Dobosz points out a good point, that gender diversity within the boardroom creates a value-add, allowing for a greater “cognitive variety” given that females who have different values, experiences and knowledge, often leading to greater performance within the workplace (Dobosz, 2018). One point that I found quite amazing is that the world population is roughly 101 males to 100 females (Dobosz, 2018), then it is ideal to have a strong sense of female presence in the board room to tailor the organisations marketing approach to those needs and requirements of the market.

From the research conducted, many businesses have found this quite difficult in creating a balance of gender ratio within senior talent. In doing so the issue that is found from this is that it creates a smaller talent pool. This company incorporates an innovative and contemporary form of leadership, whereas they work with a 'grassroots' perspective, allowing for entry positions to work with executive positions in a bottoms up approach.

Dobosz, N. (2018). The Boardroom: benefits of gender diversity. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/boardroom-benefits-gender-diversity-nathan-dobosz/?trackingId=ldr8chu9BXwhxziAWRVPxQ%3D%3D

Paul Block, sweetener manufacturer CEO, expressed that “diverse groups within the workplace challenge each other which leads to greater breakthroughs”, with Jonathan Broomberg adding “Diversity enables creativity and innovation”. 

This means that creating a diverse workforce has allowed theses companies to engage in innovative practices and create inclusive work teams. This has seen the companies reflect upon their intended target market and use diversity to appeal to a wider audience and gain a higher market share. 

This article also discusses the differences between male and female leadership styles, with researchers arguing that due to cultural barriers and discrimination, women’s assertiveness in leadership can hold them back in some industries. The article states that inclusive working cultures can eliminate the challenges of discrimination and allow the employees to be themselves and align their values with the values of the company. Which means a productive and fair working environment for each employee.

Groysberg, B., & Connolly, K. (2013, Sep). Great leaders who make the mix work. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from hbr.org/2013/09/great-leaders-who-make-the-mix-work

 

Paolo Gaudiano and Ellen Hunt have used twitter to offer tips upon the correct conduct to increase morale and boost productivity whilst sharing experience and supportive arguments to make their suggestions for leaders to better the work environment. 

The tips upon sharing diversity and employee inclusivity responsibilities evenly throughout the workplace and taking all complaints regarding discrimination and bias seriously, will see a more comfortable work team and will see the employees and leaders take a stand against behaviour that does not coincide with the missions of the organisation. 

The article also speaks upon how to educate the majority of employees regarding diversity and how to seek assistance when unsure of how to apply diversity. 

These tips can be helpful with creating a diverse and inclusive working culture and will mean that employees and leaders will be able to apply these methods within their macro and micro environments to create a happier and more productive environment. 

Gaudiano, P., & Hunt, E. (2017, Feb 27). 10 tips for leaders to support workplace diversity, part 1: Things to do at work. Forbes. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/gaudianohunt/2017/02/27/workplace-diversity-tips-for-leaders-part1/#2c46871f33db

 

Towards the end of the talk, Lorenzo discusses women in organisations. For a company with diverse teams, it takes 20% women in leadership to make the organisation more innovative (Lorenzo, 2017). Lorenzo however, does not state that an organisation has to have 20% women in leadership in all organisations, most organisations have a lot less than 20% women in leadership roles (Lorenzo, 2017). She implies that for a company to be innovative and diverse a company needs to hire more women into leadership roles. 

 

Overall, the TED talk discusses how women can make a company more diverse and in turn the more diverse a company is the more innovative that company will be. 

 

Lorenzo, R. (2017). How diversity makes teams more innovative [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/rocio_lorenzo_want_a_more_innovative_company_hire_more_women 

 

The research provided is concerning especially surrounding that the number of females in executive and CEO roles decreased in 2017 is alarming (Liddy, & Hanrahan, 2017, para. 3). By the research being backed by institutions such as the Australia Bureau of Statistics, it can be said the information within this article is of quality. 

 

The information provided within this article suggests that within Australia female dominant industries are now being dominated by men. It can be stated that in Australia there are more men in leadership roles than women and that Australia companies are not as diverse in gender as some may think. 

 

Liddy, M., & Hanrahan, C. (2017). Fewer women run top Australian companies than men 

named John, or Peter, or David. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-08/fewer-women-ceos-than-men-named-john/8327938 

 

The 2015 movie, The Intern, staring Anne Hathaway (as the young CEO) and Robert De Niro (as the 70-year-old intern) is an excellent mainstream example showing both the complexities and challenges of their working relationship but also the possible benefits when, over the course of the experience, Robert’s character soon becomes popular with his younger co-workers, and where his charm, wisdom and sense of humor help him develop a special bond and growing friendship with the young boss. 

 

Knight’s article highlights the importance of not dwelling on the differences but rather work to build collaborative relationships. A good leader should study their employees, to better understand their preferred communication styles and planned career paths. It would be dangerous to assume that just because someone is approaching 60 they are winding down to retirement.

 

The Diversity Council of Australia in their report ‘Grey Matters: Engaging Mature Age Workers’ (2018) reveal that baby boomers are in fact challenging traditional ideas of retirement. If handled correctly they are ‘an exciting pool of talent, ready, willing and able to work’.

 

If an organisation can provide older generations some flexibility in start and finish times, a phased retirement plan, job sharing and working from home opportunities, there is no reason senior workers can’t remain in the workforce for well beyond the usual retirement age.

 

Then perhaps once the younger generations realise baby boomers are here to stay for a while yet, they might both accept the need to find better ways of working together harmoniously. All generations should appreciate there are many things to be learned from each other to the benefit of all involved.

 

 

Knight, R. (2014). Managing people from 5 generations. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/09/managing-people-from-5-generations

 

Diversity Council Australia. (2018). Grey matters: Engaging mature age workers. Retrieved from https://www.dca.org.au/research/project/grey-matters-engaging-mature-age-workers

 

 

The term ‘millennial’ is used to describe the generation of people aged between 18 and 34. Sinek (2016) (an author and motivational speaker) uses his video to explain why these millennials are ‘so difficult to work with’. His argument is simple: Millennials are the result of failed parenting techniques (offering rewards for everything and telling their children the sky’s the limit) which creates an apparently false sense of entitlement which then rapidly comes crashing down when faced with the realities of the (tough) world we live in! Sinek (2016) goes on to claim that these false promises are compounded by our instant gratification culture and the ‘omnipresence of social media’ in everyone’s lives. Leaving this younger generation of professionals constantly dissatisfied at work and in their personal lives, leading to an increase in suicide and accidental overdose rates. Harsh criticism indeed!

