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ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF
DIVERSITY: DETERMINING THE INFLUENCES THAT PRIMARY DIMENSIONS
OF DIVERSITY HAVE
ON ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
By
Randy Wilson, B.S.
THESIS
Presented to the Faculty of
The University of Houston Clear Lake
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-CLEAR LAKE
December, 2007
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ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF
DIVERSITY: DETERMINING THE INFLUENCES THAT PRIMARY DIMENSIONS
OF DIVERSITY HAVE
ON ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
By
Randy Wilson, B.S.
APPROVED BY
__________________________________________
Mike McMullen, Ph.D., Chair
__________________________________________
Deepa Reddy, Ph.D., Committee Member
__________________________________________
Howard Eisner, Ph.D., Associate Dean
__________________________________________
Bruce Palmer, Ph.D., Dean
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank several people whose thoughtful comments have improved this
thesis. They include Deepa Reddy, PhD., who supported my interests in learning aboutculture and cultures. She taught me how to open my mind to a higher level of thinking
and a broader level of sensitivity to research, especially observation. Kinneil Coltman,
whose passion for workplace and social inclusion has been an inspiration. And a specialthanks to Mike McMullen, PhD., whose interest in learning about social science and
organizations is only surpassed by the kindness and generosity he provides to his
students. I appreciate all that he has done to enable me to complete this research and
satisfy my desire to make this small contribution to the vast library of social science.
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this thesis to my wife, Kristin. Without your support and
encouragement, this would not be possible. Thank you for running the family so Icould focus on my education and research. You have sacrificed much more than I for our
family and I love you.
And to my children, Elijah and Zachary may you grow up realizing that life is a never-
ending journey. Always be a student, always try to learn something new, and never
forget how much I love you.
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ABSTRACT
ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THROUGH THE CONTEXT OF
DIVERSITY: DETERMINING THE INFLUENCES THAT PRIMARY DIMENSIONS
OF DIVERSITY HAVE
ON ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Randy Wilson, M.A.The University of Houston Clear Lake, 2007
Thesis Chair: Mike McMullen
This thesis offers a unique model for assessing organizational culture as well as an
application of that methodology to the assessment of diversity initiatives in an
organization. This three-pronged model for assessment provided an appropriate
mechanism, which allowed for the collection of evidence that diversity has little impact
on organizational culture. Quantitative and qualitative measures showed a strong
commitment by members to the organization, however qualitative results also indicate a
range of opinions of organizational culture based on race, ethnicity and position within
the organization. Employee perceptions of multiple organizational indicators related to
diversity indicate a strong need to reinforce themes of inclusion to achieve a common
understanding of the organizational culture.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION
Context of the Problem 6
II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Limited Research Available . 10
Organizational Culture . 12
Defining Diversity .... 16Organizational Assessment ... 19
III. METHODOLOGY
Three-Pronged Assessment Model .... 25Quantitative Assessment 26
Qualitative Assessment .. 28
Process for Assessment .. 29Sample Survey ... 30
IV. RESULTS
Large Number of No Opinion ..... 34
Management & Organization Questions .... 38Culture Questions ....... 41
Diversity Questions .... 43
Chi Square Analysis ... 45Gender Analysis .. .. 46
Race/Ethnicity Analysis . 48
Job Tenure Analysis ... 49
V. DISCUSSION . 52
VI. CONCLUSION ... 61
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 66
APPENDICES . 70
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INTRODUCTION
In response to changing economic conditions, organizations have recently
embraced new structural forms designed to reduce costs while simultaneously
maximizing flexibility and responsiveness to customer demands (Boyette and Conn,
1991; Byrne, 1993; Donnellon, 1996). Within organizations, some research shows that
diverse groups and work teams have the capability to navigate through complex problems
with better outcomes than homogenous work groups (Jehn, Northcraft, and Neale, 1999).
Groups in organizations can be classified into two broad categories: identity groups and
organizational groups (Alderfer, 1986). Identity groups are defined as sharing a common
gender, race and/or historical or social experiences (e.g. ethnicity, ideology), while
organizational groups (e.g. hierarchical, job function) may hold similar positions, conduct
similar tasks, and have similar work experiences and access to organizational resources
(Alderfer, 1986). Organizations have created policies to increase or promote diversity in
effort to enhance the integration of identity groups into organizational groups that have
been dominated by white men (Kossek & Zonia, 1993). Organizational culture should
adapt to reflect the increasing diversity of its workforce. How organizations
accommodate identity diversity into the organization is the essential question of this
research. This assumes that organizations have the following choices: 1) to make a
deliberate effort to incorporate difference into the organization; or 2) to do nothing to
orientate new groups to the company, assuming the organizational culture is adopted by
its newest diverse groups. This study attempts to provide empirical grounding to the
notion that increased representation of diverse identity groups has an impact on the
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culture of an organization. Specifically, the research attempts to address the following
questions:
1) Is the culture of an organization affected by the diversity of its employees?
2) How is culture derived, i.e. does it evolve organically, or is it promulgated
from top leadership?
3) Does the organization have the ability to influence, either positively or
negatively, its culture and if so, from where do those influences come?
4) How does an organization define diversity and what influence does diversity
have on the organization?
The answers to these questions will be derived through organizational assessment.
To understand assessment in the context of organizational culture, Lenartowicz and Roth
(1999) suggests that the framework for cultural assessment should have two outcomes: 1)
it should ensure that the cultural groups that do exist within an organization represent that
culture and 2) it should provide measures that will stand up in future studies (see
Lenartowicz and Roth p. 791). A three-pronged model for assessment used in this study
was developed based on the lack of an available comprehensive tool for diversity
assessment. This assessment model utilizes both quantitative and qualitative
organizational culture measures as well as a review of formal organizational documents
and data. The sample used in this study was an operational department within a public
healthcare institution.
Diversity is widely believed to increase productivity within an organization
(Estlund, 2005). Research has shown that visible diversity may contribute to increased
organizational marketability, increased creativity, increased problem-solving ability, and
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more flexibility (Richard, Kochan, & McMillan-Capehart, 2002). Most organizations
have developed definitions of diversity that are customized to their specific
organizational culture, or a generic definition that meets government standards for
Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity. Many organizations have
developed definitions for the purpose of representing those who identify with some
physical dimension of diversity, though they often hire and promote based on dimensions
of diversity that address attitudes, experiences, and creativity, for example.
Defining organizational culture within the context of diversity is an area of research
relevant to todays workplace with great opportunities for future research. Yet,
consultants and managers interested in diversity have had to rely largely on some
combination of common sense and good faith efforts for the rationales they advance
about why and how companies should address the issue (Ely & Thomas, 2001).
Although anthropologists and sociologists have studied culture for over a century, the
organizational culture concept was not adopted by management scholars until the 1980s,
making this a relatively new area of research (Hatch, 1993). Despite its recent relevance
in the business world, little research was found regarding the diversity culture in
organizations or how societal diversity is compelling companies to assess their diversity
management practices and diversity initiatives (Coltman, Wilson, & McMullen, 2006 - in
process). As a result, this work has few comparable studies to reference. This research
was the culmination of research in multiple areas, including: 1) diversity - in visible and
non-visible dimensions, 2) culture - from a holistic perspective or the perspective related
to understanding what culture is; down to the organizational concept, or how companies
create, develop, or evolve behaviors, rituals, artifacts, and values that differentiates them
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from other organizations; and 3) models for assessment focusing primarily on the
quantitative and qualitative gathering of data through various levels of an organization.
