Human Resource Management

CASE STUDY

Changing attitudes and values

Ben has recently been appointed as an HR adviser for a large supermarket chain. The company employs more than 2000 people in dozens of stores across the metropolitan area and major regional centres. The workforce is extremely diverse, including people from a range of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. More than 70 percent of the workforce is female, although there are very few women in management roles. The company has a policy that advocates good equity and diversity management principles, but there are no actual programs or measures in place to back this up. Bens experience to date is that not many employees are aware of the policy, and of those who are, not many take it seriously. As one manager said to Ben: Its just one of those warm fuzzy policies that doesnt really mean anything.

Ben believes that something more concrete is needed to demonstrate the companys commitment to equity and diversity. He has put together a proposal for a diversity awareness training program targeted at managers and supervisors. The fundamental objective of the program is to promote understanding of the diverse needs of the workforce, and to help managers overcome any prejudices or misconceptions they might have about people from other cultures or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Bens boss, the HR manager, was not really enthused by the proposal. His view was that employee values and attitudes were none of the companys business, and that it was really only their behaviour that mattered. He also pointed out that the company already had a grievance policy that people could use to pursue complaints of unfair treatment, so in his view there was no need for a program like the one Ben was proposing. Ben was disappointed but realised he hadnt really argued the case strongly enough or provided enough justification for his idea. He resolved to continue working on it.

Case study questions

1. Given that there seems little real commitment to equity and diversity, why does the company have an equity and diversity policy at all?

2. How might Ben justify his proposal more strongly? What data might help him do this?

3. Is the HR manager right? Are employee values and attitudes any of the companys business?

4. Is a diversity awareness program the right way to start? Are there any other initiatives that Ben could suggest as an alternative to the program he is proposing?