As part of Project MARIO, I created notes to enable the development of an anti-racist framework for working with organizations. I will drop my notes from these articles from time to time.
Developing Multicultural Organizations
Written by: Bailey W. Jackson (academic) & Evangelina Holvino (practitioner)
Published
Date: 1988
Important learnings after renewed concerns based on a resurgence of social injustices:
· Individual consciousness-raising strategies has only limited success while lasting social justice change requires focus on organization as system.
As demographic shifts happen organizations have begun developing new recruitment, incentive program that appeal to wider ranging workforce.
Evidence is showing a direct relationship between delivery of quality and quantity with ability to provide a “just working environment for all its employees” (pg. 14)
Goals of Multicultural Organizational Development are:
Social and cultural representation of perspectives
Valuing and capitalizing on differences
Eliminating racism and sexism
Diversity of stakeholder, equal partners, a commitment to empower all people
Definition of Multicultural Organization
A multicultural organization
Reflects interests of diverse social groups in mission, operations, products, service
Commitment to eradicate social oppression within organization
Includes members of diverse social/cultural groups in decisions that shape an organization
Broader external social responsibility and “educate others in multicultural perspectives” (pg. 15)
Multicultural Organization Development Stages and Dimensions of Change
Multicultural Organizational Development is the process of assisting an organization in moving from the present stage to becoming a fully multicultural organization. As we move through the stages below “the strategy for organizational change shifts from targeting change at the individual level, to targeting change at the system level to targeting change at the interface between organization and environment” (pg. 16).
Stage 1: Exclusionary Organization
Maintenance of dominance of one group over another based-on race, gender,
culture or other social identity characteristics
Target of Change: ---
Interventions: --
Skills: --
Stage 2: The Club
Does not advocate for things like “Male White Supremacy” but does
seek to “maintain privilege of those who have traditionally held social power”
(pg 15). The club allows limited members from oppressed groups if they have the “right” perspective and credentials.
Target of Change: upper level or oppressed groups
Interventions: management training, support group
Skills: confronting and interrupting offensive behavior
Role of change agent: provocateur
Stage 3: The Compliance Organization
Committed to removing some discrimination but seeks this without disturbing current ways of organizational components. Attempts to change organizational racial and gender profile by actively recruiting and hiring racial minorities at the bottom of the organization or promote “token” minorities into upper level positions. This individual must be a “qualified team player” who will not challenge org mission and practices and “150% competent to do the job”. pg. 15
Target of Change: personnel, systems and mechanisms
Interventions: EEO audits, training, goal setting, “minority” training
Skills: law and policy analysis, education, bargaining
Stage 4: The Affirmative Action Organization
“Committed to eliminating discrimination practices and inherent “riggedness” of the The Club” (pg. 15). Instead they take an active role in the growth and development of these new employee by initiating programs that increase success and mobility. “All employees are encouraged to think and behave in non-oppressive manner”. However, all members are still asked to conform to the norms and practice from dominant point of view.
Target of Change: System (structure, reward, relationship, climate)
Interventions: performance management, the “isms”, career development programs
Skills: MCO systems diagnosis, intergroup relations
Role of change agent: evaluator and action researcher
Stage 5: The Redefining Organization
This stage is a system of transition meaning it is not satisfied with being anti-racist or anti-sexist. It is committed to examining activities for impact on all members ability to participate and contribute to organization. It questions limitations of perspectives and ways it manifests in organizational components. Explores benefits of multicultural organization. It is committed to developing and implementing policies and practices that distribute power among all of the diverse group.
Target of Change: system (mission, values, structure)
Interventions: visioning and strategic planning, MC team building
Skills: values clarification, conflict management skills
Role of change agent: collaborator exploring and problem solving in multidisciplinary change teams
Stage 6: The Multicultural Organization
Reflects contributions and interests of diverse cultural and social groups in mission, operations, products and services. Acts to eradicate social oppression in all forms within the organization. Diverse cultural and social groups participate in decision that shape organization and follows through on a broader external social responsibility.
Target of Change: system and environment
Interventions: ecological planning, mc autonomous teams’ ad self-management systems
Skills: synergistic problem solving, alternative work structures
Diagnostic Clues:
Examples of indicators that help diagnose different stages are: what is the status of member socially oppressed groups? Another diagnostic dimension is learning climate:
· “we tried that before” (compliance) means that there needs to be a process for institutionalizing changes.
· Affirmative action stage members show a mixture confusion and insights about MC dynamics and progress. In this case collective mechanisms for increasing organizational learning need to be developed and a focus on maintaining gains.
· In redefining stage members feel “at their end” of their learning capacity and so change agents must redefine learning task, redirect energy and celebrate accomplishments.
The values and assumptions that agents hold about the nature of society and need for change greatly influence how multicultural organization development is defined and implemented. A change agent who believes society is alienating and depriving for many members is going to have a different organizational vision than a change agent who believes society is basically harmonious. The latter goal is to increase organizational effectiveness by integrating members of diverse groups while the formers goal would imply a radically different vision of an organization that’s goal is to “transform the organization in order to enhance human diversity, social justice and the realization of human society” (pg.19).
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