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Managing a Diverse Organization

Building Organizational Capacity through Diversity

About This Seminar

Being able to manage within a diverse organization is a fundamental criterion for effective leadership in today's changing global work environment. This workshop focuses on the tools, benefits and strategies for effectively managing diversity across all different types of organizations. In addition, participants will gain an understanding how diversity can be a key driver of important organizational outcome such as recruitment/retention, employee development and leadership succession. Through a series of case vignettes and interactive exercises, participants will understand both the importance and the power of diversity and inclusion for overall organizational impact as well as an essential part of personal effectiveness.

Who Should Attend

  • Leaders and managers who are asked to orchestrate change across diverse employees, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders.
  • Managers, leaders and project team members who seek to understand and leverage diversity within the organization and the workplace.
  • Individuals seeking to gain a better understanding of how diversity impacts leadership, change, and organizational performance.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why diversity matters to effective organizational performance and outcomes.
  • Identify the key competencies surrounding managing and leading diversity in organizations.
  • Develop an understanding of diversity as a competitive advantage for organizations.
  • Identify tools and approaches for managing diversity at the individual and organizational levels.

Program Outline

  • Defining diversity
    • What do we mean by diversity in organizations?
    • Examining the different dimensions of diversity
    • Developing global leaders
  • Diversity at the organizational level of analysis
    • Developing cultural awareness among leaders and managers
    • Understanding diversity - building organizational capacity
    • Lessons learned from "best practice" in diversity
  • Diversity at the interpersonal level of analysis
    • Schemas, attributions and information processing
    • Unconscious bias and micro-inequities at work
    • Conflict managing within diverse organizations
  • Diversity as a key for competitive advantage
    • Competing in the global war for talent
    • Diversity, team effectiveness and innovation
    • Diversity and effective stakeholder management
    • Diversity and firm performance
  • Diversity - case studies and practical applications
    • Moving from compliance to engagement
    • Diversity and organizational change
    • Creating a culture of inclusion

Days/Duration

1 day - six (6) hour program

Professor Bio

Audrey J. Murrell conducts research, teaching and consulting that helps organizations better utilize and engage their most important assets - their human and social capital. She is an Associate Professor of Business Administration, Psychology, Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh Pitt Business School of Business and Director of the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership. Professor Murrell conducts research on mentoring, careers in organizations, workforce/supplier diversity, and social issues in management. Audrey has received numerous recognitions including the University of Pittsburgh Student Choice Award, the "Women of Distinction" award from the Girls Scouts of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Susan B. Anthony "Women of Vision" award from the Women's Leadership Assembly, and the Chancellor's Distinguished Public and Community Service Award from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Murrell is the author (along with Crosby and Ely) of the book entitled, Mentoring Dilemmas: Developmental Relationships within Multicultural Organizations published by McGraw-Hill, and the forthcoming book (along with Forte-Trummel and Bing) entitled, "Blue Mentoring: Innovative Mentoring for Organizational Learning at IBM" published by Pearson Education Group.