Workplace cultures - CiteSeerX

Moving on up? Ethnic minority women and work

Workplace cultures: what does and does not work

Harriet Bradley, Geraldine Healy, Cynthia Forson and Priyasha Kaul University of Bristol and Queen Mary, University of London

Workplace cultures: what does and does not work Harriet Bradley, Geraldine Healy, Cynthia Forson and Priyasha Kaul University of Bristol and Queen Mary, University of London

© Equal Opportunities Commission 2007

First published Summer 2007 ISBN 978 1 84206 034 6 EOC WORKING PAPER SERIES

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ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION In October 2005, the Equal Opportunities Commission launched 'Moving on up? Ethnic minority women at work', a GB wide investigation into the participation, pay and progression of ethnic minority women in the labour market. The overall aim of the investigation was to understand more about the diverse experiences and aspirations of ethnic minority women in relation to work, including barriers to progress, so that effective action could be taken to improve their labour market prospects. The focus was on women, as there was insufficient labour market evidence available that sought to understand how gender, race and faith intersected in the labour market. The investigation focused particularly, though not exclusively, on Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women. Pakistani and Bangladeshi women were included because they have the lowest rates of employment of any other ethnic group, and Black Caribbean women because they are underrepresented in senior level jobs, despite being more likely than white women to work full-time. A focus on these three groups meant that resources could be channelled more effectively for depth research and analysis, in order to avoid over generalisations about ethnic minority women. The EOC commissioned new research and analysis to support the investigation, including the voices of women at every stage. Moving on up? was a statutory investigation under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The legislation gives the EOC the power to undertake general formal investigations into deep-seated issues of gender inequality or discrimination, and to make recommendations to those in a position to make changes, including Government.

This report is one of a series of research reports commissioned for the Moving on up investigation, which was supported by the European Social Fund. All the research is published on our website at www.eoc.org.uk. Please email [email protected] or phone our helpline if you require a printed copy of the final report of the investigation. For more information on the investigation visit our website www.eoc.org.uk/bme

CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

v

1

INTRODUCTION 1.1 General context 1.2 Legislative background 1.3 Methodology 1.4 Structure of report

1 1 3 4 7

2

ETHNIC MINORITY WOMEN IN THE LABOUR MARKET 2.1 Overview 2.2 Black Caribbean women 2.3 Pakistani women 2.4 Bangladeshi women 2.5 Why do Pakistani and Bangladeshi women have low levels of economic activity? 2.6 Workplace cultures and their impacts

9 9 10 11 12

3

RECURRENT PROBLEMS 3.1 Recruitment and interviews 3.2 Retention 3.3 Promotion and development 3.4 Everyday racism 3.5 Resistance to change - the undermining of initiatives

18 18 22 23 24 27

4

WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES WITHIN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES 4.1 The significance of workplace cultures 4.2 Feeling welcomed and included 4.3 Good and bad managers 4.4 Socialising and networking 4.5 The ideal workplace culture 4.6 An alternative: self-employment and employment within the ethnic minority business sector

28 28 29 31 34 35

i

13 15

36

5

MANAGING DIVERSITY: POLICIES FOR CHANGE 5.1 Managing for diversity 5.2 Why focus on equality and diversity? Drivers and benefits of change 5.3 Resistance to change: the ‘missing middle’ 5.4 Closing the gap: from policies to practice 5.5 Data collection and monitoring 5.6 Contextual data analysis

39 39

6

WHAT WORKS: STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE 6.1 Communicating positive messages to potential employees 6.2 Improving cultural awareness 6.3 Career development 6.4 Reaching out to the community

51 51 56 62 68

7

CONCLUSIONS 7.1 Moving on: equality and diversity policies in the twenty-first century 7.2 Policy implications and recommendations: towards a diversity-friendly organisational culture 7.3 Who should change – the organisations or the women?

72

40 42 43 46 48

72 73 76

APPENDICIES 1 Participants in scoping phase of project 2 The case study organisations 3 Categories for collecting statistics 4 Topic guide for employers 5 Case study interview schedule

79 80 82 85 87

REFERENCES

90

TABLES 1.1 2.1 A3.1 A3.2 A3.3

Profile of case study participants, excluding managers Occupational clustering among ethnic minority women Ethnic group Ethnic group Religion

ii

6 10 82 83 84

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A great number of people made this research possible. We should like to thank our case study organisations, BUPA, B&Q, Lloyd TSB, Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), Tower Hamlets Borough Council and West Bromwich Building Society (WBBS) for kindly agreeing to allow us access to their employees and helping us with information and documentation. We should like to thank Randeep Kular of NHS Employers, Cindy Westcarr of UNISON and workers at Jagonari (London), Humdard (Bristol), Bristol Black Development Agency, Bristol Bangladeshi Women’s Centre, Lozells Women’s Centre (Birmingham) for arranging focus groups for us and supplying some delicious food. Beverley Lewin helped us identify SMEs in Bristol and carried out a number of interviews for us, for which we are most grateful. We also wish to thank Queen Mary University, London, for providing facilities for two day workshops which helped inform our thinking for this report. We would like also to acknowledge the tremendous help we have had from the EOC staff, and the Moving on Up? Advisory Board. Liz Speed, Helen Wollaston, John Sharman and David Darton have offered very useful comments and suggestions throughout the research process. Thanks to Reena Bhavnani for giving us advance sight of her contribution to this research programme. Above all, however, we must thank all the Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani women who gave up their time to be interviewed and share their experiences with us. We hope they will feel this report gives an accurate view of their concerns, insights and achievements.

iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction This report explores the impact of workplace culture on three groups of ethnic minority 1 women in the UK: Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani. 2 The research forms part of the EOC’s broader initiative Moving on up?, which uses a number of surveys and studies to examine these women's experiences in the labour market and workplace.

