Diversity Management Strategies

This assignment delves into the complexities of managing diversity in a workplace setting. It focuses on developing diverse-inclusive policies like a code of conduct, diversity policy, grievance management policy, and training programs. The task involves outlining key phases of strategic planning relevant to this scenario and crafting a report structure with considerations for data collection and analysis. It further emphasizes the importance of establishing metrics to evaluate diversity strategy effectiveness and explores reasons why organizations might choose to disclose their workplace reporting data.

Assessment Task One: Short Answer Questions
1. Define the following terms. In your answer, you should provide an
example of a way each one impacts your role in the community
services sector.
a) Diversity
Diversity describes the similarity and differences people have. These differences
and similarities can be in perspectives, identities and point of views among the
members of an institution (educational institutes, workplace etc.) as well as in
the individuals who make up the wider community. The term diversity
encompasses dimensions like race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status,
nationality, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, ability and age. For example,
while working as a volunteer at old age home knowledge and sensitivity about
diversity has helped in better understanding the specific needs and concerns of
its residents.
b) Cultural awareness
Cultural awareness is essential while communicating with people of different
cultures. Cultural awareness is about understanding that the meaning people
give to certain activities could be different from your own for example, table
manners or dress code (Constantin, Cohen-Vida, & Popescu, 2014). For example,
while working at a community service centre cultural awareness can help in
reduce misunderstandings caused due to different perceptions.
c) Social awareness
Social awareness can be defined as being aware of problems societies and
communities face on day to day basis. Social awareness also means that there is
understanding about different social situations and modifying the responses
accordingly to achieve best results. Being socially aware while serving at a
community service centre helps in understanding and empathizing with someone
hence, facilitating in providing better care or service.
d) Cultural safety
The term cultural safety means creating an environment where the identity of an
individual is not assaulted or challenged (Williams, 2008). For example in nursing
profession to protect the cultural safety of patient and to create trusting
relationship, the behaviour and attitude of nurse towards the patient will play an
important role.
e) Cultural competence
Cultural competence is the ability to understand and effectively respond to a
combination of cultural variables and the full range of dimensions of diversity.
For example while interacting with a patient at health centre or with his/her
family cultural competence helps in listening without judgement and extending
help in whichever way possible.

2. Outline some of the key characteristics of diversity using the
headings below.
(Hint: Think about why it is important for organisations to address
diversity in the workplace. You may find the ‘Useful links’ section of
unit helpful)
a) Age
Important characteristics associated with age as a factor of diversity in
workplace are as follows; there consideration can help in addressing related
issues at workplace
1) Flexible work schedule options for better work life balance.
2) Health and wellness concerns: Implementing policies for giving health and
wellness support to employees of each age group (Gordon, 2017).
b) Disability
People with disability have the skills and competencies an organisation requires.
In order to tap these competencies the organisation can Create and give equal
opportunities to all the employees. An organisation can invest in technology,
make the information available in alternate formats and make changes in tasks
and working hours.
c) Culture, race, ethnicity
Diversity in culture, race and ethnicity benefit the organisation in problem
solving and innovating as it gives different perspective to situations. To benefit
from such diversity an organisation must value it and integrate it to company
philosophy and practices.
d) Gender (including transgender)
Gender differences involve physical and emotional factors. These factors
influence male and female behaviour at workplace. Men and women perceive
information differently which can create feelings of exclusion at workplace.
Sensitivity training and leading by example can help an organisation create a
more conducive atmosphere.
e) Beliefs and customs
Beliefs and customs are learnt from culture. Sometimes employees’ beliefs and
custom can be in conflict with job requirements or organisation’s culture.
Organisations should make attempts to reasonably accommodate such beliefs
and customs.
f) Intersex
For an organisation employing intersex individuals it is important to offer a non-
discriminatory environment which accommodates the needs of intersex
individuals. Workplace can offer privacy and inclusiveness by mentioning a third
gender on forms etc.

