Transcript Document

21st Century Pluralism
and Business Demographics
Business Perspectives
Rowan University
College of Business
Objectives
• What is “Demography”?
• Which characteristics are included in
“Organizational Demography”?
• Why are social characteristics important in
business?
• How is the U.S. Workforce Changing?
• How is New Jersey’s Workforce
Changing?
Demography is the study of
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Population inflow (birth and immigration)
Population outflow (death and emigration) . . .
In relation to broad categories of people
Based on age, race, ethnicity, sex, national
origin.
Organizational Demography
Focuses on the distribution of worker
characteristics in the organization:
• Traditional demographic characteristics such
as age, race, ethnicity, sex, national origin.
• as well as functional specialty, job tenure,
organizational tenure
Sociologists distinguish
between characteristics
ASCRIBED
ACHIEVED
• Ones we are born with • Ones usually under a
or acquire and
person’s control and
generally cannot
subject to improvement
change through our
or modification.
own efforts.
• Examples: Level of
• Examples: Age, gender,
education, occupation,
national origin,
job experience.
handicap.
Demographic characteristics such as
age, race, ethnicity, sex,
handicapped status & national origin
are important because
1. They are among the most visible features
distinguishing individuals.
2. People think they matter & influence the way
people are treated.
3. The American workforce is increasingly diverse.
4. These are ascribed, not achieved characteristics.
5. Some of these characteristics constitute legally
“protected classes” that require special attention in
firms.
Focusing More Broadly on
Social & Organizational Demography
is important because
• Social categories are potent sources of self-identity.
• Diversity creates social categories which affect. . .
• Social psychological processes in “diverse” workers
that can create feelings of . . . .
as well as
isolation,
discomfort, &
confusion
creative tension
& diverse
solutions to
problems
Five conditions identify social categories
People in distinct categories . . .
• May behave in systematically different ways
(physical handicap vs. non handicapped; young vs.
elderly)
• Conflict often exists between social categories
(Catholics vs. Protestants in Northern Ireland)
• Status differences often exist between categories
(managers vs. subordinates)
• Institutional practices often distinguish social
categories (wear different clothing; different work hours;
formal vs. familiar speech)
• Social categories are often easy to distinguish
visually (age, race, gender)
Konrad & Gutek, 1987. Theory & Research on Group Composition
The “strength” of social categories varies
depending on how many of the
aforementioned criteria apply.
Application: gender may overlap with occupation,
status and with institutional practices.
Example
• Engineers tend to be
men; have higher status
in firm; and are allowed
to come and go as they
please.
• Secretaries tend to be
female; have lower status
in firm; are expected to
stay at their desks from
9am to 5 pm.
The U.S. Labor Force is Increasingly Diverse
• The labor force is growing,
but the rate of increase in
women & minorities in the
workforce is growing faster.
• By 2000, white men
account for 15% of that
growth; everyone else
accounts for 85% of growth.
• Age diversity will change
w/ a majority of older teens
will be employed at least
part-time; 65+ will increase
• Foreign-born workforce will
increase beyond 13%
(2000).
• The labor force is
increasingly a white-collar
workforce.
• The majority 71.8% of
employed Americans are
in professional,
managerial, technical &
administrative support
positions or service
occupations (1995).
Why is the Workforce
Increasingly Diverse?
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Immigration
Differential Birth Rates
Changing Family Dynamics
Changing Sex-role expectations
Labor Demand
Federal & State Laws
Let’s Look at
New Jersey’s Workforce 1998
• 69.8% of NJ’s 4,177,900 workers are
classified as White/Non-Hispanic*.
• 53.7% are male.
• By comparison, in the year 2010,
62% will be White/Non-Hispanic*
and 52% will be male.
Source: WNJPIN: POPULATION & LABOR FORCE PROJECTIONS
* Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Let’s Look at Age Composition of
New Jersey’s Workforce
• You entered college in
Fall ’01 @ age 18.
• In 2010, you will be 27
& part of the cohort of
25-29 year olds.
What can you
conclude from this
data?
1998
AGE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55-59
60-64
65+
4.9%
8.5%
10.3%
12.8%
28.2%
21.4%
6.7%
4.0%
3.2%
2010
5.7%
9.0%
9.3%
9.3%
23.3%
25.6%
8.8%
5.6%
3.4%
New Jersey’s Workforce 2010
By 2010 New Jersey Workforce will number 4,701,500. Of that figure,
52% will be male and 48% female. Racial/Ethnic composition will be
62% White/Non-Hispanics, 15% Black, 13% Hispanic and 9% Other*
New Jersey Workforce 2010
Other – 9%
Black – 15%
White/Non-Hispanic – 62%
Hispanic - 13%
"Other Races" include Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native.
Hispanic origin is not a race. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
New Jersey’s Workforce 2010
• By Year 2010, the workforce in
9 of NJ’s 22 Counties will be
more diverse than the state
average.
• In 4 of these counties, no
single race/ethnicity group will
have a majority.
63% or More White/NH
51% - 62% White /NH
49% or Less White/NH