Managers’ psychological diversity climate and fairness: The utility and importance of diversity management in the hospitality industry

ABSTRACT

Despite corporate investments in diversity management programs, there is a dearth in the literature that examines managers' attitudes toward diversity management practices. This is a glaring gap in the literature because the success of diversity management programs is highly depend on managers. A survey was distributed to hotel managers from properties in the southern United States. The results showed that psychological diversity climate predicted the perceived utility and importance of diversity management, and these relationships were mediated by the fairness of diversity management. These results suggest that psychological diversity climate has an impact on attitudes toward diversity management practices.     

Internationalising Professional Skill Development

ABSTRACT

Internationalisation of education, and more specifically tertiary education, all over the world has contributed to a significant overhaul in student composition. Parallel to this runs the need for graduates to leave university with a range of professional skills. In response to this, universities actively encourage the development of such skills in their programs by integrating the teaching and assessing of professional skills into academic programs. This paper reports on the efficacy of a professional skills program and its support structures as used in the Bachelor of Commerce degree program of a university. The paper outlines how the skills were taught and assessed in the International Management 375 unit and presents data on the changes in students' perceptions of their skill levels. The interpretation of the data is further differentiated on the base of gender, language and country of origin.     

论多元文化主义的实践性特征

多元文化主义是为解决因文化多样性和弱势群体而引发的社会问题而首先由加拿大政府在一份政策性报告里提出来的。无论它的理论背景、理论界定、还是它的理论实施都显示出了多元文化主义的实践性特征。多元文化主义与其说具有理论的特征,不如说它更具有实践的特征。本文将试图对多元文化主义的这一特征进行论述。     

Akbar's multiculturalism: lessons for diversity management in the 21st century

This paper challenges the hegemony of US‐centric perspectives in the diversity management literature by explaining how non‐Western histories and cultures may provide alternative contexts for understanding and managing diversity. In pursuit of this, the paper describes how Muslim ruler Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar conceptualized multiculturalism in 16th century India, and how his principles of sulh‐i‐kul, rah‐i‐aql, and rawa‐i‐rozi may be adopted to develop a sociopolitical environment conducive to managing cultural diversity in organizations, an environment currently lacking even in the majority of democratic countries in the world today. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

加拿大多元文化教育对内蒙古少数民族教育的启示

加拿大的多元文化教育理念主要体现在三方面:其一,地方具有教育自主权;其二,注重多元文化意识的培养;其三,提供多种选择的语言学习方式。内蒙古同样有着多元文化的背景,在发展民族教育方面,加拿大的多元文化教育经验值得借鉴。     

Cultural diversity in hospitality work: the Northern Ireland experience

International workers are a growing category of employees in the hospitality industry of Northern Ireland (NI). The retention and skills shortages of the industry are significant factors in facilitating this increase. Thus, international workers could be an invaluable new source of labour for the hospitality industry, provided that they are properly looked after and managed. However, little is known about the number of people moving to Northern Ireland to take up work in the hospitality industry. This paper sets out to answer some of the ‘unknowns’ – including nationality, demographic characteristics, educational, employment and economic background. The paper draws on data collected through a survey of migrant workers in nine hotels in Northern Ireland and focus groups with migrant employees in all of the survey establishments. Issues of social integration within the workforce and the wider community as well as the future that migrant workers see for themselves are discussed from a human resource perspective.     

Crossing Cultural Boundaries: A Multicultural Kindergarten in Hong Kong

Confronted with the rise of a new group within its organization, Small World, an international Christian kindergarten in Hong Kong, is being forced to reconsider its boundaries. The trend towards more applications to international schools by Hong Kong Chinese, adds an extra dimension to the already extensive cultural diversity among the kindergarten's staff, students and their parents. Describing the appreciation for cultural diversity amongst staff and parents, the strategies that are used to maintain harmony and the motives that (Hong Kong Chinese) parents have for participation in the school, it is argued that only one effect of globalization on the macro level can be identified on the micro and meso level, namely indigenization. The article shows how parents, staff and the organization all try to adopt attractive or useful elements of foreign cultures without giving up their own culture, and subsequently foster multiculturalism in an attempt to reach their goals, these being the cultural competence of their children for Hong Kong Chinese parents and success for the organization. The resulting demand for the incorporation of extra foreign elements in the curriculum is forcing Small World to reconsider its boundaries.