Diversity Creed
During our first weekend of class, we devoted a great amount of time discussing different types of organizations and many of the theories that have been introduced to explain how these organizations function. Throughout this entire process, the concept of “diversity” has been mentioned on multiple occasions. Corporate and organizational diversity has been a popular topic in many different areas (business, academics, non-profit, etc) during most of the past decade.
Diversity is critical because it introduces organizations to a vast amount of perspectives and solutions relating to critical decisions that can have a significant impact on the success or failure of the organization as a whole. As Hatch states “one of the most promising sources of innovation being predicted for the future is the growing diversity in the workforce” (p. 319).
Because diversity is currently the flavor of the day, some organizations may have diversity initiatives in place that are not actually being practiced at all levels within the organization. In my opinion, organizations that fail to implement and practice diversity initiatives are going miss out on some of the creative and innovative ideas that a diverse group can offer. This can limit the ability of the organization to make well informed decisions. A diversity initiative is useless if it is not being utilized.
In researching the topic of diversity, I ran across the writings of B. Eugene Griessman, Ph.D., an internationally known author and professional speaker on high achievers, time management, and trends in society. I would like to leave you with Griessman’s Diversity Creed. It was first published in a university textbook authored by Griessman (Diversity: Images And Opportunities, HarperCollins, 1993, ISBN 0065018451):
The Diversity Creed
I believe that diversity is a part of the natural order of things – as natural as the trillion shapes and shades of the flowers of spring or the leaves of autumn. I believe that diversity brings new solutions to an ever changing environment, and that sameness is not only uninteresting but limiting.
To deny diversity is to deny life – with all its richness and manifold opportunities. Thus, I affirm my citizenship in a world of diversity, and with it the responsibility to…
• Be tolerant. Live and let live. Understand that those who cause no harm
should not be feared, ridiculed, or harmed – even if they are different.
• Look for the best in others
• Be just in my dealings with poor and rich, weak and strong, and whenever possible to defend the young, the old, the frail, and the defenseless.
• Avoid needless conflicts and diversions, but be always willing to change for the better that which can be changed.
• Seek knowledge in order to know what can be changed, as well as what cannot be changed.
• Forge alliances with others who love liberty and justice
• Be kind, remembering how fragile the human spirit is.
• Live the examined life, subjecting my motives and actions to the scrutiny of mind and heart so to rise above prejudice and hatred.
• Care.
Karl F.
posted by Mary Ann @ 9:29 AM
6 Comments:
I really like the ideas that Karl has presented on the idea of the importance of diversity within an organization. In researching my current affairs topic, I happened upon a related idea.
In Fast Company's December 2004 issue, Linda Tischler reports on managing creatives (I heard echoes of Aspen's Geek posting in this article as well). She interviewed managers of creative teams and found that they really did value diversity when putting together a team. The one added caveat mentioned was that this diverse nature "can turn toxic if workers aren't on the same page philosophically."
In a sense, Tischler is reporting that diversity drives innovation, but there must be a shared core value at some level to achieve success. I think this may well be why we study Organization Theory. If you understand why a person functions well under one set of rules but not the other, I think you've gone a long way to building a better organization.
Libraries would do well to think about this. You can argue that the ALA's code we study in 801 is an attempt to create that unifying philosophy in a diverse environment. At the individual organization level, we need to consider what it is that unifies our diversity.
Dave H.
I rather wonder just how diverse libraries really are (in practice). Please realize that I haven't worked in a library for many years as you read this, so I may be totally wrong!
In 801, Dr. Greer told us that one goal of an advanced education is to pass on the culture and norms of the profession; a sort of indoctrination. That's fine as far as it goes, but I think it can be taken too far.
It's one thing to say "We want diversity," but if what you really hire are exactly the same kind of people with different skin color, accents, religion, etc., and then you expect (and reward) them to all behave, think and speak exactly the same way all the time, you don't really have a diverse workforce.
Accepting subcultural diversity is more difficult. It can make people really uncomfortable to work with someone whose subculture is unfamiliar. Some people are so uncomfortable they won't hire someone who isn't similar to themselves, or they'll do subtle little peer-pressure things to make the other person uncomfortable. It's very important for people to learn to relax and be accepting of the unfamiliar. It's also very rewarding.
Aspen Junge
According to Hatch, diversity in organizations is the new flavor of the month (millennium?). With the workplace becoming more multicultural and more feminine, Hatch says that there will be increased opportunities for different outlooks. One take is that this diversity will be seen as “innovation, creativity and improved decision making” (p. 319). On the other hand, it can be said that the increased innovation and creativity will be the result of increased conflict in the organization. This may produce hostility and clashes as different voices are heard. Because diversity is so new, we can use it to our benefit in examining how it fits in with other concepts.