 

However, his arguments are willfully blind to the influence of race, gender, sexuality and socioeconomic background (to name a few) within any generation. After all, not everyone is born into a happy (two parent) home where they are treated as mini gods and given everything they could possibly want (including the ‘dreaded’ smartphone).  Kadakia (2017) highlights this fact, saying that only 46% of millennials grew up in two parent homes and that 43% are not Caucasian in the US. She correctly establishes that there is no singular parenting style for the millennial generation that can then be used to typecast the entire cohort as Sinek has done.

 

He also appears to ignore the various potential benefits of social media, where in todays’ digital world we can build whole careers online, meet like-minded strangers (Tinder anyone?) and ingest empowering messages that may not be readily available in mainstream media. Importantly, minority groups and those feeling lost and alone, can more easily find people they can relate to online. This element of self-recognition and social interaction with others can save lives as opposed to destroying them.

 

One final comment of his that I would like to address from a personal point, is his claim that this younger generation are so much more ‘entitled’ than previous ones. I don’t agree with this opinion at all. I have two young adult children (aged 19 and 22), who will need to pay astronomical fees for their university degrees. Higher education now being a luxury or privilege rather than a right. In the UK (where I am originally from) fees were only introduced in 1998, before that education was completely free. My children are also unlikely to be able to afford a mortgage anytime soon, unlike for my generation or that of my parents before, where being married in your early 20’s and owning a home was the norm, it is now no longer seen as a viable reality for many.

 

Sinek, S. (2016). Millennials in the workplace. [TED Talk]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=hER0Qp6QJNU

Kadakia, C. (2017). Why millennials can’t stand Simon Sinek’s viral interview on milliennials. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-millennials-cant-stand-simon-sineks-viral-interview_us_59a423cce4b0a62d0987b0cb

 

 

It is discussed that workplace/gender diversity is not just about doing the right thing because of societal pressure but reinforces that diversity is good for business. It can create increased performance so should definitely be focused upon.  Increasing performance is the bottom line for most organisations anything that improves that should be harnessed.

The piece discusses how diversity will not come overnight but with the right leadership, harboring the correct foundations and creating a sustained focus on moving in the right direction it can be achieved. This is a very good point to make as it is definitely being reiterated time and again how this is an evolutionary process, not just a quick fix.

Interestingly, the article goes on to address that diversity and inclusion strategies are not process with a defined end goal to reach. Understandably, it is a constant evolution to become more diverse and inclusive so there will always be more that can be done.

A great point the article makes, which upon reflections seems so blatantly obvious, is that diversity and inclusion strategies help the way staff feel when they come to work. Aiming to ensure they feel safe, engaged and fulfilled. I know this is true in my experiences, therefore, can definitely understand how this correlates. When I feel this in my workplace, I’m happy to come to work and put my best effort in. If I am not feeling satisfied in my job then it is harder to motivate myself to come to work but also to complete my tasks. This lack of morale can then spread throughout a team and creates a flow on effect which can wreak havoc in a team.

A number of points are raised which I thought were interesting. The notion of analysing ones workforce diversity in comparison to the customer base was raised. I am unaware of companies doing this it makes complete sense. Who better to teach you about your customer base than people who mirror your customer base? If a large proportion of your customer base is female, mirroring this would allow you to best align with their needs.

The article also raises that the best way to address this is with increased leadership and culture changes. It highlights the need for the onus to be taken off females as a group and for everyone to realise that this is an issue we all need to work on together.

Interestingly, Bourke et al (2017) argues that executives have abdicated responsibility for the diversity issue and should take ownership in developing an inclusive and diverse organisational culture. Whilst training holds a significant value in providing a fair and equal workplace (Zephyr, 2017), in today’s business environment it appears simply not enough. Rather, organisation’s executives should consider making structural changes, implementing data driven solutions, and training executives in understanding how bias decision-making affects business outcomes. Bourke et al (2017) further argues that a ‘new set of rules’ to be written that demand a new focus on process change, data driven tools, transparency and accountability.

Although is it also leader’s responsibility to drive a diverse workforce, this article raises some interesting points and awareness to support workplace diversity. For example, Victoria is considering experimenting with erasing names from resumes because candidates with ethnic sounding names may be discriminated against. While there are some challenges to diversity such as communication issues, a diverse and inclusive organisation is more innovative and creative with both executives and leaders responsible for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.

 

Bourke, J., Garr S., Van Berkel, A., & Wong, J. (2017). Diversity and inclusion: The reality gap. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/insights/us/en/focus/human-capital-trends/2017/diversity-and-inclusion-at-the-workplace.html

Zephyr, J. (2017). The Importance of Diversity Training in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/info-8291870-importance-diversity-training-workplace.html

 

Professionals are connected to support globalisation while others perceive it as a trait said Schesrt. Global leaders presented their views about advantages of inclusion and how this can benefits businesses and reduce poverty around the world.

 

They took action for high achievement while reaching their goals and also finding fulfilment and being a force for good in the world. They agreed on collaborative activities with the aim of thriving the next phase of development for different industries.

 

Insightful messages where delivered by CEO’s, entrepreneurs, innovators and others. They recognised that with everyone’s involvement the outcomes will be effective and significant. People will connected to each other and citizen will take control of their own lives in the positive way.

2nd & 3rd  article.

Transform your culture: Diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtv161StaNs 

Inclusion is when people are invited to be at the table. The more they participate into work activities make them feel they belong.

To create a better future we must see it first of all in our mind. Walled Aly argue that we talk about integration when there is diversity and this require the acknowledgement of differences. He highlight imperatives about putting people first for transforming company into an empowering task for all. He defined integration as maximising the participation of all diverse people within the organisation or city. We are living in a diverse society and differences are real. 

Australian government, DSS (The Department of Social Services, 2018), has implemented policy the multicultural Access and Equity policy which is about ensuring that Australian government programs and services meet the needs of all Australians, regardless of their cultural and linguistic background. For instance Diversity Australian https://www.diversityaustralia.com.au/our-programs/ 

Diversity and inclusion programs help local economies by increasing social responsibility. Leaders should be the first for valuing the inclusion of these differences including multiculturalism, workforce trends, the generation gap, gender and understanding of culture. 

The Department of Social Services (DSS) has create an environment of open communication. 

McCrindle reported that (McCrindle, M., 2006) the key to business success is understand these human traits, attitude shifts, social trends and mindset of the ever–changing customer and employee. A creative life begins when someone invite you to explore the world not only see it as the world.  . The DSS aim is to inspired and develop builders of tomorrow by implementing initiative and actions such as investment which enable people with capacities and abilities to succussed beyond skills and technique needed along the way. They instil a culture of a continual living and learning. Leaders create a better future by shifting from a block into a multicultural mindset of keeping people first and pulling out the best out of them. As a result citizen will know how to shift in cultures.

 

However, most Australian despite the policies implemented are still feeling discriminates and not includes, reported Stan Grants…. https://youtu.be/eA3UsF8yyho 

The workforce are becoming more diverse and cultures of inclusion are becoming more common. A leader need to have a vision, a clear road map, milestones, be directive, be inclusive by putting people first, and then hold people accountable for results. 

Victoria Brescoll’s article can be beneficial for leaders, as, within the article five leaders with diverse backgrounds and characteristics explain the importance of diversity and how to implement diversity successfully within the workplace. 

Victoria Brescoll discusses the gender balances within the workplace and argues that anger -based leadership and power bases only seem to work for men, however, do not for women within the same job role. This means women within that organisation are needing to take a softer leadership approach whilst men do not. She also explains that those within the workplace who diverge from the stereotypical gender roles found it hard to maintain influence and respect from peers, which, means inclusivity and diversity are not being achieved within these work cultures creating difficulty for leadership. 

David Thomas had a great point within the article by stating that an inclusive and diverse work environment allows leaders and employees to feel as though they are accepted, valued, unique and enable the workplace to be a place where people can bring their identities and not worry about being trapped in a box or discriminated against. This attitude towards leadership and diversity communicates the benefits of an inclusive working culture which allows the employees to feel respected at a diverse and safe work environment. This type of environment and leadership style allows for higher efficiency and productivity. 

Brescoll, V. L. (2011, Jan 1). What leaders need to understand about diversity. Yale Insights. Retrieved from insights.som.yale.edu/insights/what-do-leaders-need-to-understand-about-diversity 

 

After a survey was conducted the results showed astonishing results, that “one in 10 women are being sexually harassed at work” (Tasker, 2018, para. 1). The survey showed that women wanted to be treated with respect and equally within a workplace, shouldn’t this already be happening? 

 

Not always the case I know. Only “two thirds of women are being treated respectfully by their managers” (Tasker, 2018). This showing that times have not changed and diversity for women is still needing to be at the forefront of diversity. Overall, no matter your age, race or gender, everyone should be treated with respect within an organisation.  

 

Tasker, B. (2018, March 6). One-In-10 Women sexually harassed at work. The Australian. Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/govt-urged-to-fix-gaps-for-women-at-work/news-story/0f2fb6e29a8d91cda4e466a6c1ca1c72  

As a society Australia has worked toward offering equal opportunity in the workplace and statistics appear to reflect significant progress. However Kate Jenkins highlights the fact that some people are able to see gender inequality very clearly where as some people are blind to this. Kate states that on you see gender inequality you cant unsee it. I find this would very much come from if you have had an experience with gender inequality. Kate mentions examples throughout the article of gender inequality focusing on 'parenting' how women have lost jobs from having children, this absolutely astounds me that this would still be happening. The article highlights how males are getting involved in the discussion and actions around eliminating gender inequality. The article is titled as "Victorias Male Champions of Change' I cant help but see the title of this article still supporting the ego's and male influences in the workplace, with the wording 'Male Champions! I'm not sure it was the right choice of words for what the article was trying to express.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorias-male-champions-of-change-tackle-gender-equality-in-workplace/news-story/2a1dcab79aa88fc389d99be646f50296

Sarrah states that numerous studies confirm the widespread occurrence of unconscious bias, where ingrained stereotypes and social assumptions influence otherwise well-intentioned recruiters charged with hiring new staff.

Westpac will partner with the Victorian State Government to pilot an anonymous recruitment program across the company in which the applicants name and gender will be removed from their CV in the hope to have a fully inclusive workforce.

I can see the pilot working well as all recruitment should be based on merit however I would like to understand further the next steps. How are they going to combat this at the interview stage? Is this bandaiding the real issue that recruiters have the wrong mindset and need to be educated around this.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/rendezview/could-genderblind-cvs-end-workplace-discrimination/news-story/c23e908299a80e34550a58aff8cea4f9

Jenny Brice discussed the challenges as you get older in the workforce and the age  that is considered to be old is getting younger at the age of 50 in modern workplaces.

The article discussed the age to be eligible for the aged pension is getting older with it going up by 6 months each year until it reaches the age of 70. This I see as a discrimination in itself as the age of 70 not all jobs will be appropriate and another flaw with this strategy is that employer's are reducing older workers in there workforce at a fast rate.

Older people trying to reenter the workforce are finding this considerably hard and a number of government initiatives to assist this has failed. It's easy for the government to get the data, change pensions policies and set up an inquiry. It is much more difficult to change a culture. This is challenging in Australia, as ageism in the workforce is as rampant as it is silent (Brice, 2016)

This is a difficult topic as I strongly agree roles change and people need to be able to move with this change, I have seen older and younger people not able to cope with change and therefore have left the workforce... the issue would be if the person was the most suitable for the role and was exited or not hired because of their age. 

I see the dream of retirement getting harder for the average person. 

However, the results showed women felt disrespected by senior colleagues with over half thinking men are treated better. The most disturbing results discovered “18 per cent of women with a disability; 16 per cent of women from ethnically or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and 14 per cent of women currently studying reported having experienced harassment” (Wylie, 2018) .

