Part I. Diversity Training Manual
Section I. Introduction
Section II. Program Overview
Section III. Current Statistics in the United States Population
Immigrant versus Native …………………………………………………..
Religion ……………………………………………………………………
Gender……………………………………………………………………..
Age ………………………………………………………………………..
Race ……………………………………………………………………….
Section IV. Forecast and trends in the US workplace ……………………………… 1
Customs of values of each group …………………………………………
Sensitivity to Differing Values and Customs …………………………….
Legislations affecting supervisor regulations …………………………….
Section V. Legislations on Diversity…………………………………………….
Section VI. Supreme Court Decisions on Diversity..……………………………
Section VII. Sensitivity Training and Workshop…………………………………
Section VIII. Closing Activities………………………………………………….
I. Overview
The goal in every business organization is to maximize productivity. Maximum productivity can only be achieved if every member of the organization understands one another and communicates effectively with each other. Perceptions, biases, and prejudices, however, which arise because of diverse background among employees, serve as barriers to effective communication process between and among employees.
The goal of this diversity training is to help the employees better understand the concept of diversity. By the end of the training, the employees will understand what diversity is and why it can be a barrier to an effective communication. Further, the goal of this training is to empower the employees to deal with the diversity by training them and providing them with skills to examine their own values, biases and prejudices. These skills will help the employees become more sensitive to their differences with their colleagues and achieve positive interactions with their fellow employees.
II. Introduction
The United States is the third largest nation in the world. It has about 4.5% of the population of the world. According to the 2010 Census, there are 308.7 million people living in the United States. It has doubled since 1950 having only 152.3 million people. An important factor in the United States population is the growing number of immigrants who transfer to the United States. According to the latest studies, between 2001 and 2009, there are around 9,458,000 immigrants in the United States. This number increases annually as many individuals from different nations continue to permanently reside in the United States to achieve the American dream making the United States one of the most diverse nations in the world.
The presence of diversity in the United States is confirmed in the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau report which stated that white persons comprise 72.4% while the rest which is 27.6% belongs to the minority. Studies also say that the Hispanics and Asians are the two fastest growing minorities in the United States today which is the primary reason why the United States is one of the most diverse nations in the world (Haya El Nasser, 2010).
III. Objectives
The diversity in the United States is reflected in every workplace. Diversity in the workplace is a reality. In the past, business organizations were able to survive without even acknowledging the existence of their diverse workforce. Nowadays, companies which refuse to acknowledge the presence of diversity in their workforce are bound to fail. Laws are very punitive nowadays for companies which fail to protect the minorities against discriminatory practices in policies and provide measures to avoid discrimination.
The objective of this diversity training is to help the employees enhance their understanding of diversity. Issues about what it is, the laws about it and the responsibility of every employee for promoting an inclusive environment will be tackled. At the end of this training it is expected that employees will become more self-aware of their own values, biases and prejudices which can help them better interact with their colleagues. The company aims to promote an inclusive environment in the workplace where every employee is sensitive to each other’s needs.
Part II.
Workplace diversity is a reality. It exists in any workplace in the United States. Employees, therefore, have to learn to deal with diversity issues in the workplace otherwise their own productivity will suffer and their relationship with the other employees could be affected as well. Diversity training helps address the diversity issues which exist in the organization allowing the organization to gain new perspectives and ideas about diversity-related conflicts in the organization (Corey H. Thomas).
A good example is a recent incident at work which was recounted by a friend. In his company, there is a small Asian population. He observed that whenever he assigns a task to an Asian who was under him, the latter will just say “okay” or “no problem.” However, in many instances, he found out that the output is not what he instructed him to do. This frustrated him because he ended up doing the things which the Asian employee was supposed to be doing. Because of this he had developed a perception that Asian employees are lazy and incompetent.
After the diversity training which was conducted in the company where he works for, he had a paradigm shift about Asian employees. The diversity training changed the way he thinks about them. He found out that Asians are very shy people. They are hesitant to ask questions for fear that their superiors may think of them as stupid. Though they are hardworking and they will try to figure out what to do on their own, their shyness and timidity often go in the way of accomplishing their tasks well.
Because of the diversity training he started to carefully explain to the Asian employee the tasks a little bit clearer. He stopped assuming that they understood his instructions and started to explain his instruction a bit clearer. Since then, the Asian employee has become more productive.
Bibliographies
El Nasser, H. (2010). Minority Births Drive Growth in U.S. Diversity. Retrieved March 23, 2012 from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2010-06-10-census-minorities_N.htm
Thomas, Corey. An Analysis of the Effects of Diversity Training on Employment Practices. Michigan: Pro Quest LLC.
