ILRHR527: Countering Bias in the Workplace...ILRHR527: Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR This...

ILRHR527: Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR

This course includes

• Three quizzes

• One assigned reading

• Two discussions

• One Ask the Expert interactive

• Four tools to download and use on the job

• One scored project in multiple parts

• One video transcript file

Completing all of the coursework should take about five to seven hours.

What you'll learn

• Identify the dimensions of diversity that matter most in organizations and why.

• Recognize unconscious bias and how it affects the way that people perceive, evaluate,and react to others.

• Assess the HR practices in place and whether they are likely to reduce the negativeoutcomes associated with unconscious bias.

• Identify interventions that will help override errors in judgment and decision making.

Course Description

There is no such thing as a workplace that lacks diversity. Despite decades of legal and social reform aimed at reducing discrimination in the workplace, however, inequality continues to be a significant problem in all societies and most workplaces.

In this course, you will identify the perceptual and psychological processes that impact the way that individuals interact with people who are demographically dissimilar from them. You will examine the psychological processes that impact decision making within organizations and identify

how HR professionals can not only design better HR practices but help line managers to more effectively leverage the potential among employees.

As a trained psychologist with research and consulting expertise related to diversity and inclusion, Cornell University Professor Lisa Nishii is uniquely positioned to help course participants understand the complex dynamics underlying diversity challenges and opportunities within organizations.

Lisa H. Nishii, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Human Resource Studies Director, International Programs School of Industrial Labor Relations, Cornell University

Lisa H. Nishii, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Human Resource Studies and Director, International Programs, in the School of Industrial Labor Relations of Cornell University. Professor Nishii joined the faculty of the Human Resource Studies

department at the ILR School, Cornell University, after receiving her Ph.D. and M.A. in Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in economics and psychology from Wellesley College.

Nishii's most active body of research focuses on diversity and inclusion, particularly in global organizations. She has been working most recently on multi-level research funded by the SHRM Foundation, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Education, in which she is examining the benefits of inclusive climates for diverse groups and for the individuals working within them. Her research suggests that the "value in diversity" only emerges in inclusive environments, in which subgroup disparities are minimized and there are strong norms for people to cultivate cross-boundary relationships. In her ongoing projects, she is examining the influence of organizational practices and leadership behaviors in shaping the inclusiveness of unit climates and is also exploring how people's social networks develop differently in inclusive work-group climates. In related work, she is researching the reasons for and effects of "decoupling" between intended diversity practices and the everyday implementation of those practices. Most recently, she has begun partnering with large, global corporations in an effort to merge her research on inclusion with her expertise in cross-cultural psychology to understand how inclusion may be defined and enacted differently across cultures.

Nishii actively publishes in top-tier management journals, including the Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, andPersonnel Psychology. Four of her papers have received international “best paper” recognition. She serves on the editorial boards of Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Organizational Psychology

Review,and Equal Opportunities International. She is currently serving a 3-year term on the executive committee of the Academy of Management's Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division. Nishii is also passionate about her teaching and is the only professor in the ILR School to have won two teaching awards as an assistant professor, and she is the first to have won a university-wide teaching and advising award. Nishii enjoys working with organizations to help them to assess the inclusiveness of their workplace and to identify mechanisms for enhancing inclusion and its benefits.

Table of ContentsCourse Modules

Module: Examine Dimensions

1. Module Introduction: Examine Dimensions2. Watch: Defining Diversity3. Watch: Caveats to Keep in Mind4. Watch: Understanding Privilege5. Read: Dr. Peggy McIntosh on White Privilege6. Activity: Check Your Privilege7. Tool: Check Your Privilege8. Read: Sources of Privilege in Organizations and Society9. Dimensions of Diversity

10. Examine Your Workplace11. Course Project, Part One: Examine Dimensions12. Module Wrap-up: Examine Dimensions

Module: Recognize Unconscious Bias

1. Module Introduction: Recognize Unconscious Bias2. Watch: What Is Unconscious Bias?3. Watch: Explore How Unconscious Bias Affects Us4. Watch: Microaggressions5. Tool: Identifying Unconscious Bias6. Watch: How Unconscious Bias Leads to Different Evaluation of Equivalent

Behavior7. Watch: How Unconscious Bias Influences the Way that People Interact8. Course Project, Part Two: Recognize the Effects of Unconscious Bias9. Module Wrap-up: Recognize Unconscious Bias

Module: Assess Existing Practices

1. Module Introduction: Assess Existing Practices2. Watch: Examples of Great HR Practices

3. Tool: Assess Existing HR Practices4. Examine Shiseido5. Watch: The Double-Edged Sword of Numerical Goals6. Consider Diversity at Google7. Course Project, Part Three: Assess Existing Practices8. Module Wrap-up: Assess Existing Practices