The article reflects some perceived bias stating the results were expected given the “gaps and traps” in women’s careers and that there is a high number of sexual harassment claim under reported. An interesting fact in the report showed that workplaces were not equipped to meet the aspirations of young women. Perhaps this is an area all workplaces could improve.

Wylie, B. (2018, March 6). Australian women report 'shocking' levels of inequality, sexual harassment in new study. ABC news. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-06/australian-women-reveal-shocking-cases-of-inequality-at-work/9516642

 

The Ted Talk explained that embracing diversity contains opportunity for organisations, highlighting that diversity is beneficial to the overall profitability of an organisation. However, in identifying the opportunities for companies, the Talk also examined how there is a gap currently being supported by big business. An example of that is the 17 Johns running large companies, compared to the seven women holistically, running large companies. 

 

Therefore, leaders need to identify how diversity can be opportunistic for their company. The structure of companies is changing in the face of society, in relation to acceptance and the fewer limitations people who are not males and from ethically different groups face. Leaders can embrace this idea of change, and implement into their organisation. Thus, diversity will increase operations and potentially revenue if the leaders are able to adapt to the changes that are being made by society. 

 

 

Chin (2010), explains how the 2007 American Psychologist Special Issue highlighted the traditional paradigm’s of leaderships through the customary traits and systems that were failing, in relation to, traditional leadership roles and diversity structures. Traditionally, diversity has been portrayed as cultural belonging and fairness, however, specifically in their issue there was a lack of differentiation in the diversity issues that concerned woman, racial and ethnic groups. 

 

However, the article also delves into explaining that leadership has the potential to break boundaries. Therefore, if leaders are able to identify where their diversity is lacking they have the ability to increase their operational value because of how they are able to filter their influence into the organisation. 

 

Chin, J. L. (2010) Introduction to the special issue on diversity and leadership. American Psychologist. 65(3). P. 150-156. 

 

Woman in leadership should be a priority as there are more woman holding relevant qualifications that will benefit leadership in any company. More so, women’s productivity is not maximised compared to their male counterparts, due to the positions they currently hold. Again, this is evident because of the often-higher qualifications the women can obtain. 

This could suggest that there is woman who want to be in the leadership positions, however are chosen behind their male counterparts. 

 

Leaders need to be aware of the talent that is available to them. Woman in the workplace need to be expanding their productivity by suggesting and talking about the direction of their position in an organisation, as ultimately this drives teams to become more productive. There is becoming smaller tolerance for discrimination against woman, thus, the article aims to empower women to ensure they can work cohesively with male counterparts for the most beneficial outcome for the company. 

 

It is no secret that diversity is a fundamental aspect of organisations because of its ability to create effective teams through creativity and much more (“Cultural Change”, 2016, p. 6). Diversity is not a metric, instead, diversity is a mindset that is shown through an inclusive culture by embracing a diverse range of people (Schell, 2017), including women.

It is both shameful and degrading to review a report from a powerful organisation that still has a diversity issue. While the AFP recognises the problem, they also admit there is further work to be done to achieve parity (“Cultural Change”, 2016, p. 58). Despite many AFP members supporting the increase in female representation, other members stated that bringing more women into the AFP could lower standards and is discriminatory towards men (“Cultural Change”, 2016, p. 47). This resistance is of significant concern and appears to an indication of the AFP culture.

Although the 2016 statistics revealed that 35% of women comprised of the AFP workforce, the AFP aims for a 50:50 gender balance by 2026 (“Cultural Change”, 2016, p. 8). This is appearing to be a good indication proactivity in winning the fight for equal representation within the AFP. 

 

Cultural Change: Gender Diversity and Inclusion in the Australian Federal Police. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.afp.gov.au/sites/default/files/PDF/Reports/Cultural-Change-Report-2016.pdf

Schell, C. (2017). Harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion for innovation. Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/3185445/it-management/harnessing-the-power-of-diversity-and-inclusion-for-innovation.html

Data from the ABS Gender Indicators (as cited in Workplace Gender Equality Agency, n.d, para 2) indicate a considerable disparity between men and women in leadership roles. For example, males enumerate 82.7 percent of CEO roles. That equates to less than 18 percent of women in CEO positions despite 32.4 percent of women enrolled in a bachelor’s degree or above compared to 25 percent of men (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, n.d, para 3). 

These figures provide strong evidence that a deep cultural change is needed even at the top level. Women’s education is failing to translate into workforce participation and necessary action is needed to drive change. For example, setting a clear diversity aspiration supported by accountability. 

By embracing women in both workforce participation and leadership roles will help create and an equal and fair workplace and assist in driving economic growth (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, n.d, para 8).

 

Workplace Gender Equality Agency. (n.d). Women highly educated but missing from leadership roles. [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.wgea.gov.au/media-releases/women-highly-educated-missing-leadership-roles

 

Megan Brownlow quotes “media outlets must review their strategies to improve gender and racial diversity”. 

 

Managing diversity is one of the key issues leaders have today, as it can either have a positive or negative response (Dubrin, 2013). If managed correctly, having a diverse workplace can increase performance and productivity, whilst expanding the organisations cultural environment. For example, increasing higher media roles for woman, broadening the knowledge (views) of different cultural aspects and having open-end discussions about organisational issues with employees.

 

Dubrin, A. J. (2013). Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills. South-Western, USA: Cengage Learning

 

Alan Joyce (chief executive of Quantas Australia) quotes “it is important to be who you are”. I agree with this 100% as society around us is continuously changing and growing, and to have a more diverse workplace, results in having multiple opinions/views on industry issues, instead of biased opinions, thus a company being able to make better decisions. Managing diversity can increase profits, reduce turnover and absenteeism (as more employees are satisfied with their workplace environment), and provides the chance for current employees whom may have been overlooked before the chance to shine (Dubrin, 2013). Any great team that follows with the CEO is allowing themselves to learn from this experience, create richer views on issues and is a source of inspiration to others.

