migrated to California to
work in wartime industries headed home.
It is no coincidence that Ford Motor Company was
again named one of Working Mother
magazines 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
in 2008.

Meet Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, a grown woman of 42, refused to give up
her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She defied
what was known as the Jim Crow lawswhite-only
perquisiteswhich limited blacks to segregated
restrooms
and drinking fountains (if any were available),
entrance into stores through the rear door only, and
seats in the back of the bus.
By refusing to move, Parks committed a deliberate act
of civil disobedience. What would have happened if
she
had moved to the back of the bus as commanded? We
will never know, but the inescapable truth is that
Parkss
actions let it be known that change was needed for
America to walk the talk. If the talk says that all
men (people) are created equal and have
inalienable rights, then it was time to translate the
talk into action.
Rosa Parks died in October 2005. President George W.
Bush and members of Congress laid
wreaths at her bier as it rested in the U.S. Capitol. Her
legacy lives on today.2
Freedom
is never
voluntarily
given
by the Advertisement,
oppressor;
Sources: (1) American
Women
I Have Always
Understood,
Working
Mother
(November
2003),
p.
11.
The
Rosie
the
Riveter
WWII
it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Home Front National Historic Park commemorates and celebrates womens
Martin
King
Jr Visit the Rosie the Riveter Historic Trust, a
contributionsLuther
to the war
effort.

nonprofit organization in Richmond, California and

http://www.RosieTheRiveter.org. Also go to www.workingmother.com and
click on Best Companies to see their programs to help women to be the
best they can be. (2) See Kiva Albin, Rosa Parks: The Woman Who
Changed a Nation (1996 Interview); Quiet Strength (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 1994); and http://www.grandtimes.com/rosa.html. Parkss book
is not to be confused with Tony Dungys Quiet Strength: The Principles,
Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life. In November 1956, the U.S.
2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated,
in whole
or inruled
part, that
except
for use ason
permitted
in a license
Supreme
Court
segregation
public transport
wasdistributed with
a certain product or service otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.unconstitutional.

412

Supervising Women (cont.)

Sexual-harassment and sexual stereotyping issues
Sexual harassment
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests, or conduct when
submission to such conduct is tied to the individuals continuing
employment or advancement, unreasonably interferes with job
performance, or creates a hostile work environment.
Gender stereotyping
Use of demeaning language, judgment, or behavior based on a
persons gender.

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413

Supervising Women (cont.)

Training and development opportunities
Women should be offered equal access to training and
development activities, and those employees with potential should
be encouraged to develop their skills.
Many firms are instituting mentoring programs to empower
women.
Pregnancy and family care
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 requires that
pregnancy be treated no differently from illness or health
disabilities if an employer has medial benefits or a disability plan.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires that an eligible
employee (male or female) must be granted up to a total of 12
work weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the
birth and care of the newborn child, adoption or foster care; to care
for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a
serious health condition; or to take medical leave when the
employee is unable to work because of a serious health problem.
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414

Supervising Women (cont.)

Equitable Compensation
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires that men and women
performing equal work must receive equal pay.
Comparable worth
Concept that jobs should be paid at the same level when they
require similar skills or abilities.

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415

Supervising Employees with

Disabilities
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
People with disabilities were identified as a group that was to
receive special consideration in employment and other
organizational areas.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Most significant legislation dealing with legal protection for a group
since the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Applies to employers with 15 or more employees and identifies
coverage for people with disabilities.

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416

Supervising Employees with

Disabilities
Qualified disabled individual
Defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as someone
with a disability who can perform the essential components of a job
with or without reasonable accommodation.
Reasonable accommodation
Altering the usual ways of doing things so that an otherwise
qualified disabled person can perform the essential job duties, but
without creating an undue hardship for the employer.

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417

Supervising Older Workers

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
Applies to employers with 20 or more employees, prohibits
discrimination in employment for most individuals over age 40.
Mandatory retirement ages, such as age 70, are illegal for most
employees.
Supervisors need to perform objective performance appraisals
when comparing workers of different ages, as not to risk being the
target of a age discrimination lawsuit.
Supervisors should be supportive and understanding as older
employees near retirement.

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418

Accommodating Different Religious

Beliefs
Under the Civil Rights Act:
Most employers are required to afford nondiscriminatory treatment
to employees who hold different religious beliefs.
The following two principles are to be followed:
1.Employers must make reasonable accommodations for employees
with differing religious beliefs.
2.An employee may not create a hostile work environment for others
by harassing them about what they do or do not believe.

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419

Managing Employees around the

World
In the growing global workplace, differences such as language,
work methods and philosophies, cultural identities and practices,
and biases about home-country power can pose challenges to
supervisors charged with productively integrating their workforce.
Supervisors should be aware of their companys obligations under
EEOC law, based on the structure of its operations, so that they
can make appropriate decisions and effectively guide employee
behavior.
Multinational corporation
A company that establishes locations, manages production, and
delivers services in more than one country and most often directs
management policies and practices from one home country.

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420

Protected-Group Supervisors
Supervision of legally protected employees require both awareness
and sensitivity to various factors. Additional concerns can arise for
supervisors who are themselves members of legally protected
categories (e.g. minorities and women) and who may experience
resistance and resentment in their supervisory positions.
Protected-group supervisors, like all other supervisors, must have
performance expectations, policies, and decisions that are applied
consistently and uniformly to all employees, regardless of race,
gender, age, and other such consideration.

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421

Understanding Reverse Discrimination

Reverse discrimination
Preference given to protected-group members in hiring and
promotion over more qualified or more experienced workers from
non protected groups.
Supervisors of integrated racial groups and male and female
employees may be apprehensive of their situations. E.g.,
supervisors may be reluctant to discipline anyone so as to avoid
charges of favoritism or discrimination.
Communication between the supervisor and all groups of
employees is essential, and the supervisor should try to correct
misperceptions about any employees abilities and qualifications as
they occur.

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422

Supervising Well:
The Overriding Consideration
Being fair in all supervisory actions and decisions
The supervisor must be diligent in his or her fairness; treat
complaints as a priority; should listen carefully to the nature of the
complaint; and report it to higher-level manager or human
resources.
Cultural competency
The ability to understand and adapt to a variety of cultural
communities.
Inclusion
Providing opportunities for every worker to fully participate and
valuing every workers skills, experiences and perspectives.
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423

KEY TERMS
Comparable worth
Cultural competency
Gender stereotyping
Inclusion
Multinational corporation
Protected-group employees
Qualified disabled individual
Reasonable accommodation
Reverse discrimination
Sexual harassment

2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part, except for use as permitted in a license distributed with
a certain product or service otherwise on a password-protected website for classroom use.