This work and its outcomes provide a better understanding of the ways in which diversity
affects culture in organizations, as well as a platform for future research in this area.
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Literature Review
Limited Research Available
The outcome of this work provides a more effective tool for managing culture to
achieve healthier organizational diversity and better organizational performance. To
construct this model, a thorough review of the available literature on assessments and
organizational cultures was conducted, particularly in the context of diversity.
Unexpectedly, there was limited research on assessing organizational culture. The few
studies that were available frequently assessed organizational culture relative to a specific
need of the organization. For example, OReilly, Chatman, and Caldwell (1991, p. 487)
studied the affects of culture on the person-organization fit. They acknowledged that
researchers seem to agree that culture may be an important factor in determining how
well an individual fits an organizational context. Their research employed methodology
that will be discussed in conjunction with the new model introduced in this study;
however, it contained no insights for methods on studying organizational culture with
respect to diversity.
One of the few articles on organizational assessment introduced an assessment
entitled the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP). This assessment contains a set of
value statements that can be used to idiographically assess both the extent to which
certain values characterize a target organization and an individuals preference for that
particular configuration of values (OReilly et al., 1991, pgs. 495). The step-by-step
procedure included: 1) describing organizational values, 2) assessing characteristics of
firms, 3) assessing individual preferences, and 4) calculating the person-organization fit
score.
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While the OCP is one of the few tools for culture assessment, my interest was in
developing a diagnostic model that could open the door for organizational self-
improvement. A study by Milliken and Martins (1996) reviewed the effects of different
types of diversity on group make-up at various levels of an organization. This study is a
helpful resource in several ways. First, it confirmed the findings of this study that there
was limited research available with a specific focus on racioethnic and gender diversity
and organizational culture. Research in diversity is a challenge to review, because it
spans multiple disciplinary boundaries, assesses the effects of various types of diversity,
focuses on many dependent variables, and employs a wide range of types of groups and
settings (1996: pg. 404). Second, it looked at various types of non-physical diversity
(e.g. personality characteristics, values, skills, and knowledge) and found correlates with
physical diversity (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender, and age) that may explain how
organizational culture is developed, which provides additional evidence for our study to
emphasize the impact of culture on diverse groups. Third, it suggests that employees
who are not a part of the in-group may be contributing to organizational productivity at
a level consistent with their perceived value within that group (1996, pg. 419-20).
Milliken and Martins also found a limited number of studies throughout the time
period they examined (1989-1994). Specifically, they were unable to identify research
that explored how gender diversity affects the cognitive functioning of a group (1996, pg.
408). Additionally, while studies on attitudes and personality characteristics as well as
cultural values were abundant, research in these areas specifically related to
organizational diversity were few. There were two studies identified by Milliken and
Martins (1996) that provided some insights into how diversity in values affects outcomes.
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The lack of research obscures the comprehensive impact of physical and non-physical
diversity on all levelswithin an organization. In contrast to the literature on observable
types of diversity, most of which is done on lower level organizational groups, most
research on skill-based diversity has been conducted at the top management team or
board of directors level (1996, pg. 412). The model introduced in this thesis endeavors
to rectify this deficiency by examining as many dimensions of diversity as possible at
each organizational level.
Organizational Culture
As mentioned earlier, the intention of this research is to develop a methodology
for assessing organizational culture within the context of diversity. It was more difficult
to find research that defined organizational culture in a manner that provided a clear
methodology for assessment. Certainly, it could be argued that one organization feels
differently from another, but how is that feeling measured or assessed with respect to
performance? Specifically, a plausible answer to whether diversity plays a significant
role in understanding organizational culture was desired. Thus, the research objective
was to determine what should be assessed when looking at an organizations culture
through the lens of diversity.
First, it was necessary to know to what degree organizations were interested in
and able to identify their cultures through assessments. Surprisingly few studies exist,
though, which offer a methodology for analyzing culture. Ouchi & Wilkins (1985)
compiled one of the most comprehensive studies understanding the evolution of research
on organizational culture. In their research, Ouchi & Wilkins (1985) consider various
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methodologies to understand organizational culture. They concluded that researchers in
the field approached their work with a preference for studying what was either explicit
about an organization, or what was implicit about it. In other words, there has been a
constant tension between these two factions, one group who focuses on the organizations
ability to create order and rationality and those who find the chaotic and nonrational more
appealing. As a result, the study of organizational culture is an outgrowth of that tension,
and is what Ouchi & Wilkins (1985) believe is the most recent stage of this intellectual
trend.
In the context of diversity, it is quickly apparent that the definitions of
organizational culture are extremely broad and diffuse (e.g. Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck,
1961; Ouchi & Wilkins, 1985; Smircich, 1983). Culture is variously defined as a set of
learned characteristics shared by a particular group of people (Lenartowicz & Roth,
1999), the core of culture is formed by values (Lenartowicz & Roth, 1999; Hofstede,
1980), or microanalytic theories present culture as something that resides within each
individual and can be understood through the cognitive processes of sense-making,
learning, and casual attribution, or by probing the unconscious mind (Ouchi & Wilkins,
1985). According to Scheins Model of Organizational Culture, culture exists
simultaneously on three levels: on the surface are artifacts, underneath artifacts lie values,
and at the core are basic assumptions. He defined culture as:
The pattern of basic assumptions that a given group has invented,
discovered, or developed in learning to cope with its problems ofexternal adaptation and internal integration, and that have worked
well enough to be considered valid, and, therefore, to be taught to
new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in
relation to these problems (quoted in Hatch, 1993 p. 659).
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Hatch (1993) developed her understanding using Scheins (1985) Model of
Organizational Culture. She used the term cultural dynamics (p. 660) to introduce her
theory of organizational culture. Hatch extends the Schein model by focusing on the
ways that cultural elements are related to each other. Her model adds symbols, which
allows it to accommodate the influences of both Scheins theory and symbolic-
interpretive perspectives. Hatch adds relationship links to her model, which is the focus
of her work. Those links are manifestation, realization, symbolization, and interpretation.
In Hatchs (1993) model, these concepts are deliberately positioned in a circular manner
to portray culture in a dynamic rather than linear fashion, as illustrated in the Schein
model. Manifestation is any process in which an essence reveals itself (p. 662). This can
happen through the senses, cognitively, or emotionally. In organizations, manifestation
helps in developing culture by turning intangible assumptions into recognizable values (p.
662). Realization is simply making something real. In the context of culture, realization
is a process where values are made real by changing expectations into social or tangible
reality and by altering existing values through the production of artifacts (p. 662).
Symbolism is similar to artifacts in that artifacts have to be translated into symbols in
order for the symbols to be culturally significant objects, events, or discourses (p.670).