The employment context for ethnic minority women is influenced by employer strategies, women’s ambitions and perceptions about their commitment to work. The following factors therefore shaped the research: •

Most employers accept the business case for employing people from diverse backgrounds. They would like to employ more ethnic minority women but say that they find it hard to recruit them.

•

Many young women from ethnic minority communities are ambitious and well qualified, but have more difficulty than other young people with similar levels of education in securing a job which satisfies them.

•

There would, therefore, appear to be gaps between employers’ stated intentions and their actual employment practices, and between young ethnic minority women’s aspirations and their employment experiences, which need to be bridged.

•

There are comparatively few Black Caribbean, Pakistani or Bangladeshi women in management roles.

•

Workplace cultures are important in encouraging or discouraging ethnic minority women in regard to taking jobs and ‘moving on up’ within organisations.

This research aims to: •

identify features of workplace cultures that are supportive to these groups of women and those that are unfavourable;

1

Ethnic minority is the term used throughout the EOC Moving On Up investigation. The women studied include those born in Britain of Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani origin.

2

v

WORKPLACE CULTURES: WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT WORK

• • •

identify employer actions and initiatives that have promoted positive cultures for these groups and conversely actions that have not been helpful; identify what actions and initiatives will be useful in promoting employment and progression for Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women; show how equality and diversity policies (EDP) might operate in different organisations.

Research design The research was multi-levelled. It involved: initial ‘scoping’ interviews with experts and managers who have substantial experience of equality and diversity issues; 11 focus groups in London, Birmingham and Bristol to explore the experiences of women in varied circumstances; and six case studies to explore the impact of differing cultures in some sectors where women from these ethnic backgrounds are concentrated: health and welfare, education, retail and administration. The six case study organisations were BUPA care homes; B&Q; Lloyds TSB; Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL); Tower Hamlets Local Authority; and West Bromwich Building Society (WBBS). In each case study organisation we interviewed 10 women employees (a mix of Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani) and two managers. We also collected documents pertaining to the organisation and its policies. Finally, women who owned small businesses or worked within ethnicallyowned businesses were interviewed. Some 152 people took part in the study, of whom 130 were ethnic minority women. KEY FINDINGS The case for change There are three main sets of drivers that lead organisations to adopt equality and diversity policies (EDP): the ‘business case', legal compliance and values of justice and fairness. Most organisations operate with a mix of these. Many employers recognise that a multi-ethnic and multilingual workforce will better serve the needs of customers in a multi-cultural world. They are also aware that in the search for talent they cannot afford to overlook well-qualified young women from any ethnic group. The public sector will also be influenced by the new Gender Equality Duty that came into force in April 2007. This requires a proactive approach to improving women’s opportunities and can be a spur to considering continued barriers to their advancement.

Despite a skill shortage, there is an under-utilisation of existing talent. Pakistani and Bangladeshi women have low economic activity rates, high unemployment rates and are more heavily concentrated than white women in a 'restricted' range of occupations (including retail, clerical work and educational support work). Black vi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Caribbean women are clustered in the public sector, frequently in lower level occupations than their experience or qualifications merit. Talent is lost from an organisation if women leave because they feel they have been overlooked for promotion, especially when they see less qualified white men and women progressing more quickly. Many in our case-study organisations believed that by developing effective EDP, they improved employee and customer satisfaction and could provide a better service for customers and clients. They also believed that EDP had helped to improve staff retention and contributed to increased profits. There are also important negative effects that effective EDP help avoid. Successful discrimination tribunal cases not only mean possible large fines, but a tarnished public reputation. 10 guidelines for a diversity friendly workplace There is a serious implementation gap between policy and practice. While most large and progressive organisations have good policies for promoting equality and diversity on paper there is general concern that these are not converted into practices. To make policies effective, they need to be embedded throughout all levels of organisations and become part of both informal as well as formal cultures.

Workplace culture, defined by management theorists Deal and Kennedy (1982) as ‘the way things are done around here', can be the site of discriminatory relationships and practice. Within workplaces there are both formal cultures sponsored by management, and informal cultures based on daily interactions between organisational stakeholders including management and employees. Cultures include artefacts, values, and basic assumptions. These can be summarised as what you see within an organisation, what is considered important including the goals and philosophies, and what are the unspoken rules and practices of the organisation as embedded in the informal cultures. Rituals and rites are also important facets of culture as are networks of communication. Ethnic minority women have clear ideas about which organisations provide friendly and safe environments for them and this research revealed a number of areas where strategies for change have been successfully implemented. Based on these, we offer a set of guidelines to help organisations develop a successful EDP and achieve a more diversity friendly culture. Although each organisation is different with a unique culture and will need to tailor their policies accordingly, the research suggests these will apply in most contexts: 1.

Diagnosis: collect and analyse hard statistical data. vii


2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9. 10.

Identify a diversity champion at the highest level. Reach out to communities. Take active steps to welcome new people into the organisation e.g. mentoring and providing role models for new staff. Encourage and publicise flexible working. Recognise the central role of line-managers in tackling the implementation gap and upskill them in cultural competence to support people from different backgrounds. Incorporate diversity targets into performance of managers and staff. Set clear standards of behaviour to all staff, customers/clients and take prompt action to deal with any instance of racism, sexism or anti-Muslim prejudice. Engage all employees with cultural diversity e.g. religious festivals, languages (which will improve customer service as well as relationships between staff). Create social occasions that do not rely on drinking alcohol, eating pork or gambling. Talk to your staff. Collect 'soft' data, by asking Black and Asian women – via one to one meetings with managers, focus groups and trade unions, and through staff surveys, exit interviews, market research with groups in the local community.

