Video Reactionary Paper Week #3
The first video I watched dealt with a new college graduate going to work for a big company for the first time. At the interview he was exposed to an African American man, a handicapped woman and a lady from India. It dealt with his assumptions and attitudes about working with others different than him. The second video dealt with a woman that was working with an African American man and her preconceived notions. There was a history with a friend of hers that did not end well. It’s important that it’s talked about because just when the country makes progress you read a story in the paper that makes you think differently. It’s important that everybody accepts and understands the benefits of diversity in the workforce.
After I saw the video it was hard for me to think that there were people that still acted that way. I know the country has come a long way, but there’s obviously work that still needs to be done. A lot of people’s misconceptions come from the assumptions that they may have regarding others that are different from them. The behavior that is exhibited will clue others into what you truly believe and how you feel. The first assumption that people make is that diversity is only about race, gender or nationality. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Diversity encompasses the whole person and uniqueness of each individual. One of the best things to learn and we can teach our kids is not to judge others on outside appearances. That’s rather superficial anyway.
Both videos portrayed an African American man. In both videos it was apparent that the person has issues with him. In one case it was because of the color of his skin and the other it was that and an experience from the past. In that scenario she put all African American men into the same category based on the color of his skin. Those are dangerous assumptions and ones that aren’t fair. Women and minorities often have the hardest time in the work place being treated fairly. Our text states, “Often minorities and women who have been hired find themselves in an organization culture or environment that does not give them the opportunity to do their best work” (Bateman & Snell, 2013, p. 386). They are already behind the eight ball so we need to embrace that and give them the tools to be successful.
There are times that when somebody doesn’t look the same or dress the same that it makes us uncomfortable. It just makes for a tense work environment and wouldn’t be healthy for a team environment. This could cause discord in the group and decrease their cohesiveness and productivity. The text suggests, “It can often lead to misunderstanding, mistrust, and fear of those who are different because of lack of contact and low familiarity” (Bateman & Snell, 2013, p. 387). There is an old saying that “you can’t judge a book by its cover” and that is the case in this situation. Just because a person is black doesn’t mean that they are going to assault you.
These videos represents where we are as a country and all that needs to be done. By being aware of our own biases and prejudices then we can prevent stereotyping others. If you look at the benefits of a diverse workforce they far outweigh the challenges. With diversity we can benefit from others and be innovators of new ideas. With a global market emerging we can position ourselves to remain on top. A diverse workforce can position a company or organization to have the competitive edge and be successful. You will be able to have a broader customer base and increased revenue. It’s imperative for the top level managers to buy into diversity to make it work in their company. Without their buy in it would be difficult for it to succeed. By working in a diverse company the talent pool will be increased. This would allow you more access to higher quality applicants.

References
` Bateman, T.S. & Snell, S.A. (2013). Management: Leading & Cllaborating in a ` ` Competitive World. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill Education.