Module: Identify Interventions

1. Module Introduction: Identify Interventions2. Watch: Bias Interrupters for Perceptions of Competence3. Watch: Bias Interrupters for Evaluating the Same Behavior Differently4. Watch: Ask the Expert, Tiffanie Boyd5. Watch: Bias Interrupters for the Ways People Interact6. Tool: Choose Interventions for Interrupting Unconscious Bias in Interpersonal

Interactions7. HR Interventions8. Course Project, Part Four: Identify Interventions9. Verify Your Discussion Participation

10. Module Wrap-up: Identify Interventions11. Read: Thank You and Farewell12. Stay Connected

Course Resources

1. Glossary2. Video Transcripts

Module: Examine Dimensions1. Module Introduction: Examine Dimensions2. Watch: Defining Diversity3. Watch: Caveats to Keep in Mind4. Watch: Understanding Privilege5. Read: Dr. Peggy McIntosh on White Privilege6. Activity: Check Your Privilege7. Tool: Check Your Privilege8. Read: Sources of Privilege in Organizations and Society9. Dimensions of Diversity

10. Examine Your Workplace11. Course Project, Part One: Examine Dimensions12. Module Wrap-up: Examine Dimensions

Back to Table of Contents

Module Introduction: Examine Dimensions

Examine Dimensions

In this module, you will identify the dimensions of diversity that matter mostin organizations and determine the reasons for it. You will define criticalterms and concepts related to diversity and privilege. You will examine thedimensions of diversity that matter most in your organization. You will alsohear from Professor Nishii on what the research says about the significanceof diversity within the workplace. You will read a seminal article on privilegeand access a helpful, reusable workplace tool on checking your privilege.

You will also have an opportunity to participate in a discussion on diversity within theworkplace. Finally, you will complete part of a course project in which you examinedimensions by assessing the society and organization in which you're working, determinewho enjoys the greatest privilege, and identify what, if any, disruptors there are for eachprivilege.

Back to Module: Examine Dimensions


Watch: Defining Diversity

Defining Diversity

As you start this course, you want to begin by asking the question, What do we mean bydiversity?

Consider this sample corporate diversity statement selected by Professor Nishii:

"We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability,ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin,physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics such as personality andpersonal interests that make our employees unique."

In this video, Professor Nishii will discuss not only what we mean by diversity but also whydiversity matters.



Watch: Caveats to Keep in Mind

Caveats to Keep in Mind

In this video, Professor Nishii explains that some of the dimensions of diversity that aremost critical will vary depending on the part of the world in which you work. For example,race-based issues are critical in the US, but this is not the case in Japan, where thepopulation is ethnically almost completely homogeneous. It is important to be mindful of thetypes of differences that are really important within the particular context in which you areworking, as Professor Nishii explains.



Watch: Understanding Privilege

Understanding Privilege

In this video, Professor Nishii discusses the concept of privilege and the systems thatsupport privilege, which have significant implications for the workplace. As you continueyour focus on disadvantage and bias, it's important to also consider systems of privilege.Privilege has been defined by Peggy McIntosh as "an invisible package of unearned assetswhich one can count on cashing in each and every day, but about which one is largelyoblivious." Professor Nishii examines privilege here.

For an extra, optional exploration activity, Professor Nishii recommends that you searchYouTube for the brief video, "Cracking the Codes: Joy DeGruy, A Trip to the GroceryStore." Consider what this story illustrates to you about privilege and about interruptions.



Read: Dr. Peggy McIntosh on White Privilege

Dr. Peggy McIntosh on White Privilege

Peggy McIntosh Ph.D.'s article isa seminal text on the subject

First published 1989

Privilege: "an invisible package ofunearned assets"

As Professor Nishii has explained, the term white privilege echoes the title of a famousarticle published by Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D., "White Privilege: Unpacking the InvisibleKnapsack," which was first published in Peace and Freedom Magazine in 1989.

"I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I cancount on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant to' remain oblivious," McIntoshwrites. "White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps,passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks."

As you read the article and reflect on this "invisible package of unearned assets," considerthe workplace and the themes of this course: who has unearned power and privilege in theworkplace? Consider, also, how the privileges that attach to different categories of identityaffect full engagement and participation in work.

Dr. McIntosh's papers continue to be the ones most cited on the subject around the world.Her work has been cited recently in the New Yorker (5/12/2014) and the HuffingtonPost (10/21/2014).

Dr. McIntosh is the founder of the National SEED Project, a program of the WellesleyCenters for Women at Wellesley College, which is one of the largest gender-focusedresearch-and-action organizations in the world. Visit Dr. McInstosh's papers, including"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," and other related papers, at the SEEDProject website. (Find it by searching using the terms "SEED project" or "Peggy McIntosh"or "invisible knapsack.")