g) Sexuality/identity (such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual
etc.)
LGBT supportive policies or environment is linked to the openness about being
LGBT. Climate of non-discrimination at workplace has improved health outcomes,
increased job satisfaction and greater job commitment (Badgett, Durso, Kastanis,
& Mallory, 2013).
h) Language
Language difference at workplace can hinder effective communication at
workplace. Workers who are not comfortable using the primary language might
face difficulty in expressing their needs and responding to their colleagues. If the
job involves customer interaction worker may have difficulty in understanding
customers’ requirement. To put people who speak diverse languages at ease in a
workplace practices like: basic training of primary language, using combination
of verbal and non-verbal communication can be used.
3. Evaluating quantitative and qualitative data can be an extremely
useful tool in the workplace.
a) Describe the key differences between these two types of
information
Qualitative data is concerned with descriptions which can be observed but not
computed. On the other hand quantitative data focuses on data which can be
represented in numbers and can be computed. Qualitative data provides
understanding about a problem and the nature of data is descriptive.
Quantitative data comprises of values on which calculations can be done to
reach a decision.
b) For each type, suggest 2 examples that relate to the diversity
within a workplace.
Quantitative data to measure workplace diversity in terms of workplace factors
which can be numerated for example:- employers can evaluate gender based
promotions, number of employees who are able to access programs and services
offered by organisation, demographics of new hires etc.
Qualitative data to measure workforce diversity: Employers record data about
behaviour, work habits and types of obstacles that workers must overcome to
perform their jobs effectively.
c) Explain 2 ways that you can collect this information
Qualitative data about types of obstacles workers are facing can be collected by
the way of interviews.
Data about demographics of new and existing employees can be recorded in
questionaries and forms.

d) Imagine you wanted to present this information to your
manager at work. Describe a way you could present your
findings in a way that is suitable for analysis and further
research.
(Hint: the best way to present qualitative data could differ from
the way quantitative data is best received)
It is not possible to reduce qualitative data to numbers. So in order to analyse
quotes from interview conducted which are most representative of the research
findings should be included in report.
Quantitative data can be presented in the form of table, charts and graphs.
Selecting how to present data depends on the purpose for example in order to
make comparisons or showing relationships graphs can be used.
4. You conduct some research for your manager to see how diverse your
organisation’s workforce is. The data you collect shows that the
workers include young graduates, people over 50 years old, people
from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities.
a) Perform some additional research and suggest at least 2
potential benefits of hiring people from each of the 4 categories
above.
Young Graduates: Young graduates are enthusiastic and eager to learn new
things.
People over 50 years of age: The experience which these people have improves
their organisation and communication skills which contribute in improving
organisational efficiency.
They are in better position to offer suggestions for betterment of organisational
practices.
People from diverse cultural background: working with people of different
cultural backgrounds gives exposure to varying viewpoints and ideas. This
improves problem solving capacities of workforce.
Working with culturally diverse workgroup enables an organisation to do
business in global marketplace.
Person with disabilities: Cost saving through reduced turnover and lower
recruitment and retraining cost.
b) Diversity provides an opportunity for individuals to learn and
develop. List 5 benefits of having a diverse workforce.
1) A variety of skills and experiences which come with diversity of workforce
also means that employees can learn from each other.
2) Working with people from different backgrounds, experiences and working
style innovative and creative concepts are born out of their interactions.

3) Opportunity to learn new languages opens door for new business
opportunities.
4) Working with older generation gives opportunity to learn from their
experiences.
5) In an inclusive environment performance improves.
c) Provide a specific example to explain how an organisation that
embraces diversity can benefit financially.
According to American sociological review article racial and gender diversity are
associated with increased sales revenue and greater profits. This can be because
wider the representation of population in workforce betters the understanding of
their needs. For example, a company manufacturing body creams was able to
target wider audiences through their advertising campaign addressing the need
for healthy skin rather than promoting fairness. This was possible because the
marketing department now gets suggestions from diverse individuals.
5. By valuing and promoting the benefits of diversity in the workforce it
is possible to create a more supportive working environment.
a) List at least 3 positive impacts of role modelling in the
workplace. Justify your answers.
1) Role modelling creates positive attitude towards change. When workers
see their leader practising something it becomes easier to accept change.
2) When leader demonstrate through his/her own behaviour that they are
committed to diversity and share stories regarding the difficulties and
challenges they faced it sends powerful message in organisation.
3) When minorities see a role model which represents them they feel more
inclusive.
b) Describe three ways that you can actively demonstrate respect
for diversity in the day-to-day duties of your work role.
(Hint: You can use examples if you wish)
1) Take genuine interest in knowing someone with a background different
from yours. This can be done by finding common grounds to talk.
2) Ask for their inputs on official or unofficial matters. This will make every
worker feel inclusive and diverse opinions will help business overall.
3) Respect religious holidays. Try to celebrate most of the festivals together
in a common place.