1. Collect data: The first stage is to conduct a thorough audit and identify where precisely are the problems caused by the intersection of gender and ethnicity. The data collection should be as comprehensive as possible and include breakdowns by gender and different ethnic groups. An audit of culture should be included, perhaps using staff survey information or focus groups with different groups of ethnic minority women. 2. A diversity champion: Through internal consultations priorities for action should be identified and a champion appointed to take responsibility for them. The champion should be somebody with authority and influence. The aim should be to embed the policy through the organisation, with special attention to the role of line managers. It is crucial that champions and other senior people articulate clearly, not in coded messages, what individuals need to do to progress within an organisation. Progress needs to be carefully monitored. 3. Reach out to communities: Employers can make a real difference by going out into communities to build understanding of their organisation, the range of jobs available and to promote perceptions about their workplace culture as diversityfriendly. Roadshows or open days targeted at specific communities can be used to attract and recruit particular groups of women and making use of local media including ethnic minority press and radio to highlight opportunities can be helpful in

viii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

recruitment. Employers need to be more proactive in identifying suitable and ‘safe’ jobs and to work actively in the community to publicise diversity-friendly openings in which women will feel comfortable. In terms of recruitment, organisations should try to ensure a diverse panel membership and check that all recruiters are trained in EDP. Firms should consider ways in which interviewing techniques might be made less intimidating and review their criteria and testing methods. Holding interviews in the community has proved successful, as have recruitment opportunities tailored towards specific ethnic groups. Furthermore, guidelines about the appropriate composition of interview panels are often absent or not adhered to and women in this study feel that they have encountered discrimination and prejudice at interview. In particular, women who choose to wear Islamic dress report that they find it difficult to get jobs. New technology in the form of weblogs and podcasts can provide helpful information about organisations and spread the message that ethnic minority applicants are welcome. They can also be used to provide guidance to candidates on the selection process. The message has to be ‘there’s a suitable job here for me.’ 4. Welcome new staff and provide role models: There was strong support for mentoring. Mentoring can be helpful in providing information about ‘the way we do things here’ and is extremely useful for career development and giving access to networks. Mentoring schemes need to be carefully thought out to avoid being linked to a ‘deficit’ model. Making mentoring universally available might be one way to tackle this, although multiple mentors should also be encouraged.

As ethnic minority women are often excluded from informal networking within the organisation it may be useful to set up women’s or ethnic minority networks. Selforganised networks may be helpful in building skills, making links with other useful people and identifying sponsors. They appear to work best when occupationally based, both inside or external to an organisation, or run through trade unions. Having ethnic minority women visible in senior posts as role models and facilitators for more junior women is a very important way to encourage young women to stay on and develop careers. Training for promotion and management is valued by everyone, and it is important that line managers encourage ethnic minority women’s access to training resources. Given the current lack of ethnic minority women in senior roles, targeted management training should be developed. 5. Flexible working: The availability of flexible working is essential, and employers need to encourage and publicise flexible working within their organisation. Without

ix


this, many women with domestic responsibilities cannot work. This applies particularly to the Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in our study, also to many Black Caribbean women who have sole care of their children and have a high commitment to full-time work. Flexibility is also essential in an organisation which has effective EDP, in order to accommodate the cultural and religious needs of its employees. 6. Importance of line-managers: Line managers have a key role to play in promoting cultural awareness and are the most important factor in the successful promotion of diversity. They can determine whether ethnic minority women feel comfortable or excluded, and can foster the climate in which women feel able to stay in the organisation and develop careers. Women’s willingness to raise issues of racism and sexism is constrained by their workplace culture. Some line managers need more help and support in understanding diversity issues, such as being given adequate training. Equality and diversity measures should be among their targets and key performance indicators. 7. Unacceptable behaviour: Problems of retention may relate to the widely reported experience of racism and sexism in many workplaces, both of an overt nature and what we call ’everyday ‘ or ‘banal’ racism. By this we mean the steady and persistent flow of remarks which mark the ethnic minority person as ‘different’, alien or ‘other’. Many women have also experienced blatant racial abuse from customers and clients, and feel inadequately protected by their managers and supervisors. To eliminate this a strong zero-tolerance approach to racism and abuse of staff needs to be implemented. 8. Building cultural intelligence: Training in cultural awareness was emphasised by our interviewees as it was felt that there was a high level of ignorance among white British people about other cultures. This could be addressed through training and cultural awareness activities, for example, celebrations of various festivals such as Diwali or Eid. Many participants saw training as an absolutely key issue, especially for managers. This relates to the need to build a core of ‘culturally intelligent’ managers, thereby increasing the ‘cultural capital’ of the whole organisation. This strategy may help close the ‘implementation’ gap and confront the problem of the ‘missing middle’. Such training must be well-delivered, however, or it can be counterproductive. E-learning programmes may be a good way to avoid resistance. Such training will work best when it promotes a positive message that ‘cultural diversity is fun and enriching’. 9. Social occasions: Problems concerning social interaction within the workplace were commonly reported and women described how they felt excluded and marginalised by friendship groups. A particular problem is the key role of pubs and

