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Reflective Paper- Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

Reflective Paper

Chicago Day 2

Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

International College of the Cayman Islands
GR509

Tutor: Dr. Marshall

By: Suzette Charlery

Date: May 18, 2016

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Reflective Paper- Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

Dr. Walden lecture on diversity was very informative. I learned that diversity is not only about a
range of different thoughts and perspectives such as race, belief system, culture, age, sex and
language, but it also includes different class. She encourages the class to consider diversity in the
workplace as well as in our homes and the community (Walden, 2016). Importantly, an
environment which supports diversity does not automatically mean there is inclusion. Dr. Walden
gave examples of scenarios in the workplace to highlight this point because employers and
employees working in a diverse environment need to have inclusion which creates an
atmosphere where everyone is learning to work together as they show respect and value for each
others belief system. (Walden, 2016).
According to Dessler (2013), Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as amended by 1972 Equal
Employment Opportunity Act states, employer cannot discriminate based on race, color,
religion, sex or national origin. Furthermore, Title VII established the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission to administer and enforce the Civil Right Law at work (Dessler, 2013).
For example, in the Cayman Islands, laws are implemented to encourage equal employment. On
behalf of the Cayman Islands Government, Ministry of Community, Gender Affairs and Housing,
Minister Mike Adams (2015) stated, "It is undeniable that discrimination against women is a
feature of the modern Caymanian workplace, the Minister continues. "Less noted is the kind of
discrimination that men face, as an example regarding the kinds of jobs and other employment
opportunities for which they may be considered, or inequitable treatment based on their marital
status. (Cayman Islands Government, 2015). This Ministry has a strong organizational culture.
The organizations core values are both intensely held and widely shared. Furthermore, the

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Reflective Paper- Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

culture has a boundary- defining role, conveys a sense of identity for the organization members,
facilitates commitment, and enhances the stability of the social system (Robbins and Judge,
2014).
Living in the Cayman Islands is a blend of the old and the new, traditional and modern, with both
British, Jamaican and American influences. Many Caymanians have traveled the world as
merchant seamen, and others have lived and worked for long periods in the United States,
Central America, Canada and Europe (Cayman Islands Government, 2015). Employers value
fairness and objectivity in selecting employees of various dimensions and focus on the
communication and productivity potential of the recruited staff. (Robbins and Judge, 2014).
Many companies are embracing the need for diversity in the workplace and rightly so supported
by the law to prohibit employee discrimination activities. Research find that one-shot training
sessions without strategies to encourage effective diversity management on the job are likely to
be very ineffective (Robbins and Judge, 2014). However, on the other hand, employers that
invest in diversity training can benefit from employee relations as well as enhance the ability to
interact and manage employees from several perspectives (Scott and Media, 2015).
Globalization is increasing, and cross-cultural diversity in the workplace is inevitable. It is
unfortunate that many people in various industries have different biases and expectations due to
assumptions and lack of knowledge. For example, the assumption that women of color are
underperformers. Hence, efforts are made to prevent these assumptions with diverse
organizations development of training programs. Dr. Walden showed us a very interesting TED
Talk film by Mellony Holson titled Color Blind or Color Brave (Walden, 2016). I believe these
programs encourage the awareness of the discrimination-and-fairness paradigm that focuses on
fair treatment, equal opportunity recruitment and compliance with the law. Additionally,

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Reflective Paper- Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

mentoring and career-development programs specifically for women and people of color in
their ranks and training other employees to respect cultural differences is beneficial (Thomas
and Ely, 1996). Training is successful, especially when processes such as monitoring, measuring
and rewarding individual performance are in place.

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Reflective Paper- Dr. Vernese Edghill-Walden

References
Cayman Islands Government. (2015). Culture. Retrieved from
http://www.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/cighome/cayman/thepeople/culture

Cayman Islands Government (2015). Equality of the sexes. Retrieved from

http://www.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/cighome/pressroom/archive/201107/equalityofsexes

Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resources Management. 13th Edition. United States of America:
Pearson Education. Chapter 2.

Edghill-Walden, Vernese (2016) Diversity and its role in business development

Robbins, S., and Judge, T. (2014). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. 12th Edition. The
United States of America. Chapter 2.

Scott, S., and Media, D. (2015). Cultural Diversity Training & Education in the Workplace.
Small Business. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/cultural-diversitytraining-education-workplace-1853.html

Thomas, D., and Ely, R. (1996). Cross-Cultural Management. Making Differences Matter: A
New Paradigm for Managing Diversity. Retrieved from:https://hbr.org/1996/09/makingdifferences-matter-a-new-paradigm-for-managing-diversity