AGE & GENDER DIVERSITY

Carrie Guggenmos Spring 2012

OVERVIEW

Age Diversity Statistics Barriers Myths Advantages

Gender Diversity Biological differences Behavioral differences Mate guarding Leadership

DIVERSITY

Refers to variation in important human characteristics that distinguish people from one another Primary dimensions: age, gender, ethnicity, race,

mental/physical abilities Workplace diversity

Diversity of those employed by a business/organization

Trends Workforce is continuing to get older More women employed than ever before

AGING WORKFORCE: STATISTICS

AGING WORKFORCE: STATISTICS

AGING WORKFORCE: STATISTICS

AGING WORKFORCE: STATISTICS

AGING WORKFORCE: WHY DO WE CARE

Large untapped source of potential labor Approximately 10-30 years of life expectancy in

retirement

Barriers for older adults Attitudes and practices in an organization might

hinder employment opportunity

Healthcare costs

Phased Retirement

AGING WORKFORCE: MYTH VS. REALITY

Older workers can’t or won’t learn new skills

Older workers don’t stay on the job long

Older workers take more sick days than younger workers

Older workers aren’t flexible or adaptable

Older workers are more expensive

AGING WORKFORCE AND THE LAW

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) 1967 Protects individuals age 40 and over Applies to the private and federal level

Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) 1974 Minimum standards for pension plans in private

industries

ADVANTAGES OF OLDER WORKERS

Are careful, calm, and effective Less training costs due to their experience Higher organizational commitment Equal or better attendance rates Lower on-the-job accident rates Higher performance and productivity than

younger workers More reliable Stronger work ethic Can serve as mentors

Lower levels of turnover

PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES Sensory systems

Vision Visual acuity Contrast Sensitivity Dark adaptation

Hearing Hindered performance on auditory tasks Poor auditory discrimination

Musculoskeletal systems Balance Reaction time Joint mobility

Other

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGS

Reform workplace practices

Pensions & benefit plans

Allow access to pension during phased retirement

Combat negative stereotypes

Create opportunities for skill building

Job flexibility

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

Increase national pension eligibility to 65 (UK & Japan)

Government promoted programs that match older workers with employers or offer training opportunities (UK & Japan)

Instituted a defined-contribution system (i.e., pay as you go) and benefit system calculated to reward those who work longer (Sweden)

Increased the reward for those who defer drawing benefits from the national pension system (UK)

Creation of a government commission to explore new policies to promote skill development for older workers (Sweden)

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIuzaXvvBV0&feature=related

GENDER DIVERSITY

WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE: STATS

GENDER: BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES

Brain Structure W > M

Language areas Levels of grey matter

M > W Amygdala & Hypothalamus Levels of white matter

Brain Function W > M

Hemispheric communication/integration M > W

Hemispheric/lateralization (probably due to testosterone)

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERFORMANCE AND BEHAVIOR

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION

GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MATE GUARDING

“Strategies designed to preserve access to a mate while simultaneously preventing the encroachment of intrasexual rivals, and preventing a mate from defecting from the mateship” (Buss, 2002)

Men More to become distressed by sexual infidelity Less likely to forgive Women More distressed by emotional infidelity Less likely to forgive Differences documented cross-culturally China, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Japan,

Korea

MATE GUARDING TACTICS

Males Possessive markings Confront competitors (e.g., threats, violence) Conceal partner Show off resources

Females Enhance physical appearance Engage in verbal threats Vigilance

PERCEPTION OF RIVALS

Which rivals are most threatening? Men most threatened by individuals who surpass

them in Financial prospects Job prospects Physical strength

Women most threatened by individuals with More attractive face More desirable body

GENDER AND MANAGEMENT

Just as a note: Women make up:

38% of first or mid-level managers 29% of executive or senior-level managers

Of Fortune 500 Firms: 1.8% of CEOs 9.4% of highest clout positions (executive VP and

above) 6.4% of highest paid positions

GENDER AND LEADERSHIP

Women Transformational Communal Person-oriented

Men Transactional Agentic Task-oriented

However, research has been inconclusive

LEADERSHIP AND STEREOTYPES

Role Congruity theory Large degree of congruency between “male” traits

and “manager” traits (Eagly & Karua, 2002) Think manager-think male

Effects on evaluation and attribution Feminine women more likely to receive negative

evaluations Even if all else is equal, males still seen as more effective

leaders than women

Evolutionary theory Depends on the type of conflict (Van Vugt and Spisak

2008) Females perceived as better leaders than male leaders

when competition came from within the group, Male leaders were rated better than female leaders when

competition was between groups.

GENDER, STATUS AND ANGER EXPRESSION

Domagalski and Steelman (2007)

Employees of both sexes and at both high and low levels of the hierarchy reported controlling their anger and holding their anger in when in the presence of those at a different status level

Low status males reported a higher likelihood to express anger outwardly compared to low status females

Comments? Questions?