Diversity Management Course

South Africa is famously known as the 'Rainbow Nation'. We are home to a fascinating mix of citizens. South Africa is a melting pot of various cultures, races, languages and religions. There are also hybrid mixtures of different cultures, and an overarching South African culture which ensures that, no matter what a person's cultural heritage, we are, at heart, proudly South African. Indeed, as South Africa's democracy evolves, it is becoming a more diverse but integrated country and cultural diversity continues to be one of its strongest challenges. This is especially true of the workplace - where we work every day is a microcosm of the country's rich diversity. Because of the highly diverse workforce in South Africa, organisations know that they must help employees understand, accept and capitalise on differences among people. This course will enable employees and employers alike to respond to workplace diversity issues with openness and trust

We cannot assume that because the workplace is a melting pot of different cultures and languages, all people will understand each other and get along well. Our past still has the power to divide us, and to weaken us in that division Legal.

Harmony in the Workplace

As well as the complex challenges that racial and ethnic diversity present, we also have a historic imbalance of gender equality. The workplace is still imbalanced - women are making slow progress in a male-dominated workplace. Our rich cultural diversity also means that we have different religious beliefs. Intolerance and ignorance can lead to workplace conflict.Imsimbi's training course leads us all with sensitivity into these difficult areas, and helps us reach better understanding of each other.

Legal Compliance

Our historical imbalances do not always represent the demographics of our country, and our workplace imbalances have evolved at a slower pace than our democracy. All organisations have a variety of legal and ethical compliance obligations. Imsimbi will guide you in best-practice processes to meet and, indeed, to exceed the minimum requirements that ultimately benefits all the employees, the organisation and the country as a whole.

Module 1: Diversity as journey

Understanding and being open to:

• Diversity at the personal level (assumptions, stereotypes, prejudices, values and beliefs)
• Diversity at the inter-personal level (evaluation of impacts of behaviour on others)
• Diversity at the organizational level (auditing of policies, practices, procedures and organizational culture)
• The journey from awareness to understanding and appreciation

Module 2: Stereotypes and prejudices

• What is generalization?
• Stereotypes
• The nature of Prejudice

Module 4: Diversity issues and dilemmas

• Six diversity scenarios
• Solving diversity problems in the workplace
• Learning to apply principles in context
• Appreciation of diverse cultures
• An anthropological view

Module 5: Gender Equity

• Stereotypes of women and men in the workplace
• Understanding the difference between sex and gender
• Are there male and female jobs?

Module 6: Race and racism

• Racial stereotypes in society
• The storytelling circle method
• Surfacing our attitudes, biases and stereotypes in a context of trust
• A racial diversity case study

Module 7: Diversity in ability

• Definitions of disability
• The social model approach to difference in ability
• Disability and impairment
• A working definition of disability
• Creating an enabling work environment

Module 8: Self Reflection

• What it means to manage diversity at the personal and inter-personal levels
• The exclusionary workplace environment
• The inclusive workplace
• Evaluation of own attitudes, negative behaviours and constructive behaviours in the workplace

Module 9: The case for diversity

• Why it's important to manage diversity
• The Employment Equity Act, Skills Development Act, Preferential Procurement Act and BBBEE Codes
• Business benefits of diversity management
• Diversity management approaches and strategies

Module 10: Diversity Programmes

• Conducting a diversity audit
• Diversity management programmes - success and failure factors
• Mainstreaming diversity
• Model to manage cultural diversity