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Diversity in the Workplace

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SURFACE LEVEL DIVERSITY, DEEP LEVEL DIVERSITY, AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS ABSTRACT Surface level diversity is the mixture of people who differentiate by sex, race or ethnicity, and the observably physically disabled. These differences typically cannot be changed and are easy to measure because they are visual. Deep level diversity are differences such as personality and attitudes that can be communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Diversity can be affiliated with socio-economic factors such as education, profession, job function, and social class. These three components of diversity affect how individuals operate in the workplace. Diversity can channel a sense of competitiveness, which has pros and cons. The …show more content…

This article will discuss the different implications of surface level diversity and deep level diversity, inclusion, effects of competitiveness , and managers ability to efficiently direct an organization to success using those factors. Surface/Deep Level Diversity Diversity research traditionally has focused on the relation between “surface-level” diversity (demographic differences among employees, such as gender, age, or race) and the level of corporate performance (Harrison, Price, and Bell 1998; Harrison et al. 2002). Deep-level diversity may refer to attributes not easily observed, including technological and educational abilities, socio-economic background, knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, beliefs, and personality (Milliken and Martins 1996; Harrison et al. 1998). In today’s society it is said that deep level diversity now holds more of an influence of how we perform in the workplace because of internal traits. Deep-level diversity refers to differences among team members’ psychological characteristics, including personalities, values, and attitudes (Harrison, 1998). Information about these factors is communicated through verbal and nonverbal behavior patterns and is only learned through extended, individualized interactions and information gathering. Deep-level diversity may influence verbal and nonverbal modes of communication and the way in which people

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