x

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

alcohol in social life in which many Muslim and Black Caribbean women cannot, or prefer not to, participate. The women knew this was important as after hours socialising was a central site of networking. Women felt they did not have access to these networks which had a crucial role in providing information about the organisation and helping people to develop careers. It is important to consider ways in which social events in the organisation may be used to promote diversity, for example by celebrating festivals from different traditions, or using caterers from diverse backgrounds. Information about different religions and awareness of their rituals will also help to make people who practise different religions feel welcome and part of the organisational culture. Dress codes should emphasise that Islamic dress may be worn and that a shalwar kameez and hijab is a perfectly acceptable form of professional clothing, as it is in many other countries. 10. Talk to your staff: There are many different ways of ensuring that an organisation is kept informed of staff concerns and opinions. Ethnic minority women's views can be collected through management meetings, focus groups and trade unions, and through staff surveys, exit interviews, network groups, market research with groups in the local community. Each organisation is different and needs to collect its own information; generalising from another company's experiences will not be sufficient. Employees views should be seen as an essential part of any equality audit and the collection of their views should be a continual exercise.

xi

INTRODUCTION

1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 General context This report explores the impact of workplaces culture on three groups of ethnic minority women in the UK: Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani. The research on which the report is based was commissioned as part of the EOC’s broader initiative Moving on up? which explored the labour market and workplace experiences of ethnic minority women. This initiative, consisting of a number of surveys and studies, was the most substantial research programme ever carried out on ethnic minority women in Britain. When this particular study began, the investigation had already found that: •

Most employers accept the business case for employing people from diverse backgrounds

•

However, even in areas where there are high proportions of Black and Asian people, many employers do not employ many ethnic minority women Employers say they would like to employ more ethnic minority women but find it hard to recruit them

• • • • •

Young women from the ethnic minority communities are ambitious and want to have good careers They are among the best qualified and most hard working people in their generation They have more difficulty than other young people with similar levels of education in securing a job which satisfies them There are very few ethnic minority women in managerial jobs, even though many have managerial ambitions

There is therefore a gap between employers’ intentions and their actual employment practices, and between young ethnic minority women’s aspirations and their employment experiences. It should be in the interests of everyone to bridge these gaps. The earlier studies also revealed the importance of workplace cultures in encouraging or inhibiting ethnic minority women from taking jobs and ‘moving on up’ within organisations. Consequently this project was designed to explore in more depth the nature of organisational cultures and their effects on women. The aims of the study are to: •

identify features of workplace cultures that are attractive and supportive to these groups of women, and those that are unfavourable; 1


• • •

identify employer actions and initiatives which have promoted positive cultures for these groups and conversely actions which have not been helpful; identify what actions and initiatives will be useful in promoting employment and progression for Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women; show how equality and diversity policies (EDP) might operate in different organisations.

To achieve this, a multi-levelled research design involving interviews, focus groups and case studies was developed. Recent research has consistently found that women from different minority communities have very different patterns of working and experiences of work. Thus they express different anxieties and reveal different needs. To avoid unhelpful and distorting generalisations, the EOC decided in the Moving on up? research programme to concentrate on three groups: Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani. These groups were identified as having special problems which needed addressing. Bangladeshi and Pakistani women, while coming from some of the poorest communities in the UK, are less likely to be in employment than women from other ethnic groups. In contrast, Black Caribbean women are very likely to be in fulltime jobs, but persistently report difficulties in getting promoted and moving up into top jobs. They are less well represented in managerial jobs than Chinese or Indian women and are most likely to report racism at work (Modood et al., 1997; Botcherby, 2006). As earlier research for Moving on up? has shown, younger women from these three groups are well-qualified, ambitious to succeed and hard-working, but do not find that their investment in education and training is necessarily paying off. In this study we seek to expose some of the reasons why this is the case. Concentrating on these three groups does not mean that we see women from other ethnic communities as being free from problems in their workplaces. Our case studies, focus groups and interviews show that racist attitudes and perceptions are still very common in workplace encounters. Women from all ethnic minority groups experience racist behaviour and many of our research participants mentioned the problems faced by women from Africa and by the ‘new immigrant’ workers of the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Poland and other East European nations. Our findings, although highlighting the specific needs of Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean, and Pakistani women, are thus relevant to all ethnic minority women. Moreover, we discuss aspects of workplace culture, such as after-work drinking and the growth of long hours working, which also pose problems for many white majority women, especially those with young children. An aim of this research is to show how current workplace arrangements still promote inequalities of both gender and ethnicity and to

2

INTRODUCTION

show how gender and ethnicity intersect together in particular ways to deny women the chance to fulfil their potential A key principle of a realist approach to evaluation of initiatives is to ask the question, what works, for whom, in what circumstances? For us in this study, the ‘what’ was EDP, the ‘who’ was the three groups of study and the ‘what circumstances’ was the context of particular workplace cultures. This context is very important as we hope to demonstrate. Organisational cultures are very different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ quick-fix solution to ensure that workplaces promote equality and display sensitivity to the needs of a diverse workplace. However, here we offer some indication of ‘what works’, and indeed ‘what doesn’t work’, which may be helpful to employers and HR managers seeking policies to promote diversity within their own workplace environment. 1.2 Legislative background The EOC’s initiative has been carried out at a very significant moment in the development of equality and diversity legislation. April 2007 saw the enactment of the ‘gender equality duty’ in the public sector. This requires public authorities to be proactive and to take positive steps to improve the position of women within their organisations. They are obliged to promote equality, rather than just avoiding discrimination. They will be required to review their provisions and to make action plans for promoting opportunities for women. These plans must define goals that must be implemented within a three-year period. They are also required to consult with stakeholders and to carry out impact assessments. This will add to the race equality duty enshrined in the Race Relations Amendment Act of 2000; a similar duty on disability came into force in December 2006.

