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Most Diversity Training Ineffective, Study Finds
Abstract
Washington Post January 20, 2008; page A03 Most diversity training efforts at American companies are ineffective and even counterproductive in increasing the number of women and minorities in managerial positions, according to an analysis that turns decades of conventional wisdom, government policy and court rulings on their head. A comprehensive review of 31 years of data from 830 mid-size to large U.S. workplaces found that the kind of diversity training exercises offered at most firms were followed by a 7.5 percent drop in the number of women in management. The number of black, female managers fell by 10 percent, and the number of black men in top positions fell by 12 percent. Similar effects were seen for Latinos and Asians. The analysis did not find that all diversity training is useless. Rather, it showed that mandatory programs --often undertaken mainly with an eye to avoiding liability in discrimination lawsuits --were the problem. When diversity training is voluntary and undertaken to advance a company's business goals, it was associated with increased diversity in management. The origins of diversity training trace back to the civil rights movement and the belief that education, sensitivity and awareness are key to reducing discrimination. While many companies have embraced such training as a way to make workplaces more inclusive and to cater to an increasingly diverse customer base, trainers and researchers note that other companies use "sensitivity training" superficially --as a cosmetic response to complaints from internal and external critics.
... Doing this is difficult, though, and the effectiveness of implicit bias training, cultural reforms, and increased diversity within the police force remain contested. Police discrimination appears to have been reduced in some contexts, but not in others (Vedantam, 2008;Peruche and Plant, 2006;Bregman, 2012;Butz et al., 2018). ...
... Practically speaking, increasing the supply of unbiased police officers is difficult, though, as the effectiveness of implicit bias training and cultural reforms remains contested. In a wide range of areas, such as in workplaces and in policing, there is little consistent evidence that we can reduce implicit bias (Vedantam, 2008;Mak, 2018;Peruche and Plant, 2006;Bregman, 2012;Lebrecht et al., 2009). It remains an open question, though, why this sort of training works only some of the time -it might be because the interventions are not well-designed, because biases cannot be reduced, or because they can only be reduced in some contexts. ...
How can we measure discrimination? What drives it? How can we reduce it? My dissertation addresses these important questions. In the first part, I provide methodological guidance on how to conduct audit studies. In Chapter 2, I offer the first comprehensive guide to conducting audit studies in political science. In Chapter 3, I provide the first introduction that I am aware of to conducting audit studies via email. These chapters provide advice about how researchers can improve existing audit study designs and implement them with increased efficiency. In Chapter 4, I address one of the most important methodological issues involved in audit studies - name selection. I demonstrate that the probability of a name denoting a race varies considerably across contexts and that this is more of a problem for some names than others. This suggests limitations for (1) the generalizability of audit study findings and (2) the interpretation of geography-based conditional effects. In the second part of my dissertation, I use audit and survey experiments to better understand racial, gender, and religious discrimination in America. The first set of chapters build on past audit studies by not only measuring discrimination but also attempting to identify its causes. In Chapter 5, I measure discrimination by county election officials during the 2016 election cycle, showing that the bias toward Latinos observed during the 2012 election has persisted. I also show that Arab/Muslim Americans face an even greater barrier to communicating with local election officials, and that this bias appears driven by implicit discrimination. I find no evidence of bias toward Blacks, however, indicating that discrimination against groups in political contexts might be sample dependent. In Chapter 6, I examine religious discrimination among public-school principals, an important groups of street-level bureaucrats. I emailed the principals of more than 45,000 public schools and asked for a meeting, randomly assigning the religious affiliation/non-affiliation of the family and family belief intensity. I find evidence of substantial discrimination against Muslims and atheists, particularly when their religious beliefs are high, as well as bias against ardent protestants and Catholics. These results suggest that one of the mechanisms driving discrimination is belief intensity. The remaining chapters in the second part of the dissertation extend prior work by not only identifying discrimination in important contexts but also by attempting to reduce it. In Chapter 7, I provide the results from an adapted audit experiment designed to test whether making local officials aware of their possible biases could reduce discrimination. I find no evidence that my informational treatment influences discriminatory behavior, but that White, local, elected officials are less responsive to Black constituents. This is concerning as local government is often the level that most directly affects citizens' daily lives. In Chapter 8, I investigate racial discrimination by the police. I argue that it depends in a conditional way on the extent of egalitarian views among the police and the public. To test my theory, I conduct a survey experiment with American law enforcement administrators and elected officials who oversee the police. Elected politicians exhibit less racial discrimination in law enforcement oversight when informed that the public supports racial equality in policing. Police, though, do not react to perceived public demand for egalitarianism. My results suggest that public attitudes toward racial equality influence police discrimination perhaps only indirectly.
... Section II begins the paper by briefly explaining the genesis of its reported primary research, conducted in 2014 with the aim of generating fresh insights into DT. The perceived problematic that generated this objective was that scholarly commentary on DT has been almost universally sharply critical (e.g., Vedantam, 2008;Dobbin & Kalev, 2013). The primary research consisted of a small-scale, qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews and one focus group, conducted with DT trainees, in which they reflected upon their experience. ...
... Research conducted on DT is heavily critical. Especially since the mid-2000s, a concentration of research essays and consultant blogs has developed around calling for fundamental changes to DT, or for abandoning such programs altogether (e.g., Bregman, 2012;Clark, 2011;Dobbin, Kalev, & Kelly, 2007;Kowal, Franklin, & Paradies, 2013;Vedantam, 2008;Von Bergen, 2013). The argumentative thrust of these findings is summed up by economist and DT consultant Marc Bendick: "If you ask what is the impact of diversity training today, you have to say 75 percent is junk and will have little impact or no impact or negative impact" (as cited in Vedantam, 2008, p. 2). ...
Abstract
Based on reported primary and secondary research, this paper proposes an improvement to the way organizational diversity training (DT) is usually designed and delivered. The focused-upon DT shortcoming is its customary emphasis on instructing trainees about cultural differences in such a way that overstates and oversimplifies those differences, typically contributing to poor outcomes such as lack of change in participant attitudes and behaviour, or even a worsening of them (Kowal, Franklin, & Paradies, 2013).
The proposed improvement is to instead instil in DT trainees a more accurately nuanced intercultural mindset that this author terms non-binary: an appreciation of how the world’s cultures are both distinct and alike, and how even the most basic differences are often underpinned by paradoxical similarities. By way of concrete example, the sub-construct of Japanese interiorized individualism is modelled. The paper concludes by discussing how such non-binary truths, and an accordant behavioural flexibility in cross-cultural interactions, might be fostered in DT trainees through non-traditional pedagogical approaches such as “embodied learning” (Wilson, 2013) and “paradoxical frames” (Miron-Spektor, Gino, and Argote, 2011).
Keywords: diversity training, intercultural theory, individualism/collectivism, non-binary
cultural orientation, interiorized individualism, exteriorized individualism
... Akan tetapi, tidak selalu pelatihan semacam itu bisa meningkatkan sensitivitas antarbudaya (Vedantam, 2008). Dalam riset sebelumnya dicatat bahwa partisipan pelatihan merasa tidak nyaman, penuh dengan kategorisasi sosial yang membeda-bedakan, serta kontraproduktif (Hemphill & Haines, 1997). ...
Terdapat inkonsistensi pada penelitian sebelumnya mengenai efek pelatihan keterampilan antarbudaya. Penelitian eksperimen ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan sensitivitas antarbudaya melalui pelatihan keterampilan antarbudaya yang memasukkan materi tentang gotong royong sebagai nilai lokal Indonesia. Subjek penelitian berjumlah 32 orang yang dibagi menjadi 2 kelompok, yaitu 16 orang kelompok eksperimen dan 16 orang kelompok kontrol. Pelatihan keterampilan antarbudaya sebagai perlakuan. Pengukuran dilakukan sebelum dan setelah diberi pelatihan. Alat ukur yang digunakan adalah skala sensitivitas antarbudaya. Analisis data hasil penelitian menggunakan uji-t. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat perbedaan sensitivitas antarbudaya pada kelompok yang mendapatkan pelatihan keterampilan antarbudaya dengan kelompok yang tidak mendapatkan pelatihan (t= 2,063; p = 0,048; p ≤ 0,05). Selisih rerata pada kedua kelompok menunjukkan kelompok yang diberi perlakuan memiliki sensitivitas antarbudaya yang lebih tinggi (rerata = 7,38).
... year (The New York Times, 2007). In total, U.S. businesses spend approximately $200 million to $300 million a year on diversity training programs (Vedantam, 2008). Although the Fujimoto, Y., & Charmine E. J. Hartel (2017 forthcoming) Personnel Review importance of diversity training for changing employees' attitudes and improving working relationships has been acknowledged (Buzrukova et al., 2012), it has received criticism for its tendency to reinforce the differences between social groups and thus potentially promote prejudices in the workforce (e.g., Anard and Winters, 2008;Bregman, 2012;Chavez and Weisinger, 2008;Dobbin et al., 2007;Kalev et al., 2006;Kalinoski et al., 2012;Kulik and Roberson, 2008;Rynes and Rosen, 1995). ...
