Diversity management: introduction, concepts and theories

Selected diversity dimensions and their role in organizations: disability, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation.

The students are able to explain the main concepts of diversity management and the main reasons for inclusiveness with respect to social categories.

At the end of the course the students know examples of diversity programs related to disability, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation.

To gain greater self-awareness of your own cultural and personal values, and diversity biases that may contribute to our behavior and interactions in organizations.

PI-LV are higly interactive courses.

For a positive completion of the LV an 80% presence is required.

Should there be an important reason for absence, then a maximum of 20% of the entire course duration can be missed. In case of more than 20% absence, the course must be repeated. For the absenteeism a confirmation (for instance a medical certificate) must be submitted.

Important reasons are, according to the examination regulations of the WU, all those that are beyond the disposition of the student (illness, accident, death of a close relative). Vocational obligations are not considered an important reason in the sense of the examination regulations, since these are in the disposition of the students.

The course will be held by a team of lecturers and will consist of several blocks each assigned to specific topics.

The course design will combine lectures, discussions, and small group class presentations.

Criteria for successful completion and grading:

• Preparation and participation in all class sessions
• Reading presentations
• Presence at all lectures
• Individual contribution to single block seminars

Evaluation criteria:

• Written exam to each of the four lecturing blocks (block 2-5) (20 Pts.)
• Written summary 'lessons learned' in the end (20 Pts.)

Grading scheme:

• Exzellent/A/1: 88-100 points
• Good/B/2: 76-87 points
• Satisfactory/C/3: 63-75 points
• Sufficient/D/4: 51- 62 points
• Fail/5: 0-50 points

For queries, please drop a line to elisabeth.guenther@wu.ac.at