c) Suggest 3 different ways that you could encourage the
experience of working with diverse people.
(Hint: How could you promote the benefits of a diverse
workplace to colleagues who were not aware?)
1) Put people in multicultural teams: in order to encourage people to work in
diverse workplace putting people in multicultural teams and encourage
them to participate.
2) Planning retreats away from workplace where people get to know each
other better will also contribute in encouraging experience of working with
diverse people.
3) Sensitivity training to ensure that every one is aware and respects the
diverse beliefs and orientations in organisation.
d) One of your work colleagues has told you that she finds the
cultural mannerisms of her supervisor very rude and offensive.
Describe two ways you might assist.
1) I can explain her to keep an open mind, avoid assumptions and ask
questions if necessary.
2) I will also suggest her to learn about her supervisor’s culture to
understand that what is rude to her might have some different meaning
for her supervisor.
e) Describe 3 possible benefits of coaching your colleague in this
instance. (Hint: What might coaching help to achieve here?)
1) She might avoid taking drastic steps like confronting her supervisor
regarding his/her behaviour.
2) She will understand the importance of learning cultures to adjust better at
her work place.
3) She can use this instance as basis and avoid making assumptions about
people.
Senior management has highlighted a few potential issues concerning possible
discrimination within the organisation you work. As a team leader, you have
been asked to take part in a project promoting diversity and inclusive practice
throughout your team.

6. You have been told that changes will be made to current procedures
that will affect the majority of staff members you work with.
a) Define the term ‘inclusive practice’ and list some of the key
principles associated with this concept.
Inclusive practice is an approach that identifies diversity and enables all the
members to access resources fully participate in activities and demonstrate their
knowledge and strength.
1) Being flexible: Organisations should be flexible and open to change for
better implementation of these practices.
2) Work collaboratively: inclusive practices promote collaboration at
workplace.
3) Embracing diversity: another important feature of inclusive practices is to
create opportunities to develop awareness about diversity and help
everyone embrace it.
b) List three potential barriers to inclusivity that could exist
within this workplace or others.
1) Attitudes: Attitude is a major barrier to inclusivity. Negative attitudes like
stereotyping and prejudice harm working relationships, morale and
productivity.
2) Language difference: Language barrier causes ineffective communication
which in turn causes lack of inclusivity.
3) Insensitivity: being insensitive towards the feelings of fellow employees
makes them feel alone and rejected. This acts as a barrier to success of
inclusive practices.
c) As a leader, list three techniques that you could use to
minimise stress and the impact of the changes on your team
1) Listen: Asking for feedbacks and providing feedbacks after the change has
been implemented helps a great deal in minimizing stress and impact of
changes.
2) Pleasant work environment: Allowing flexible working hours, offering
recreational activities at work etc. are some measures which can be taken.
3) Healthy lifestyle: promote healthy lifestyle by asking the employees to
indulge in a sport activity daily to control the stress levels.
d) Explain the importance of encouraging your team members to
take part in any plans for new workplace objectives.
1) When team members are involved in shaping objectives they are more
committed in achieving it and hence productivity increases.