An example provided in the text illustrates the symbolic significance of a large desk in a
corporate office. In other locations the desk has little meaning, but when organizational
members enter into the equation, the desk has a symbolic reality. This artifact becomes a
cultural example of status (p. 672). Thus, symbolism provides the context for the
organization; and its members determine its value. Interpretation contextualizes the
experience of organizational symbols by evoking a broader cultural frame as a reference
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Defining Diversity
The term diversity has taken on a life of its own in contemporary organizations
in the United States. The definition, which literally means variety or difference, has
a contested context, and illustrates how complex the diversity in the workplace issue has
become. Both public and private organizations have committed extensive resources and
millions of dollars toward attempts to implement successful diversity initiatives. Not
surprisingly, with all of the focus on a single ambiguous idea, conceptualizations of
diversity differ from one organization to the next. For the purposes of this paper, we
define diversity broadly as differences in the workplace, but we refer to the Four
Layers of Diversity model offered by Gardenswartz and Rowe (1995) as a typology for
understanding the dimensions of diversity in corporate organizations1.
It is important to utilize the most inclusive definition of diversity for organizations
since the definitions can range from physical diversity, that which can be seen, to
diversity in an Affirmative Action context, which focuses on compliance, to a non-
physical diversity such as cognitive diversity, diversity of thought and creativity, to
diversity of skills. Another related term is cultural or intercultural competence
(Dinges 1983; Landis and Bhagat 1996; Ting-Toomey 1999). It is being used to define an
end-state on the continuum of diversity awareness, sensitivity, and ability to function as
an inclusive organization.
The vast diversity literature assumes the context of diversity of the organization.
Its scope continues to evolve, but a well-known model explaining the dimensions of
1There are many models that seek to capture the essence of diversity within an organizational context. The
wheel of diversity model offered by Loden & Rosener (1996) is very similar in nature to the
Gardenswartz and Rowe (1995) model, however, we have chosen to conceptualize diversity using the lattermodel, because it offers the additional dimension of personality, which we believe to be a critical piece in
determining how individuals are likely to be treated in an organization.
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diversity was developed by Loden & Rosener (1996). This wheel of diversity (Figure
1) illustrates dimensions of diversity in three contexts: the primary (also referred to as
physical) dimensions, the secondary (also referred to as non-physical), and the tertiary
dimension (also referred to as the workplace dimensions of diversity) which can be both
physical and non-physical. Less attention is often given to the secondary and tertiary
levels, although organizations often focus their screening and selection efforts on these
dimensions to determine who has the best fit for the organization. The primary
dimensions of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability are the
ones most often assumed when discussing diversity.
Figure 1 Loden & Roseners Dimensions of Diversity.
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Many organizations have developed definitions of diversity that are customized to
their organizational culture, but others have been created for the purpose of representing
everyone. Roosevelt Thomas (1991: p. 3), one of the pioneers in organizational diversity
work, defines diversity as, any collective mixture characterized by similarities and
differences. It can refer to people, organizations, systems, etc. As a consequence,
diversity can be defined as, or limited to, any dimension such as workforce diversity or
functional diversity. Workforce diversity refers to those dimensions of diversity that
make organizational members different. Functional diversity is a broader concept that
refers to the diversity of work within an organization. In other words, functional
diversity refers to departments within an organization such as Finance, Operations,
Information Systems, or Human Resources. He applies another more salient definition
to the workplace, which addresses the objective of appreciating the differences and using
them to improve the productivity and retention of the organization and its employees.
Thomas (1991: p. 3) goes on to say:
The condition of being different or having differences within,among and between people; the essence of diversity is recognizing
and responding to the needs of different cultural and occupational
groups within the workforce so that they will stay with anemployer, be productive and have effective working relationships;
diversity focuses on a broader set of issues than does equal
opportunity or affirmative action; various diversity dimensionsinclude race, gender, national origin, religion, age, ability, veteran
status, ethnicity, real or perceived sexual orientation, educational
background, income, marital status, military experience,
communication style, work style, etc.
While this definition was created to be broad in scope, it appears overly general
and lacks a description of procedures or mechanisms for managing or utilizing an
organizations diversity. The University of Maryland (UM) published an article for the
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Issues and Observations Publication (1995) on diversity. They broadly defined diversity
as, otherness and the ways that people in organizations differ. This definition does
not limit itself to a specific dimension, nor does it assume a majority or minority. It
allows for the evolution of the term by being flexible. But this definition, though simple,
does not provide a clear understanding of diversity. The article critiques the broad
definition by stating,
In seeing all differences among people as the same, it makes
diversity a benign, almost meaningless, concept. Yet the effects of
diversity are not benign. Differences of race, ethnicity, and gender
have resulted in many people being given unequal access toopportunities and resources. With this background, how can these
differences be understood in the same way as those of personality,
cognitive style, or function, which may well have organizationaleffects but certainly not of the same magnitude? (Univ. of
Marylyand 1995).
The paper suggests researchers be cognizant of all of the dimensions of diversity
in both Loden & Roseners (1996) model as well as the Gardenswartz and Rowe (1995)
model when conducting an assessment of how well an organizational culture incorporates
and utilizes the diversity of all of its members. The model that has been developed as a
part of this research can potentially identify any of the primary, secondary or tertiary
forms of diversity that challenge a particular organization and help shape its culture.
Organizational Assessment
As was found in the exhaustive review of the relative paucity of organizational
culture literature, there is also a surprising lack of research on methods for conducting
organizational assessment. The most comprehensive work found was the article written
by Van Wart (1995), who wrote about the most prevalent assessments available. These
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types of assessments can be utilized to determine just about anything within an
organization including culture. He said that, because so many public sector
organizations are moving from a rigid culture of making no value adjustments, they often
lack the tools to assess current values or lack a perspective to use them in a dynamic
manner (Van Wart, 1995, p. 430). Van Wart offers the following seven types of
assessment strategies (focusing on organizational levels or function) and discussions of
the merits and shortcomings of each:
1. mission, values and planning and vision statement assessments
2.
ethics assessments3. customer and citizen assessments
4. employee assessments5. performance assessments
6. benchmarking, and
7. quality assessments
The article further recommends that executives consider five guidelines before
implementing an assessment strategy. Van Wart (1995, p. 430) suggests: 1) executives
assess their appetite for change; 2) be careful to match the assessments with their demand
for organizational resources; 3) prior to the assessment, a commitment is made that the
data will result in changes, no matter how minor; 4) executives commit to rapid feedback
of the data to those from whom the data were collected or the organization as a whole,
depending on the circumstances; and 5) the assessment strategies used should be selected
for the fresh outlook that they can bring to the analysis. This research is the culmination
of many of the key elements culled from other previously reviewed research.
Another considerable work was developed by Lenartowicz & Roth (1999), which
focuses on the methodology of assessment. Their research was one of the few works
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with a focus on the assessment of culture. They recognized one of the primary reasons
for the disregard for organizational culture is the immense time required for social
scientists to properly assess organizational culture, compounded by the lack of
standardized methodology for such assessment. Thus, Lenartowicz & Roth (1999)
developed the assessment or identification of a proper cultural unit (p. 782). Their
work benefits this research by reviewing different cultural assessment models and the
strengths and weaknesses of each. Additionally, they identify two basic approaches to
cultural assessment derived from research conducted by Clark (1990). Lenartowicz and
Roth (1999) identified the two approaches as culture-centered, which employ primarily
qualitative methods, and personality-centered approaches, which use primarily
quantitative methods. They sought to identify the basic elements of organizational
culture in order to understand its impact on individuals and groups.
