This assignment is based on 4 homework assignments that were answered by my colleagues and then posted for discussion online, now I need to respond to their posts a
- Please make sure to number your answers for each question.
1. Question one had two questions, and now you have to combine a response to their overall post. Talk about whether you agree or disagree with the way the responded to the questions. Feel free to add any feedback.
2. Respond to the person whom answered the two questions: offer several specific ways to counteract stereotypical behaviors. Feel free to share personal experience or policies implemented at your current or former workplace.
3, Number 3 and 4 are the same assignment but from two different students so now I have to respond to them each individually.
4. Question 4 is the same as question three like I mentioned, only it has a different respond from another student therefore you have to respond to each individually.
What my writer did:
For question Nr1. He separated the first part and second part and He went and talked about the response to question1. And then to question 2 from the NR 1 question. He was supposed to combine a respond to question 1.
For question 2 No response because he used the question from the number 1 and mixed it. At some point he wrote I was 50 years old
Question 3. He used the box from question 1 and wrote something stupid in response to the comment made by my classmate about it was hard to talk about stereotyping.
Question4.
Used a stupid response example
PLEASE DO NOT USE HIS WORK
Question Nr 1: Respond to the person whom answered the following two questions:
Based on the answers they gave to the two questions below – you have to respond in a paragraph rather if you agree or disagree with them please explain why, give feedback. (Regarding both questions)
Classmates post:
The 1st question was: What attitudes and policies inhibit the effectiveness of company's strategies for hiring older workers? There are several things that work against a company when hiring older workers. Many of those are inadvertent and hr managers may wonder why they are not able to attract an older or more experienced pool of potential employees. One way the text mentions is to “Create a culture that honors experience.” (Canas & Sondak, 2014, pg 170). Using keywords in job postings such as high energy, fast paced , fresh thinking. The text suggests using words such as knowledge and expertise to attract older workers and to put the focus on experience. CVS partnered with the National Council on Aging and other community agencies to “find and hire productive new employees.” (Canas & Sondak, 2014, pg 170)In addition, more people are working longer, many baby boomers are not able to retire due to economic hardship and are remaining in the work force. Older workers also value flexible schedules and companies that are not willing to be flexible may be missing out on a pool of talented and experienced potential employees. Training and development programs often focus on younger employees while older or more experienced employees may benefit from different types of training.
The other question was: One day you will be considered an “older” worker, or you may be considered an “older” worker now. What strategies can you implement in the workplace to avoid being stereotyped or discriminated against?
The Adams article from this week's readings mentions that 74% of survey respondents saw millennials as creative and 73% thought they were better at networking. Those same respondents viewed older workers as less creative (only 17%) while 22% thought older workers were strong networkers. Older workers were ranked higher in time management and their professionalism.Since I am 50 I am probably considered an “older” worker. The strategies that I think are important for my age and beyond is not to behave like an older worker. I do what up and coming employees and future leaders do and that is to continue my education, stay up to date in my industry and with technology, and to keep active both mentally and physically. Many of us have probably known an employee that has a 'countdown to retirement' clock running and behaves as if he's just waiting. There's no interest in anything new and minimal effort expended and the employee is completely disengaged.Another way of fighting against stereotypes is to share my knowledge and experience. I don't ever want to be in a position of being the only person that knows how to do something because then I am not able to do anything new or be promotable because I am stuck. I also want to be engaged and involved. If I train and/or mentor other employees then I am positioning myself for future growth as well as my coworkers which only benefits the company in the long run. Some of my classmates will probably disagree with me on this point and point out the inherent risk in doing these things is that you may teach everyone else everything you know and become expendable and that is a valid point. My response to that is if I am working at a company where that happens then they are probably not the right place for me to work at and I should know that sooner rather than later
My response to classmates post:
I agree that the HR managers should create a culture which honors experience, and this should be reflected in job adverts. Focus should be placed on Words like knowledge and expertise in job postings; this will make older workers more interested in these job postings.
For the second question, I love the fact that you started your answer with facts from statistics gotten from surveys, mentioning the percentage of people who feel millenials are creative and others who feel they are only good for networking, However, I disagree with your point as regards competing with the younger workers by going back to school to further your education and so on. If I were you, I won’t compete with the young and upcoming employees in the aspect of getting further education. Instead of doing that, I will rather find a way to channel my wealth of experience into something that will make my role unique in that company, this could either be via coming up with strategies or by networking. However, I agree that I will need to stay up to date with the latest trends and technology while also staying active both mentally and physically. You have made good points here, keep it up.