Activity: Check Your Privilege

Check Your Privilege

Now you will have a chance to examine your experiences of privilege. Are there privilegesthat you enjoy within the workplace, perhaps without being aware of it? Review each of thestatements provided and indicate whether you can count on this privilege at work. Whatdoes this tell you about the privileges that attach to different categories of people?

This activity is for your benefit as you build your awareness of unconscious bias; you willnot be graded on it.

Privilege Statements: Answer "Yes" or "No"

1. I can count on looking at the top level of management in any my organization andseeing people (i.e., more than just a “token” individual) who belong to my identitycategory: my gender, race/, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, disabilitystatus.

YesNoYou answered "yes." Which of your identities affords you that privilege?You answered "no." What types of people in your organization do enjoy that privilege?

2. I can count on my coworkers wanting to include me in their conversations.


3. I can display photographs of my family or my personal life without worrying that itwill invite negative perceptions.

YesNo

You answered "yes." Which of your identities affords you that privilege?You answered "no." What types of people in your organization do enjoy that privilege?

4. I can count on my coworkers assuming that we will have things in common thatunite us.


5. I can speak up within my work group and not worry that others will attributesomething about what I said to my identity category (gender, race/ethnicity, sexualorientation, religion, disability status); instead, they will focus on the idea itself.


6. I can trust that my behavior will be viewed as only my own and not representativeof a wider group.


7. I can trust that I won't be talked over in a meeting.


8. I can talk about what I did over the weekend without without worrying about whatit will reveal about me.


9. I can trust that my peers and colleagues assume I have earned my positionthrough my abilities.


10. I can mention my family responsibilities without being perceived as a lessvaluable contributor.


11. I can trust that I will get credit for my ideas and contributions.


12. I can feel comfortable asking questions or asking for help because my coworkersassume I am competent.

YesNoYou answered "yes." Which of your identities affords you that privilege?

You answered "no." What types of people in your organization do enjoy that privilege?

13. If I opt not to volunteer to take care of “office housekeeping” tasks (likeorganizing team social functions, workplace clean-up efforts, or taking the time toorient newcomers), or decline requests to do so, I don’t usually worry aboutappearing selfish or feeling guilty.


14. I can speak up without being interrupted.


15. I can feel comfortable being my preferred self, showing my true personality, atwork without worrying that people will judge me negatively for it.


16. I am confident that people will attribute my success to my ability rather than toluck or to the goodwill of others.


17. When I am asked to serve on committees or task forces, I assume it’s becausepeople value what I have to offer, not because they need a representative from myidentity group.


18. I am never asked to speak for all the people of my identity group (e.g., “What doXX-type of people think about this issue?”).


19. If I feel I’ve been mistreated in some way by a coworker, I usually do not wonderwhether it’s because of my membership in a particular identity group.




Tool: Check Your Privilege

Check Your Privilege

You may find it helpful to reusethe Check Your Privilegeworksheet.

You may choose to check your privilege again in the future. Perhaps you would like torecheck your privilege in six months and compare your perceptions to today's results. Ifissues of diversity are of interest to your work group, you might choose to use this as aconversation starter within the group. Download the Check Your Privilege tool to reuse asyou like.

If issues of diversity are of interest to your work group, you might choose to use this as aconversation starter within the group. Professor Nishii suggests these possible conversationstarters, if you are so inclined:

1. What types of privileges did this activity reveal that you hadn’t previously thought muchabout? Were the ones that you noticed examples of privilege that you felt you did or did nothave?2. When there are differences within organizations in whether people can count on havingthese privileges, what are the implications for:

Attributions of competence, potential, and/or performance?Experiences of workplace strain?Interpersonal conflict?Experiences of inclusion?

3. In organizations where those in senior leadership positions are members of groups thathave enjoyed these privileges, what are the implications for their awareness of, orsensitivity to, the costs associated with not having such privileges?4. What identity groups are consistently associated with privilege or a lack of privilegewithin your organizational context? Are these patterns consistent with what you think youwould see in other organizations within your society?5. Are there identity characteristics that might uniquely be associated with privilege ordisadvantage within your workgroup or organizational context?

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/content/ILRHR/ILRHR527/ILRHR527_check-your-privilege.pdf

Read: Sources of Privilege in Organizations and Society

Sources of Privilege in Organizations and Society

Arbitrary status hierarchy isautomatically assigning greatervalue to membership in ademographic group

Arbitrary status hierarchies canbe invalidated within workcontexts

It’s possible that not all of the identity categories that serve as a source of privilege (versusdisadvantage) in your organization align with those in the broader society in which you live.There are a few reasons for this:

As Professor Nishii has discussed, the term arbitrary status hierarchy refers to the nearlyautomatic assignment of greater social value to membership in a particular demographiccategory (e.g., being male) such that members of the category enjoy privileges such asassumptions of competence and inclusion even though the demographic category itself isnot work-related per se. It differs from status hierarchies that are based on differences inability or expertise that are earned and developed by individuals. Some people find it helpfulto think of the difference in terms of ascribed status versus achieved status.