While this legislation does not apply to the private sector, the government hopes that it will set standards for good practice and provide examples of successful policies which will then be adopted by private sector companies. At present, however, the business case is the major motive force stated by private employers to adopt EDP. Progressive firms are aware that in a multicultural country, which is firmly embedded in a global economy, their future customers and clients will come from diverse backgrounds. In major cities, such as London, Leicester and Birmingham, ethnic minority citizens may soon be in a majority. Companies like the West Bromwich Building Society and Lloyds TSB, which took part in our research, are acknowledging that it is useful to have speakers of Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu and Gujerati in their branches to deal with their Asian customers. BUPA care homes, another participant, find that potential customers are asking whether they serve Caribbean food and if staff can speak Asian languages. Retail organisations, hospitals and local authorities, also represented in this research, know that they need to cater more effectively for 3


the needs of ethnic minority customers and clients. Moreover, the EOC and the Women and Equality Unit point out that at the moment there is a great waste of wellqualified potential employees. If organisations want to win in the ‘war for talent’ they will need to broaden their horizons and look for talent in new places. The employer survey for Moving on up? revealed widespread acceptance of the business case; employers are also wary of being found to be discriminatory in their practices, as adverse publicity may have a bad effect on their public image. It might be argued, however, that the voluntary approach for employers does not push the pace of change fast enough. By contrast, in Norway companies are being required by recent legislation to increase the numbers of women on executive boards to 40 per cent. 1.3 Methodology Our brief was to explore the impact of workplace cultures on ethnic minority women’s experiences at work. We believed that a qualitative, case study approach was the best way to explore this issue, since it would enable us to gain a deep insight into employee relations in the chosen organisations. It would allow us to explore the issues from the perspectives of both managers and of women located within the different tiers of the workplace hierarchy.

There were four key stages to this approach: 1. A scoping exercise with key equality and diversity informants; 2. Case studies of six organisations; 3. Focus groups with Bangladeshi, Caribbean and Pakistani women covering 43 women; 4. Interviews with women working in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). 152 people took part in the study, 130 of whom were ethnic minority women. In the initial or ‘scoping’ phase of our research we interviewed experts or managers with substantial experience of equality and diversity issues. We carried out 22 interviews in the scoping phase with people from a highly diverse range of backgrounds, organisations and regional locations. Of these, eight were from the private sector, seven from the public sector, three from voluntary organisations, three from trade unions and one was a self-employed equality trainer. From these interviews we collected a wealth of information about the situation in different sectors and a range of views on what does and does not work. The scoping interviews also helped us design our subsequent interview schedules. A list of those we interviewed during the scoping phase can be found at the end of the report in Appendix 1. 4

INTRODUCTION

The case studies were central to our approach. We carried out six case studies of organisations from the industrial and occupational sectors in which women from the three ethnic backgrounds are concentrated: health and welfare, education, retail and administration. The six organisations which finally agreed to participate in our research were BUPA care homes; B&Q; Lloyds TSB; Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL); Tower Hamlets Local Authority and West Bromwich Building Society (WBBS). In each case study organisation we interviewed 10 women employees (a mix of Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani) and two managers. We also collected documents pertaining to the organisation and its policies. Brief details of each organisation are given in Appendix 2. The demographic profiles of the women interviewed in the case study organisations are shown in Table One. The table indicates that just under half of the women were Caribbean, three in 10 were Bangladeshi and one in five were Pakistani. They were mainly aged between 21 and 50 and the differences in the ages between ethnic groups reflected migration history of the groups in the general population. As such the age profile of the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups was much younger than that of the Caribbean group. There was an even split across all groups in terms of their marital status with about half the sample being married and half single or divorced. Most (65 per cent) of the women were born in the UK but notable proportions of both Caribbean (39 per cent) and Bangladeshi (45 per cent) women were born outside the UK. Just over a third of the Caribbean women were childless compared to about twothirds of the Pakistani women and half of the Bangladeshi women, reflecting the latter two groups’ younger age profile in the general population (EOC, 2004). The Pakistani and Bangladeshi women reported their religion as Muslim; the only Pakistani woman who professed no religion was of mixed race. The Caribbean women were mainly Christian. The women were also well educated, with just under a half educated to degree level or above. This is higher than the average for BME women which currently stands at about 18 per cent (EOC, 2004). Over 50 per cent of the women worked in the private sector, 31 per cent in the public sector and 15 per cent of the women worked in SMEs. These proportions reflected our case study sampling approach to include two public sector and four private sector organisations plus SMEs. Throughout the report, we have used the interview responses to illustrate the views of the women and the key informants although these are not linked to organisation to ensure confidentiality, and pseudonyms have been used when appropriate. With respect to the case study organisations, critical comments are not identifiable by organisation. However, where we have noted positive or more creative practice, these are identifiable by organisation. 5


Table 1

Profile of case study participants, excluding managers

Total N Total %

Black Caribbean 31 48

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Total

14 22

20 30

65

Total

No.