Lenartowicz and Roth (1999) introduced three concepts that cut to the core in
defining culture. The first is ethnological description, which is an observation of social
structures, artifacts, and collective behavior, which are then used to develop conclusions
about groups. Second is the use of proxies, which include nationality, place of birth and
country of residence. Third is direct values inferences, which measure the values of
subjects in a sample and infers cultural characteristics based on the aggregation of these
values (p. 784). The model developed in this paper exploits all three concepts through
both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Lenartowicz & Roth (1999, p. 787)
conclude that there is, no single methodology [that] is able to address the inclusive set of
criteria relevant to culture assessment in business studies. They developed four types of
research design that address the basic research questions of cross-cultural studies in
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business: 1) studies examining a difference in business phenomena due to culture; 2)
studies comparing the effect of cultures on business phenomena; 3) studies relating
business phenomena with cultural characteristics; and 4) studies relating business
phenomena with cultural characteristics across cultures. The new model developed for
this thesis uses the second approach, attempting to measure the effect of the culture of
diversity on individual perceptions and organizational outcomes.
Much of the recognized work studying how culture impacts organizational
outcomes has been performed by Geert Hofstede (1980). He developed two models, the
first of which is not widely utilized (Sondergaard, 1994) called the Value Survey Model.
The second, a more significant contribution in this arena, is known as the four work value
dimensions of culture (Hofstede, 1980), which are: uncertainty avoidance, individualism,
masculinity, and power distance. Each dimension views the culture perspective from an
either/or position on their respective continuum. For example, uncertainty avoidance can
either be weak or strong. With regard to organizational rules, a weak uncertainty
avoidance orientation is consistent with few rules, whereas strong uncertainty avoidance
requires the need for written rules and regulations. Individualism is viewed as either
collectivist or individualist, masculinity is either masculine or feminine and power
distance views the demeanor of people in power (Osland, Kolb, and Rubin, 2001). This
study is limited to learning how a sui generis(Durkhiem 1933), or unique, organizational
culture emerges through the application of a tool used by leaders to successfully manage
diversity and integrate diverse members into the greater organization. This research is not
attempting to understand the effects that specific cultural elements (as studied by
Hofstede 1980) have on organizational processes and functioning. Nor is the research
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goal to assess whether a particular organization has a more individualistic or collectivistic
culture. Rather, it is intended to assess whether current organizational processes manage
diversity effectively, which as a byproduct could offer clues regarding the degree to
which an organization is individualistic in nature.
To understand assessment in the context of organizational culture, Lenartowicz
and Roth (1999) suggest, A culture assessment framework should have two main goals.
The first goal is to establish and validate a specific cultural grouping as the unit of
analysis, which means verifying that the culture(s) exists and the subjects being assessed
represent the culture(s). The second is to provide valid measures that are adequate for
each type of study (p. 791). This approach is consistent with another model used to
conduct assessments within an organizationthe Criteria for Performance Excellence
(CPE), which is part of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award. The CPE are
one of the most widely accepted frameworks for self-assessment in U. S. organizations
and are recognized worldwide for their comprehensiveness (Van Aken, Groesbeck, and
Coleman 2001). The first goal of the CPE is to create a shared view of where an
organization is as a baseline prior to initiating change. Part two is the assessment of
leadership effectiveness, which was taken from the Kouzes and Posner (1997) leadership
inventory.
Lenartowicz & Roth (1999) echo the sentiments of fellow researches with regard
to methodological consistency that is lacking in the field of cross-cultural and diversity
research. In evaluating the body of research that exists in this space, they have concluded
that cross-cultural research has yet to resolve methodological issues related to the
conceptual foundation for research design and hypothesis formulation, equivalence,
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sampling, data collection methods, data analysis, effects of confounding variables, and
the difficulty of conceptualizing and assessing culture (pg. 782, see also Cavusgil and
Das 1997, Samiee and Jeong 1994, Auklah and Kotabe 1993, Sekaran 1983, and Adler
1983a).
In summary, there has not been an abundance of research conducted in the area of
assessing the culture of an organization in the context of diversity. Several studies,
however, were able to provide useful information on understanding organizational
culture, defining diversity, and assessing culture in an organization. This research was
helpful in the creation of the model for this study. One group researched person-
organization fit (OReilly, Chatman, and Caldwell, 1991). This tool was called the
Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), which provided useful information on
organizational culture in developing assessment questions for employees to gauge the
culture of their company. Miliken & Martins (1996) provided their perspective on
physical and non-physical diversity. Their study ensured that assessment questions
considered perspectives that may include dimensions of diversity beyond the physical.
These studies and several others provided the framework for the development of a three-
pronged assessment model developed for this thesis, discussed below. This tool was
designed to provide a methodology for measuring organizational culture and the impact
of diversity on that culture.
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METHODOLOGY
Three-Pronged Assessment Model
As mentioned, the relative paucity of available research hampered my ability to
utilize a proven model for assessing the diversity culture of organizations. What was
available focused primarily on assessing culture, cultural climate, or diversity climate of
an organization however, virtually nothing was useful for this research. The objective
was to have a tool that revealed the salient components of culture within an organization,
and the possibility for the role of cultural change within that organization. The
methodology used in this thesis was developed as a result of the limitations of any one-
assessment model. Data was collected through several assessment methods, all of which
are components of the new model presented below. The outcome is the development of a
Three-Pronged Model (Figure 1), which provides a tool for assessing organizations from
multiple cultural and diversity variables. It was designed to synthesize three
methodologies vertical sampling throughout the organization, and the quantitative and
qualitative assessments of employee groups, into an assessment of the impact of diversity
on the culture of the organization. Additionally, a diversity potency gauge was added to
the model to illustrate where physical dimensions of diversity were most visible. The
darker color at the lowest level of the organizational pyramid indicates the area where
visible diversity was most prominent. A lighter shade towards the upper portion of the
organizational pyramid suggests less visible diversity among leadership.
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Institutional Data
The first prong of the assessment model is divided into two components. The first
component analyzed the organization. This included a review and analysis of mission,
vision, policies, and practices of the organization. The second component reviewed its
initiatives and interests related to the inclusion and promotion of diversity. Examples
included the access, allocation, and utilization of resources as well as the analysis of
employee-related performance data, such as employee engagement, turnover results, and
employee opinions. This data can meet the objective of determining the culture of an
organization, which will be used as the baseline for the second and third prongs in the
model. Information regarding the overarching organizational challenges related to
financial resources, management missteps, and workforce instability laid the foundation
for the quantitative survey.