Although research shows that the default is for the arbitrary status hierarchies that exist inthe broader society to be easily imported into organizations such that those with moreprivilege in society tend also to have greater privilege in organizations, it is possible forthese arbitrary status hierarchies to be “invalidated” within specific work contexts. This is acritical point to remember.

Arbitrary status hierarchies are invalidated when the demographic or social identitycategory is disassociated from assumptions about social value. This can happen in a varietyof ways:

a. Fair implementation of practices and distribution of resources

When access to resources and opportunities are fairly distributed within a work unit andtherefore being or not being a member of a social identity category no longer becomes

predictive of favored status.

b. Organizational context

1. Salience of an identity dimension to a group or organization’s tasks or goals

Sometimes, jobs and/or occupations have a “type” associated with them based on thenature of the work. Although being older may be associated with higher status in moretraditional industries, being younger may be associated with higher status in high-techfirms because younger generations are assumed to be tech savvier. Another example isfirefighting, which is male typed, most likely because of the physical strength that isrequired to perform the job.

2. Organizational demography

The more balanced an organization’s workforce demographics throughout levels of theorganization (all the way to the top), the less likely it is that any one social identitycategory will be associated with greater status.

For example, in Japan, gender differences in access to employment opportunities andleadership positions continue to persist in most organizations. However, in Shiseido, alarge cosmetics company, this is not the case. There are many women in power, and asa result, gender stereotypes about competence and leadership are significantly differentthan in the average company. Of course, this could also be because the underlyingorganizational mission (selling cosmetics to women) affords women more status than isusually the case.



Dimensions of Diversity

Now you will consider diversity as it relates to status hierarchies. Are there dimensions ofdiversity that matter only within society and not at all within an organization? Are theredimensions of diversity that matter within an organization but not within society? Where arethere overlaps?

You must achieve a score of 100% on this quiz to complete the course. You maytake it as many times as needed to achieve that score.

Points: 5



Examine Your Workplace

Instructions:

You are required to participate meaningfully in at least two discussions in this course.

Discussion topic:

Take a look around your workplace. What do you notice about who holds the power andthe authority?

Create a post for this discussion forum in which you share your observations. Provide youranswers to the following questions:

1. Who are your senior leaders? Describe your senior leadership in terms of thedimensions of diversity discussed in this course.

2. In what segments of your workforce are certain groups under- or over-represented? Cite specifics.

3. What does this mean in terms of diversity and inclusion in your workplace? Givereasons for your observations.

4. What did you learn from the "Check Your Privilege" exercise? Were there any eye-opening considerations presented there? Share your observations.

To participate in this discussion:

Click Reply to post a comment or reply to another comment. Please consider that this is aprofessional forum; courtesy and professional language and tone are expected. Beforeposting, please review eCornell's policy regarding plagiarism (the presentation of someoneelse's work as your own without source credit).



https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/global/eCornellPlagiarismPolicy.pdf

Course Project, Part One: Examine Dimensions

In this part of the course project, you will identify the dimensions of diversity that mattermost in your society and in your organization, if it applies, and think about any organizationaldisruptors that may exist.

Instructions:

Download the "Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR" Course Project.Complete Part One.Save your work.You will submit the completed project at the end of the course for grading and credit.

Before you begin:

Please review eCornell's policy regarding plagiarism (the presentation of someone else'swork as your own without source credit).

Grading Type: Not Graded



https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/content/ILRHR/ILRHR527/ILRHR527_course-project.docx


Module Wrap-up: Examine Dimensions

Examine Dimensions

In this module, you identified the dimensions of diversity that matter most in organizationsand determined the reasons for it. You defined critical terms and concepts related todiversity and privilege. You heard from Professor Nishii on what the research says aboutthe significance of diversity within the workplace. You also read a seminal article onprivilege and accessed a helpful, reusable workplace tool on checking your privilege.Finally, you completed part of a course project in which you examined dimensions ofdiversity by assessing the society and organization in which you're working, determined whoenjoys the greatest privilege, and identified what, if any, disruptors there are for eachprivilege.