100 %

Age 5yrs

11 6 12

9 2 2

10 3 6

30 11 20

46.2 16.9 30.8

Religion Muslim Christian Other/None

0 27 3

13 0 1

20 0 0

33 27 4

50.8 41.5 6.2

Education GCSE A level Degree Masters PhD

10 11 5 5 0

3 2 6 2 1

1 7 11 1 0

14 20 22 8 1

21.5 30.8 33.8 12.3 1.5

Sector Public Private SME

7 21 3

2 8 4

11 6 3

20 35 10

30.8 53.8 15.4

6

INTRODUCTION

We were aware that six organisations could not cover the range of locations and jobs in which Bangladeshi, Black Caribbean and Pakistani women work, so our research was informed by two further strategies. We carried out a total of 11 focus groups with women from the three chosen communities, to get an informed view of their experiences. Seven were organised for us by community organisations: three in London, three in Bristol, and one in Birmingham. A further four were set up by NHS employers (three in London and one in Birmingham). Three groups were with Bangladeshi women, four with Black Caribbean women, three with Pakistani women and one with a mixed ‘Asian’ group. They ranged in size from two to six women. We asked the organisations to find a mix of women for us, some unemployed, some in part-time and some in full-time work. We questioned the women about their current employment and their previous experiences, and about the kind of jobs and careers they sought. In all, a total of 43 women took part in the focus groups. Finally, we know that considerable numbers of ethnic minority women run their own businesses, and the Moving on up? survey of young women revealed that this was an aspiration. Setting up one’s own business can be a response to blocked aspirations at work, or an escape from racism and sexism. Therefore we carried out a number of additional interviews with women in the ethnic-owned small business sector and with women who had set up a business. We wanted to see how this option matched up to employment in the mainstream economy and what alternative opportunities it provides, although we are not advocating a ‘ghettoisation’ of ethnic minority women in the ‘ethnic economy’. 1.4 Structure of report In the next section of this report we offer a brief overview on the position of ethnic minority women in the labour market. Using the findings from our focus groups we say something about the distinctive position of women from our chosen three communities. We also give a brief account of what we mean by the term ‘workplace cultures’ and point to some of their key features.

Chapter 3 draws upon our interviews and case studies to highlight a number of key problems revealed in the study, and in previous research. We consider the various stages at which ethnic minority women may be at a disadvantage and where employers may also perceive difficulties: initial recruitment and interviewing; retention of workers; and staff development and promotion. We consider here the general problem of racism and sexism as experienced by our research participants, both of a blatant and more subtle kind. We maintain that organisations who wish to be an employer of choice must be seen to be making serious attempts to tackle racism 7


Chapter 4 goes into some detail to describe the kind of workplace cultures which act to exclude ethnic minority women and to contrast those with places where strategies to make them feel included have been employed. A key finding of our research was the absolutely crucial role of line managers in making people feel welcomed within the working team. We contrast cases of bad managers as described to us with those who demonstrate ‘cultural intelligence’: a sensitivity to and awareness of issues of ethnicity and gender. Chapter 5 moves on to deal explicitly with the range of equality and diversity policies employed in the case study organisations and in other places where the women we interviewed had worked. We offer a general framework for the successful management of diversity and link this to the notion of ‘intersectionality’ which highlights the way gender and ethnic disadvantages compound one another. In Chapter 6 we consider specific policies and initiatives, identifying which ones the various parties feel have been effective. We offer a list of practices which might help to improve the position of ethnic minority women, including ideas for future improvements offered by our respondents. Finally the conclusion brings our findings together and highlights a set of key recommendations for the implementation and embedding of equality and diversity policies.

8

ETHNIC MINORITY WOMEN IN THE LABOUR MARKET

2


2.1 Overview It is necessary to set our study in the context of previous research into ethnic minority women’s employment. Previous research has highlighted the disadvantages and discrimination that they characteristically experience (Modood et al., 1997; Dale et al., 2002; Ahmad, Lissenburgh and Modood, 2003; Bradley, Healy and Mukherjee, 2002, 2004; Mason, 2003; Lindley and Dale, 2004; EOC, 2006). They find it harder to get jobs than white British women and are at greater risk of unemployment: 2001 Census data show that the unemployment rate for Bangladeshi women was 17 per cent, 15 per cent for Pakistani women and 8 per cent for Black Caribbean women compared with 4 per cent for white women (EOC, 2007). Ethnic minority women are also more likely to be employed in jobs below their qualified level (EOC, 2006). We have found instances in our previous research of women with PhDs working as supermarket cashiers (Bradley, Healy and Mukherjee, 2004). Many women interviewed for this study had masters degrees and other qualifications which they did not feel were appreciated. While all women are less likely to get into top jobs than men, women from most ethnic minority groups are less successful in reaching top managerial jobs than white British women; the exceptions are British Chinese and Indian women. These are the two groups whose employment patterns most closely resemble that of the majority.

In general, women tend to be more clustered into a narrower range of jobs than men: that is to say, their employment options are more restricted. Again, this is especially true of the three groups studied in this research: Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women. Table 2.1 shows the top five occupations in which they work and the total proportion found in these five occupations; nearly a third of Bangladeshi women are concentrated in five occupations. In the past, some of these disadvantages were put down to ethnic minority women’s migrant status. Among the first-generation, some had limited skills in the English language and lacked familiarity with the general culture that might be a handicap in seeking jobs. However, this cannot apply to the second and third generations in the ethnic minority communities who have grown up in Britain and gone through its school and college system. Indeed, these new generations, especially the young women, have made good use of the education system. They are now often better qualified than their white counterparts. Reena Bhavnani’s research for Moving on up? (2006) focused on 16-year-olds. She found that ethnic minority girls, especially the Pakistani and Bangladeshi girls, put in more hours of study than the white British, and also did more housework. That finding fits with our study as many of the Asian women we interviewed told us how important the work ethic was in their upbringing. 9