On the whole, diversity will have a lasting effect on libraries. In an article entitled “Public Libraries and Cultural Diversity “by Debbie Yumiko Carton in ERIC Digest (May 1993), discusses the implications that diversity has for libraries. She says that there must be a commitment to improve services to these diverse communities and it must be reflected in the mission statements and objectives of libraries. The American population is changing; this is reflected in the library and information needs of public library patrons. Library administrators and librarians must seek to develop their own cultural understanding. In order to best serve, the library must be clear who its users are and what their needs are. This must be established and supported as a top-down phenomenon in order for it to have a lasting impact.
jane
I appreciate that Karl and others have posted on the topic of diversity. In reviewing the SHRM 2004-2005 Workplace Forecast: A Strategic Outlook, I was interested that 6 of the top 10 demographic trends deal directly with diversity (Aging of the workforce, Generational issues, Hispanics now the largest minority group in the US, High rates of immigration, Increase in age discriminiation litigation, Increase in unskilled workforce) and the remaining 4 are indirectly related for they reflect differences in family patterns and responsibilities.
Most of the content of this report was built using environmental scanning to identify emerging issues and trends and collect data from a wide an array of sources as possible to obtain the broadest scope of information.
I would like to comment on Generational Issues. Generational issues bear watching because our workforce is becoming increasingly diverse as the older generations (veterans, boomers) are continuing in the workforce and working alongside the Xers and Nexters. While generational characteristics are not absolute and are interchangeable between generations, it can be useful to be aware of common viewpoints, attitudes, needs and expectations as we work with and lead members from the various generations.
For example, while veterans are respectful of organizational hierarchy and both veterans and boomers are accepting of authority figures, Xers and Nexters like informality. These and other differences can breed disagreement and disrespect. The SHRM Generational Differences Survey Report, 2004 reported that one out of five HR professionals report that they frequently hear employees state that coworkers of different generations do not respect them. I was honestly quite surprised that the number was not higher, given the many potentionally different viewpoints and motivational factors present in the workforce.
An encouraging note in the Workplace Forcast was that most HR professionals do not expect an increase in generational conflict in the next 5 years. This may be because key characteristics of the Xers and Nexters is that they value diversity!
I believe that a highly diverse workplace (and a diverse world) can produce innovations impossible (or at least improbable) in a less diverse workplace.
Donna B
I appreciate that Karl and others have posted on the topic of diversity. In reviewing the SHRM 2004-2005 Workplace Forecast: A Strategic Outlook, I was interested that 6 of the top 10 demographic trends deal directly with diversity (Aging of the workforce, Generational issues, Hispanics now the largest minority group in the US, High rates of immigration, Increase in age discriminiation litigation, Increase in unskilled workforce) and the remaining 4 are indirectly related for they reflect differences in family patterns and responsibilities.
Most of the content of this report was built using environmental scanning to identify emerging issues and trends and collect data from a wide an array of sources as possible to obtain the broadest scope of information.
I would like to comment on Generational Issues. Generational issues bear watching because our workforce is becoming increasingly diverse as the older generations (veterans, boomers) are continuing in the workforce and working alongside the Xers and Nexters. While generational characteristics are not absolute and are interchangeable between generations, it can be useful to be aware of common viewpoints, attitudes, needs and expectations as we work with and lead members from the various generations.
For example, while veterans are respectful of organizational hierarchy and both veterans and boomers are accepting of authority figures, Xers and Nexters like informality. These and other differences can breed disagreement and disrespect. The SHRM Generational Differences Survey Report, 2004 reported that one out of five HR professionals report that they frequently hear employees state that coworkers of different generations do not respect them. I was honestly quite surprised that the number was not higher, given the many potentionally different viewpoints and motivational factors present in the workforce.
An encouraging note in the Workplace Forcast was that most HR professionals do not expect an increase in generational conflict in the next 5 years. This may be because key characteristics of the Xers and Nexters is that they value diversity!
I believe that a highly diverse workplace (and a diverse world) can produce innovations impossible (or at least improbable) in a less diverse workplace.
Donna B
I believe having diversity is vital in an organization. Nonetheless, many corporations are hiring minorities and women just to fulfill a certain quota. Most people got hired not based on their qualifications, but because of their skin color or their gender. Moreover, diversity can create some implications in an organization, such as communication obstacles and individual differences. Consequently, those differences may make minorities and women more likely to feel vulnerable and be suppressed in a working environment. As an American feminist sociologist Joan Acker puts it, “Most of the work of ruling—making decisions, shaping policies and laws, running institutions, managing media, operating professional systems—is done by men; and most of the men who rule are served by women, in the office (secretaries) and at home (wives)” (Hatch, p. 293).
~Anne Tran~
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