Module: Recognize Unconscious Bias1. Module Introduction: Recognize Unconscious Bias2. Watch: What Is Unconscious Bias?3. Watch: Explore How Unconscious Bias Affects Us4. Watch: Microaggressions5. Tool: Identifying Unconscious Bias6. Watch: How Unconscious Bias Leads to Different Evaluation of Equivalent

Behavior7. Watch: How Unconscious Bias Influences the Way that People Interact8. Course Project, Part Two: Recognize the Effects of Unconscious Bias9. Module Wrap-up: Recognize Unconscious Bias


Module Introduction: Recognize Unconscious Bias

Recognize Unconscious Bias

In this module, you will examine unconscious bias and identify the ways thatit affects how people perceive, evaluate, and react to others. You will alsoexplore related concepts, including microaggressions and microaffirmations.You will hear from Professor Nishii about what the research shows usregarding the ways unconscious bias affects individual and organizationaleffectiveness. Finally, you will complete projects in which you identifyunconscious bias, and you will assess your organization through “bias

glasses,” using your newfound awareness to identify evidence of unconscious bias that youmight not have recognized before.

Back to Module: Recognize Unconscious Bias


Watch: What Is Unconscious Bias?

What Is Unconscious Bias?

Most large companies, at least in the US, have been working to increase diversity,especially in senior leadership, for quite a while now. And more and more are feeling somelevel of frustration about the fact that they have relatively little diversity in senior leadershipto show for all their effort. The research on diversity initiatives that suggests that one of theprimary explanations for the continuing lack of full integration of employees representingdiverse backgrounds has to do with the persistence of unconscious bias. It happens at alevel below our level of awareness. In this video, Professor Nishii examines whatunconscious bias is and how it impacts the way people both see and interact with others.



Watch: Explore How Unconscious Bias Affects Us

Explore How Unconscious Bias Affects Us

In this video, Professor Nishii discusses how unconscious biases are formed and how theyaffect our expectations and perceptions of other people, and perhaps most importantly,how unconscious bias affects the ways we interact with each other within the workplace.



Watch: Microaggressions

Microaggressions

The term microaggressions refers to subtle acts that show dominance; specifically, whenmembers of a higher-status group behave in small ways, perhaps obliviously, such that theyeffectively exert or reinforce dominance over members of a lower-status group. In thisvideo, Professor Nishii introduces the term microaggressions and examines the ways inwhich such acts manifest within the workplace, often with unintended negativeconsequences.

Microaffirmations, on the other hand, have been described as the antidote tomicroaggressions. They are small, brief acts that affirm other people's competence andvalue; they serve to acknowledge people and to counteract some of the negativeconsequences of microaggressions. Examples of microaffirmations could include noddingyour head in response to what someone is saying, backing someone up publicly when theyoffer an opinion or suggestion, or giving someone your complete attention while they arespeaking.



Tool: Identifying Unconscious Bias

Identifying Unconscious Bias

Identifying Unconscious Bias

Research shows that it’s the people with privilege who tend to do more of the talking andinterrupting. Why is this important?

It's important because of self-fulfilling prophecies. The privileged behavior reinforces thevery biases that are at the root of these behaviors. When some categories of people areconsistently being talked over, they have fewer opportunities to demonstrate competence.The bias becomes internalized: the person who gets talked over all the time stopscontributing and feels marginalized, resentful, and not valued. The person who is socializedto hold back contributions then ends up not contributing as much and is passed up forpromotions.

You can use the Identifying Unconscious Bias tool to help you take notes of group behaviorand to expand your awareness of the manifestations of privilege. Through carefulobservation, you will identify instances when unconscious bias may be at play. It will alsohelp you look for evidence of artifacts that might be reinforcing unconscious bias, such asthe use of male pronouns when describing desired employee behaviors, or the homogeneityinherent in images of former and/or current organizational leaders.

Using this tool, you will identify behaviors associated with privilege, such as:

Talking first and talking over othersTaking credit for ideasFailing to take other people's ideas seriouslyMaking an assumption that you will speak for the groupMaking an assumption that you will have greater influence over group decisions or assumingyour opinion counts moreCorrecting others or presuming to articulate their ideas for them



https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/content/ILRHR/ILRHR527/ILRHR527_identifying-bias.docx

Watch: How Unconscious Bias Leads to Different Evaluation ofEquivalent Behavior

How Unconscious Bias Leads to Different Evaluation ofEquivalent Behavior

So far, you have examined how unconscious biases form and how they affect ourperceptions of (and interactions with) other people. In this video, Professor Nishii examinesthe ways in which our unconscious biases put people of lower status groups at adisadvantage: for example, we have stereotypes about which groups of people are the rightfit for certain jobs. People will hold onto their unconscious biases even when the evidencedisagrees, as Professor Nishii explains.



Watch: How Unconscious Bias Influences the Way that PeopleInteract

How Unconscious Bias Influences the Way that People Interact

In this video, Professor Nishii explains what the research says about how unconscious biasinfluences how people interact. For example, the same behavior gets evaluated differentlydepending on who engages in it.



Course Project, Part Two: Recognize the Effects of UnconsciousBias

In this part of the course project, you will take steps to recognize unconscious bias and howit affects the way people perceive, evaluate, and react to others.

