13.14: Assignment- Social Diversity in the Workplace
You are one of four co-founders of a new start-up company producing a new line of meal-replacement drinks. You and your co-founders have had two promising years of producing and selling your product, and now you’re looking to expand the team and grow the business.
One of the things you’re most looking forward to with expanding the company is increasing the diversity of the team. You began the company with some friends who had similar interests who have hired like-minded friends, making the company feel very homogeneous. As you’ve grown as a company, you’re started to worry about the product becoming too niche without the input of other points of view. In casual conversation, another co-founder brought up the idea that the like-mindedness of the team is essential for the company’s continued success. You refuted the idea and mentioned the importance of having diverse opinions, but you didn’t feel like you had enough information or data to make your point credible at the time.
Your task as a leader is to effectively communicate the importance of social diversity in the workplace to the whole company. You may choose one of the following methods to inform the team about the planned company expansion by emphasizing the importance of hiring diverse employees. For this assignment, you can choose one of the three methods:
- Write an email to be sent to the full company.
- Create a presentation to show first to your co-founders, then to the rest of the company.
- Create an informal report showing the positive impact of social diversity in other companies.
In your short rationale (no more than 150 words) explain why you chose the method you did.
Please note: There is no “correct” way to present this message; it will depend on which method you think would be best for your colleagues.
Grading Rubric
| Criteria | Not Evident | Developing | Exemplary | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discuss the plan to expand the team |
0 pts
No presentation completed |
5 pts
Expansion is not discussed |
10 pts
Expansion is discussed |
10 pts |
| Discuss the importance of social diversity |
0 pts
No presentation completed |
10 pts
Discussion shows a lack of understanding of diversity |
20 pts
Discussion shows an understanding of diversity and respect of individuals with different qualities and abilities |
20 pts |
| Provide support for the benefits of social diversity |
0 pts
No slide deck submitted |
5 pts
No support is provided |
10 pts
Support is provided |
10 pts |
| Provide a short rationale |
0 pts
No response to peers |
5
pts
Rationale does not meet required words criteria |
10 pts
Rationale is under 150 words |
10 pts |
| Total: | 50 pts |
Contributors and Attributions
- Assignment: Social Diversity in the Workplace. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution