Discrimination, Harassment, and the Failure of Diversity Training: What to Do Now

(Hardback)

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Description

Billions of dollars have been spent on the wrong solution to the complex, sensitive and emotionally charged issue of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Companies originally invested in diversity training in order to meet Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity requirements, to reduce litigation costs, and to buy social peace. The result was often more social conflictdivisiveness, hostility, backlash, and an increase in litigation. This book offers a new, simple and effective solution to organizations that include the need to: establish, publish and enforce a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment; develop standards which define unacceptable professional workplace behaviors; and provide the relationship skills training necessary for all employees to meet the company's behavioral standards. Diversity training failed because of its focus on awareness, understanding and appreciating differences rather than teaching basic skills to help employees relate more effectively with each other regardless of their differences. Companies have the right to require professional behavior from their employees. They do not have the right to ask their employees to change ther personal values and belief systems. This book provides a blueprint for a skills-based solution to the elimination of discrimination and harassment. It emphasizes the development of professional relationship skills to help employees work more effectively with their bosses, their peers, their team members, their customers, and all those individuals different from themselves. For all business executives, leaders, managers, supervisors, human resource specialists, trainers, consultants, entrepreneurs, and employees.

Reviews

.,."I recommend the book to those involved in EEO, including corporate legal staff and those concerned with training evaluation. Organizations need to assess areas of vulnerability and exposure to litigation. If the emperor indeed has no clothes, now is the time to recognize it....HR practitioners should be knowledgeable consumers of diversity training. This book will help by providing hard questions to ask whenever one considers attending or sponsoring diversity training."-Personnel Psychology
...I recommend the book to those involved in EEO, including corporate legal staff and those concerned with training evaluation. Organizations need to assess areas of vulnerability and exposure to litigation. If the emperor indeed has no clothes, now is the time to recognize it....HR practitioners should be knowledgeable consumers of diversity training. This book will help by providing hard questions to ask whenever one considers attending or sponsoring diversity training.-Personnel Psychology
This text will likely be of interest to practitioners who are seeking insights into the dynamics of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, especially to those responsible for developing and implementing employment training programs.-American Review of Public Administration
Unlike many recent attacks on diversity training and multicultural awareness workshops, Hemphill and Haines have no philosophical dispute with the intent or goals of such programs. Their concern is simple. Corporate diversity training programs do not work, they say. In fact, in cases the two have documented, problems of greater divisiveness, backlash, and litigation have resulted.... They argue that rather than focus on changing values and attitudes, companies can and should mandate appropriate workplace behavior.-Booklist
..."I recommend the book to those involved in EEO, including corporate legal staff and those concerned with training evaluation. Organizations need to assess areas of vulnerability and exposure to litigation. If the emperor indeed has no clothes, now is the time to recognize it....HR practitioners should be knowledgeable consumers of diversity training. This book will help by providing hard questions to ask whenever one considers attending or sponsoring diversity training."-Personnel Psychology
"This text will likely be of interest to practitioners who are seeking insights into the dynamics of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, especially to those responsible for developing and implementing employment training programs."-American Review of Public Administration
"Unlike many recent attacks on diversity training and multicultural awareness workshops, Hemphill and Haines have no philosophical dispute with the intent or goals of such programs. Their concern is simple. Corporate diversity training programs do not work, they say. In fact, in cases the two have documented, problems of greater divisiveness, backlash, and litigation have resulted.... They argue that rather than focus on changing values and attitudes, companies can and should mandate appropriate workplace behavior."-Booklist

Author Bio

HELLEN HEMPHILL is President of Transitions Strategies, a transition management organization located in Bellevue, Washington. She is a transition management specialist, a psychologist, an author, an artist, and an educator. She is the former Dean of Women at Central Washington University. RAY HAINES is Chief Executive Officer of Transitions Strategies and President of Haines Management Consulting and Training, Inc., both located in Bellevue, Washington. He has over thirty years of experience in business, project management, consulting, training, and education.