Managing Diversity: People Skills for a Multicultural Workplace (7th edition)

Citation

Hite, L.M. (2008), "Managing Diversity: People Skills for a Multicultural Workplace (7th edition)", Equal Opportunities International, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 573-574. https://doi.org/10.1108/02610150810897336

A US view of workforce diersity

The first of 16 chapters in this seventh edition has the optimistic title “Succeeding in a Diverse Workplace,” a hopeful beginning since the idea of “managing diversity” often is met with some measure of trepidation. This opening chapter answers two key questions, what types of diversity this book will address and why diversity should be of interest. It is clear early on that this book is written from a specifically US perspective. The second paragraph states, “we are Americans” and goes on to refer to the “American culture.” This is reinforced by several chapter titles that incorporate the “American” modifier (e.g. “Working with Asian Americans”). The ten reasons for why diversity matters are those typically noted in the literature as making the business case for workforce diversity (e.g. attracting and retaining employees, potential for increased innovation, appealing to new markets, etc). This chapter closes with a five‐step process for “building cross‐cultural relationships,” noting that the first three steps (learning about culture, one's own culture, and biases) will be addressed in chapters 2.5.

As indicated, chapters 2, 4 and 5 address foundational issues in creating a dialogue about diversity: constructs of culture and cultural differences, the pervasive nature of stereotyping and prejudice and the ramifications of discrimination. The chapter on culture begins by explaining the power of culture as one's lens to view the world. As expected, this chapter also includes dimensions of cultural differences, although the titles have been altered a bit (e.g. Hofstede's “uncertainty avoidance” is labeled “risk orientation”), making them more accessible to a practitioner audience. Unexpectedly, the 11 dimensions listed appear to be a rather eclectic mix that includes the commonly used ideas of Hofstede and Hall, along with less typical items like “how we make money”. Researchers and academics might wish for a rationale for why this particular list of items was chosen, but other readers will likely take it in stride. Stereotyping and prejudice are combined in chapter 4 for a discussion that is more descriptive than prescriptive in nature. It offers definitions and potential reasons for both, but leaves it to the following chapter on workplace discrimination to discuss the ramifications of and potential remedies for prejudice in action.

Situated between the chapter on culture and those on prejudice and discrimination, is “Understanding the Dominant Culture: Euro–Americans” (chapter 3). Both its location apart from other chapters addressing identity groups, and its designation as the chapter for “learning about your own culture,” reiterates the assumption that most readers are part of the US majority culture. In addition to describing values commonly ascribed to Euro‐Americans, this chapter includes materials on American corporate culture and virtual corporations.

The chapters on other identity groups follow a prescribed format. This includes comparison of common stereotypes and reality; a segment on demographics (e.g. education and income data); a discussion of the culture and values of the group, and a section on barriers that corporate leadership needs to address to make the workplace more inclusive for members of that identity group. However, within this framework, issues of salience to particular groups are addressed as well; some of them well known, others less so. An example of the former is the inclusion of the glass ceiling and sexual harassment in the chapter on gender. Examples of the latter include sections in their respective chapters on legal rights of GLTB individuals, ceremonies and rituals of American Indians, and economic opportunity segregation among African Americans in the USA. This book also broadens the traditional workforce diversity perspective by expanding coverage of varied identity groups. The chapters on Latino Americans and Asian Americans devote short segments to sub‐groups of those umbrella categories (e.g. Mexican Americans, Korean Americans, etc.) that acknowledge intragroup differences as well as similarities. People with disabilities and older adults, often relegated to the periphery of workforce diversity discussions, each rate a full chapter. Two other groups just recently being included in written discourse of diversity at work in the USA, Arab Americans and overweight persons, also are represented here.

In the preface of this book, Carr‐Ruffino notes it is for those who see themselves as current or future leaders and who are willing to expand their ideology and view of the world. Written from an applied perspective, this book does not linger long on theoretical constructs or research citations. Chapters include a variety of activities that challenge the reader to engage with the material through “self awareness activities” that encourage reflection and “skill builders” that present brief scenarios and discussion questions. Fitting that perspective, the last chapter is a call to action; an implicit assumption that if you have read diligently thus far, you are well along on the journey and ready to put what you have learned into practice. Titled “Managing Diversity: Inclusive Corporate Cultures,” it focuses on what leaders in organizations can do to create and sustain a more diversity‐friendly workplace. Beginning with challenges such as “ending historical exclusion”, the chapter segues into “leadership opportunities” that outline and then expand upon what should be done at multiple levels within the system to foster change. The sweeping first step is creating an inclusive culture, then the list moves quickly to practical points such as addressing resistance and building support for change. Fitting with the optimistic opening chapter that heralded success at managing diversity, the final page offers congratulations to readers who have expanded their multicultural skills and are ready to take on the responsibility of diversity leadership.

Although this book is not ground‐breaking in information (in fact, some material would be stronger with newer citations), and it is confined to a US perspective, its greatest contribution is its potential appeal to practitioners. By addressing foundational constructs of culture, prejudice and discrimination, explaining how those constructs intersect with varied identity groups, then tying them together with leadership directives; it provides a practical, accessible approach to managing diversity.