Dubrin, A. J. (2013). Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills. South-Western, USA: Cengage Learning. Pg. 442-465

 

As stated in this media article, Libby Lyons, the director of Workplace Gender Equality Agency, is disgusted with the pay gap between men and women. This article discusses the impacts a pay gap can have on women during their entire career and leading into their retirement fund (superannuation). Libby states that “women’s superfunds are 50% less than men”, however, as stated in the Financial Times article about Woman and the Workplace, women bring empathy and intuition to leadership, and pose greater awareness of motivations and concerns than men do (Medland, 2012), so why is this still an issue?!

 

A prime example to support the two articles, is the March issue of Focus magazine that was structured around women in business in the Port Macquarie region and how each lady mentioned has helped the community/their business in one way or another. Thus, justifying the impact a female leader in the workplace can be and how an organisation can benefit by having a more diverse range in leadership!

 

Focus Magazine. Issue: March 2018. Woman in Business. Retrieved from http://portmacquarie.focusmag.com.au/focus-mini-mag-women-in-business-2018/ 

 

Medland, D. (2012). Woman and the Workplace: The Benefits of Gender Diversity Put to the Test. Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/1fc8a3dc-0d65-11e2-97a1-00144feabdc0 

 

Evident in literature, the subject of diversity covers a wide range of topics, yet many organisations limit their definition of diversity to gender and ethnicity, tragically generational diversity often remains overlooked. According to this report, employers are struggling to balance the different needs and working styles of three distinct generations currently in the workforce (baby boomers, gen X and gen Y). This conflict hinders productivity and can lead to frustrations and poor moral. I am currently facing this challenge at work, with three very different age groups in my team. Knight (2014) claims that it is up to the ‘boss’ whether a multi-generational workplace feels happy and productive or challenging and stressful, and as their team leader I am feeling the responsibility heavily.

 

The Birkman report asserts that leaders and teams can be trained to effectively deal with these differences through team building activities and mentoring programs. I would go a step further and say that these differences should be celebrated and seen as an advantage, a source of creativity and innovation not just simply something to be ‘dealt with’. 

 

Birkman, (2016). How generational differences impact organizations & teams. Retrieved from https://birkman.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Generational-Differences-PDF.pdf

 

Knight, R. (2014). Managing people from 5 generations. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/09/managing-people-from-5-generations

 

The article makes a valid point that stereotyping is still present in society which can lead to a toxic work environment for diverse people. It does make sense that women would be asked to do menial tasks such as organising papers or making coffee and this is wrong. By having a system where people who can properly complete menial tasks are rotated, this will be most effective in leadership managing diversity.
When a company can remove stereotyping and fairly include diversity In the workplace, this is how they can achieve a competitive advantage in their industry. 

Williams, J. C., & Multhaup, M. (2018, March 5). For Women and Minorities to Get Ahead, Managers Must Assign . Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2018/03/for-women-and-minorities-to-get-ahead-managers-must-assign-work-fairly

Having a different background or gender can make it harder for employees to open up. Trusting another co-worker takes a large amount of risk, in which some instances can backfire. Heading away from the typical alcohol based events and towards work games is a great idea to break the ice in a more professional manner. When a company can support employees interacting in a friendly way this can increase retainment of diverse staff, motivation, friendliness and decrease conflict and turnover.

While it is important to give a helping hand, career progression and standing out comes into a persons internal qualities rather than an organisation helping everyone achieve what they are after. While every minority should be included, career progression comes down to workers feeling familiar and close. Staff advancement must be based on unbiased factors such as being ambitious.

Phillips, K. W., Dumas, T. L., & Rothbard, N. P. (2018, March-April). Diversity and Authenticity. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2018/03/diversity-and-authenticity

 

SA Water is a leading agency in diversity achieving a “zero per cent gender pay gap for its 1500 employees”. This is substantially lower than the national figure of 15.3 percent. However, it is unclear if the zero per cent gap includes other diversity workers such as disability and multicultural workers. 

Roch Cheroux SA Water Chief believes in fair pay stating everyone plays a role in promoting diversity and are accountable for the 1.6 million customers across the state. SA Water have a ratio of 4:5 board of directors and 2:5 general managers are female.

Burgess, M. (2017, October 14). Workplace diversity equality on their mind. The Advertiser.  Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/anznews/docview/1954416423/393FF4A3C5844D0EPQ/3?accountid=10344

When an organisation actively assess their handing of workplace diversity issues and develops and implements diversity plans multiple benefits are reported. 

I think the work place is becoming more fair and equality is becoming more of a reality but the change is happening too slowly, job hunting and moving into more senior positions is still harder for females and ethnic minorities.

People need to be taught about different cultures and to accept and encourage diversity which will improve the environment in the workplace.

Reference:

https://www.smh.com.au/business/careers/asian-and-muslim-women-get-discriminated-against-in-australian-workplaces-report-20170906-gybvxx.html

 

Reference: 

Olson, E. (2017, June 12).150 Executives commit to fostering diversity and inclusion. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/business/dealbook/work-racist-sexism-diversity.html 

Wakabayashi presents interesting views on diversity, views which challenge ‘the line’ of political correctness (2018). He is decidedly unbiased when addressing how both Google and its employees have each played a role in creating issues in the workplace, placing the responsibility of implementing diversity on both the actions of Google, and the response to these actions by employees. 

It would be naïve as a reader to simply view Google as having failed in its role of providing a diverse workplace. Upon reflection, perhaps the most important point of this article is the lack of any party – Google or its employees – taking accountability for these issues.

Reference:

Wakabayashi, D. (20178, March 9). Google is Trying Too Hard (or Not Hard Enough) to Diversify. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/technology/google-diversity-lawsuits.html
 

Women account for 17% of technical roles at Facebook, hence, the diversity issue being broached in this article goes far beyond a woman’s role in the workplace (Seetharaman, 2017). The statistical differences between male and female coding rejection rates is perhaps most reflective of the practices at Facebook rather than the company’s policies. We cannot take issues, like this one, at face value. Seetharaman touches on this, noting that something such as prior experience can factor into why there appears to be diversity issues in the workplace (2017). Without devaluing what is certainly a significant issue, we as readers and professionals must observe all the facts, rather than simply reading a statistic and agreeing with it.

