Organizational Behaviour
Define surface-level diversity and deep level diversity. Explain how surface-level similarity can lead to unfair discrimination. Substantiate your answer with the help of a scenario.
Workforce diversity are the ways in which people in an organization are different from and similar to one another. Surface-level diversity can be defined as easily perceived differences that may trigger certain stereotypes, but do not necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel. Surface-level diversity includes traits that are highly visible to us and those around us, such as race, gender, and age.
Deep-level diversity are the differences in values, personality, and work preferences. Researchers believe that people pay attention to surface diversity because they are assumed to be related to deep-level diversity, which includes values, beliefs, and attitudes. We want to interact with those who share our values and attitudes, but when we meet people for the first time, we have no way of knowing whether they share similar values. As a result, we tend to use surface-level diversity to make judgments about deep-level diversity. Research shows that surface-level traits affect our interactions with other people early in our acquaintance with them, but as we get to know people, the influence of surface-level traits is replaced by deep-level traits such as similarity in values and attitudes. Age, race, and gender dissimilarity are also stronger predictors of employee turnover during the first few weeks or months within a company. It seems that people who are different from others may feel isolated during their early tenure when they are dissimilar to the rest of the team, but these effects tend to disappear as people stay longer and get to know other employees.
Surface-level
Deep-level
-Demographic characteristic
-Personality and Values:
Young-old, language, gender
Way of thinking
-New Hire
Work collaboratively
-Tenured
Similar interests
Introverted vs. extroverted
Risk taker,
Workforce diversity are the ways in which people in an organization are different from and similar to one another. Surface-level diversity can be defined as easily perceived differences that may trigger certain stereotypes, but do not necessarily reflect the ways people think or feel. Surface-level diversity includes traits that are highly visible to us and those around us, such as race, gender, and age.
Deep-level diversity are the differences in values, personality, and work preferences. Researchers believe that people pay attention to surface diversity because they are assumed to be related to deep-level diversity, which includes values, beliefs, and attitudes. We want to interact with those who share our values and attitudes, but when we meet people for the first time, we have no way of knowing whether they share similar values. As a result, we tend to use surface-level diversity to make judgments about deep-level diversity. Research shows that surface-level traits affect our interactions with other people early in our acquaintance with them, but as we get to know people, the influence of surface-level traits is replaced by deep-level traits such as similarity in values and attitudes. Age, race, and gender dissimilarity are also stronger predictors of employee turnover during the first few weeks or months within a company. It seems that people who are different from others may feel isolated during their early tenure when they are dissimilar to the rest of the team, but these effects tend to disappear as people stay longer and get to know other employees.
Surface-level
Deep-level
-Demographic characteristic
-Personality and Values:
Young-old, language, gender
Way of thinking
-New Hire
Work collaboratively
-Tenured
Similar interests
Introverted vs. extroverted
Risk taker,