Table 2.1

Occupational clustering among ethnic minority women

Ethnic origin

% employed

Five most common occupations

Bangladeshi Sales assistants

Clerks

Educational Retail Cashiers assistants

Financial clerks

32

Secretaries

29

Financial clerks

26

Secretaries Cleaners

24

Black Caribbean

Nurses

Clerks

Care assistants

Sales assistants

Pakistani

Sales assistants

Clerks

Educational Care assistants assistants

White

Sales assistants

Clerks

Care assistants

Source: Blackwell and Guinea Martin, 2005

2.2 Black Caribbean women Black Caribbean women display a strong attachment to the labour market. They are the most likely of all groups of women to work full-time. Their economic activity rate at the 2001 Census was 72 per cent. Caribbean women were recruited into Britain during the period of post-war reconstruction to fill job shortages in the NHS and in transport. They have a strong tradition of working in nursing and other caring jobs (as shown in Table 2.1), even though they have been subject to low pay, racial abuse and poor conditions (Carter, 1999). In fact, they have been a mainstay of the British public services. Research into girls at school by Fuller (1982), Mirza (1992) and Lees (1993) has shown that Black Caribbean girls are more career-oriented than white working-class girls. They work hard in school and have no expectations of being financially dependent on husbands.

Black Caribbean women have taken full advantage of the British education system. Those born in the UK are strongly aspirational and look wider in the labour market than their mothers. Indeed, it has been suggested that they are rejecting jobs in nursing because of their mothers’ bad experiences (Carter 1999, Bhavnani 2006). The issue for these young women is not so much ‘getting in’ but getting on.’ Black Caribbean women of all ages whom we have interviewed speak of being denied promotion, of seeing people whom they have trained (white men and women) being promoted over them, and of being told their attitudes or behaviour were deficient. The concern we have is Black nurses who had worked in the NHS for so long, that’s got a vast wealth of experience, have trained managers and trained staff coming through who have become managers above them. They give them the experience as well as the wealth of information that

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they have. Then when positions come they make applications but they are always told that they are not fit in some form or some criteria.

Black Caribbean women are frequently stereotyped as ‘mouthy’ and aggressive. They recognise that they say it ‘like it is’ and whilst not intended to be, this may be seen as confrontational: Employers see us as a threat. First and foremost they think we are loud, brash and aggressive which we’re not. They also feel that we’re lazy, which we’re not.

Caribbean women trade unionists whom we interviewed for a previous project (Bradley, Healy and Mukherjee, 2004; Healy, Bradley and Mukherjee, 2004) were often told that they were not suitable management material. Their directness is perceived negatively. In the focus groups and interviews Black Caribbean women complained about the lack of Black people in the top tiers: I know in my work they would get up to the level of housing officer but very few get up to be a team leader or an assistant manager. I work freelance for two large hospitality companies. I am probably the only Black female in the position that I am in terms of my seniority. And I have had to fight and when I say fight, I have had to get perky sometimes because that’s what it takes. 2.3 Pakistani women Pakistani women have much lower levels of economic activity than Black Caribbean or white women (30 per cent). Many first-generation migrants who came to Britain as wives were lacking in relevant labour market experience or training and had restricted English. It was difficult to find jobs, though some took up unskilled factory work, for example in textiles or food processing. There has since been a decline in the availability of such jobs. Many women thus had little choice but to stay at home as full-time domestic workers. Others gained low-paid employment as homeworkers (Allen and Wolkowitz, 1987). If women had a professional qualification from Pakistan it was not normally recognised.

Younger Pakistani women born in the UK have recently made great strides. They seem to be particularly committed to gaining qualifications. However, as yet their educational success is not paying off. Pakistani women graduates are five times as likely to be unemployed as their white counterparts (EOC, 2006). Botcherby (2006) found they were the group with the highest proportion (nearly a quarter) who had had 11


to take a job below the level they were qualified for. Many seek jobs in the professions (law, medicine and accountancy). They are ambitious to succeed but may be frustrated in their aspirations by stereotyping on the part of employers. Faith issues appear to have a strong effect on their labour market chances. 90 per cent of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are Muslim. Many choose to display their faith through Islamic dress. As we shall see, despite employer protestations, this often appears to be a basis of discrimination. Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are the lowest paid. Their average full-time earnings are 28 per cent and 23 per cent less respectively than white men’s (Platt, 2006a). Platt (2006b) found that 51 per cent of Pakistani and 53 per cent of Bangladeshi households with children were living in poverty compared with 16 per cent of white households. Pakistani and Bangladeshi children in households with at least one earner had over a 50 per cent chance of being in poverty, compared to 15 per cent of children in comparative white households. 2.4 Bangladeshi women Bangladeshi women have the lowest economic activity rates, 27 per cent at the 2001 Census. They are often banded together with Pakistani women, partly because in surveys their numbers are usually too small to allow for reliability of statistical testing. However, although both groups are predominantly Muslim, there are differences between them. Pakistan has a longstanding urban tradition and well developed upper- and middle-class groupings, while Bangladesh is a new and extremely poor society, which is predominantly rural. Immigrants to the UK mainly come from villages. Our research suggested that some Bangladeshi women may be more isolated from the mainstream than their Pakistani counterparts, and may have less knowledge of the labour market. They are residentially clustered into some of the most deprived areas in Britain, such as Tower Hamlets (where two of our case studies are located). In general the Bangladeshi community are among the poorest of Britain’s ethnic population, characterised by high unemployment rates among both men and women, poor and overcrowded housing and high rates of chronic illness (Phillipson et al., 2003).

