America has a history of cultural diversity and
tension around it. Our cultures are integral to our individual and group identities – usually drawn upon identity-group lines like race,
ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Past rhetoric refers with
pride to America’s “melting pot” of cultural heritage, but today you are more
likely to hear the word “implicit bias” and “disproportionate incarceration”
when referring to America’s contemporary diversity policies. Officer shootings
of black men have turned public attention to structural racism and how we can
direct our own efforts to addressing the need for more authentic action on
diversity issues.
Why should you care? Ethics and economics. Many of
us react emotionally, even viscerally to these issues. As far back as the U.S.
Declaration of Independence we have held the belief that everyone deserves the right to “life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and in the twentieth century many
cultures around the world internalized the idea of dignity as a human right
(McNett 2004). That queasy, uncomfortable feeling is our internalized values
telling us discrimination is ethically wrong.
But beyond ethics, simple economic logic also supports the idea that society is
most productive as a whole when a diverse group is allowed to question the
process and drive innovation (Robinson and Dechant 2004). We care because it’s
our ethical and societal responsibility to do so and we stand to gain from acting
on it.
What needs to be done? We need to move away from the
models that we have used to address diversity issues and shift paradigms to
truly value different cultural and individual perspectives. Common models of encouraging
diversity in the past have been affirmative action-type and legacy
legitimacy-type. The first employs quotas to make groups look more like society
and comply with federal programs. Women and people of color are implicitly
expected to blend in to the historical organizational culture. Legacy legitimacy
programs seek diversity because it’s good business; they assign diverse staff
to responsibilities associated with their background to gain market insight
into that identity-group. Both of these approaches perpetuate discrimination.
The diversity of opinions and life learning that staff members bring to
the table are not independently valued; and they are discouraged from challenging
how work is done (Thomas and Ely 2004). Men and women who enter companies under
such diversity programs are often assigned to unchallenging positions with
little opportunity for advancement (Robinson and Dechant 2004). Both styles of
diversity management fail to harness the potential of a diverse workforce and
perpetuate structural disadvantages.
But what can I do? Be a leader. Recognize and value
differences from cultural diversity. Brainstorm ways to foster an
organizational culture that makes everyone feel valued and is open to new ideas
and change. Start open discussions about how workers' identity-group membership
influences their experience in the organization. Above all, work to identify
forms of dominance and insubordination which are often not readily visible and
actively reform to avoid replicating those structures (Thomas and Ely 2004).
While the debate about structural racism in law
enforcement has been the recent focus of public attention, structural
discrimination runs through almost all facets of our society. Looking at law
enforcement’s role in structural discrimination alone ignores the larger
systemic problem and may once again create solutions like those described
above where the problem is addressed where it is most visible, but not at its
roots. If every organization in America - including police forces - took responsibility for how they engage
and include diverse groups in their work, we would be well on our way to a more
inclusive and productive society.
*The title of this piece “Cultures are not bumper
stickers” is a quote from Sowell 2004
References
McNett, Jeanne (2004) “Diversity in the
Workplace: Ethics, Pragmatism, or Some of Both?” Understanding and Managing
Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p.
241-253.
Robinson, Gail and Kathleen Dechant
(2004) “Building a Business Case for Diversity.” Understanding and Managing
Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p.
228-240.
Sowell, Thomas (2004) “A World View of
Cultural Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and
Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 27-38
Thomas, David A. & Robin J. Ely (2004) “Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity.” Understanding and Managing Diversity: Readings, Cases, and Exercises 3rd ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 211-227.
