Course Description
This course is designed to review various issues and topics related to diversity in a business environment including what diversity and its related terms mean; how to be aware of diversity issues; how to understand how changes in the world can affect you and your view; how to identify stereotypes; political correctness; the four cornerstones of diversity; pitfalls related to diversity and how to avoid them; techniques for dealing with inappropriate behaviour; management styles to encourage diversity; and actions to take if an employee feels discriminated against.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (CLOs)
On completion of this course, participants are expected to learn:
- What diversity and its related terms mean
- To be aware of how aware they are of diversity and where they can improve
- Understand how changes in the world can affect you and your view
- To identify their stereotypes
- What terms are politically correct and which are not, and why
- The four cornerstones of diversity
- What the pitfalls are relating to diversity and how to avoid them
- A technique for dealing with inappropriate behaviour
- A management style to encourage diversity
- What to do if you or one of your employees feels discriminated against
Course Outline:
Defining Diversity
Participants will begin by defining diversity and related terms, including affirmative action, bias, stereotype, and Equal Employment Opportunity.
How Does Diversity Affect Me?
This session will help participants identify how a changing world has affected them. Participants will also complete a self-awareness inventory to identify possible areas for improvement.
Identifying Stereotypes
During this session, participants will explore stereotypes from different angles through a lecture and two group exercises.
Wise Words
In this era of political correctness, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with words that have become inappropriate. We will take a look at some phrases that are considered universally incorrect and some basic guidelines. We’ll also take a humorous look at some phrases that have gone too far.
The Cornerstones of Diversity
Diversity experts Armida Russell, Amy Tolbert, and Frank Wilderman have identified four cornerstones of diversity development. They are knowledge, acceptance, understanding, and behavior. We will examine each cornerstone in detail during this session.
How to Discourage Diversity
There are some practices that discourage diversity more than they encourage it. We will look at four common mistakes and how to avoid them.
The STOP Technique
Diversity expert Lenora Billings-Harris has developed a four-step technique that you can use when someone is behaving in an inappropriate manner. It’s called STOP. Participants will learn about the technique through a lecture and will then practice it in a role play.
Managing for Diversity
During this brief lecture, we will look at some simple things managers and employees can do to encourage diversity in their workplace.
Dealing with Discrimination
To wrap up the course, we will discuss how to deal with discrimination as a manager and an employee.
Course Textbook
Understanding Human Differences: Multicultural Education for a Diverse America, 5th Edition
Kent L. Koppelman, University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse
Link: https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Koppelman-Understanding-Human-Differences-Multicultural-Education-for-a-Diverse-America-Enhanced-Pearson-e-Text-with-Loose-Leaf-Version-Access-Card-Package-5th-Edition/PGM199191.html
Feedback Given to Participants in Response to Assessed Work
- Individual written feedback on coursework
- Feedback discussed as part of a tutorial
- Individual feedback on request
- Model answers
Developmental Feedback Generated Through Teaching Activities
- Feedback is given at presentations and during tutorial sessions
- Dialogue between participants and staff in tutorials and lectures
GRADING AND SCORING
The course grade will be based on a final project presented by the participant and graded by the instructor. Participants much achieve a passing grade of 70% or more to be awarded a certificate of completion of the course.
