Leading Diverse Organizations

Catalog description

Managing diversity and differences effectively is one of the most pressing leadership challenges in organizations today. This course focuses on increasing knowledge, skill, and confidence to address diversity related challenges that are an inevitable part of the manager's life. Course materials are organized around an Awareness-Empathy-Action/Allyship (AEA) framework. First, students will gain awareness around topics such as bias, prejudice, (in)equity and discrimination in the workplace. Course materials will direct students towards a greater awareness about how their personal biases and values shape decision making in interpersonal and group contexts as well as recognizing sources of bias and discrimination in the context surrounding them. Second, students will learn concepts that allow them to build empathy and take the perspective of others who are different. Often, people can empathize with others who are share a similar background or set of values, but transferring this empathy across differences can be challenging. Through case discussions and experiential learning students will have an opportunity to build their empathy across differences. Both awareness and empathy contribute to the third key component of this course- taking action to ensure equity and inclusion in the workplace. Through cases and exercises students will learn when and how to take individual action as well as promote inclusive and equitable practices in organizations. Overall, the AEA framework provides a pragmatic and evidencebased approach to recognizing and addressing bias and discrimination as well as fostering an inclusive workplace culture.