2) Improves employee morale.
3) As the team members are directly involved in implementation their
involvement in setting workplace objectives helps in making practical
decision making.
e) Suggest 3 ‘rules’ that you could help to integrate into your
organisation’s practices to achieve diversity goals.
(Hint: Consider previous answers and apply knowledge of
diversity factors to help you answer this question)
1) Succession Planning: While identifying employees to develop them as
future leaders, as a rule, it should be done in a way that maximum
representation of organisation’s demographic is there.
2) Recruitment: At the time of recruiting, selection must be made purely on
the basis of experience and knowledge and people from all walks of life
should be recruited without any bias.
3) Diversity Training: Diversity training should be compulsorily imparted to
everyone in the organisation and continuous review should be done.
7. The strategies used to address diversity should align with the visions,
values and goals of the organisation. In your own words, explain how
embracing diversity links in with the following organisational
objectives.
a) Positive workplace relationships
Workplace diversity fosters respect among employees. When employees
work in teams comprising individuals from varied backgrounds synergy
improves. Employees recognize each other’s strengths and talents that diversity
brings together they gain respect for their colleagues.
b) Increased innovation
Diversity is important for organisation’s ability to innovate and adapt in a fast
changing environment. Studies have shown that a group of diverse problem
solvers perform better than highly abled problem solvers (Walter, 2014).
c) Enhanced reputation
If an organisation demonstrates appreciation towards diverse workforce its
reputation in business community improves. As a result applicants from varied
backgrounds apply for job posting creating a huge pool of applicants to choose
from.
8. As well as many benefits, a diverse workforce can also pose
challenges for organisations. One of these challenges concerns
communication.
a) Describe 4 useful strategies to aid cross-cultural
communication in the workplace.
1) Keeping an open mind and not making assumptions.

2) Equipping the workers with basic knowledge of various cultures.
3) Nonverbal communication should be watched carefully to communicate
and to understand the message being conveyed.
4) Practice active listening.
b) Explain the possible impact of avoiding help from outside
agencies.
(Hint: why should organisations collaborate with other
services?)
1) Projects might fail if the expertise is not available in-house.
2) There will be extra costs in recruiting the suitable workforce.
3) The risk of failure will completely be borne by the organisation.
c) Explain 3 considerations that leaders/managers need to take
into account concerning collaboration in the workplace.
1) Risk: Risk in collaborating should be taken into account. The amount of
risk depends on the type of activity being done in collaboration. If the
activity is a core business activity risk will be high.
2) Reputation: it is important for each organisation to maintain its reputation.
When collaborating it should be kept in mind that the reputation is
maintained and the agency with which the collaboration is being done is
also reputable.
3) Culture and Language: It is important to note that cultures of collaborating
companies should also gel well to be successful.
d) Explain one way the following may help you to communicate
with diverse people in the workplace:
i. Gestures
Gestures are movement of fingers to communicate. The OK gesture is a widely
used gesture to mean everything is good (Tiechuan, 2016).
ii. Facial expressions
A facial expression like smile means the person is happy. Even if the language is
not known most of the meaning can be made out by interpreting facial
expressions.
iii. Tone of voice
Tone of voice also determines if the person is happy or sad or angry.

e) Describe a practical situation where you might need to use a
‘tailored communication strategy’ for:
i. A particular individual
While providing an individual with feedback the communication strategy should
be tailored so that the feedback is taken in right sprit.
ii. A group of clients
While introducing a new product or services to a group of clients a tailored
communication strategy should be used to convince them of the benefits of
product and service.
f) List at least 3 resources that can be used to aid communication
in the workplace. For each answer, suggest a scenario when
they might be best used.
Intranet: Employees can use intranet for work and communication even when
they are not at workplace.
Organisation’s Magazine or newspaper: this can be used to share informal
content and other business related articles.
Social Media Groups: Social Media groups like a WhatsApp or Facebook group
can be used for informal conversation other than work.
g) Explain at least 3 benefits of using a professional interpreter.
1) In cases when the content being translated is critical using a professional
interpreter will ensure that the quality of interpretation is good.
2) It is also important that the content being interpreted does not harm the
cultural sentiments of another person. Professional interpreter will transfer
the message without creating ambiguity.
3) If the message contains lot of technical details then hiring a professional
translator who understands or has experience in that field will prove
beneficial.
9. The Universal declaration of human rights sets out the rights that
everyone is entitled to as a human being.
a) List at least 5 areas of human rights this document addresses.
(Hint: Refer to notes or the ‘Useful links’ section of this unit)
1) Protection from discrimination
2) Equal opportunity and pay
3) Protection against sexual harassment
4) Protection against Bullying
5) Right to practice religion