QUESTION NR. 2Respond to the person whom answered the following two questions: offer several specific ways to counteract stereotypical behaviors. Feel free to share personal experience or policies implemented at your current or former workplace.
Stereotypes Exercise and Discussion
1. On your own, write down three adjectives that come to your mind for each of the groups listed below. In the last three rows of the table, add three new groups to which you may belong, or that you’ve heard of, and complete the same exercise, adding three adjectives for each group. Then complete the questions that are provided below the table.
MY Classmate filled the box and answered below to the question:
2. Post your adjective list: Was it easy or difficult to categorize? Why? (Discuss the words used in each category, which ones were easy or difficult and why it was difficult in approximately 500 words). Discuss the importance of overcoming labels and stereotypes.
Classmates post:
I found this assignment to be very difficult. While three words typically came to mind pretty easily, determining the words that I would actually use, not just words that I have been influenced with by being thrown around in pop culture, the media, and in conversations with peers. I also wanted to be sensitive to the backgrounds of others in this course since I do not know much about anyone that would be reading my post.
I struggled with some categories because there are so many negative stereotypes commonly used for the category. These categories were ones like African American Men, Asians, Gays and Lesbians, Latinos, and Persons with Disabilities. For these categories, I still chose to use words that were less than positive to the individuals in these categories. Stereotypes are hurtful because they lump a group together and the individuality is lost. For example, for Persons with Disabilities, words like dependent, limited, and confined would likely be offensive to a disabled person because they may be able to function fully on their own, independently, without limits and/or constraints. For the category of Gays and Lesbians, I used the words caring, proud, and unmarried. Again, these are broad generalizations of the group. I am sure there are many gays and lesbians that others may classify as jerks, not people who care. I used the word proud also for this group and while this goes in line with many “Gay Pride” movements across the country, I have friends that are homosexual and are not proud, they are miserable, and are uncomfortable and hate feeling that they have to hid this part of their lives from their friends, families, and employer while their heterosexual counterparts openly discuss topics around their sexuality like their spouses and children.
I struggled for different reasons with categories like American Indians and Jewish Americans because I am not very familiar with many common stereotypes for these categories. I also struggled with the White Men and White Women categories. I guess this is because I am white, therefore I am not as aware of the typical stereotypes, or as the assignment in lesson two covered, I live privileged because of my race. I ended up using the words provider, successful, and educated for white men, but I think that is mainly because of the white males I typically associate with. I know these words are not words that would describe all white males. Likewise, for white women I used words like educated, snobby, and polished, again using words that relate to my own relationships, definitely not reflecting on the group as a whole.
Overcoming labels and stereotypes is so important, especially in the workplace and as HR Professionals. Whether an individual is aware of their stereotypes and bias or not, these perceptions can have adverse impact for both individuals in the categories and the individual with the perception. According to Dr. Steve Robbins (2008), author of, “What if? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue”, believes that there are many ways that stereotypes can affect your career. Three examples by Dr. Robbins include: cutting off opportunity for growth and competition, creates low morale and low retention, and it leads to poor productivity. In a country like the United States, a giant melting pot of backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions, this country should be one of the most tolerant of others different from us, but despite awareness and pro-diversity actions, we still have a lot of room for improvement.
My response to classmates post:
You made a great effort with the stereotypes, both the adjectives and the new categories, only that I don’t agree with some of them. For the three new categories, Choosing HR Professional, Pentecostal Women, and Athlete were a good choice, I agree that there has been some stereotype about these three categories of people. For the three adjectives, for categories like African American Men, Asians, Gays and Lesbians, Latinos, and persons with Disabilities I can see that you tried to use less than positive adjectives, that’s is commendable. All the three adjectives you put in for each fits them well, I agree with them all.
For categories like Jewish Americans and American Indians, the common stereotypes that I feel are common to these categories are similar to that of yours, so those adjectives you used appeals to me well, I agree with them all.
However, for the white men and white women categories I disagree with many of the adjectives, I guess, just as you have said, maybe it’s because you are white, you have not actually observed the typical stereotypes for your kind of people, it was still a very good effort though that requires commendation.
