1. Chapter 4
Stereotyping and Prejudice
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Diversity [is] the art of thinking independently together.

2. Learning Objectives
1. Define Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
2. Differentiate among prejudice, discrimination, and
stereotypes in the workplace.
3. Explain how sexism and ageism are barriers to
diversity and how supervisors can be more aware of
them.
4. Discuss how and why employers must accommodate
employees’ disabilities
5. List the most important recent legislation responding to
prejudice and discrimination and its provisions.
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3. What is Diversity?
• Diversity
– the characteristics of individuals that shape
their identities and the experiences they have
in society
• Dealing successfully with cultural, ethnic,
age, gender, and
racial diversity is a
lifelong process
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4. A Look at Our Diversity
• As recently as 1980 white men accounted
for half of U.S. workers.
• Today, the participation of women in the
workforce has risen to above 50 percent
• A recent survey found that women held
half of all management, professional, and
related occupations
• The workforce also is expected to
continue to age,
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5. Challenges to Working in
a Diverse Society
• Trends in the composition of the workforce
are changing the way business firms
operate.
–Supervisors today need new skills to
communicate and collaborate effectively with a
broader range of people.
• Even within the company, differences can
flourish between one location and another.
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6. Prejudice and Discrimination
• Prejudice
– preconceived judgment about an individual or
group of people
• Discrimination
– unfair or inequitable treatment based on
prejudice
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7. Prejudice and Discrimination
• A workplace tainted by prejudice and
discrimination discourages and divides
employees.
• If a supervisor treats employees unfairly
for any reason, the outcome is never
positive.
• The unfair treatment becomes widely
known among employees, lowers morale
and trust, and can hurt productivity.
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8. Stereotypes
• Stereotypes
– Generalized, fixed images of others
• Supervisors must always guard against
generalizing what they believe or observe
about a culture and using that to classify
its members unfairly
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9. Stereotypes
• Stereotypes are often unintended, but they occur
simply because human beings tend to put
information into categories and to prefer things
that are more familiar.
• This leads people to assume that those in the
“other” group are more alike than they really are,
while perceiving people in their own group as
being distinct individuals
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10. Sexism
• Sexism
– discrimination based on gender stereotypes.
• Examples of sexism:
– Passing over a woman for a physically
demanding job
– Asking a pregnant job applicant about child
care arrangements
– Denying a promotion to a qualified woman
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11. Sexism
• Sexual harassment
– Unwanted sexual attentions, including
language, behavior, or the display of images
• Sexual harassment is illegal, and experts
advise supervisors to adopt a policy of
“zero tolerance.”
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12. Women-Owned Businesses: A
Growing Share of the Total
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13. Ageism
• Some people expect older workers to perform
less effectively, but evidence shows such
negative expectations are often unfounded.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(1967) makes it illegal to fail to hire, or to fire,
based on age.
• A study of 4,000 executives showed that:
– Patience doesn’t blossom until after the age of
45.
– Open-mindedness and teamwork are abilities that
actually increase with age.
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14. Ageism
• Bona fide occupational
qualification(BFOQ)
– an objective characteristic required for an
individual to perform a job properly
• For example, the FAA’s limit of 64 years of
age for airline pilots or acting roles that
call for persons of very young or very
advanced age
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15. 10 Reasons to Hire Older
Workers
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16. Accommodation of Disabilities
• Disability
– A physical or mental impairment that
substantially limits a major life activity, a
record of such an impairment, or being
regarded as having such an impairment
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17. Accommodation of Disabilities
• Qualified individual with a disability
– person with a disability who, with or without
reasonable accommodation, can perform the
essential functions of a particular job
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18. Percentage of People over Age 65
in the United States, 2000 and 2030
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19. Sources of Diversity
in the Workplace
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20. Advantages of Diversity
for Supervisors
• The opportunity to learn from the varied
perspectives of those unlike ourselves
• A better motivated and more loyal team of
employees
• Enhanced communication skills
• Improved management ability
• Enhanced opportunities for career
advancement
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21. Advantages of Diversity
for Organizations
• Greater ability to attract and retain the best
employees for the job
• Increased productivity
• Higher morale and motivation throughout the
company
• More resilient workforce
• Greater innovation
• Reduced turnover
• Enhanced performance leading to greater
market share
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22. Communication
• Nonverbal communication is just as powerful
in many contexts as the actual words we say.
• Body language differs from one culture to
another.
• In diverse work places, supervisors should
choose words with extra care, particularly
when giving directions.
• Explanation of terms should be a standard
part of orientation and training.
• Think before communicating.
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23. Diversity Training
• Formal diversity training may be needed to
raise employee awareness of
multiculturalism and to help reduce
prejudice and stereotypes.
• Appropriate controls and guidelines
should accompany the training, which
should be administered by professional
trainers.
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24. Some Important Equal Employment
Opportunity Legislation
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25. Legal Issues
• Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC)
– Instituted in 1964
– Acts as the government’s major means of
enforcing equal employment opportunity law
– Has the power to investigate complaints, use
conciliation to eliminate discrimination when
found, and file discrimination charges on
behalf of an individual if needed
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