Diversity programs

Chapter 3 explores the different objectives of business mentoring schemes such as graduate and diversity programs. These variations of schemes are illustrated with case studies from a number of companies. 

To deliver the diverse program proposed, we decided that the number of presentations delivered in Session 3 would be expanded. Therefore,... 

What are the negative and positive aspects of formal diversity programs ... 

Frankie K. Wood-Black, Phillips Petroleum Our group began by talking about formal and informal diversity programs, and we discussed problem solving for some recruiting issues that had been observed by the participants. 

Finally, we talked about some of the diversity programs—seminars, talks, and the like. One of the programs that was mentioned was Pat Heim s She Said/He Said program,1 which talked about communication styles. 

Lou Ann Heimbrook, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs Let me share with you a little bit of what came up in our group discussion of formal diversity programs. We discussed the positives and negatives for formal diversity programs, whether those programs described were in industry or in academics. 

Formal diversity programs can broaden the notion of what the best is. What we are trying to do is entertain the thought that the best and how we define it can change and become much broader. Diversity programs bring that to the forefront for individuals. 

Formal diversity programs also can expand comfort zones, to make the work environment more sensitive to cultural differences. At the very least, they can raise the consciousness level. These are some of the positive aspects that we thought the programs would bring. 

What about the negatives As you can imagine, if you are using financial incentives to change the workforce, there is already a workforce in place. The incentives can aggravate the financial differentials between the haves and have-nots. So you need to be quite sensitive, because diversity programs can drive differentials. 

In addition, diversity programs may cause major institutional change or disruption. Formal diversity programs often drive change, whether it is in a university or in an industry. That might be viewed as either a positive or a negative, but remember, any workforce will have both components. 

W. Sue Shafer, University of California, San Francisco We began our discussion with some legalistic questions about what formal diversity programs are. Obviously, they take a couple of different forms, including those that are designed to improve the diversity of the workforce and those that are designed to improve the sensitivity of others in the organization to diversity issues. 

Someone in our group asked if you can you have quotas these days. The circumstances in which it is legal to have quotas are those in which you can document that you are addressing previous discrimination. Often quotas are unspoken but visible. Then we turned to small companies and discussed what size businesses must be concerned with diversity programs. Some of the new small start-up companies may be below the threshold size for which the programs are required. But we can all think of other reasons that may drive people to have such programs, even if they are not legally required to have them. 

One of the negative aspects of any diversity program is that it is an entitlement program, and then people don t always perform. A more important problem is the feeling that This is being dealt with over there, so the rest of the people in either the company or the department don t feel that it is their responsibility. If there is a formal program elsewhere in the organization, individuals may conclude, I don t need to get involved in this it has already been handled. ... 

P G has a rich history of embracing diversity. For example, there are a number of industry initiatives that demonstrate, in a very public way, such a message. Perhaps the best example is in our supplier diversity programs. This effort has been in place for more than 30 years and has led to minority suppliers to P G growing from only 5 to 6 suppliers at that time, to over 1,000 today. As a result, total Company expenditure to minority suppliers exceeded 500 million in 2000. 

More diverse programs amalgamated with chorus, seminar, and play could be developed to draw the audience s attention and effectively deliver the chemical messages to them in the future. 

Because the diversity challenges of every organization differ, approaches to address them vary as well. Here again, the need to be responsive to different national cultures may explain why multinational organizations have tended to leave much of the implementation of diversity programs to managers at national... 

Chism, N., Whimey, K. (2005). It takes a campus Situating professional development efforts within a campus diversity program. In M. L. Ouellett (Ed.), Teaching inclusively Resources for course, department institutional change in higher education (pp. 34-45). Stillwater, OK New Forums Press. 

Masking Convictions —A state must not mask, defer imposition of judgment, or allow an individual to enter into a diversion program (traffic violator school, point reduction program, driving class/school, etc.) that would prevent a CLP or CDL holder s conviction for any violation (in any type of vehicle) of a state or local traffic law from appearing on the driver s record. 

Morphew, C. C. (2000). Institutional diversity, program acquisition and faculty members Examining academic drift at a new level. Higher Education Policy, 13, 55-77. 

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