Quantitative Assessment
The second prong is the quantitative component, which provided empirical
measures of the employees perceptions of the organizational indicators around culture
and diversity. This data was gathered through two formats. The first method was a
survey questionnaire measuring, on a Likert scale, several aspects of culture from the
perspective of the employee. Included were opinions related to the organization, such as
managements influence on employees (especially diverse employees), and questions
about their knowledge of the culture of the organization. Questions in this assessment
covered three broad areas: 1) managements effect on employees and organizational
effectiveness; 2) organizational culture; and 3) diversity. Survey participants were asked
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to answer a total of forty-two questions on a seven-point Likert scale. Answers ranged
from positive to negative and included, Strongly Agree, Agree, Somewhat Agree, No
Opinion, Somewhat Disagree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
Figure 2 Three-Pronged Model for assessment
The sample represented one division of hospital operations. A broad range of
workers were asked to participate. It is important to note that the participants were not
randomly selected. Rather, they attend daily meetings and were informed about the
survey and given the opportunity to participate. This convenience sampling provided a
P O T E N T C Y O F
D I V E R S I T Y
H I G H L E V E L O F
D I V E R S I T Y
L O W L E V E L O F
D I V E R S I T Y
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large enough group of workers from a broad range of occupations within the department
that enabled a cross section of opinions to be represented.
Qualitative Assessment
The third prong in the model is the qualitative assessment of data. This
component consisted of two evaluative methods as well. The first component was
interviews with organizational leaders, who provided the opportunity to understand
organizational culture from the perspective of its leadership. These recorded interviews
allowed management to explain their interpretations of organizational culture,
organizational climate, diversity, and other issues that could be compared against the data
collected in the first two prongs of the model. Interviews were conducted with leaders at
the executive, middle management, and front-line management levels. Overall, these
interviews provided insight on organizational issues such as the challenges in running the
business with a change in leadership forthcoming and the negativity towards the
organization that the issue of faculty compensation has caused. When asked how open
the organization is to change, the leader said, This is an unusual time for us now. First
we have a lame duck President and a high level of anxiety among our faculty over faculty
compensation. Additionally, there is a faculty-driven website publishing information on
employee diversity that doesnt put us in the best light. This type of information
provides context for employee interview and survey responses. The second method was
focus group interviews. These interviews included front-line employees and were
conducted in groups of up to eight people per session. These focus groups were voice
recorded as well and took much longer to conduct to allow for all opinions to be heard,
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acknowledged, and documented. Responses to the focus group interviews provided
context to the responses provided in the quantitative surveys. For example, one survey
question asked respondents to rate their opinion of whether the speaking of other
languages causes friction. A majority of employees disagreed to some level with that
statement. It was the focus groups remarks that revealed an acceptance of the speaking
of other languages primarily due to necessity (based on changing demographics), rather
than personal preference. And while one member of the focus group felt as though in
the U.S., if theyre coming over, they should learn English, all of the other members of
the focus group were more accepting. For example, when the group was asked what the
signs were that diversity was alive in the hospital, a white male in the focus group said,
The use of other languages is not frowned upon in our area. He went on to say that,
people who are ESL (English as a Second Language) try harder to make themselves
understood. Several minority members of the focus group nodded in agreement with his
statements, apparently validating his comments as examples of what they had
experienced as minority employees in the hospital.
Assessment Process
Conducting a cultural assessment where both qualitative and quantitative data are
primary components of the data collection process creates a wealth of useful data for
analysis. In this case, the quantitative data collected was in the form of a survey,
consisting of forty-two questions which examine three primary components of the
organization: 1) management, 2) culture, and 3) diversity. The questions were developed
as a result of an analysis of the interviews conducted in a vertical sampling of the
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organization. Management-related questions were designed to provide insight into
employees perceptions of managements leadership style, commitment to diversity,
influence on the culture, and fairness in decision-making. The questions about culture
probed employee understanding of organizational culture, their perceptions of their own
fit into that culture, employee trust both up and down the organization, and their
individual understanding of cultural norms. The last area asked questions related to
diversity. The survey covered topics such as comfort with otherness, fairness in hiring
and promoting diversity, stereotypes, tolerance for jokes about women and minority
groups, and the acceptance of diverse viewpoints in the organization. Demographic data,
including gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, time in job, and job function was also
gathered.
All questions were scored and analyzed using frequency analysis and Chi-square
analysis, with the statistical software SPSS. From the forty-two questions, fourteen were
selected for further analysis based on the relevance to the research questions (discussed
below). This analysis provides a deeper understanding of the culture of the organization,
the perceptions regarding culture, managements role and influence to that culture, and
the influences of specific dimensions of diversity to the culture.
Survey Sample
The survey sample consisted of 74 employees in one of the Texas state hospital
systems within the healthcare industry in the US. The sample group comprised a cross
section of employees in one division of the hospital. This group was selected based on
their size, access to employees, openness of management to this study, and their
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interactions with diverse patients and co-workers. They represented a microcosm of the
larger institution. This hospital has a diverse patient base made up primarily of indigent
patients who have, in many cases, arrived at this facility because of the hospitals
designation as the treatment center where patients will not be turned away based on their
inability to pay. This hospital also houses one of the states largest medical schools.
Faculty (doctors) and staff are accustomed to the constant inflow and outflow of interns,
residents, and medical school students; however, the perpetual variation in personnel
along with the temporary mindset of these medical school students creates unique
challenges in developing a consistent and deliberate culture. This is especially true for
organizational members trying to develop a diverse culture where diversity is appreciated
and inclusion is fostered.
As previously mentioned, participants in the survey represented a cross-section of
the hospital staff, including faculty, hospital administration, surgeons, nurses, surgical
technologists, residents, and hospital aides. Hospital administrators work a standard
business schedule - Monday through Friday, 8 to 5 p.m. Doctors work shifts based on
scheduled surgeries and virtually everyone else works a shift. This environment is
unique in that employees have interactions across all levels of the organization doctors
work with nurses, hospital administrators interact with hospital aides. Overall, the
environment has the size and diversity to provide a robust sample in several area of the
hospital that could provide an understanding of the influence diversity has or could have
on the culture of that organization.
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crafted and delivered to the potential participants based on what was learned about the
culture of the organization during the pre-assessment information-gathering phase.
Indications that the organization had a history of mistrust between the workers and
management came from past reductions in force (RIFs) that resulted in layoffs for staff.
Additionally, the initial surveys were offered through a mass email and accessed through
a web-based database. Since most staff in this area did not have their own workstations
or computers, they had to access the survey through a company computer usually shared
by all of the workers in the area. This limited privacy challenged the confidentiality of
the survey once it was submitted online. It is important to mention that it was necessary
for the survey to provide demographic information on the sample and therefore asked
explicit questions at the end of the survey. This was a possible additional cause for
concern by the participants and that trepidation was evident in the results of the survey
discussed below. One final note, the number of participants in the Internet survey was far
less than was anticipated. Hospital management offered to use hardcopy surveys to be
distributed at the front end of a standing morning meeting. This way, there would be a
captive audience available to take the survey, and with hardcopy submissions, there was
the perception that the survey would go straight to the researchers with no chance of it
being seen by management and thus identified with a particular respondent.
As was mentioned earlier, the assessment process included three steps, 1) the pre-
assessment information gathering, which included interviews with key leadership in the
specific area studied; 2) the survey, which will be the primary data presented in this
section, and 3) the focus group interviews, which provides context and in some cases
validates or rejects presumptions made from the survey responses. The focus groups also
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provided context for knowledge of the organization, its policies, and managements
ability to communicate effectively to front line employees.
