Stereotyping Awareness and Ethical Management Decisions. An Individual Case Analysis Paper. Submitted to Dr. Sharon Johnson. Savannah State University

Transcription

1 Stereotyping Awareness and Ethical Management Decisions An Individual Case Analysis Paper Submitted to Dr. Sharon Johnson of Savannah State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for Organizational Behavior and Theory: MGNT 3300 in College of Business Administration Devin Trusty March 11, 2012

2 EXPLAIN HOW STEREOTYPING CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR SOME MANAGERS WHEN MAKING ETHICAL DECISIONS. ANALYZE STEREOTYPING AND PROVIDE EXAMPLES AND SOLUTIONS. Overview: Stereotyping can cause problems because of inaccurate generalizations, or assumptions, that people make about the characteristics of all members of a group, based on an image about what people in that group are like. When managers, or anyone, stereotypes individuals, they are acting unethically. Managers should strive to be as unbiased as possible. Stereotyping in the workplace should be avoided. Stereotype is a simplified and fixed reflection of all members of a culture or group (based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, religion and national origins). Stereotypes are as old as human culture itself. They reflect ideas that groups of people hold about others who are different from them. Cultural Stereotypes: Cultural/national stereotypes are both descriptive and prescriptive in nature: they are perceivers' shared beliefs about the characteristics of the target group and at the same time they also function as social expectations. In initial interactions and in solitary intercultural contacts people's national or cultural stereotypes may be used as a source of expectation about the other party, and as a reference applied to the judgments of the other party's behaviors. Advantages of Cultural Stereotypes: Cultural stereotypes have some advantages that are given below: -Stereotypes are common in various cultural media especially in the advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand

3 information. Stereotypes act like codes that give audiences a quick, common understanding of a person or group of people usually relating to their class, ethnicity or race, gender, sexual orientation, social role or occupation. -Stereotypes are basically generalizations that are made about groups. Such generalizations are necessary: in order to be able to interact effectively, we must have some idea of what people are likely to be like, which behaviors will be considered acceptable, and which not. They allow us to put people into a category, according to the group they belong to, and make inferences about how they will behave based on that grouping. -Stereotypes reflect flat, one-dimensional caricatures of people which bear little resemblance to the variety and diversity inherent in any group or race, but they surface all the time in many interactions for easy categorizations and comprehensions of social and cultural behaviors. Disadvantages of Cultural Stereotypes: Cultural Stereotypes have also some disadvantages that are given below: -Although generalizations, the basis for stereotyping, represent a natural part of the learning process, when they are directed at human beings but they can be dangerous and harmful because stereotyping often results from, and leads to, prejudice and bigotry. -When we stereotype people, we prejudge them; we assume that all people in a group have the same traits. This form of blind categorization leads to false assumptions about people and causes misunderstandings, hostility, abusive behaviors, conflicts, discrimination, and prejudice. -Stereotypes can prevent us from learning some aspects about the country and understanding a different culture in a more appropriate way.

4 Techniques of Avoiding Stereotypes: A manager can go beyond stereotypes by maintaining the following techniques: -A manager should check his own sources, research his information, and size up the person that made the stereotypical statement. He should ensure that he is able to avoid stereotypes given to him by someone else's biased opinion. He should accept as fact only those things that he can prove. -He should broaden his friend base. He should listen and talk to people of all different types and only form opinions about who they are and not about some group or ethnicity they may be a part of. -He should not take for granted any opinion that pops into his head. He should step outside of the situation and look at the big picture. By looking at all sides of the biases involved, he will be able to come to his own opinion without blindly following one side or another. It is easy to jump to conclusions about people, but being able to avoid stereotypes is more rewarding. -He should make a list of the specific stereotypes that as a manager should avoid. He should be precise as to why he objects to being stereotyped in that way, and take actions to counteract. -He should be aware of the big picture. He should understand the shades of gray in which people relate to him on a daily basis. He should remember that everyone who smiles on the elevator will not have his best interests at heart. So he should not be angry because everyone will not be his friend. Just he should be aware of this. -A manager should keep a level head. He should control his temper. He should also control anger and hostility into positive actions. He should think before he acts, he should allow himself a chance to calm down and use good judgments.

5 At last it can be said that In general, stereotypes reduce individuals to a rigid, inflexible image; they do not account for the fact that human beings are complex and multidimensional, with unique attributes. Stereotypes suggest that people or groups of people are the same, when, in fact, they are quite different. Stereotypes about human beings tend to dehumanize people, placing all members of a group into one, simple category. Task-2 Power Distance: Geert Hofstede s power distance Index measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Power Distance Index (PDI) focuses on the degree of equality, or inequality, between people in the country's society. A High Power Distance ranking indicates that inequalities of power and wealth have been allowed to grow within the society. These societies are more likely to follow a caste system that does not allow significant upward mobility of its citizens. A Low Power Distance ranking indicates the society de-emphasizes the differences between citizen's power and wealth. In these societies equality and opportunity for everyone is stressed. Uncertainty Avoidance: Uncertainty avoidance deals with a society s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to man s search for Truth. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and

6 security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute truth. In Geert Hofstede s Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a ruleoriented society that institutes laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has less concern about ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance for a variety of opinions. This is reflected in a society that is less rule-oriented, more readily accepts change, and takes more and greater risks.