Now more than ever it is crucial to bring attention to the concept of managing surface-level diversity within the workplace. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, we as a society are responsible for making change in all of the communities we are involved in to drive forward ideals of true equality and opportunity for all. In the workplace, we can drive change through enhanced attention to the OB concept of surface-level diversity. In our blog post, we will dive into how managing surface-level diversity within the workplace is essential to the success of organizations.
Bell, M.P. (2020), “Anti-blackness, surface-level diversity continues to matter: what must we do?”, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 39 No. 7, pp. 749-759
This paper speaks upon the author’s own experiences as well as the experiences and how surface-level diversity and prejudice has changed her experience in her work life. While using personal experiences, Bell also backs this up with research evidence. This discusses the Black experience dealing with anti-blackness in everyday life and especially in the workforce. Furthermore, Bell also contributes ideas on different ways to deal with managing this diversity. Bell offers recommendations to the administration so that Black employees are just as well treated as their white coworkers.
Everett, C. (2020). IS REPRESENTATION IMPROVING IN THE UK’S TECH SECTOR? Black Lives Matter has raised awareness about the disparity in many areas of society, including the tech sector. Computer Weekly, 28–32.
This source focuses on not only the inequality of black (and asians) in the UK tech sector, but also focuses on reasons why Black people are not seen in management positions. While this article is in the UK, it’s important to look outside the United States for more information on how to manage diversity in a workplace. This article interviews Sandra Karr who accounts for the fact that BLM is relatively new, but most people aren’t willing to go back to how things were anymore. This is also an article that gives ideas to those in OB positions on how to nurture talent of minorities and give them the right room to grow into and accept them into OB or managerial roles.
Farmanesh, P., Vehbi, A., Zargar, P., Sousan, A., & Bhatti, F. (2020). Is there Always a Positive Relationship Between Workplace Diversity and Organizational Performance, or Does Diversity Fatigue Imply a Suppressing Effect? South East European Journal of Economics & Business (1840118X), 15(1), 14–26. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.wwu.edu/10.2478/jeb-2020-0002
This source focuses a lot on the term ‘diversity fatigue’. To define this term the article discusses the issue of trust and emotional tiredness. This is an important concept to the topic we are discussing because it affects work performance, which in turn affects how diversity is managed in the workplace. This adds an extra level of research to diversity in the workplace some may normally miss. Organizational performance within the workplace is also discussed in this article. It is important to emphasize not just diversity in the workplace, but how diversity is managed in the workplace. This article will help us further our conversation and fully understand the complexity regarding diversity in the workplace.
Scarborough, William J, Lambouths, Danny L, & Holbrook, Allyson L. (2019). Support of workplace diversity policies: The role of race, gender, and beliefs about inequality. Social Science Research, 79, 194-210.
This source is actually a public study focusing on diversity in the workplace, detailing how a selection of workers feel about various diversity policies. This study not only focuses on race, but gender as well, painting a broad picture of how diversity is handled in a modern work environment. The study details how different workers respond to diversity policies, allowing readers to garner a better understanding of what kind of strategies work well, as well as what kind of strategies work well for different kinds of demographics. For example, white men statistically respond more negatively to affirmative action than minorities or women. Having this kind of knowledge prior to managing diversity in your own workplace could be the difference between success and failure, as it provides contextual information on pre-existing biases. This source is important to our blog because it examines how diversity policies should be structured, allowing us to get a better idea of what successful diversity management can look like with scientific data to back it up.
Tripp, S., & Fadlon, Y. (2019). Promotions and Race: An Analysis of Wage Returns and Job Satisfaction. Labour, 34(2), 176-190. doi:10.1111/labr.12169
The purpose of this blog is to shed light on the importance of workplace diversity as it combats the racial prejudices that still prevail in our society. This article examines black and white workers, both male and female, and measures their economic prosperity and job satisfaction in relation to being promoted at work. This source provides evidence showing that on average black males receive a significantly smaller wage increase upon being promoted than their white male counterparts. A statistical trend such as this one demonstrates that surface level diversity in the workplace does not equate to workplace equity, and that reform is still necessary.
Wilson, W. J. (2016). Black youths, joblessness, and the other side of ‘Black Lives Matter’. Ethnic and Racial Studies: Ethnic and Racial Studies Review, 39(8), 1450-1457.
This scholarly journal written by William Julius Wilson focuses on the trends that are seen among the black youth relating directly to socioeconomic status, their place in the workforce, and joblessness. This journal examines how many black teens end up being stuck in a very common cycle when attempting to join the workforce. It is highlighted that often times black youth end up in bad positions due to the common theme of income segregation being coupled with racial segregation. Wilson discusses how these disadvantages put black youth in a place where they are more likely to get involved in crime because of the position they are placed in purely as a result of the racial cycle. Wilson suggests the need to approach the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that would enhance the employment prospects of jobless youth to ultimately improve upon this cycle. This idea ultimately leading to reversing the racial segregation and income segregation among black youth to bring more diversity and equality into the workforce. Analyzing this journal provides thoughts into how changes can be made in the diversity of the workplace by shifting the hiring and employment cycle for black youths.
By: Sarah Seeberger, Caitlyn Daniels, Lily Fuller, Dawson Eifert, and Nathan Evensen