... In the USA, an online survey conducted by Virtcom Consulting revealed that over 80 percent of 265 HR professionals and diversity specialists from organizations with 5,000 to 10,000 employees reported that they had either mandatory or voluntary training for all levels of employees, with average budgets of $500,000 to 750,000 per year (The New York Times, 2007). In total, US businesses spend approximately $200 million to 300 million a year on diversity training programs (Vedantam, 2008). Although the importance of diversity training for changing employees' attitudes and improving working relationships has been acknowledged (Bezrukova et al., 2012;Ehrke et al., 2014), it has received criticism for its tendency to reinforce the differences between social groups and thus potentially promote prejudices in the workforce (e.g. ...
Purpose
To overcome the shortcomings of diversity training programs, the purpose of this paper is to conceptualize an organizational diversity-learning framework, which features an organizational intervention for employees’ joint decision-making process with other employees from different statuses, functions, and identities. Borrowing key principles from the diversity learning (Rainey and Kolb, 1995); integration and learning perspective (Ely and Thomas, 2001; Thomas and Ely, 1996), and the key practices informed by deliberative democratic theories (Thompson, 2008), the authors develop a new organizational diversity learning framework for behavioral, attitudinal, and cognitive learning at workplaces. They conclude with directions for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper first presents an overview of key shortcomings of diversity training programs in relation to their group composition, design, content and evaluation. Second, it borrows the key principles of diversity learning (Rainey and Kolb, 1995); integration and learning perspectives (Ely and Thomas, 2001; Thomas and Ely, 1996), and the key practices informed by deliberative democratic theories (Thompson, 2008) to delineate the organizational diversity learning framework. Third, it presents a table of the approach contrasted with the shortcomings of diversity training programs and discusses practical and theoretical contributions, along with directions for future research.
Findings
This paper conceptualizes an organizational diversity-learning framework, which features an organizational intervention for employees’ joint decision-making process with other employees from different statuses, functions, and identities.
Research limitations/implications
The organizational diversity learning framework developed in this paper provides an inclusive diversity learning paradigm in which diversity learning rests in the experience of the learner. As stated by experiential learning theory, this framework encourages workers to heuristically learn about diverse perspectives in a psychologically safe environment, to reflect on different perspectives, and to create a new awareness about learning from others. As the participants learn to apply new repertoires for interacting with others in their daily work interactions (e.g. listening to different perspectives shared by unfamiliar social group members), it proposes that their behaviors may create a ripple effect, changing other colleagues’ attitudes, behaviors, and thinking patterns on working with diverse coworkers.
Practical implications
This paper provides detailed instructions for practitioners to facilitate diversity learning. It highlights a few key practical implications. First, the framework provides a method of organization-wide diversity learning through intersecting networks within the workplace, which is designed to reduce the elitist organizational decision making that mainly occurs at the upper echelon. Second, unlike other stand-alone diversity initiatives, the framework is embedded in the organizational decision-making process, which makes employees’ learning applicable to core organizational activities, contributing to both employees’ diversity learning and organizational growth. Third, the framework provides a preliminary model for transferring employees’ diversity learning in daily work operations, nurturing their behavioral learning to interact with different social groups more frequently at work and inclusive of their colleagues’ perspectives, feelings, and attitudes.
Social implications
Workforces across nations are becoming increasingly diverse, and, simultaneously, the gap and tension between demographic representation in the upper and lower echelons is widening. By joining with other scholars who have advocated for the need to move beyond diversity training programs, the authors developed the organizational diversity learning framework for meaningful co-participation of employees with different statuses, functions, and identities. By inviting minority perspectives into the organizational decision-making process, top managers can explicitly send a message to minority groups that their perspectives matter and that their contributions are highly valued by the organization.
Originality/value
There has not been a conceptual paper that delineates the diversity inclusive decision-making process within a workplace. The authors established the organizational diversity learning framework based on the diversity learning, organizational diversity integration and learning perspectives, and deliberative democracy practices. The proposed framework guides organizations in structural interventions to educate employees on how to learn from multiple perspectives for better organizational decision making.
... Science and engineering (S&E) fields are vital to U.S. economic growth and are increasing rapidly, expected to expand at almost four times the overall growth rate during -2008(National Science Board [NSB], 2000. U.S. success in these fields depends on its workforce, as the National Science Board identified addressing the supply of scientists, engineers, and science teachers as one of the top 10 priorities of the 21st century (NSB, 2000). ...
... To this end, providing coaching and training on interventions that may mitigate the effects of stereotyping on individuals' outcomes has been one pervasive vehicle utilized by organizations. It has been estimated that organizations spend $8 billion annually on diversity and inclusion training, and in a survey of Fortune 1,000 companies, 88% reported providing diversity and inclusion training on gender alone (Jayne & Dipboye, 2004;Vedantam, 2008). Given the significant amount of time and money being spent on diversity and inclusion training, it is important to ensure that the expected results are being achieved. ...
The deleterious effects of stereotyping on individual and group outcomes have prompted a search for solutions. One approach has been to increase awareness of the prevalence of stereotyping in the hope of motivating individuals to resist natural inclinations. However, it could be that this strategy creates a norm for stereotyping, which paradoxically undermines desired effects. The present research demonstrates that individuals who received a high prevalence of stereotyping message expressed more stereotypes than those who received a low prevalence of stereotyping message (Studies 1a, 1b, 1c, and 2) or no message (Study 2). Furthermore, working professionals who received a high prevalence of stereotyping message were less willing to work with an individual who violated stereotypical norms than those who received no message, a low prevalence of stereotyping message, or a high prevalence of counter-stereotyping effort message (Study 3). Also, in a competitive task, individuals who received a high prevalence of stereotyping message treated their opponents in more stereotype-consistent ways than those who received a low prevalence of stereotyping message or those who received a high prevalence of counter-stereotyping effort message (Study 4). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
... Interestingly, diversity training had a negative effect on the numbers of African American female managers. Later, Kalev (cited in Vedantam, 2008) suggested that mandatory diversity training for managers could cause a backlash against diversity. ...
Purpose
During a typical diversity program, participants are encouraged to recognize, evaluate, and appreciate differences. The purpose of this paper is to explore the rationale for “Conversity ® ”: an alternative approach to diversity training that is based on connections.
Design/methodology approach
The paper is based on a review of the literature on “traditional” diversity training paradigms, the impact of diversity on the brain, and basic social psychology concepts such as categorization and social affiliation. The authors relate literature review findings to their experiences conducting “connections‐based” (“Conversity”) diversity training.
Findings
The human brain is already wired to perceive differences. Further, human beings tend to prefer others who share their group affiliations. Possible consequences of “typical” diversity training programs may include a “backlash” against diversity, an increase in participants' fears, and a reinforcement of inter‐group divisions.
Practical implications
This paper offers practitioners an alternative paradigm for diversity training design including alternative categorization (i.e. emphasis on non‐traditional diversity categories such as personality or team color) and an intentional search for connections between participants.
Originality/value
Historically, diversity training programs have focused on the value of differences rather than on the power of common ground.
... The number of black, female managers fell by 10 percent, and the number of black men in top positions fell by 12 percent. Similar effects were seen for Latinos and Asians (Kalev et al., 2006;Vedantam, 2008). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically illustrate how human resource development (HRD) resists and omits issues of diversity in academic programs, textbooks, and research; analyze the research on HRD and diversity over a ten‐year period; discuss HRD's resistance to diversity; and offer some recommendations for a more authentic integration of diversity into HRD research, teaching, and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyzes common HRD textbooks and refereed diversity research over a ten‐year period to examine the amount of HRD research is being conducted in the area of diversity.
Findings
The paper found that HRD overwhelmingly omits diversity topics, in contradiction to its claims of “diversity” as a legitimate part of the field. The paper concludes that HRD's omission of diversity is a form of resistance since fundamentally addressing diversity threatens HRD's performative frameworks and practices.
Practical implications
The paper has implications for scholars and practitioners who are interested in not only producing more robust diversity scholarship, but also improving practice. The paper challenges HRD researchers to more systematically examine diversity and practitioners to be more cautious consumers of diversity practices.
Originality/value
The paper is original in its premise that HRD resists diversity and in its illustration of how glaring omissions of diversity are in HRD scholarship.
This presentation discusses multiculturalism, cross culturalism, and interculturalism.
The presentation speaks to the evolution of intercultural identities:
• Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
• Virtual and Actual Communication
• Individualization
• Homogenization and Universalization
• Avowed and Ascribed Identities
• Cultural and Intercultural Identities
• Examples
• English as Lingua Franca (EFL)
• Acculturation and Culture Shock.
