Consider the merits and pitfalls of different approaches to managing diversity in organisations. Increased geographical mobility and the prevalence of teleworking are just two of the factors that have led to the ability of employees to work in organisations and contexts that would have been unthinkable even as recently as 20 years ago.
This, alongside shortages in key skills, has led to an opening up of workplaces that requires new approaches to managing workforce diversity and the need to question assumptions about what makes an ideal employee.
Although the initial question in this exercise focuses on gender stereotypes in leadership, think about how this is replicated in other job roles and for other sections of society.
REQUIRED
In an approximately 500-word response, address the following issues/questions:
• Reflect on the question on page 235 of the Bratton and Gold chapter in this week’s Learning Resources:
A personality questionnaire contains the item ‘I think I would make a good leader’. This question was answered ‘true’ by twice as many men as women, implying that men are twice as likely to become good leaders. What do you think of such an item and its implication? In your analysis, use your knowledge of leadership, as this question concerns selection strategies, decisions and diversity management in recruitment and selection.
• Critically analyse diversity management based by answering to the following questions:
o What are the two approaches to managing diversity?
o How does diversity management begin at the recruitment and selection stage?
When writing your responses, synthesise the theory with real-world experience and use examples of the theories in action in a real organisation about which you have read or one in which you have worked.