Instructions:

Download the "Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR" Course Project, if you have not alreadydone so.Complete Part Two.Save your work.You will submit your completed project at the end of the course for grading and credit.

Before you begin:







Module Wrap-up: Recognize Unconscious Bias

Recognize Unconscious Bias

In this module, you examined unconscious bias and identified the ways it affects how peopleperceive, evaluate, and react to others. You also explored related concepts, includingmicroaggressions and microaffirmations. You heard from Professor Nishii about what theresearch shows us regarding the ways unconscious bias affects individual andorganizational effectiveness. Finally, you completed a project in which you identifiedunconscious bias, and you assessed your organization through “bias glasses,” using yournewfound awareness to identify evidence of unconscious bias you might not haverecognized before.



Module: Assess Existing Practices1. Module Introduction: Assess Existing Practices2. Watch: Examples of Great HR Practices3. Tool: Assess Existing HR Practices4. Examine Shiseido5. Watch: The Double-Edged Sword of Numerical Goals6. Consider Diversity at Google7. Course Project, Part Three: Assess Existing Practices8. Module Wrap-up: Assess Existing Practices


Module Introduction: Assess Existing Practices

Assess Existing Practices

In this module, you will assess existing HR and organizational practices todetermine whether their design and implementation improves (orexacerbates) unconscious bias. You will analyze the diversity and inclusionprograms implemented by the Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido, anexample selected for your attention by Professor Nishii. You will access ahelpful, reusable tool to assess HR practices, and you will examine greatHR practices outlined by Professor Nishii. At the same time, you will

examine the efforts made by Google to improve its track record of diversity within itsemployee groups. You will also have an opportunity to discuss expectations for appropriatebehavior and how those expectations relate to unconscious bias.

Back to Module: Assess Existing Practices


Watch: Examples of Great HR Practices

Examples of Great HR Practices

In the videos below, Professor Nishii discusses several concrete ways that organizationscan design better HR practices to achieve improved results in terms of diversity initiatives.

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Formalize Structure

There are several things that you can do to design HR practices to interrupt the role ofunconscious bias, including making the processes more objective, using structuredinterviews, and predetermining evaluation criteria.

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Increase Accountability

Professor Nishii recommends designing HR practices that hold managers accountable forthe decisions they make. This can be done by using hiring panels rather than relying onindividuals, and relying on evidence-based decisions rather than allowing individuals to makesubjective choices.

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Open Hiring and Promotion Processes

Organizations can make the hiring and promotion process open and transparent. By beingopen about the jobs and job-related skills that are needed, more people will self-nominate.This avoids leaving the choices open to individual managers who may already have ideas inmind about the "right" fit for the job.

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Increase Motivation

Professor Nishii explains research that shows that organizations achieve better outcomeswhen managers are motivated because they understand and believe in the benefits ofdiversity initiatives.

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Greater Representation

The more that organizations increase representation by women and other minority groups,the more they reduce the salience of negative stereotypes, as Professor Nishii explains.



Tool: Assess Existing HR Practices

Assess Existing HR Practices

Use the Assess Existing HRPractices tool to gauge how wellyour current practices meetrecommendations

Now you will assess the existing HR practices within your organization so that you canidentify what’s already in place and where improvements might be made. You will use thetool on this page to help you make an assessment of the HR practices that are already inplace within your organization. To answer all of these questions fully, you may need toconsult with others within your HR team or discuss it within a wider circle of colleagues andmanagers. You may find it helpful to continue to use this tool as you make changes andimprovements to your HR practices.



https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/content/ILRHR/ILRHR527/ILRHR527_tool-assess-existing-hr-practices.docx

Examine Shiseido

In Japan, where there is a need for economic growth, there is a societal push for women toparticipate more in the workforce.

"Women are Japan's most underutilized resource," said Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abein 2013. Closing the gap between men and women in the workplace would add anestimated 8 million workers to the workforce of Japan.

Professor Nishii has selected Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics company, as a primeexample of a corporation that both actively promotes gender equality as part of itsmanagement strategies and has a disproportionate number of women in senior leadershippositions.

Conduct your own independent research of Shiseido through the company's own website.Identify two examples of Shiseido's formal efforts to promote gender equality in theworkforce. These can be programs or policies that the company has put into place toattract women into jobs and into leadership positions.

Instructions:After conducting your research, you will complete this quiz by identifying two examples ofShiseido's formal, demonstrated commitment to promoting gender equality.

This activity is for your own benefit and is not a requirement for course completion.

Points: 0



Watch: The Double-Edged Sword of Numerical Goals

The Double-Edged Sword of Numerical Goals

Some organizations set numerical goals to increase participation by women and otherminority groups in positions of senior leadership. But the research shows that goals thatemphasize representation by numbers, well-intentioned though they may be, offer bothbenefits and drawbacks, as Professor Nishii explains.



Consider Diversity at Google

Instructions:

You are required to participate meaningfully in at least two discussions in this course.

Discussion topic:

Much has been written about diversity (or more accurately the lack of diversity) at Googleand at other tech giants. According to numbers released by Google in 2014, while 30percent of the company's global workforce was female, 61 percent of its US workforce waswhite, 30 percent was Asian, 3 percent was Hispanic, and 2 percent was black.

“We’re not where we want to be when it comes to diversity,” said Laszlo Bock, Google’ssenior vice president of people operations, in an interview with PBS. “It is hard to addressthese kinds of challenges if you’re not prepared to discuss them openly, and with the facts.All our diversity efforts, including going public with these numbers, are designed to ensureGoogle recruits and retains many more women and minorities in the future.”


1. Research the subject of Google and its efforts to increase diversity. A few articles havebeen cited below to aid you in your search; these articles and other relevant sources ofinformation are available and easily found online.

"Google Finally Discloses Its Diversity Record, and It’s Not Good," (PBS NewsHour; May2014)"Exposing Hidden Bias at Google," (Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times; September2014)"Google’s Workplace Diversity Still Has a Long Way to Go," (Kia Kokalitcheva, TimeMagazine; June 2015)

2.. Visit Google's own corporate website to find company information related to its diversityefforts, efforts to counteract unconscious bias in the workplace, and Google's HR practices.

3. Create a post in which you respond to the following:

Based on your research and your understanding of the topic, why do you think Google istrying to increase the diversity of its workforce? Give reasons to support your explanation.Do you think that Google has a genuine business rationale for increasing diversity, or doyou think this is a public relations effort to improve its brand? Explain your reasons for youropinion.Why do you think Google would make a conscious corporate effort to counteractunconscious bias within its workplace? Do you think the company's efforts will be

http://www.google.com/diversity/at-google.html

http://www.google.com/diversity

successful? Offer specific reasons for your opinion.


Click Reply to post a comment or reply to another comment. Please consider that this is aprofessional forum; courtesy and professional language and tone are expected. Beforeposting, please review eCornell's policy regarding plagiarism (the presentation of someoneelse's work as your own without source credit).




Course Project, Part Three: Assess Existing Practices

In this part of the course project, you will critically assess whether your organization’s HRpractices are likely to reduce (or exacerbate) the negative outcomes associated withunconscious bias.

Instructions:

Download the "Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR" Course Project, if you have not alreadydone so.Complete Part Three.Save your work.You will submit your completed project at the end of the course for grading and credit.

Before you begin:







Module Wrap-up: Assess Existing Practices

Assess Existing Practices

In this module, you assessed existing HR and organizational practices to determine whethertheir design and implementation mitigates (or exacerbates) unconscious bias. You analyzedthe diversity and inclusion programs implemented by the Japanese cosmetics companyShiseido, an example selected for your attention by Professor Nishii. You examined theefforts made by Google to improve its track record of diversity within its employee groups.You also accessed a helpful, reusable tool to assess HR practices, and you examined greatHR practices outlined by Professor Nishii. You also had an opportunity to discussexpectations for appropriate behavior and to identify how those expectations relate tounconscious bias.



Module: Identify Interventions1. Module Introduction: Identify Interventions2. Watch: Bias Interrupters for Perceptions of Competence3. Watch: Bias Interrupters for Evaluating the Same Behavior Differently4. Watch: Ask the Expert, Tiffanie Boyd5. Watch: Bias Interrupters for the Ways People Interact6. Tool: Choose Interventions for Interrupting Unconscious Bias in Interpersonal

Interactions7. HR Interventions8. Course Project, Part Four: Identify Interventions9. Verify Your Discussion Participation

10. Module Wrap-up: Identify Interventions11. Read: Thank You and Farewell12. Stay Connected


Module Introduction: Identify Interventions

Identify Interventions

In this module, you will review the assessment and evaluation work youhave done so far and identify possible HR interventions that can helpmitigate unconscious bias. You will identify the reciprocal relationshipbetween inclusion and unconscious bias. Professor Nishii will discussrecommended strategies and solutions for improvements, and an expertpractitioner, General Mills VP, Tiffanie Boyd, will share lessons from thefield. Finally, you will complete your course project, culminating in an action

plan for how you will move forward. Your plan may or may not relate to implementingstrategies for the entire organization but could be about what you will do as part of youreveryday work life, and/or in making others aware of possible improvements that could bemade to HR practices.

Back to Module: Identify Interventions


Watch: Bias Interrupters for Perceptions of Competence

Bias Interrupters for Perceptions of Competence

There are a number of ways in which organizations attempt to interrupt the role thatunconscious bias plays in decision making. For example, research shows that when peopleare held accountable for their decision making, they tend to engage in more conscious,controlled thinking. In this video, Professor Nishii presents a high-level overview of some ofthe steps that organizations can take to interrupt (and mitigate the negative consequencesof) unconscious bias.



