Diversity training is a funny concept -- we need to teach people about diversity? Is that even a subject? We are all individuals, with unique backgrounds and characteristics, so is it not a step backwards to typecast people based on phenotype, national origin or religion? It's not like we'll ever get the subtle nuances right anyway. The reality is that all organizations experience some sort of diversity, precisely because people are not the same all the world over. In all but the tiniest communities, there are groups with different backgrounds and cultures. When the organization operates globally, the ability to work smoothly with different types of people becomes a critical success factor. Furthermore, what seems like common sense to an intelligent person should be met with the old saw "there's nothing common about common sense." Yes, you have to educate people in the organization about diversity, and the issues therein. An organization that competes globally needs to have a standardized face to the world, a common organizational culture that includes an understanding of the world we live in, its people, and how to interact with them.
The Course
Before setting up any training course, the organization needs to understand why the course is important as this will help to define the objectives of the course. At the basic level, there is the legal aspect. There are laws that prevent discrimination based on a number of factors -- gender, race, religion and ethnicity among them. At the local level, there may be extensions of these laws. Any organization needs to understand the legal framework for discrimination law, because all members of the organization are bound to follow the laws, and failure to do so creates legal liability for the entire organization. Ensuring compliance has to be the first objective of the training.
The second objective needs to be to establish a consistent organizational culture with respect to diversity issues. The organization can determine for itself what specific elements this culture will have, but the training should have the objective of developing the overall organizational culture, so that the way the company handles diversity is implemented consistently across all of its operations. This again is important for compliance, but also because a strong organizational culture provides clarity for employees. There are going to be times when the corporate culture is different from someone's individual views, so that person will have to understand what the corporate culture is, and that the corporate culture takes precedence.
Another reason that the training needs to create a common organizational culture with respect to diversity is that everybody has his or her own starting point with respect to diversity. Some people come from very cosmopolitan areas, and probably do not need any training on this issue. Other people need a lot of training -- the objective is that everybody, no matter their starting point, will leave the training with the same understanding of diversity and how that manifests in the organizational culture.
Types of Training
Diversity training takes many forms, and the structure of the training may in many aspects reflect the objectives of the training. Ferdman and Brody (1996), in an early study, noted that there are many different forms that diversity training takes. They note that such training can be as simple as a "one hour briefing to an organization-wide change initiative," and presumably everything in between. Training can be online or offline. It can focus on scenarios, on general education, or on both. There can be tests or not. The structure of the training will be dependent on the budget, and the importance of the training for the company.
It is recommended that, to reduce costs, most of the training be conducted online. There should be an offline component, and this should occur twice -- once at the beginning to set the tone for the training, and once at the end, to ensure that the training has met with the objectives. The company should have an in-house trainer, and this person should be supported with a reasonable budget, and testimonials from the CEO. Ultimately, training is more likely to stick if the employees know that the need for this training comes right from the top of the company (Chapman, 2002). The trainer should be an expert both on the subject and on workplace training, so that there are no performance gaps in either area. It is worth spending the money to ensure that the training program is effective.
Where the first introductory training should highlight what the desired organizational culture with respect to diversity should...
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