Diversity

Diversity

Diversity

While diversity is often a term used to refer specifically to cultural differences, diversity applies to all the qualities that make people different. From a management perspective, the key to diversity is to understand how different types of diversity and different demographic characteristics can impact human behavior. The four types of diversity that will be examined are: occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and value and attitudes. For each type of diversity, the impact on individual behavior will be described.

One type of diversity is occupation. For example, an individual in a professional occupation is more likely to make his or her own decisions and is also more likely to reject being managed too strongly. The case of a medical doctor is one example. A medical doctor considers themselves an expert on their area and is also likely to consider that nobody else has the same expertise. Based on this, the individual is likely to make his or her own decisions and to act independently. The same also applies to other professional occupations such as lawyers and scientists. This can be contrasted with positions that are generally considered as requiring less expertise. For example, a salesperson or a secretary would be more likely to accept that their role is a support function, with this meaning that they are less likely to act independently and more likely to take direction. Another important aspect of occupation is that a person’s behaviors will change based on the role of that occupation. In short, most people will adapt their behavior to match it with what they consider expected behavior for that role. For example, an individual in a supervisory role may form relationships with other supervisors, while keeping themselves separated from their subordinates. The same employee may have had close relationships with subordinates before they became supervisor. This example shows how occupation impacts behavior and how a change in position can alter individual behavior.

The next type of diversity is differences in skills and abilities. One of the most important factors when considering skills and abilities is that individuals will often adapt their behavior so they are making use of what they consider their positive skills and abilities. For example, consider the case of an individual who believes that they have very effective written communication skills but very poor oral communication skills. This individual is likely to adapt his or her behavior so they write as much as possible, while avoiding communicating orally. As a specific example, this individual might prepare memos or write emails as a way of communicating with their employees, instead of having a meeting with employees. This illustrates how people tend to adapt their behavior so they are using their positive qualities, while avoiding having to use their weaker skills and abilities.

Another type of diversity is personality traits. Personality traits are defined as “recurring patterns of behavior such as friendliness, social dominance, conventionality, emotional adjustment, and aesthetic inclination” (Seamon & Kenrick, 1994). As this definition shows, personality traits are actually defined because of the observed behavior they result in. The link between personality traits and individual behavior are often seen in workplace situations. For example, a shy individual is likely to sit back and listen in a meeting and avoid introducing their own ideas. In contrast, an outgoing and confident person is likely to offer his or her ideas in a loud and determined manner. An individual who is socially dominant may try to take over the meeting, with this a behavior occurring because of their personality. As another example, a person with an aggressive personality may respond to a workplace conflict by arguing or even becoming violent. Someone with an anxious personality may respond to the same conflict by becoming upset and emotional. A person with an easygoing personality may simply ignore the conflict situation. In all these cases, it is the individual’s personality that determines