Chapter 3
Managing Diversity and
Regulatory Challenges
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Chapter Learning Outcomes
• Discuss the composition of the South African
workforce.
• Define diversity management, and discuss why it is
important.
• Distinguish between the concepts of affirmative
action and diversity management.
• Identify the primary principles of the South African
Constitution and other related employment legislation
regarding discrimination.
• Explain the responsibility of HR in effectively and
proactively dealing with unfair discrimination and
sexual harassment in the workplace.
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
South Africa’s Diverse Population
• Population groups
• Women
• The age of the workforce
• South Africans with disabilities
• Sexual/affectional orientation
• HIV and AIDS
• Religion
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
South Africans with Disabilities
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Managing Diversity
• What is diversity?
o Any collective mixture characterised by
differences, similarities and related tensions
and complexities.
• Stereotypes and prejudices
• Assimilation
• Valuing diversity
• Diversity programmes
• Diversity education and awareness training
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Dimensions of Diversity
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Managing Diversity (continued)
• Problems with diversity training
• When is diversity training effective?
• Language sensitivity
• The multicultural organisation
– How can an organisation truly become a
multicultural organisation?
Step 1:
Step 1 Unfreezin Step Moving
2 2:
Step Step 3:
Refreezing
Step 3
g
Unfreezig Moving Refreezing
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Response to Diversity:
Government Legislation
• The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa
(No.108 of 1996)
• Employment Equity Act (EEA) (No. 55 of 1998)
(as amended)
• Labour Relations Act (LRA) (No. 66 of 1995)
• Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA)
(No. 75 of 1997) (as amended)
• Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-
BBEE) (No. 53 of 2003)
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Sexual Harassment
• Defining sexual harassment:
o Any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that is
intended to affect or interfere with a person’s work
performance or meant to create an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive work environment.
• Quid pro quo sexual harassment
• Hostile environment harassment
• Measuring and researching sexual
harassment
• Different forms of sexual harassment
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Sexual Harassment
(Continued)
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Sexual Harassment
(Continued)
• HR’s responsibility:
o Identifying/recognising the characteristics
of sexual harassers
o Drawing up a good sexual harassment
prevention policy
o Providing effective sexual harassment
training
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Summary
• The rapid diversification of the South African workforce is changing
the way in which managers succeed in administrating
organisations. They must be able to harness the energies, talents
and differences of a more diversified workforce. This requires an
ability to recognise value and to manage individuals from diverse
cultures and perspectives.
• Diversity education and awareness training and diversity
programmes strive to increase employees' recognition of the value
of everyone in the workplace. Some programmes, however, have
caused problems among certain employees. To achieve diversity,
HR managers must: (1) hire a diverse workforce; (2) enforce
policies and laws on discrimination; and (3) learn to value and
manage employees' differences.
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
Summary
• Affirmative action programmes by employers seek to determine
areas of under-use of women and other disadvantaged group
members. Employers need to establish goals and timetables to
increase recruitment and selection of women and other groups
in underutilised job categories.
• Government legislation has greatly affected the selection
process. Employers must ensure that their recruitment and
retention practices are non-discriminatory and that each
applicant is given an equal opportunity.
• Sexual harassment has developed into a complex but critical
HR issue. Both quid pro quo and hostile environment forms of
harassment are clearly prohibited. Employers should take a
holistic and proactive approach to dealing with sexual
harassment as well as other forms of harassment and violence
in the workplace.
© Cengage 2022, only to be used with Wärnich et al, Human
Resource Management in South Africa 7/e