Large Number of No Opinion
The initial review of the data analyzed the responses of the overall group without
regard for demographics. The data was studied to see what the opinions of the sample
were as it related to the question asked. A review of the highest and lowest scores as well
as the largest and smallest responses in each of the categorical choices in the Likert
model was conducted. The question with the highest response in one category was: In
this organization there is high turnover among women and people of color. The Likert
scale used 1-7 and ranged from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree (see survey in
Appendix). This question received 54.8% of the respondents selecting No Opinion as
their response, which represented the highest single category rating for a question. The
category No Opinion was a frequently used response in this survey. Where a majority
of employees chose to answer No Opinion, one of the following could be assumed: the
employee did not have an opinion; the employee had an opinion, but was afraid to speak
out; or the employee did not understand the question. Typically, the questions with a
high number of No Opinion responses addressed the following issues: management
practices and group interactions related to issues of diversity. For example, when asked
whether the organization had effective strategies for conflict management when one
group would not work with another, most respondents (28.8%) did not have an opinion.
When asked whether their manager gives feedback that is respectful, almost half (46.5%)
Agreed or Somewhat Agreed, but almost twenty percent (19.2%) would not provide an
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numbers 1,2,4,11,14,16,18,21,25,28,30,33, and 35 were related to Management and
Organization. Questions related to Culture were, 3,7,9,13,22,32,40, and 41. Diversity
had the most questions, twenty-two in all.
Demographic Questions
The sample used in this survey was relatively diverse, and the gender distribution
was ideal at 49% male and 51% female. Race and ethnicity was measured based on the
US governments five recognized racial/ethnic categories 1) White (47%), 2) Black
(11%), 3) Hispanic (16%), 4) Asian/Pacific Islander (7%), 5) Native American/Alaskan
Native (1%), and 6) Other (12%). By job function, 30% were Nurses, 18% Residents,
14% Surgery Technicians, and 20% other. Professional degrees were held by 35% of the
participants and 41% had some college or an Associates degree. The largest groups by
age were the 26-35 year olds (33%) and the 36-45 year olds (37%). Related to job tenure
32% had 3-5 years experience, 41% 6-20 years, and 20% had less than 2 years
experience. Tables 1-6 chart the survey participant profiles in full detail.
Table 1 Hospital profile by Gender
Hospital Profile
Gender Percentage Valid %
Male 49% 49.3
Female 51% 50.7
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responses. Over 75% Agreed at some level that they should do so. In another question,
participants were asked if they believed that leadership does not share critical
information with front-line employees. Most employees (56.1%) Agreed at some level
with this statement. These two questions provide insight into the culture of the
organization, but do not at this level of analysis provide an explanation of which
employees believe these statements to be true (See Table 7 for Management &
Organization questions).
When reviewing questions related to Management and Organization that would be
included in the survey, the intention was to measure the impact leadership has on the
culture of the organization. Questions that were selected for the survey were chosen
based on their ability to provoke answers on one end of the Likert scale or the other.
Surprisingly, only a few questions prompted such a direct response. Many of the
management and organization questions (as was explained earlier) were answered with
No Opinion. Questions that were answered by either No Opinion or with a definitive
response agreeing or disagreeing were spread across the Likert scale. For example,
respondents did not agree or disagree on whether management practices what they
preach. Nearly 33% (32.8%) Agree or Somewhat Agree while 42.4% Disagree or
Somewhat Disagree. When asked if leadership works hard to foster harmonious working
relationships between managers and employees, 24.7 % Somewhat Agree, 17.8% had No
Opinion, 12.3% Somewhat Disagreed, and 23.3% Disagreed. Based on the type of
questions asked and the responses provided, insights into the culture of the organization
can be seen. For example, participants were asked ifpeople in the organization do not
feel comfortable disagreeing with leadership. Greater than 65% (65.7%) of the
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Table 7 Management and Organization questions with response numbers and
percentages
MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION AGREE NO OPINION DISAGREE
QUESTIONS Number/Percent Number/Percent Number/Percent
1 Management practices what they preach 26/35.5% 8/11% 39/53.4%
2 The organization has effective strategies touse when one group refuses to work with
another group.
20/27.5% 21/28.8% 32/43.8%
4 Rules get in the way of providing the bestpossible patient care
42/59.9% 7/10% 21/29.9%
11 The organization is flexible enough toprovide the best patient care possible
38/52% 8/11% 27/36.9%
14 My manager gives me feedback that isrespectful
40/55.5% 14/19.4% 18/25%
16 I believe employees should work above the
call of duty when asked
55/75.4% 6/8.2% 12/16.4%
18 Employees go out of their way to help their
co-workers
44/74% 10/13.7% 9/12.3%
21 Employees feel comfortable sharing theiropinions even when the opinions are
unpopular
37/50.6% 6/8.2% 30/41%
25 The right people are brought to the table to
make decisions in this organization
20/28.2% 12/16.9% 39/54.9%
28 Leadership works hard to foster harmonious
working relationships between managers
and employees
27/37.5% 13/18.1% 32/44.4%
30 There are opportunities for advancement
here
38/52.7% 18/25% 16/22.2%
33 People do not feel comfortable disagreeingwith leadership
48/65.7% 7/9.6% 18/24.6%
35 Leadership willingly shares critical
information with front-line employees
19/26.4% 12/16.7% 41/57%
respondents Agreed with the statement to some degree (26% Somewhat Agreed, and
13.7% Strongly Agreed). Just fewer than 10% had No Opinion. Overall, the responses
in this section strongly suggested a culture where management influences behavior,
which has a direct impact on the culture. A more comprehensive explanation will be
provided in the next section.
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Culture Questions
The next grouping was Culture, which covered a broad range of questions related
to organizational culture and cultural understanding of the organization. The difference
is small but distinct. Organizational culture addresses the norms that make the
organization unique compared to other organizations. It is the things employees do that
define whether someone fits into the organization. A sample question in this area was I
believe I fit into the culture of the organization. Most respondents (71.2%) Agreed with
this statement at some level. This is an example of a question that indirectly asks if
participants actually know what the culture of the organization is. It also sets up
subsequent responses to questions inquiring about specific aspect of culture. If a
respondent claims to fit into the culture, it should be presumed that they understand what
that culture is. And if that is true, they should be able to respond to specific aspects of
that culture. This, however, was not always the case. For example, while a slight
majority of respondents (35.6%) describe the culture as one in which people are
motivated by relationships built on trust, tradition, and commitment to the organization,
over twenty percent (20.5%) had No Opinion. Cultural understanding of the organization
is related to the participants awareness of culture in their organization. In the example I
fit into the culture of the organization, the difference is in ones ability to recognize an
action or practice, as part of the culture and the other is the ability to embrace it. Most
respondents opinion that they fit into the culture could be addressing the issue of fitting
with other people rather than fitting into the culture (See Table 8 for Culture questions).