I agree with you that the right way to avoid being stereotyped or discriminated against would be by sharing my wealth of knowledge and experience with the younger workers and carrying them along on the way things are done. Just as you have stated, I also believe that it is very important to overcome labels and stereotypes in the workplace as this has adverse effects on the individuals in the categories and those with the perception.
Question Nr3. Respond to the person whom answered the following assignment.
- Think about the cultural environment of an organization in which you work, or one in which you no longer work. Ask yourself the following question: "What would this culture expect of me if I had been in the same situation as the author of The Parable of the Sadhu?
Classmates post:
The organization for which I currently work is a family-run business that employs over 45,000. The organization’s five Who We Are Values are extremely important to the company. As a management member, I have been coached for the last five years to always make decisions with the Values on the forefront of my mind. The values include Making a Difference, Empowerment, Respect, Caring, and High Standards. Our company views everyone as a family member. Although many organizations preach that, ours truly does live that culture every day. That being said, if I were in McCoy’s situation, my organization would have wanted me to help. They would have wanted me to view the Sadhu as a member of our family. As McCoy discusses, they would have wanted me to take a stand. They would have empowered me to make the decision to turn back and would have trusted and supported that decision wholeheartedly. They would have wanted me to Make a Difference in the life of the Sadhu and they would have wanted me to show any human being, including the Sadhu, Care and Respect, even if it meant not getting over that pass and achieving a dream of mine. They would have wanted me to adjust to the circumstances that were presented and would have wanted me to use the Values I have been taught to make the right decision.McCoy also discusses that there was no plan or consensus for helping the Sadhu. In the culture of my organization, we promote cross-collaboration and building relationships. Problem solving is a core competency that we look for in all candidates. My organization would have felt that it was my duty to take leadership and ownership of the situation and to motivate others to help me in helping the Sadhu.There is no way that my organization would have supported the idea of everyone doing their small part, putting a Band-Aid on the situation, and passing the buck off to someone else. They would expect me to rally up everyone else in an effort to help and in an effort to give our very best to that Sadhu.
My response to classmates post:
If truly, those values are the core values of your company, there is no doubting the fact that such an organization would have wanted you to take a stand and stick to it. I totally agree with your response here and I love the way you have been able to introduce your organization, her core values, what she would have wanted of you, and what you would have done in such a situation. I specifically liked the part where you mentioned that “In the culture of my organization, we promote cross-collaboration and building relationships. Problem solving is a core competency that we look for in all candidates. My organization would have felt that it was my duty to take leadership and ownership of the situation and to motivate others to help me in helping the Sadhu”. As this in itself shows that without any other influences, the influence you have received from your organization will enable you know the appropriate aim you should pursue which in this case is to rescue the man down. Your experience would also enable you to know the right steps to take in other to ensure that the aim is achieved along with others.
Question Nr4. Respond to the person whom answered the following assignment.
Classmate’s posting:
Prior to working in ‘corporate America’ I worked for the resident life department as a community assistant, more commonly known as a resident advisor/RA, while studying for my undergraduate degree. On the University’s website, it states that a community assistant has ‘a responsibility to yourself and others to enrich this group of learners. Take time to contribute positively to the safety, growth and overall well-being of your community. Your active participation allows Bloomsburg University's community to be stronger and more diverse.’ If I had been in the same situation as Bowen McCoy, I would have been expected to help the downed man. Even if I was on the trek of a lifetime or I was close to accomplishing something that does not come too often, I would have been expected to stop what I was doing and assist the man in need. Going above and beyond to help those around me is considered a top priority. It would have been expected of me to ensure that the man found safety, medical attention, and became accounted for prior to me leaving his side. It would not have been wise of me to leave the man alone without having some form of plan set with the other hikers, especially when most of the hikers were hesitant to give assistance in the first place. As a community assistant, there are some times that I would have to put my life on hold and sacrifice for strangers in order to achieve that cultural environment that the resident life department has in place.
My response to classmate:
You gave a very good response; I believe that you would have made many rescues in the past as a ‘community assistant”. I fully concur that as a community assistant, there are some times that one would have to put one’s life on hold and sacrifice for strangers in order to achieve that cultural environment that the resident life department has in place. With your experience as a community assistant, leaving the man behind won’t have been an option for you. I believe you would have been other hikers assist the man down and understand that his safety and well-being should be considered top priority.