b) Explain why organisations should have in place a ‘code of
ethics’. In your answer, you should include at least 4 principles
central to any code of ethics.
A well written code of ethics serves as internal guideline and an external
statement of corporate values and commitment.
1) The Principle of Beneficence: an obligation to bring about good through all
the actions.
2) The Principle of Justice: an obligation to treat everyone equally, fairly and
impartially.
3) An obligation towards environment: Companies will work towards
minimizing harmful impact on environment through their activities.
4) Companies will ensure safety of products and services offered by them
(KAPSTEIN, 2001).
10. There are both legal and ethical requirements that everybody
needs to follow when working with diverse individuals or groups.
a) Describe the difference between direct and indirect
discrimination and provide at least 3 examples for each type.
Direct discrimination is when someone is treated unfavourably due to certain
attributes they have. For example: dismissing a pregnant woman, deciding not to
hire someone from another race, denying training or promotion to someone
because of his/her sexual orientation.
Indirect Discrimination is unfavourable treatment due to organisation’s policy,
practices or procedures. For example: a dress code which may be unfavourable
to you due to gender or religious belief, denying holidays to celebrate festivals,
not adjusting work hours for a female who cannot work in night shifts (ACT
Human Rights Commission, 2010).
b) List some of the key rights and responsibilities of workers,
employers and clients in your line of work. Outline at least 4.
(Hint: You may need to perform research here. Responses
should reflect legal and ethical considerations of a particular
work role. For example, the rights and responsibility of a
counsellor might differ somewhat to that of a community
services case worker).
Rights of workers
1) Safe working conditions.
2) Equal pay for equal work
Responsibility
1) Complying with workplace policies.
2) Take care of property at workplace.

Rights of employer
1) Right to dismiss or appoint a worker
2) Right to expect performance from employees
Responsibility
1) Providing an environment that equal employment opportunities
2) Providing and maintaining a safe workplace
Rights of Client
 Receive professional services in a safe and fair environment
 Make complaints where services have not met adequate requirements
Responsibility of client
 Providing accurate information about themselves
 Being respectful to staff
c) Outline some of the key provisions/legislation that impacts the
way you perform your job in your State/Territory. Justify your
answers.
Privacy Act 1998: this act requires the organisations to maintain privacy around
employees’ personal details like medical records, bank details etc.
Sex discrimination act and racial discrimination act: this act protects employees
against discrimination and as a result even the most intolerant employees work
in a diverse workplace by maintaining climate of non-discrimination.
d) Define the term ‘Equal Employment Opportunity’ and describe
the way this relates to your role.
Equal employment opportunity refers to protection of employees’ civil rights. It
provides equal access to all employer benefits to all the employees. If employer
discriminates or treats an employee unfavourably he/she will be subject to
disciplinary action. For a manager equal employment opportunity will have direct
influence over recruitment, training, promotion and compensation practices.
11. Professional development opportunities should be a key
consideration for all employers and should cater to varying needs.
a) List 4 professional development activities or options that could
be available to you.
1) Attending skill building workshops.
2) Brainstorming and teamwork exercises.
3) Job Rotation

4) Coaching and counselling
You have been asked to mentor two work colleagues as part of their professional
development.
b) Explain 3 different factors that could affect the success of this
training session.
1) Active listening
2) Experience and expertise
3) Identification of potential: correct identification of potential strength and
skills of mentees also plays important role in success of training (Straus,
Johnson, Marquez, & Feldman, 2013).
One of the work colleagues you have been asked to mentor is Aboriginal. Your
other trainee has only just started working for the organisation and has a slight
hearing impediment.
c) For each colleague, describe how you could adapt the session in
a way that takes into account their needs and the principles of
inclusion and diversity.
For the person with Hearing Impediment training will be based on multimedia
device and use of signs and gestures to convey exact meaning.
For the Aboriginal training will be made more interactive so that he is not afraid
in sharing his views and knowledge.
You think the first few mentor sessions have gone well but you are keen to know
how your colleagues are progressing. You receive feedback forms from both of
them. They both feel that the sessions have been helpful but they also provide
some negative feedback. Other comments say that the instructions are often
‘too fast’ to hear properly and there is ‘not enough time to complete everything’.
You take these comments on board and want to ensure that the next session is a
lot more effective.
d) List at least 3 things that you could do to help you to make
improvements for any future sessions with them.
1) Repetition and use of gestures and signs
2) More time for exercising and assistance
3) Use of better announcement systems and use of multimedia can also
better the training experience in future.
12. Consultation allows for effective problem solving and decision
making to take place.
Following some recent issues, you are asked to take part in a meeting that will
find solutions (strategies) to better address the diversity requirements of your
organisation and its clients.

