Organizational Learning: Case Synopsis

Hall, J.C., Everett, J.E., Hamilton-Mason, J. (2012). Black women talk about workplace stress and how they cope. Journal of black studies 43 (2), 207-26.This article talks about the stressful situation facing African American in the workplace and the strategies they used to manage it. The authors related that the same stress struggling black women in the workplace was among the white female also even though they were experiencing inequality issues on top of the reality. The study was focused on five key terms to explain, the process of racism and sexism in the workplace stressing female African American. The authors elaborated the criteria of hiring or promoting in a diverse workplace as the first key. Secondly, the crucial

Management differs today than it did in the past. In the past, managers were considered “bosses” and their job mostly consisted of giving employees orders, monitoring performance and reprimanding unproductive behavior and misconduct. Many managers still manage employees in such fashion; however, some managers now tend to be more proactive and have changed managerial functions for the betterment of company operations and performance to accomplish organizational goals. Effective management for company success now entails guiding, training, supporting, motivating and coaching employees verses just demanding what

Women continue to face disadvantages in the workplace in regards to not receiving equal pay as well. There are many instances where women have the same or more qualifications to do a job than their male counterparts but do not receive the same pay. This difference in pay is not only related to gender differences but also racial differences. Women employees of different racial backgrounds tend to earn less money than their white female and male counterparts. Many women of color often face discrimination when applying to jobs and are overlooked for a position despite having the qualifications to do the work. When they are hired to these occupations they are not receiving the same pay as their white female counterparts. This double bind that minority women face within the work place continues to lead to economic hardships. Regarding women in the workplace in general, due to society’s high regard for men they are often not promoted to positions of authority or receive equal pay because people assume that women are inferior workers. (Buchanan, p205-207)

This proposal will explore two significant issues Black women face in the work place. The first issue involves African American women being less likely to be considered for promotions, in comparison to Caucasian women. The second issue involves African American women receiving less pay than Caucasian women. The theoretical perspective that best understand why these issues exist is the social conflict theory. This theory explains that groups, such as social classes, gender, or race, compete for limited resources, as

Through Training and discussions are essential to raise awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion in any work settings. Discussion in meetings or group discussion among staffs play a vital role to raise awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion. The more they will engage in discussion or obtain trainings about this issue the more they will learn and be aware of and also they will be able and put them in their everyday’s practice.

ill experience the public spheres and the workplace discrimination at the same level, because they have both conditions. Another example is the fact that African American women are often forgotten in history textbooks (Strickland & Weems, 2000, p. 72). In addition, even in todays’ news we talk more about the killing of African American men but not the ones of African American women (Ted Woman). From this perspective, other myths will derive such as the Strong Black Women myth (Black & Peacock, 2011). This myth is about a “gender-critical approach” in which African-American women are seen as stronger and responsible for their “health experiences” (Black & Peacock, 2011, 144). A research named Scott with his study sees the myth as forcing African American women to feel like they are self-reliant which will lead them to believe that they need to take care of their family, community, etc. Scott will refer to this idea as the management “warrior mode” (1991).

My target group for this assignment is African – American men. I encounter members of this group on daily basis, and would like to learn more about this particular group’s workplace experience as it relates to diversity; more precisely if they are experiencing different treatment due to their ethnicity and gender. Even though I encounter members of this group on daily basis, I do not work with members of this group and have not in my previous jobs. I have very little understanding of their views and experiences pertaining to work environment. This group differs from me in two dimensions: gender and ethnicity. This is a distinct group for this essay since I am Caucasian and female. I grew up in Albania and moved to the United States when

In a perfect world, people would be equal in rights, opportunities, and responsibilities, despite their race or gender. In the world we live in, however, we always face all kinds of neglect based on different attributes. All over the United States, certain people treat others with prejudice because of particular features they possess. Unfortunately, prejudice and discrimination occur even in places which, by definition, should be free of all personal prejudices – specifically, in offices and other business surroundings. This tragedy is called workplace discrimination; not every unfair behavior at work, however, can be assessed as discrimination. Discrimination in the workplace happens when an employee experiences unfair treatment due to their race, gender, age, religion, marital status, national origin, disability or veteran status, or other characteristics. Discrimination is one of the largest issues people face in the workplace and it must be dealt with. The U.S. have laws and regulations on discrimination but it still often occurs. Workplace discrimination appears in hiring, training, promotion, firing, and other institutional or interpersonal treatment. Discrimination sometimes causes an employee to leave or quit the workplace, resign from a position, or in more severe cases, to commit suicide or act violently against the discriminators. Discrimination is one of the largest issues many people face in the workplace.

The topic of minorities in the workforce and how the struggle to accomplish equal treatment in today’s workforce is nothing new to our society. For centuries we have been concerned that by bringing together our different backgrounds, skills, and experiences, as well as the many businesses of this great

For most companies, identifying what a learning organization should be and actually becoming one is tricky at best, impossible at worst. One way that manager's and companies can promote the concept of being a learning organization is to assess whether the company is in need of a short-term fix or whether it is more focused on long-term results. Organizational learning is a long-term activity that will build competitive advantage over time and requires sustained management attention, commitment, and effort. Learning organizations maximize their competitive positions during strong economic times and they prudently train their employees and prepare for change even in turbulent times. As a result, learning organizations and learning

Gender, ethnicity, and race inequalities and the issues surrounding them in the workplace have been on the forefront of society’s mind for decades. The problem of inequality in the workplace has become one of the most important and vital issues in our society today. In order to understand fully the reasons for these inequalities, one must try to understand the factors that cause gender, ethnicity, and racial issues within the workplace, yet in this case, we will tend to focus mostly towards gender inequality in the workplace. One typically thinks locally

With all of the advances in modern society and human behavior, racism is still a crisis that many people have to cope with. It can occur at any place or at any time, including in the workplace. Racial discrimination arises when someone is treated differently based on their actual or perceived race. Many people believe that if one were to be in the vicinity of a respected workplace that they would be respected by all co-workers and employers; this is in no way true. A big amount of minority employees, mainly African-Americans, are affected by racial discrimination in the workplace whether it’s from their employers or their fellow co-workers, and it is not at all acceptable. Racial discrimination is a situation that has always been a problem, so we must show an effort to try to eliminate it from our society.

Management differs today than it did in the past. In the past, managers were considered “bosses” and their job mostly consisted of giving employees orders, monitoring performance and reprimanding unproductive behavior and misconduct. Many managers still manage employees in such fashion; however, some managers now tend to be more proactive and have changed managerial functions for the betterment of company operations and performance to accomplish organizational goals. Effective management for company success now entails guiding, training, supporting, motivating and coaching employees verses

The general line of reasoning is that if we learn to incorporate each other’s diverse traits and characteristics in the workplace, we can then use these differences to foster an innovative environment, which will give the company a competitive advantage over the competitors that do not accept workforce diversity. According to the Allied Academies International Conference, “Diversity is rapidly becoming a common practice among companies due to the increasing number of minorities entering the job market today. As these groups become more prevalent throughout companies, upper-level employees are facing numerous challenges when determining what changes must take place to create a positive working environment for everyone. Management is responsible for the development and implementation of effective policies directly relating to diversity to ensure the acceptance of minorities into the workplace and to aid in minorities’ success through equal opportunities and treatment.” (Marcia L. James, 2001, Academy for Studies in International Business Proceedings)

Throughout our final semester of study at Maryville, our cohort has studied Peter Senge’s, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Rather than set of management practices, the book describes how organizations, especially those that are sustainably competitive, know how to learn. These “learning organizations” are continuously learning how to work together, where the norm is producing their best. In the book, Senge identifies five essential elements, that when practiced together, create perfect conditions for an effective learning organization. These five practices are Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision,