Journal Review, David Thomas and Robin Ely
David Thomas and Robin Ely address what it would take for organizations to fully reap the benefits of a diverse labor force. Managers are on the view that a more diverse labor force will actually increase the effectiveness of the organization. It also raises the morale of employees and enhances the access to new sectors of the market, generally promoting business. The journal article tries to bring forward an explanation on why diversity efforts have not been achieving their potential and presents a new paradigm for understanding and leveraging diversity. According to them, there is a special way of unleashing the powerful benefits of a diverse workforce.
Diversity goes beyond growing the amount of different identity-group affiliations. Such effort is simply the first step in working with a diverse labor force for the greatest benefit. Diversity should be viewed from the different approaches to work and various perspectives different identity-groups bring. Two viewpoints on diversity: the discrimination and fairness paradigm and the access and legitimacy paradigm, have directed most of the diversity initiatives to date. A new emerging paradigm approach has been identified, which is also called the learning and effectiveness paradigm. It integrates features from the first two paradigms and goes a step further in actually connecting the diversity approaches to work (Thomas and Ely).
[...] This is so because socio-metric techniques tend to discourage the naming of those weakly tied to the respondent hence minimizing the number of choices available. Normally, when the time an individual adopts a new idea is recorded, as is the total of socio-metric choices available for others in the study. Those who receive many choices are central while those of few marginal. Both may be well motivated to diffuse innovation but it is difficult to evaluate how they can spread the innovation successfully. [...]
[...] Print. Pye, Lucian W. Spirit of Chinese Politics.” The Dynamics of Chinese Politics (1992): 207-212. Print. Scott, Snook, Leslie A. Perlow, Brian J. Delacey. “Coach Knight: The Will to Win.” HBS Premier Case Collection (2005): 1-14. Print. “Sensemaking in Organizations.” Sensemaking in Organizations. n.d. Print. [...]
[...] He argued that winning was the expectation. He was excellent in figuring out what exactly what would work in a given situation and how to modify it if it's not working. He possessed the two leadership traits had by coach conceptual and technical skills. The one trait Knight was deficient in was the human skill. He is very popular for his roughness and use of intimidation, high level of profanity and certainly throwing a chair on the court epitomizes his lack of human skills (Snook, Scott, Leslie, Perlow, and Brian DeLacey) The No-Stats All-Star case Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets does not score many point or have many rebounds, and was even described by his team's manager as a marginal athlete. [...]
[...] The leader should strive to bring the best out of anyone involved in the team Excellent leaders should identify and develop the Battier's of their organizations. It's our responsibility to find and develop the great team players we have in our organizations. Qualities such as putting personal gains behind team interests, respect for team members, constructive conflict resolution, visionary thinking and seeing opportunities in problems should be watched out for in employees to make their teams and peers better. Works Cited Granovetter, Mark. Strength of Weak Ties.” American Journal of Sociology (1973): 1360-1380. [...]
[...] Journal Review: Making Differences Matter David Thomas and Robin Ely address what it would take for organizations to fully reap the benefits of a diverse labour force. Managers are on the view that a more diverse labour force will actually increase the effectiveness of the organization. It also raises the morale of employees and enhances the access to new sectors of the market, generally promoting business. The journal article tries to bring forward an explanation on why diversity efforts have not been achieving their potential and presents a new paradigm for understanding and leveraging diversity. [...]
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