a) List some of the relevant personnel that you might consult with,
specific to your line of work
(Hint: relevant personnel should include internal colleagues,
key stakeholders and target groups. List at least 2 for each)
Internal colleagues: A superior who is a native and has experience on such
issues. An aboriginal peer who has mentioned about some issues he has faced in
the organisation.
Key Stake Holder: clients about how they feel about interacting with our diverse
team. Someone from the top management
Target Group: the client who is himself a religious minority and a member of
LGBT society who works in customer service.
b) Describe 5 different types of policies and/or procedures that
could relate to how diversity is managed for this situation.
1) Code of conduct
2) Diversity policy
3) Managing workplace grievances policy
4) Training learning and development policy
5) Indigenous policy
c) Outline the 4 key phases of the strategic planning process and
describe a way this situation is relevant to each one.
1) Internal Review: Meeting which was held to find solution to some
emerging issues is internal review.
2) External review: Environmental Scanning and identifying factors external
to organisation but contribute in the problems identified. Like the issues
from the clients’ end in this case.
3) Strategy Formulation: consultation with relevant stakeholders in and
outside the organisation was done to better understand the situation.
4) Contingency plans: identifying the factors which might adversely affect
the success of strategy implementation.
Senior management have requested a formal report from the meeting that
should include any recommended outcomes and supporting information.
d) Outline a basic structure for the report and list at least 5
considerations that you would make to ensure you have all the
information and it is suitable.
1) Title Page
2) Contents

3) Executive summary
4) Introduction
5) Body
6) Conclusion
7) Recommendation
8) References
9) Appendices
Considerations
a) Collect and use facts.
b) Clearly outlined problem and its solution based on data
c) Proper presentation of data in the form of tables and charts.
d) Collection and presentation of supporting data.
e) Selection of respondents is right.
e) Suggest any supporting information you could gather and
include with the report that advocates for a new approach to be
used.
1. Statistics about the demographics of employees at an organisation.
2. Sample questionnaire
3. Data about incidences of discrimination in organisation
13. By evaluating and documenting their diversity strategy outcomes,
organisations can improve their strategies, performance and results.
a) Explain why it is much easier to evaluate a strategy if there are
metrics in place before it is used.
Metrics developed at the time of making the policy includes all the aspects
which the policy needs to address. Using these metrics at the time of
evaluating the strategy saves time and effort and gives true picture of its
success or failure.
b) Assume you want to test whether or not your diversity strategy
has been successful. List 4 different ways of measuring the
effectiveness of this strategy.
1) To check the effectiveness of strategy check the contribution it is
making in achieving company’s vision.
2) Keeping a track data regarding reduction in workplace conflict and
grievances.

3) Change in behaviour of workforce.
4) Improvement in relations
c) For one of your answers above, suggest a diversity-related
scenario that this outcome could relate to in the workplace.
(Hint: What might the ‘old’ situation have been for an
organisation to want to achieve this outcome? Your answer
should not use workbook examples!)
A strategy regarding hiring diverse individuals to improve diversity in
organisation can be measured for effectiveness by collecting and analysing data
about number of hires from various ethnicity and reasons of rejection if they
were not selected.
d) Describe 4 reasons why organisations might decide to disclose
their workplace reporting data.
1) Better Reputation: Reporting creates transparency and helps in building
reputation of organisation.
2) Meeting employee expectation: By reporting organisations also inform
their employees that they are adopting best practices to meet their
expectations.
3) Access to funding: organisations which report regularly are considered
open and have access to government funding.
4) Increased efficiency: reporting helps in decision making and improves
efficiency.