• Demonstrate that they have understood the main elements and dimensions of diversity, and the diverse ideas and underlying assumptions in the various theories of organisational change.
• Apply this cumulative comprehension and knowledge to practical problems in organisations.
• Assess workplace diversity as it relates to working effectively with people who have different characteristics,
• Describe through cases and examples how diversity builds competitive advantage for organisations.
• Practice employee problem-solving skills that are appropriate in a diverse workforce, including recognizing and reducing prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination.
• Demonstrate, through case studies and real life examples, how proactive businesses have adapted to change.
• Understand how to apply various strategies and intervention tools for successful change management.
• Explore how appropriate diversity management can lead to organisational learning, organisational intelligence, knowledge management, innovation and change.

Many of the key opportunities and challenges for organisations centre around people with different characteristics, cultures, backgrounds, and abilities working together effectively, whether as co-workers, employee-employer, supplier-customer, or strategic alliance partners. This course teaches students how to make strategic use of the synergies originating from workforce diversity to help organizations improve employee engagement, customer loyalty, market penetration, and the bottom line. The course will develop students’ knowledge of, and skills in, managing diversity, including such topics as the principles for optimising human performance in organizations, cultural intelligence and leading and managing diverse organizations. In addition, the course will focus on building managerial skills to successfully achieve organizational change through innovation and creative use of diversity as a resource.
The course is organised into two parts. In the first half of the course students will be exposed to the basic concepts, issues and dimensions of diversity, and explore the challenge that managing differences along individual characteristics, culture, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, abilities, etc., presents to both organisations and individuals. We will examine how workforce diversity can provide strength and lead to competitive advantage for businesses. Specific dimensions of diversity (personal characteristics, gender and culture) will be thoroughly examined through readings, class exercises, case studies, role playing, video screening, and student project work. We will identify the synergies in working with a diverse workforce, both at the group and at the organisational level, and develop strategic plans for dealing with potential conflicts and difficulties. The barriers to productive use of diversity, such as discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping, ethnocentrism, elitism and privilege will be explored and strategies and techniques for mitigating the negative effects will be discussed.
In the second half of the course, the effects of diversity will be examined and case studies and real-life examples will be studied to determine how proactive businesses created competitive advantage and achieved adaptive organisational changes. We will regard diversity both as a major resource, and as an important factor of organisational complexity. We will demonstrate how organisations can benefit from the talent of employees from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, and how talent management can lead to organisational learning, knowledge management, innovation and change. Theories of organisational change at the individual, team and organisational level will be discussed. Concrete examples of restructuring, mergers and acquisitions and cultural changes will be discussed through case studies and real life examples, how proactive businesses created competitive advantage and achieved adaptive organisational changes. We will regard diversity both as a major resource, and as an important factor of organisational complexity.  We will demonstrate how organisations can benefit from the talent of employees from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, and how talent management can lead to organisational learning, knowledge management, innovation and change. Theories of organisational change at the individual, team and organisational level will be discussed. Concrete examples of restructuring, mergers and acquisitions and cultural changes will be discussed through case studies and real life examples.
The guiding theme throughout the course is organisational diversity as a major source for adaptive change. Topics that will be covered in the classes include:

• Individual and theoretical perspectives on workplace diversity.
• Primary and secondary dimensions of diversity: personal characteristics, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge; religion, appearance, social class.
• Barriers to diversity: prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, ethnocentrism.
• Characteristics of a multicultural and diverse workforce in an organisation – creating synergies.
• Talent management through diversity management.
• Contribution of diversity to organisational change.
• Organisational learning, organisational intelligence, knowledge management, innovation and change.

The Preliminary Assignment is an individual reflective paper on personality or gender diversity experiences, and is aimed at helping the acquisition of main diversity concepts. For the Mandatory Mid-term Assignment students will form groups of 4-5, and will conduct a team project researching a particular aspect of diversity, and present their analysis in a 10-15 minutes structured presentation in Classes 5 and 6.
 

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