Globalization and Its Impact
全球化及其影响
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Outstanding Cultural Diversity Programs
From the Chrysler Corporation to the Central Intelligence Agency, cultural diversity programs are flourishing in American organizations today. Firms can no longer safely assume that every employee walking in the door has similar beliefs or expectations. Whereas North American white males may believe in challenging authority, Asians tend to respect and defer to it. In Hispanic cultures, people often bring music, food, and family members to work, a custom that U.S. businesses have traditionally not allowed. A job applicant who won't make eye contact during an interview may be rejected for being unapproachable, when according to her culture, she was just being polite.
As a larger number of women, minorities, and immigrants enter the U.S. work force, the workplace is growing more diverse. It is estimated that by 2008 women will make up about 48 percent of the U.S. work force, and African Americans and Hispanics will each account for about 11 percent; by the year 2050, minorities will make up over 50 percent of the American population.
Cultural diversity refers to the differences among people in a work force due to race, ethnicity, and gender. Increasing cultural diversity is forcing managers to learn to supervise and motivate people with a broader range of values systems. According to a recent survey by the American Management Association, half of all U. S. employers have established some kind of formal initiative to promote and manage cultural diversity. Although demographics isn't the only reason for the growth of these programs, it is a compelling one. An increasing number of organizations have come to believe that diversity, like quality and customer service, is a competitive edge. A more diverse work force provides a wider range of ideas and perspectives and fosters creativity and innovation.
Avenues for encouraging diversity include recruiting at historically black colleges and universities, training and development, mentoring, and revamped promotion review policies. To get out the message about their commitment to diversity, many organizations establish diversity councils made up of employees, managers, and executives. Although many Fortune 500 companies are making diversity part of their strategic planning process, some programs stand out from the crowd.
At Texas Instruments, strategies for enhancing diversity include an aggressive recruiting plan, diversity training, mentoring, and an incentive compensation program that rewards managers for fostering diversity. Each business unit has a diversity manager who implements these strategies and works closely with the company's Diversity Network. The network provides a forum of employees to share ideas, solicit support, and build coalitions.
Convinced that strengthening diversity is a business imperative, Du Pont has established several programs to achieve that goal. In addition to training workshops and mentoring, Du Pont has established over 100 multicultural networks through which employees share work and life experiences and strive to help women and minorities reach higher levels of leadership and responsibility within the organization. Over half of Du Pont's new hires for professional and managerial positions are minorities and women.
Disney World's director of diversity wants theme park guests to see themselves reflected in the diversity of Disney's employees. Working to attract diverse employees, Disney hopes to convince them that the organization understands, respects, and values who they are. By holding a variety of diversity celebrations every year-including Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Awareness Month, and Native American Heritage Month-Disney opens the door to this kind of understanding.
What do we learn from strong, successful diversity program such as these, as well as similar programs at Microsoft, Xerox, Procter & Gamble and Digital Equipment Corporation? First, they can go a long way toward eliminating prejudice in the workplace and removing barriers to advancement. Second, to be more than just the latest corporate buzzword, diversity programs require commitment from the top and a culture that supports an inclusive environment.
Reading Comprehension
1.According to the passage, who the word "minority" refer to in the last sentence of the second paragraph?_______
[A]women and immigrants
[B]African Americans and Hispanies
[C]the American population
[D]none of the above
2.Texas Instruments' strategies for enhancing diversity not include_____.
[A]recruiting plan
[B]diversity training
[C]setting up of a network
[D]a staff-rewarding compensation program
3.How do you understand the part "who they are" in the sentence "Disney hopes to convince them that the organization understands, respects, and values who they are."?
[A]It here means that Disney can remember all its employees' names.
[B]It here means that Disney will value and respect each employee's own characteristics and abilities.
[C]It here means that Disney think all the employees have the same characteristics.
[D]It here means that Disney will require the employees to be the same no matter who they are.
4. According to the passage, the success of diversity programs mainly lie with _____.
[A]the employees and the countries
[B]the countries and their culture
[C]each organization's heads and its culture
[D]the heads of each organizations and the employees
5.Judging from the passage, most employers' attitude towards the diversity programs is______.
[A]supporting
[B]indifferent
[C]opposing
[D]welcome
答案与题解
1.[D]
从文章的第二段我们可以了解到美国劳动力的一些组成元素，包括女性、移民、非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人等等，但是这里说的少数民族不仅指非洲裔美国人西班牙裔美国人，它应该大于非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人、一些女性，当然不是所有的美国人口都是少数民族，因此选[D]。
2.[C]
判断这一题的选项，我们可以从第五段中获取足够的信息。第五段第一句话说，"At Texas Instruments, strategies for enhancing diversity include an aggressive recruiting plan, diversity training, mentoring, and an incentive compensation program that rewards managers for fostering diversity." 从这句话我们可以判断[A][B]是正确的，[C]是错的，应该是对经理的补偿制度；[D]项也是正确的，也是该公司的一项策略。
3.[B]
本题考查理解能力。根据课文第七段内容，迪斯尼公司的多元文化主管希望其主题公园的游客们能够感受到迪斯尼员工多元文化的氛围。为了吸引具有不同文化背景的员工，迪斯尼希望让员工相信公司会理解、尊重与珍惜每一个员工。这里所谓的珍惜每一个员工，是表示尊重他们身上展现的不同，包括他们的能力、信仰和习惯、文化上的不同。
4.[C]
文章最后一句话说，"Second, to be more than just the latest corporate buzzword, diversity programs require commitment from the top and a culture that supports an inclusive environment." 即多元文化计划并不仅仅是一种时髦的说法，它要求企业头脑人物下定决心，还要求有一个包容型的工作文化氛围。所以选[C]。
5.[A]
答好此题需要把握好全文。文中一直在讲各个公司是如何积极的采取措施、布置战略来提升公司的多元文化，因此，他们的态度不是漠然、不是反对，而是支持。不选[D]是因为，welcome只是指出欢迎，不能反映具体的行动，而supporting更有积极配合的意思。
Words
the Central Intelligence Agency 美国中央情报局(=CIA)
defer to 尊重, 顺从
Hispanic 西班牙裔美国人：具有拉丁美洲或西班牙血统的美国公民或居民
unapproachable 不能接近的, 不可亲的, 无可匹敌的
ethnicity 属于少数民族：种族特性、背景或关系
demographic 人口统计信息
mentor 导师，作为（另一个人的）忠实顾问或良师
revamp 修订或重整（手稿等）
buzzword 时髦词语；漂亮口号
Notes
1. 第一段的Whereas North American white males may believe in challenging authority, Asians tend to respect and defer to it.句中，it指代authority；连词whereas连接的分句与后一个分句构成对比关系。
2. 第一段的最后一句话A job applicant who won't make eye contact during an interview may be rejected for being unapproachable, when according to her culture, she was just being polite.中，who引导的是一个定语从句，先行词是applicant；句中的when并非"当......的时候"之意，而是表示转折含义，相当于but，although， though。
3. 第三段中的Increasing cultural diversity is forcing managers to learn to supervise and motivate people with a broader range of values systems.句中increasing为现在分词作定语，强调动作的正在进行；motivate somebody with something是指"用......来鼓励某人"。此句中还用到了一个比较级，虽然另一比较项并未出现，但是从上下文我们可以得知是和过去相比。
4. 第三段中的 "Although demographics isn't the only reason for the growth of these programs, it is a compelling one."一句中，although引导的是一个表示让步关系的状语从句，意为"虽然，尽管"。
5.第六段的第一句话"Convinced that strengthening diversity is a business imperative, Du Pont has established several programs to achieve that goal."中，过去分词convinced和其后面他that引导的宾语从句构成句子的状语部分，that goal是指enhancing or promoting diversity。
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