As was explained earlier, culture related questions addressed two aspects of
culture, 1) organizational culture and 2) cultural understanding. Based on the opinion of
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Table 8 Culture questions with response numbers and percentages
CULTURE AGREE NO OPINION DISAGREE
QUESTION Number/Percent Number/Percent Number/Percent
3 I know the cultural norms of different
groups
42/57.5% 20/27.4% 11/15.1%
7 I fit into the culture of this organization 52/71.2% 10/13.7% 11/15%9 Our culture is best described as one in
which individuals are motivated by the
importance of the task being undertaken
31/42.5% 9/12.3% 33/45.3%
13 Top management has a positive influence
on the culture
24/33.3% 8/11.1% 40/55.5%
22 Our culture is best described as one inwhich individuals are motivated by
relationships based on trust, tradition, and
commitment to the organization
33/45.2% 15/20.5% 25/34.3%
32 Our UTMB culture is best described as one
in which individuals are motivated by rules,
regulations, and fear of punishment
39/53.4% 12/16.4% 22/30.2%
40 The organization does a good job ofhonoring the cultural values and norms of
patients
45/61.6% 21/28.8% 7/9.6%
41 The bureaucracy does not interfere with the
ability of diverse perspectives to be heard
32/43.8% 21/28.8% 20/27.3%
the respondents, it was apparent they felt their understanding of culture - related to both
themselves and others, as well as organizational culture, was relatively high. Over fifty
percent (53.4%) believe they know the cultural norms of different groupsand 71.2% feel
as though they fit the culture of the organization. More than fifty five percent (54.8%) of
respondents do not believe top management had a positive influence on the culture of the
organization. Over forty percent (42.4%) either Somewhat Agreed or Agreed that the
culture is one where people are motivated by rules, regulations, and fear of punishment.
And as was the case in the questions regarding management and organization, the culture
questions had a sizable number of respondents who expressed No Opinion. In two
questions almost thirty percent (28.8% in both questions) had No Opinion on whether the
organization does a good job of honoring the cultural values and norms of its patients or
whether the bureaucracy interferes with the ability of diverse perspectives to be heard.
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These responses raise several questions about the sample and the organization the will be
addressed later in this thesis.
Diversity Questions
The last grouping was Diversity. Questions in the survey related to diversity
asked participants to express their opinions about diversity related to three specific issues.
They were: 1) inclusion (e.g.,Management is most comfortable managing people who
are similar in background to themselves); 2) difference (e.g., The speaking of other
languages in the workplace causes friction); and 3) equity (e.g.,Managers hold all
people equally accountable). From these three categories, questions pertinent to
understanding the influences diverse employees have on the culture of the organization
was the goal. Additionally, questions related to the potential to evoke varied responses
were selected for their likelihood of providing salient examples of culture and openness
to diversity. For example, when asked if all employees are made to feel as though they
are a vital part of the organization regardless of their position, almost 25% Disagreed,
but nearly 22% Somewhat Agreed. These questions would be further analyzed to
understand the response rate by gender, by race, and by job tenure (See Table 9 for
Diversity questions).
Most of the survey questions were related to diversity. In some cases, questions
could have fallen into one of the other categories, but it was decided to place them in the
diversity category since the core component of the question sought to gain a better
understanding about certain aspects of diversity. However, responses to diversity-related
questions did not provide a clear delineation between the diversity related questions and
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Table 9 Diversity questions with response numbers and percentages
DIVERSITY AGREE NO OPINION DISAGREE
QUESTION Number/Percent Number/Percent Number/Percent
5 People in this organization are
accommodating to patients and visitors who
speak limited English
60/82.2% 3/4.1% 10/13.7%
6 Management is approachable to help in
handling cultural misunderstandings that
may arise in the workplace
32/43.8% 21/28.8% 20/27.5%
8 Informal mentoring relationships happen
naturally and occur often
48/69.6% 11/15.9% 10/14.5%
10 Management is most comfortable managing
people who are similar in background to
themselves
33/45.2% 22/30.1% 18/24.7%
12 All employees are made to feel as though
they are a vital part of the organization
regardless of their position
27/37.5% 10/13.9% 35/48.6%
15 The speaking of other languages in the
workplace causes friction
20/27.4% 14/19.2% 39/53.4%
17 Multicultural work teams function well 54/74% 10/13.7% 9/12.3%
19 Managers have a track record of hiring and
promoting diverse employees
34/47.2% 22/30.6% 16/22.2%
20 Staff members spend their lunch hour and
breaks in mixed groups
39/54.2% 22/30.6% 11/15.3%
23 Managers hold all people equally
accountable
21/29.1% 13/18.1% 38/52.8%
24 Assumptions and stereotypes impact the
effectiveness of my organization
32/44.4% 22/30.6% 18/25%
26 Managers are empowered to applyincentives and rules in a way that works for
everyone
28/38.4% 15/20.5% 30/41.1%
27 Policies are flexible enough toaccommodate everyone
26/35.6% 9/12.3% 38/52.1%
29 Racial, ethnic, and gender jokes aretolerated in the informal environment
29/39.7% 19/26% 25/34.3%
31 Members of non-dominant groups feel theydo not belong
19/26.7% 23/32.4% 29/39.6%
34 I think that diverse viewpoints make for a
productive work environment
56/76.7% 10/13.7% 7/9.6%
36 The people who are promoted are the ones
who deserve it
20/27.4% 15/20.5% 38/52%
37 There is high turnover among women and
people of color here
9/12.3% 40/54.8% 24/32.9%
38 Our culture is best described as one in
which competent performance will berewarded
21/29.2% 11/15.3% 40/55.5%
39 I am afraid to disagree with members of
other groups for fear of being called
prejudiced
19/26.8% 22/31% 30/42.2%
42 Ambitious people of all backgrounds are
afforded opportunities to excel and be
promoted
43/58.9% 12/16.4% 18/24.6%
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the demographics of the collective group of respondents. This made it more difficult to
draw conclusions based on certain demographic groups. For example, almost 25%
(24.7%) disagreed and almost 22% (21.9%) Somewhat Agreed that all employees are
made to feel as though they are a vital part of the organization regardless of their
position. In another example, the collective group Somewhat Agreed, Agreed, or
Strongly Agreed to a total of 53.4% that staff members spent their lunch breaks in mixed
groups. Surprisingly, 30.1% had No Opinion to the same question. Yet 76.7% of the
respondents Somewhat Agreed, Agreed, and Strongly Agreed that diverse viewpoints
make for a productive work environment. As was the case in the previous two groupings,
the respondents did not collectively indicate strong opinions on issues of diversity. Very
few responses had as clear an opinion as the last example provided above. For example,
almost 55% (54.8%) of respondents had No Opinion as to the turnover of women and
people of color. Or even more opinionated, 26% Somewhat Disagreed and 20.5%
Disagreed that the organizational culture is best described as one in which competent
performance will be rewarded. In another opposite response, 26% Agreed and 23.3%
Somewhat Agreed that ambitious people of all backgrounds are afforded opportunities to
excel and be promoted.
Chi Square Analysis
It was determined that the data should be analyzed further to review responses by:
gender, race/ethnicity, and job tenure. It was presumed that by comparing the data within
these demographic categories would provide salient indications of impact on the culture
the diverse employees had on the organization. Reviewing the data at the demographic
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relatively even in their distribution across the Likert scale. However, when reviewing the
responses by job tenure, opinions were more apparent. Consider, 57.1% of respondent
with 0-2 years of employment Somewhat Agreed, Agreed, or Strongly Agreed, 39.1% of
3-5 year employees had No Opinion, and 54.9% of employees with 11-15 years Strongly
Disagreed, Disagreed, or Somewhat Disagreed. In comparing the responses by years of
employment to each other, certain job tenure categories often aligned with each other and
in other cases certain groups more often did not align. For example, respondents with 0-2
year and 16-20 year employee responses often aligned with each other. In the following
questions, managers hold all employees equally accountable, racial, ethnic, and gender
jokes are tolerated in the informal environment, and our culture is best described as one
in which individuals are motivated by rules, regulations, and fear of punishment, a
majority of both 0-2 year and 16-20 year respondents had the same responses. In many
examples, the 3-5 year employee responses did not align with other tenured groups. In
fact, in most cases, this group showed no clear opinion - for many of the questions No
Opinion and/or a relatively even distribution of responses across the Likert scale was
observed.
