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Managing Diversity

ITD's Managing Diversity Steering Committee is a cross-functional 'planning for excellence' team. In collaboration with the ITD Quality Steering Committee, team members are interrelating concepts/principles of Managing Diversity and Total Quality to create strategies that enhance organizational outcomes.
(1.6mb) - Diversity has led to ITD's sense of mutual value
After more than 5 years of successful diversity training activities, ITD realized that the diversity program needed a strategic redesign to meet the changing needs of technology and customer service. Several diversity program designs were researched. A critical factor was to find the most effective model for utilizing the synergy of diversity and quality processes.

The most obvious synergy has been created by utilizing Managing Diversity's emphasis on organizational culture, along with the tools and techniques of Total Quality. We are creating data driven diversity and gaining methodology for evaluating organizational culture change needed for Total Quality.

Consequently in 1993, the Managing Diversity process began its first phase, planning for excellence. Managing Diversity utilizes all areas of the quality triangle, but the focus of the M-Quality Expo Managing Diversity Exhibit is on planning for excellence.

The exhibit highlights the analysis of organizational culture. Culture change is crucial for long-term initiatives to meet our mission for services customers will choose. Through this diagnostic research method from the American Institute for Managing Diversity (AIMD), Atlanta, GA, and other training they have provided for ITD, we have developed a more comprehensive organizational development approach for bringing about major change initiatives.

Aspects of Managing Diversity are noted throughout our pages, but some are available here for your reference. For more information contact Andre G. Strong (Andre_G._Strong@um.cc.umich.edu), ITD Managing Diversity Office, 998-6533.


PLANNING FOR EXCELLENCE

The Fundamental Objective of Managing Diversity:

To create an environment which fully taps the potential of all individuals, in pursuit of organizational objectives, without giving advantage or disadvantage to any person or group of persons.

(1.2mb) - individuals give an enormous amount to the group

Heart of Managing Diversity Process

Examining an organization's culture.
Identifying those elements of the culture that are fundamental, the roots from which behaviors spring.
Determining whether the roots support or hinder aspirations for Managing Diversity.
Supporting cultural roots that facilitate Managing Diversity.
Modifying the cultural roots that are hindrances.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE - a definition:

"Underlying values, beliefs and principles that serve as a foundation for the organization's management system, as well as the set of management practices and behaviors that both exemplify and reinforce those principles" (Cox, Taylor Jr., Cultural Diversity in Organizations: Theory, Research & Practice, Berrett-Koehler: San Francisco, 1993, p. 161)


CURRENT INITIATIVES INTERRELATED WITH MANAGING DIVERSITY

ITD MISSION STATEMENT
WORK PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
MANAGEMENT TRAINING
PURPOSE AND VALUES STATEMENT
RECOGNITION AND CELEBRATION
LEADERSHIP SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT
STAFF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
COMMUNICATION
MEASUREMENT/QUALITY INDICATORS/ACCOUNTABILITY
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS (INNOVATION, CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY)
PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIVERSE CUSTOMERS
ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Last updated 16 February by tbray@umich.edu