Deck 10: Social Responsibility: Legal Issues, Managing Diversity, and Career Challenges

Question 1

What are some of the potential legal issues that a trainer should consider while planning an adventure learning program?

Answer 1

The trainer would need to consider the potential risks of injury, as the trainer would be liable for any injuries that take place during training. Also, the trainer will need to ensure that employees with disability are offered an alternative program for developing the learned capabilities emphasized in the adventure learning program. (p. 430)

Question 2

Explain the relationship between "managing diversity and inclusion" and "diversity training." Which is most effective? Why?

Answer 2

Managing diversity is defined as the process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the workers are valued by their similarities and differences. This would help workers maximize their contributions with full potential in order to meet organization's strategic goals and objectives.
Inclusion is defined as activities within the workforce, which means actively including every employee's idea, knowledge, techniques, perspectives, approaches , and styles to maximize organization's success.
Diversity training can be defined as any system intended to encourage positive intergroup interaction, reduce prejudice and discrimination, and guide individual to work effectively. It is aimed at helping members to increase social and cultural awareness to benefit the organization.
Diversity training is effective for enhancing the overall attitudes towards differences in culture, race, and behavior. In addition, it is valuable for the change in the attitudes of workers towards stigmatized groups. Companies use diversity training in order to meet various objectives, such as motivation of employees and workers, improve productivity, foster workers, and increase harmony in the workplace.

Question 3

How would you prepare a team of three managers to go to Warsaw, Poland, to oversee the operations of a recently acquired financial services firm? They will be leaving in one month, and the assignment lasts two years.

Answer 3

A company needs to provide cross-cultural training to its employees for foreign projects and assignments. The work on a foreign assignment generally starts long before the assignee reaches in the host country with proper training and development programs.
Cross-cultural preparation of employees for a foreign assignment involves the following three stages :
• Pre-departure stage: Company provides language and new cultural training to their assignees. It includes presentation techniques, lectures, e-learning, immersion experience of culture of the host country, etc.
• On-site stage : Company continues orientation programs for assignees about host country's customs, cultures, and traditions. Assignees are paired with host country employees , who help them to understand the new, unfamiliar work environment and culture.
• Repatriation stage : Repatriation prepares assignees for return to the parent company from foreign assignments. The Company should encourage its employees to self-manage the repatriation process. It includes providing company's newsletter and community newspapers to ensure that the employees must receive personal an d work-related information, while they are on foreign assignments.

Question 4

What should companies do to develop talented women to take top management positions? Provide support for your recommendations.

Question 5

How are career paths useful for employees? How can they contribute to company effectiveness?

Question 6

What is job hopping? Which career challenges might a company focus on to reduce job hopping?

Question 7

What advantages and disadvantages might a company gain by using phased retirement?

Question 8

What are work-life programs? How are they related to work-family programs? What are some of the challenges in developing and using work-life programs?

Question 9

How could you help the survivors of a downsizing remain motivated and productive? Which of your recommendations is most important? Explain why.

Question 10

What is a sector partnership? Why is it important? Provide an example of a sector partnership.