Nonetheless, this category yielded more statistically significant responses than the
other two categories, race/ethnicity or gender. Two questions, the people who are
promoted are the ones who deserve itand ambitious people of all backgrounds are
afforded opportunities to excel and be promoted, had Chi square scores of significance,
.013 and .027, respectively. In the case of the promotion question, the longer the
respondent has been at the organization, the more likely they are to agree that people who
are promoted are the ones who deserve it. An in the case of the opportunities question, it
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is also the case that the longer tenure one has had at the organization, the more likely one
is to agree that people of all backgrounds are afforded opportunities to be promoted.
The outcomes from the survey provided an abundance of quantifiable data that
provided interesting insight, especially when combined with the qualitative data and the
pre-assessment data. The three-pronged assessment model has proven to be a valuable
tool providing a comprehensive method for gathering data to enable the complete
assessment of an organization, particularly in assessing the organizations culture and
effectiveness in allowing certain factors, in this case diversity, to have an impact on its
culture. In the next section, a research based opinion of the ability for the diversity
within this institution to affect its culture is offered.
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DISCUSSION
The purpose of this thesis was to assess an organization to determine if the
diversity within that organization has an impact on its culture. More specifically, the
intention of the research was to answer the following questions:
1) Is the culture of an organization affected by the diversity of its employees?
2) How is culture derived, i.e. does it evolve organically, or is it promulgated
from top leadership?
3) Does the organization have the ability to influence, either positively or
negatively, its culture and if so, from where do those influences come?
4) How does an organization define diversity, and what influence does diversity
have on the organization?
An assessment process similar to the one used in this research was probably never
before conducted in this organization. Therefore, it would be fair to assume many of the
participants had little or no experience reflecting on and/or providing commentary on the
subjects of culture and diversity. Inducing employee participation in the survey required
multiple attempts and data collection methods. And in reviewing answers to the survey
questions, most answers appeared to be guarded. In other words, the survey did not offer
definitive opinions to the all of questions asked. This notion was based primarily on the
high number of No Opinion responses on the survey, and the generally middle-of-the-
road answers of the focus groups. Given the financial instability that has dogged this
particular organization for several years, and the constant change that has been
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implemented in effort to combat the newest financial challenges, employees remain
generally committed to their jobs particularly those working directly with patients. In
this research, evidence of the impact of culture related to diverse employees was more
difficult to ascertain, while questions related to management and organization provided
more salient references to the influence leadership has on the culture of the organization.
For example, on the question Top management has a positive influence on the culture of
the organization;respondents were almost evenly split in their opinions. While only
8.2% of respondents Agreed, over 20% (20.5%) of the respondents Somewhat Agreed,
21.9% Somewhat Disagreed, 23.3% Disagreed, and 11% had No Opinion. When broken
down by demographic categories, ethnicity and job tenure became important. In this
case, white, Asian, and some black men and women, with anywhere from 0-15 years of
experience generally Disagreed with the statement. Hispanics with 3-5 years of
experience tended to be more positive.
In tying the data results to the research questions, specifically, understanding how
the organization defines diversity and determining the influence diversity has on the
organization, survey questions, leadership interviews, and focus groups provided data
that illustrated salient organizational issues, which gives an opportunity to go back to the
organizations leadership and make recommendations for improvement. Based on the
survey and interview results, it was determined that an organizational definition of
diversity was not developed, though the organization and specifically its administrative
leadership spoke of the importance of diversity and the benefits and challenges of hiring
and retaining talent that reflects their community. When an administrative leader was
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asked to identify the issues that concern him most, his response was, raising the level of
awareness on diversity issues. He went on to say that most people in the hospital do not
think on that level with their co-workers. He also mentioned that he was aware that
diversity existed at the lower levels and that keeping that diversity has been a real
challenge. His reports indicated high turnover among his minority and women nurses.
He indicated that while he was aware of the importance of diversity, he and his peer
group at the leadership level have done little to set expectations and/or institutionalize
diversity. If employees do not think on that level, the awareness has not been raised as to
the expectations management has towards employees who are different. This example
suggests that the current culture is a result of an inability or unwillingness to define or
reinforce a more productive and inclusive culture. Therefore, it could be concluded that
the culture of an organization does not necessarily need to be developed by its leadership.
If no explicit efforts are made to consciously develop an inclusive organizational culture,
and if the culture is developed (or evolves) outside the organizations leadership, there is
a greater risk that the culture may not align with organizational goals and objectives. As
an example of inattention to issues of diversity, when survey participants were asked
whether assumptions and stereotypes impact the effectiveness of my organization, the
plurality had No Opinion (30.1%). Despite the real possibility that a No Opinion
response could mean something other than they did not have an opinion on the question,
it does suggest that in the absence of a diversity message or set of expectations from
leadership, many employees would not have the appropriate tools to be more aware of
issues or attuned to specific assumptions and stereotypes in this organization. In one of
the focus groups, a young white female offered her opinion that she was usually offended
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and sometimes made to feel insecure with people who speak other languages around her.
She openly and willingly offered her opinion that all foreigners should speak English
before being allowed to work in the United States. A black female offered her opinion
that the Spanish-speaking groups do not speak English as a way to exclude others from
their conversation.
At the leadership level, it would appear that there is a chasm with respect to the
impressions of how well developed diversity initiatives are in the organization, between
leaders who represent some visible dimension of diversity and those who are white,
including females. A black male Department Chair, who happens to also be an MD, feels
as though the institution should put privileged groups in areas of discomfort. He felt as
though the issue of diversity was understood from an intellectual perspective or based on
knowing that a diverse organization is better than a homogenous one, for example. But,
he said, some people in this organization have never dealt with diversity experientially
such as individual learning that comes from the sometimes awkward interactions that
occur when majority people must deal with differences for the first time. He went on to
say that the greatest barrier at his organization is getting the leadership to want to
change.
Another leader provided her perspectives on diversity. She is white and a nurse
supervisor. When asked what was the greatest concern is for her, she said, having
enough information to know how others want to be treated. She expressed sensitivity to
others, but acknowledged slipping up because she and other she managed were not
aware of appropriate ways to interact with other groups. She felt as though her work
group was open with each other based on a high level of trust that existed between them.
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She also mentioned that one of the barriers to diversity was that there is a lack of
evidence-based information on diversity. Surprisingly, she said that the employee
population was absolutely reflective of the patient population.
These interviews, along with the survey responses, suggest the organization has
not been deliberate in developing a definition for diversity, nor clearly communicated a
position on diversity that resonates throughout the organization. This lack of a
communicated stance on diversity in an organization that has considerable visible
diversity seems t