Gender and Diversity in the Workplace AECO 380

Dr. Jennifer VanGilder

Definition of Diversity

• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

– Differing from one another

– Composed of different or unlike elements or qualities

Changing Demographics of Population

By the year 2050– 52% Non-Hispanic White (down from 75.1% in

2000)– 25% Hispanic (up from 12.5% in 2000)– 13% Black (up from 12.3% in 2000)– 8% Asian American (up from 3.6% in 2000)– 1% American Indian (Up from 0.9% in 2000)

Diversity Facts

• Minorities now account for 85% for the net growth of the nation’s labor force

• Women now comprise 37% of the labor force

If we divided the world's population by 60 million, there would be 100 humans

of who:

• 57 are Asian • 21 are Europeans • 14 are Hispanics from the Western Hemisphere • 8 are Africans • 51 are females • 70 are non-white • 70 are non-Christian; 30 are Christian

• 6 individuals control 50% of the world's wealth -- all Americans

• 30 are unable to read

• 50 suffer from malnutrition

• 1 is near death and 1 is about to be born

• only 1 has a college education

Facts Continued…

• Over the next 20 years the US population will grow by 42 million people– 47% Hispanic– 22% Black– 18% Asian– 13% White

Diversity…Not a new trend

• Miami is 2/3 Hispanic

• San Francisco is 1/3 Asian American

• California State Bakersfield has minority majority standing

Cultural Lenses

• Rigid Lenses – Stereotypes

• Open Lenses– Interaction

• “An individual may assume they understand another person’s culture, but these assumptions are usually what keep the two apart”

Development of Multiculturalism

• Canadians– Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988– Enacted to recognize and support different

cultures

• Switzerland– Alternative view– Be like us and you can be one of us

Why do we need diversity training?

• Growing Global Marketplace– Opens the door for diversity

• Diversity training can…– Increase Productivity– Decrease Turnover– Reduce Conflict

• All lead to the common goal of what???– PROFIT

Why study diversity?

• Increasing immigration patterns• More women in the workforce

– 40% of women in 1970s worked– 60% of women in the 1990s worked– 72% of women in 2001 worked

• Changes in civil rights legislation– Disabilities– Homosexual and bisexual

Does it make a difference?

• “Diverse teams are more effective and creative in an increasingly competitive economy” Honoring Diversity in the Workplace

• “Development of the future workforce is a critical issue for high tech companies. We must find ways to remain creative and innovative, and diversity of thought is fundamental to creativity.”Rich Templeton, Texas Instruments

Questions to address

• Why has the composition of the labor force been changing so rapidly?

• What are the major diversity issues?

• How can we deal with these issues on a professional level?

Examining the Intersection of

Gender and Work

Powell ix-xx

Women and Work

• Labor Force participation of women has been expanding over the last several decades.

• 1970 study– 15% of surveyed high school senior women

expected they would be working at age 35– Surveyed again at age 35 over 40% of the women

were working – Problems???

• If you don’t expect to work….you will not be prepared to work

Female Labor Force Participation Rates

• Definition:– Percentage of all women working or seeking work

• 43% in the 1970s• 60% in 1998• Almost 72% in 2001

– Lower for married females (almost 61%)• Male labor force participation rates decreased from

80 to 74% during that same period.• Mississippi, Arizona, and West Virginia have the

lowest rates for women

Why the change?

• Are men getting lazy???

• Change in attitudes about women working

• More divorces

• Things cost more money (dual income family)

Women are becoming more numerous in what used to be

labeled “male jobs”•Examples…

•How does this impact society?

Some facts…

• Females comprise– 1% of automobile mechanics– 4% of airline pilots and navigators – 10% of electronic technicians

• Nontraditional employment for women is defined as occupations or fields of work where women comprise less than 25% of the individuals employed.

Nontraditional Job Choice Facts

• More than 80 percent of employed women work in only 5 percent of all jobs

• Women can earn up to 30 percent more plus benefits in jobs dominated by males

The “Female Occupation Formula”

• Occupations which employ 90% women almost always have in common certain characteristics that women seem to find desirable

• Characteristics usually make the wage lower

• What are these characteristics??

1. Ability to Psychologically “check out” at

the end of the day• (cashier vs. lawyer)

2. Physical Safety • (receptionist vs. fire fighter)

3. Indoors • (secretary vs. garbage collector)

4. Low Risk of Job Loss • (file clerk vs. entrepreneur)

5. Desirable or Flexible Hours• (nurse vs. doctor)

6. No Demands to Relocate • (corporate secretary vs. corporate executive)

7. High Fulfillment• (child care vs. coal miner)

8. Contact with People • (hostess vs. trucker)

Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar

• Librarian• Farmer• Cook

• Physical Therapist• Police Officer

• Real Estate Salesperson• Secretary

• Insurance Salesperson• Truck Driver• Radiologist

In-class activity #3• Blue Collar vs. Pink Collar Jobs• Three tasks:

– Identify each occupation as a blue collar job (male job) or pink collar job (female job)

– Include one aspect of that job that brought your group to this conclusion

– Approximate the percentage of that occupation that is the majority gender

• Extra Credit Opportunity for Group– 1 point for identifying blue or pink collar correctly– 2 points for being within 4 percentage points of actual

composition