I firmly believe that diversity does not mean hiring someone based on their diversifying traits simply to ‘fill the quota’. Instead, workplace diversity should elevate a company’s skill base by working with diverse individuals who add value to the business.

Reference:

Seetharaman, D. (2017, May 2). Facebook’s Female Engineers Claim Gender Bias. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebooks-female-engineers-claim-gender-bias-1493737116

Hewlett, A. S., Marshall, M., & Sherbin, L. (2013, December). How diversity can drive innovations. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation

A workplace that has policies to support LGBT employees is great place to start, however it takes more than a simple policy to truely impact change. For organisations to experience the benefit mentioned above employers need to ensure they have a zero tolerance to behaviour that sits outside of their values of inclusiveness and equality. This applies to all cultural differences (e.g. gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, ethnic background and religion). 

Reference:

Hewlett, A. S., & Yoshino, K. (2016, February 2). LGBT-Inclusive companies are better at 3 big things. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/02/lgbt-inclusive-companies-are-better-at-3-big-things

In observing the merit of this study, a recurring belief amongst academics was observed, this being that “diversity is not a phase, but a real component of how an organisation conducts its business” (Andrulis, & Sachev, 2009, p.2). This supports the findings of the Diversity First study in identifying that workplace diversity is not a surface issue. It is instead something which must be integrated at, and fostered by, every level of an organisation.

This study took a well-rounded, unbiased approach to studying the efforts of Australian organisations to be diverse. In turn, this SBS article offers a relatively fair critique of the results, noting that while many organisations are inadequately addressing diversity, there are some businesses doing a truly good job. This positive approach of reporting in the media is what, I believe, fosters a real opportunity for culture change in organisations as it provides a benchmark for what is bad and what is good.

References:

Harris, L. (2018). Most Australian Workplaces are Failing to Achieve Diversity: Study. Retrieved from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/most-australian-workplaces-are-failing-to-achieve-diversity-study 

Andrulis, R., & Sachdev, R. (2009). Diversity in the Workplace. The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities, and Nations, 9(1), pp. 175-186. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=e9427f3b-cb78-4a4b-8f3e-7ccb49c4a5ed%40sessionmgr4007

Mr Zuckerberg is correct to a point, that being unconscious bias is an intrinsic value and as such, only that person can manage this bias and take steps to become more inclusive.  Tech leaders can actively seek to employee a diverse work force, but must do so while not weakening their teams.  Some onus must also be placed on the education system to ensure all people are given equal opportunities. 

The article also speaks of workplace diversity being a key consideration in the recruitment and retention process at a Senior Management level and people who do not follow this school of thought may be forced out of the business.  This may be true however as this may be somewhat of a generational issue, this push for diversity may actually remove older people from these positions.  These people who resist creating diverse work teams should instead be retrain to emphasise the importance of these teams and the benefits that they bring. 

As the world is changing at such a fast pace, companies are doing their best to keep up with the face-paced world around them. Operating with diversity can open avenues of opportunity especially if a company’s primary markets are overseas and international. Due to these reasons I believe the article is right in stating that, opening these doors can increase innovation, increase creativity, make recruitment easier, avoid high turnover and most importantly to most organisations, capture more of the market and drive sales. 

Although diversity is very important to an organisation, I believe this article is wrong in assuming that diversity can be implemented with the click of a button. It can take painstaking months or years to implement a system that provides diversity while catering to the needs of the existing stakeholders. 

Reference: 

Abreu, Kim (Dec, 2014) 

From
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/240550

This article is true in stating that in some occurrences and workplaces, these practices might be the case, but associating the correlation between white men and the negative practices of some workplaces seems a bit farfetched! I believe this article (source) should be offering up solutions and options to this issue after laying a blame to an issue that seems very weak in its opening argument!   

Reference:

Brait, Ellen (Mar, 2016)
Women and minorities penalized for promoting workplace diversity – study

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/25/women-minoriites-penalized-workplace-diversity-study

If companies that are very traditional in their business structure and leadership decide to sink substantial amounts of money and resources to implement a diversity plan/system primarily to benefit the business and its associates, that then backfires and doesn’t reap the rewards that were stated above, then what happens to the organisation then? Do the people employed through this system retain their positions? Is there even more discrimination to these people from the management if they have caused the business to lose money?

Reference:

Crawford, Courtenay (Nov, 2015) 3 Reasons why diversity is amazing for Business

From:
https://graduateland.com/customer/article/why-diversify-your-workforce

This article is a series of interviews from the CEOs of 24 notable organisations who have acquired reputations for their inclusivity and tendency to recruit workers from numerous diverse backgrounds. These business leaders stated that they regarded the fostering of diversity as part of a personal mission to improve their organisations, citing its moral importance and beneficial effects on the competitiveness of their organisations. Diversity is regarded by these workplace leaders as a source of dissent, which results in differences and necessary disagreements that help companies develop and solve problems. They argue it also deters insularity; diverse organisations are more in touch with increasingly heterogeneous and international customer bases, and thus more likely to succeed in a globalised environment. 
 
 The suggestions of these business leaders are not necessarily incorrect or unfounded, but I am sceptical to the extent they are interested in increasing diversity on a moral basis and more to enhance their organisation’s reputational profile and bottom line. Corporations are essentially profit-making vehicles, so this may be the fundamental concern of these business leaders overall 

The world is changing, the organizations are getting more and more employees with different background and culture. People of all colors and different religious believes. This video has made me thought that leadership in diversity workplace does not only need consider the leader itself. Leaders should not only think about how to change themselves. They also need to understand that many employees in the organization have already been led by different people in a different way.  The leader needs to understand that they do not only bring themselves to meet the employees. They also bring their values, religion, and culture into the workplace. Therefore, when leading a diverse workplace, we need looking things from a cultural competence standpoint with compliance. For example, sometimes we need to stop look and think things in our own personal values and beliefs .

What Are the Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace?. (2018). Undercover Recruiter. Retrieved 10 March 2018, from https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/benefits-diversity-workplace/

Nearmy (2016) explains that the ABS has statistics that suggest Aboriginals find it hard to find employment in Australia (para. 2). Based on this information it can be gathered that employer discrimination can be one factor on why this is happening. The article also explains that education is a crucial determinant of becoming employed, where aboriginals need support in learning. 
While the author believes this information is partly right, they understand that many multinational companies make it their mission or corporate responsibility to hire a selected amount of diverse individuals.While Aboriginals do find it hard to find work, this problem is becoming smaller and smaller every year because society is focussing its attention on it. While it might be hard to persuade small-medium enterprises on their rules because owners have full control, companies are changing to accommodate different groups and individuals.
Diversity in the workplace is changing in a great direction where people with issues in learning can get support to benefit society. 

Nearmy, T. (2016, June 6). Eight ways we can improve indigenous employment. Retrieved from the conversation: http://theconversation.com/eight-ways-we-can-improve-indigenous-employment-60377

 The article also speaks of some diversity policies acting as a façade for companies.  These superficial policies act only as check box tickers and serve the organisations as marketing tools and offer no real benefit.  A company must back up its policies with actions and incorporate them into their organisational culture to ensure buy in from the entire business.  By having all employees championing such policies in will be embedded into all company actions including recruitment.  

Shelley Zalis’s article discusses what the truth is about diversity and why it matters. She states that many companies make diversity a priority however they do not include initiatives to make it successful (Zalis, 2017 p.1). In the article, it discusses how inclusive teams perform and how this performance is greater and how they make smart business decisions. Her statement, and the truth is “diversity is an action, inclusivity is cultural, and belonging is a feeling” (Zalis, 2017 p.1) this is exactly correct and could not be put more simply and direct. Businesses use the buzz word of diversity and employ people, so they take action. To make this action work and be successful a business needs to have a cultural environment that includes all people so that then they have a feeling of belonging to a group, a team and a business. I feel that the article is about changing mindsets of people so that they are not fixed. We need to employ people that are not like the managers so that it generates discussions and creates creativity.  

Forbes Welcome. (2017). Forbes.com. Retrieved 10 March 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2017/11/30/the-truth-about-diversity-and-why-it-matters/#7cf62a3b66e7

Dr Mobley is a very inspirational African American woman who stands up for what she believes in, in diversity and that diversity matters. An interesting comment that she makes is that many people feel that society has already done a lot in regards to diversity, however she said that really we have only begun. Her main argument is that we need to pay attention to diversity and when we do then we are acknowledging it and valuing it. If we look at our biases, then we are aware of diversity and of what best practice needs to take place. She states that if we believe in diversity then we have to action it, we need to act on what we care about. I felt strongly towards her statement that when we reflect upon ourselves that we need to reflect on our identity – who we are, what is our calling in life – what work we do, and what service do we do – how will you contribute to what you do.

Mobley, M. S. (2013). The Paradox of Diversity. Video TEDx Talks. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCgqkY5jlXc

Companies are creating an environment where women all around the world are treated equally on every level be it socially, economically as well as politically by promoting equal employment opportunities.

When it comes to the organisations be it a multi-national firm, a small scale firm who wants to be accepted and respected in the society, it is giving the society what they want that is upliftment of women by giving them all the chances to succeed by having a diverse employee base, by providing a more safe and secure workplace. They are now looking into aspects of what their goals are so that they can help them achieve their goals by providing better opportunities. 

Example                                

ENGIE a natural gas distribution company which supports the idea of women taking new positions. ENGIE now has 30% of the women in the top 350 managers.

Reference

Boorstin, J. (2018). Microsoft, Adobe and Mattel among 40 companies pledging to make workplace changes to help women succeed. CNBC. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/07/microsoft-among-40-companies-to-make-changes-to-help-women-succeed.html

The entertainment industry has realised that in order to reach to the masses it now needs to change its perspective and adopt people from different cultures. Entertainment industry see it as an opportunity to tap talent from different spheres and bring diversity in their work. 

Some of the filmmakers are trying to bring diversity by giving major roles of “role models” and “leading characters” to the black people and thus showing the audience that the role of a hero is not just for a white men. 

Examples: 

· Facebook has appointed Kenneth Chenault to its board, making him the first African American on board. 

· Oscars 2017 showed diversity as most of the awards were presented to African American stars. 

Reference 

(2018). Nydailynews.com. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/black-panther-moment-seize-promote-arts-diversity-article-1.3851729 

 

Sales, L. (2016). Actress Jamie Brewer advocates for increased diversity and inclusion in film and television. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/actress-jamie-brewer-advocates-for-increased/7450202

It means co-habitation of people of different race, religion, ethnic group and gender by making them feel valued and accepted. Workplace diversity does not end with just having a pool of employees from different culture or religion, but it also lays a great significance on how to embrace their talents, their differences of opinion, and their values and culture. 

Workplace diversity is important for every organisation because of the following reasons:

·Diversity brings different talents working towards a common goal and thus increases productivity.

·Having a diverse workforce adds a competitive edge to the organisation as its market value increases.

·It creates a satisfied and diverse customer base as customers feel such organisations are socially responsible.

Reference
The Importance of Diversity in the Workplace. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 14 March 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzqNgyqUYso

Lambert (2016) emphasized that although there could be a negative effect of dissimilarities of others in a diverse group, the conflict and discussion could spark innovative thinking to resolve problems. With the integration of the wide range of perspectives, skills and abilities of a heterogeneous group, creativity will be produced.  A homogeneous environment’s lack of insightful knowledge of the worldview particularly related to global market concerns, due to their limited exposure to the information, may affect the ability of the organisation to address these concerns nor be able to come up with a solution that could become a competitive advantage. 

 

Reference:

Lambert, J. (2016). Cultural diversity as a mechanism for innovation: Workplace   diversity          and the absorptive capacity framework. Academy of Educational    Leadership       Journal, 20(1), 68-77. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-          com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1851028857?accountid=10344

What is diversity in the workplace? (2015). Retrieved 10 Marchc 2018 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUWFEy0ez5U

For diversity in the workplace to thrive, managers need to be at the forefront of the workplace diversity management.  Davis, Frolova and Callahan’s (2016) research findings highlight an earlier study that managers can be ignorant of their biases and lack the enthusiasm to be involved in the diversity initiative.  Thus, making it difficult to influence employees’ attitudes and instil an inclusive environment for the organisation’s global competitiveness.    

 

Reference
Davis, P.J., Frolova, Y. and Callahan, W. (2016) "Workplace diversity    management in Australia: What do managers think and what are     organisations doing?", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International   Journal, Vol. 35 Issue: 2, pp.81-98. Retrieved from       https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1108/EDI-03-2015-0020

Unconscious bias @ work - Making unconscious conscious (2014). Retihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5s_-Nl3JE

Hughes (2016) emphasizes the need for diversity intelligence in an organisation.  Stereotyping certain cultural background and having varying perceptions on leadership competencies based only on one race criteria does not foster acceptance toward differences.  This would then become a challenge for of the leader of an organisation to integrate diversity intelligence to retain nor grow talents from within as these affected minority or class employees will see themselves undervalued.  I believe it is important that the leaders improve their mindset of engaging these employees in the organisational leadership and develop a conscious awareness to avoid the stereotypes inherent to the workplace.    

 

Reference:

Hughes, C. (2016) Integrating Diversity Intelligence, Leadership and Career Development. Diversity Intelligence.  Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Retrieved from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/chapter/10.1057%2F978-1-137-52683-0_7

 

Silicon Valley companies hire plenty of Asians, but few become executives: Study. (201 https://globalnews.ca/news/1982579/silicon-valley-companies-hire-plenty-of-asians-but-few-become-executives-study/ 

Reference: Gov Insider. (2018). Four ways to drive workplace diversity and inclusion. Retrieved from https://govinsider.asia/innovation/four-ways-drive-workplace-diversity-inclusion-michelle-simmons-microsoft/

Reference: Human Resource Director. (2018). How a diverse workforce can be your competitive advantage. Retrieved from https://www.hcamag.com/opinion/how-a-diverse-workforce-can-be-your-competitive-advantage-247585.aspx 

Reference: Management Today. (2018). How to build a culture of diversity and inclusivity into the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/build-culture-diversity-inclusivity-workplace/future-business/article/1457154

According to LinkedIn Australia, 57.8% of employees at Commonwealth Bank are female, with 44.4% at manager level or above. Further to this, Westpac Group recently ran a targeted recruitment campaign that resulted in 140 Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people being employed. It is easy to see from these figures that there are some large Australian businesses investing in a diverse workforce. 

The limitation to this article is that it only provides a list of companies that people wish to work for and does not delve beneath the surface to analyse the behaviours of the listed companies. For example, while the Commonwealth Bank has a majority of employees as women, it does not discuss if these women are on the same salary and/or benefits package as their male counterparts, and thus further investigation would need to be completed.

Reference

The top 25 companies Australian professionals want to work in 2018 - SmartCompany. (2018). SmartCompany. Retrieved 19 March 2018, from https://www.smartcompany.com.au/people-human-resources/top-25-companies-australian-professionals-work-2018/

In saying this, SBS did interview and quote culturally diverse members of the food industry in the article. This allows the readers of the article to see the perspective of people who they may not have previously been influenced by. Another thing I enjoyed about the article is that they included the LGBT community in their discussion of diversity, a group that often gets overlooked for the more obvious demographic factors that diversity can be classified by. 

References

The one really easy thing you can do for a more diverse workplace. (2018). Food. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2018/03/14/one-really-easy-thing-you-can-do-more-diverse-workplace

I also like this article because it is written as advice to other businesses, and so outlines how other businesses can reach their workplace diversity targets. It backs up this advice with facts and figures and seems to be well written and academically styled. This was my favourite article out of the ones I discovered. 
References

Butterworth, M., Langham, P., Hogben, U., Harkness, J., Mukherjee, R., & Swan, D. et al. (2018). Why creating an inclusive workplace is crucial. Dynamic Business. Retrieved 21 March 2018, from http://www.dynamicbusiness.com.au/small-business-resources/hot-tips/why-creating-an-inclusive-workplace-is-crucial.html

Where the author argues that works of film that are tagged as diverse attract criticism from anti-diversity audiences – similar risk exists in industry that publicly states it is looking to fill diversity quotas.

I agree that there is extra pressure for the trailblazers of any minority group, where the obvious criticism is that their appointment is due to their belonging to a minority rather than based on their merit – these individuals suddenly have more to prove than their non-minority colleagues.  

The author asks that society continues to strive for diversity, but does so stealthily, so as not to encourage damaging premature scrutiny. 

Whilst I agree that waking up one morning to realise that industry, arts, and government were suddenly representative of community would be satisfying – trailblazers will always attract extra attention, and the call to do diversity without talking about doing diversity feels more like conflict avoidance or social justice fatigue than leadership. 

References

Ranganathan, R. (2018, March 24). Can we all just stop banging on about diversity in films? The Guardian. Retrieved March 25, 20108, from https://www.theguardian.com

The piece is largely based in statistics – where it is evident that the tech industry does not represent its community, then calls for the industry to recognise the value in hiring diversely. 

I strongly agree with the argument that people outside the majority may be harbouring great skills and ideas that will be missed without active inclusion – however I feel the responsibility for active inclusion falls way back at primary schools, parents, teachers, and universities before it falls to industry. 

Changing unconscious bias and stereotypes takes more than asking CEOs to consider diversity in hiring; it requires sustained inclusive narrative from that CEOs early education right through to present. True workplace diversity is not going to happen overnight.

Reference

Winning, L. (2018, March 13). It's Time To Prioritize Diversity Across Tech. Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com

The author argues that diversity quotas, particularly relating to gender, but not exclusively, are necessary to achieve workplace equality, using the two largest political parties in the country as evidence of quotas succeeding or failing. 

I disagree with the authors’ position on quotas because every person has a different starting point of reference when it comes to diversity and inclusion - where his was in a privileged white male community that needed quotas to demonstrate any level of gender inclusion – mine was in a multicultural and gender diverse family unit.

Despite my own experiences however, I have to concede that the wider Australian experience is different from my own and therefore quotas will and do have their place to begin our journeys toward true workplace diversity.

Reference

Onselen, P. V. (2018, March 24). Conservative case against quotas loses merit argument. The Weekend Australian. Retrieved March 25, 2018, from Conservative case against quotas loses merit argument