Watch: Bias Interrupters for Evaluating the Same BehaviorDifferently

Bias Interrupters for Evaluating the Same Behavior Differently

In this video, Professor Nishii makes a business case for reducing the unintended negativeconsequences of unconscious bias during personnel decisions. There are helpfulinterventions that organizations can implement, such as making the hiring and promotionprocess more transparent, as Professor Nishii explains.



Watch: Ask the Expert, Tiffanie Boyd

Tiffanie Boyd

As you watch this series of interview questions with Tiffanie Boyd, a Vice President ofHuman Resources, Supply Chain, for the General Mills corporation, consider the ways thatcompanies can ensure that women and other minorities have not only representation, butvoice, within their organizations.

Tiffanie Boyd is a Vice President of Human Resources, Supply Chain, for the General Millscorporation.1_flr7v3wf 390640

Question

What practices do you have in place as a company to ensure that women and otherminorities are adequately represented and considered for key positions?

1_4l15zfxf 390 640

Question

What type of training and/or coaching do employees receive related to diversity andinclusion? How about related to unconscious bias specifically? Is training recommended ormandatory?

1_bcpflj9b 390640

Question

Are there some areas or functions within the company where diversity and inclusion issuesare more of a concern? If so, what do you think accounts for the challenges faced withinthese areas/functions?

Watch: Bias Interrupters for the Ways People Interact

Bias Interrupters for the Ways People Interact

Professor Nishii examines recommended bias interrupters for the ways that people interactin the workplace. In other words, what are some of the helpful actions you can take whenyou see behavior that suggests unconscious bias is at work?



Tool: Choose Interventions for Interrupting Unconscious Bias inInterpersonal Interactions

Choose Interventions for Interrupting Unconscious Bias inInterpersonal Interactions

The Choose Interventions forInterrupting Unconscious Bias inInterpersonal Interactions tool willguide your work as you moveforward

You will use the Choose Interventions tool to guide your work as you address any artifactsof bias within your workplace: instances when you saw unconscious bias at play or artifactsof unconscious bias within the organizational environment. For each instance, you will notethe HR interventions you think will help to counteract the unconscious bias. Save the ChooseInterventions tool for future reuse.



https://s3.amazonaws.com/ecornell/content/ILRHR/ILRHR527/ILRHR527_tool-choose-interventions.docx

HR Interventions

The following questions will give you an opportunity to review your mastery of conceptsrelated to interventions.

You must achieve a score of 100% on this quiz to complete the course. You maytake it as many times as needed to achieve that score.

Points: 3



Course Project, Part Four: Identify Interventions

In this part of the course project, you will re-examine the work you've done so far andidentify appropriate interventions or solutions. You will review the first three parts of thisproject in which you assessed your organization in terms of dimensions of diversity,considered the effects of unconscious bias, and assessed existing HR practices, andconsider where opportunities for improvements may exist. Completion of this project is acourse requirement.

Instructions:

Download the "Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR" Course Project, if you have not alreadydone so.Complete Parts Four and Five.Save your work.Now you will submit your completed course project for grading and credit.Please note that grading of this project will be based on four criteria: how well youdemonstrate an understanding of the course concepts, how much effort you invest, whetheryou complete the assignments, and how well you articulate and express your writtenresponses.Click the Submit Assignment button on this page to attach your completed course projectdocument and send it to your instructor for evaluation and credit.

Before you begin:


Grading Type: Pass/Fail

Points: 20

Submitting: Online Upload





Module Wrap-up: Identify Interventions

Identify Interventions

In this module, you reviewed the assessment and evaluation work you had done previouslyand identified possible HR interventions that can help mitigate unconscious bias. Youidentified the reciprocal relationship between inclusion and unconscious bias. You heardfrom Professor Nishii on recommended strategies and solutions for improvements and froman expert practitioner, General Mills VP, Tiffanie Boyd. Finally, you completed your courseproject, culminating in an action plan for how you will move forward. Your plan may or maynot relate to implementing strategies for the entire organization but could be about what youwill do as part of your everyday work life and/or in making others aware of possibleimprovements that could be made to HR practices.



Lisa NishiiAssociate Professor

School of Industrial and Labor RelationsCornell University

Thank You and Farewell

Congratulations on completing "Countering Bias in the Workplace for HR." I hope that you nowfeel that you're more aware of unconscious bias and how it affects the workplace andthat you're ready to interrupt it and make your workplace more fair and inclusive foreveryone. I hope the material covered here has met your expectations and preparedyou to better meet the needs of your organization.

From all of us at Cornell University and eCornell, thank you for participating in thiscourse.

Sincerely,

Lisa Nishii

Read: Thank You and Farewell



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