The Health Informatics, Digital, Data, Information, and kNowledge (HIDDIN) workforce is faced with remaining current and relevant in a landscape experiencing rapid change. This chapter provides a holistic learner, employer, and educator perspective to understand the principles of effective professional learning and development. Concepts of evidence-based practice, constructive alignment, and pedagogy are applied to develop a framework for a principles-based assessment of learning environments and activities. Such a framework is needed by learners, to evaluate available professional learning opportunities more critically. Likewise, employers need to evaluate currency and relevance of learning outcomes prior to investing time and resources into professional development programmes. Lastly, providers of professional development can benefit from self-review against a shared set of quality criteria.KeywordsProfessional developmentProfessional learningConstructive alignmentProfessionalismEducational quality
In healthcare, training is an important mechanism to facilitate organizational change and can be understood using the input-mediator/moderator-output-input (IMOI) model. Using the examples of teamwork training and cultural competency training, we show that training in all its many forms is an input that is intended to influence change in organizations, such as improving team performance or increasing equity in care provision. This occurs by influencing changes in attitudes, behaviors, and cognitions on the job (i.e., mediators), which then result in outcomes for both patients and organizations (e.g., patient safety, worker well-being). In addition, the organization plays a critical support role in its own change process because organizational efforts to support training (e.g., conducting needs analyses, adhering to training best practices, providing resources to support training) serve as moderators of these relationships. Together, such factors feed into continued organizational change efforts (subsequent inputs). We summarize this area of research, presenting key messages about implications and recommendations for practice grounded in these areas, and comment about opportunities for future research.
This chapter approaches diversity as contextually defined and institutionally embedded. We argue that diversity is not one thing or one set of preferred, universal practices, rather it is a fluid concept defined and enacted for the institutional purpose at hand. Through this approach, we address the disappointment sometimes expressed by those who hold a purist view (i.e., the oft heard complaint that such and such is not “true diversity”). We locate the cause of such disillusionments in part in the failure of diversity educators to actively engage and promote the fluidity of the concept and its many applications. We suggest the way out of this conundrum is to deconstruct the purist view and instead to found diversity practices based on more tangible local organizational objectives.
Organizations embracing the philosophy of continuous improvement require the use of every available avenue to perform consistently at higher levels. Annually, more organizations throughout the world utilize continuous improvement tools to become more effective and efficient in their production methods. Yet, year after year, companies spend billions of dollars on training programs, many of which fall short of their intended goals, creating both practical and legal issues for the business. With this in mind, this article looks at assimilating the models and methods from the discipline of instructional design and technology (IDT) with continuous improvement tools to improve the effectiveness of training for both individual and organizational development. Using IDT in this way enables the organization to better identify its learning needs. This blending of IDT and continuous improvement will produce a better, more effective educational program for the overall organization.
Continued from combinatorial decision analysis
for BEEE, economic leadership calls for reforms of sorts and
among the forefront is instructional system for tertiary
educational that can seamlessly transit graduates into industries.
This paper suggests an industry centric instructional system
developed out of constructivism towards structural
functionalism by tri-parties collaborative learning; a
continuous industry CRM appraisal process of college
facilitation and interns on a yearlong
work-integrated-dissertation-environment to practice the
fundamental analysis aspect of the BEEE paradigm. In essence,
a structural functional instructional model designed from six
uncontested principles can collectively agree to a pedagogic step
up process. Four time-tested systems from the automotive
assembly, SSADM, training and quality industries with a
common denominator of four levels demonstrate the
development of an instructional system that skews CRM
constructivism towards structural functionalism for
industrializing economies. Compositing Bayesian approach
onto Pareto distribution weight and onward with harmonic means, the index for training effectiveness is established.
Questions about diversity training's utility and effectiveness remain despite its widespread use and the significant investments many firms make in such training. As a result, some HR practitioners have doubts about its relevance in the workplace. In this paper, we envision a future state of diversity training whereby diversity is embedded into work practices and programs through direct knowledge transfer, continuous skill development, and accountability for learning. We recommend four specific guidelines that HR leaders can follow to achieve this “future state” called A.G.E.M.—Approach, Goals, Executive Commitment, and Mandatory Attendance. We suggest that following the A.G.E.M. approach will lead to the kind of transformative behavioral changes required for effective diversity training programs.
In spite of significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of most chronic diseases, there is evidence that racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive lower quality of care than non-minorities and that patients of minority ethnicity experience greater morbidity and mortality from various chronic diseases than non-minorities. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on unequal treatment concluded that “racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare exist and, because they are associated with worse outcomes in many cases, are unacceptable.”1 The Institute of Medicine report defined disparities in health care as “racial or ethnic differences in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs preferences, and appropriateness of intervention.”1 Since the publication of the IOM report there has been renewed interest in understanding the sources of disparities, identifying contributing factors, and designing and evaluating effective interventions to reduce or eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.
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