As a result of our research, we found that some Bangladeshi women may be particularly likely to be restricted by tradition. However this is not the case for all women. Things are changing for younger generations of Bangladeshi women born in this country, but they have, for example, fewer role models than women from other ethnic backgrounds. For example, Alisha, a sparky young women with a degree who wished to become an accountant and to travel around the world, told us:

12


Girls around my age we’re actually struggling to find our feet in the professional environment and we don’t really have anybody to look up to. There’s lot of men, but the women have suffered because they had this stigma attached to them.

Although Alisha’s father had encouraged her to work and resisted community pressure to get her married at a young age, in some families there remained a reluctance about women taking jobs outside. Nissa revealed how that might affect society’s views about Bangladeshi women: Male Bangladeshi mentality is that women shouldn’t work, their place is at home in the kitchen. So it sometimes gets mixed up with white people’s opinions and they think, ah yes, Bangladeshi women are like that.

This restriction is reflected in the findings of the Moving On up? young women’s survey. Bangladeshi women were substantially more likely to want a job close to home (61 per cent rating this as very important compared to 40 per cent of white women) and were the most concerned about the presence of other ethnic minority women in a workplace when choosing a job (Botcherby, 2006). Most of the Bangladeshi focus group respondents in our study worked in the voluntary sector in community organisations. A number told us they preferred not to work alongside men, which meant that teaching and childcare were popular options. 2.5

Why do Pakistani and Bangladeshi women have low levels of economic activity? We have highlighted the low levels of economic activity among both Pakistani (30 per cent) and Bangladeshi women (27 per cent). Among those born in the UK, these rise to 43 per cent and 44 per cent, but are still much lower than other groups. Yet women we interviewed, including those with little English or who were unemployed, all expressed a desire to find a good job and research among younger Pakistani and Bangladeshi women has shown them to be well qualified and as ambitious as other young women (Ahmad et al., 2003; EOC, 2005).

We asked participants in this study why they thought Pakistani and Bangladeshi women had such low levels of economic activity and got a variety of answers: External family pressures really don’t help women in our society. (Bangladeshi focus group participant) Islamic women are below the radar of employers. (Black Caribbean, equality expert) They have no role models. (Bangladeshi, consultant)

13


Many married women are working in family business or they may have their own business which is not recorded: selling from a stall, make-up, hairdressing. (Black Caribbean, voluntary sector) Now the second, third generation of people are getting a higher level of education, I think some Muslim men feel threatened by the fact that a woman can go out and they can be more successful than them at their work. (White manager) They lack confidence. (Pakistani focus group participant) Perhaps they don’t feel that there are enough other women like minded like them that they can join and feel comfortable with. (White manager)

Another factor is probably the distinctive migration pattern whereby there is a continual flow of young people between Britain and the sub-continent as marriage partners. This means that some young qualified women are lost to Britain and that young women who have not been through the British education system join the community. This prevents the emergence of a typical ‘second generation’ migration phenomenon, whereby the younger people are typically more economically integrated. However, it is clear that this is only one of several reasons, and there are still issues for second and subsequent generations of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women (EOC, 2006). An account we found especially revealing was given us by Asmina. She had grown up in Pakistan, had no secondary education but, despite this, had worked her way up the employment ladder, starting in a factory, moving into banking, local authority work and finally into the health service. Along the way she had found supportive managers and had experienced no difficulties in accessing training or achieving progression. However, as a mother, she focused on the heavy responsibilities placed on Asian women: One of the reasons they don’t want to go into management positions is probably because they are already in management positions in their personal circumstances. ..My personal view is that most of the time Asian women aren’t supported by family. For example husbands. If they were supportive or did take care of the children then maybe it would be easier. But it is very difficult for women to turn around and say, well, I won’t cook, I will sit in the office, or I won’t pick the children up….

And, as Alisha told us: ‘When you live with in-laws there’s an automatic cultural law that you have to wake up in the morning and make breakfast. At lunchtime cook the food, feed the parents. In the evening cook again because you need to

14


feed the family. Do you see? And it’s the girl who does it. And that’s the tradition.’ (Alisha)

However, several points need to be strongly emphasised: •

•

•

Research among young white women has shown that they, too prioritise children over career in the early stages of family formation (Bradley and Dermott, 2006). There is much more similarity than difference in the motivations of young adult women. It should be noted that Pakistani and Bangladeshi family sizes are characteristically larger than white families, which will tend to mean longer periods outside of the labour force. Discrimination in the labour market may make it harder for Pakistani and Bangladeshi women to find economically-viable part-time work, which has become the optimal solution for white mothers in the UK.

It is clear, therefore, that the issue is complex and that more effort is needed to convert these women’s qualifications and aspirations into jobs. As we shall see, changes to the workplaces themselves will be required if they are to be made more accessible to these young women and their high potential. 2.6 Workplace cultures and their impacts In the next two chapters we shall be discussing the impact of workplace cultures more fully, but here we will just make a few preliminary points to indicate why they are so significant.

Firstly, what do we mean by ‘workplace culture’? Edgar Schein (1992) defines organisational culture as follows: A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.

Management theorists Deal and Kennedy (1982) provide a more basic but compelling definition, ‘the way things are done around here'. We suggest that each workplace has its own distinct culture, which operates at two levels. There is the formal workplace culture which is shaped by senior managers, framed by their vision of the organisation and its mission. Such cultures may be informed by core values which are highlighted in mission statements, targets and formal briefings: such values might include excellence, service to customers, 15


profitability, responsibility to shareholders, responsiveness to the community, concern for the well-being of staff. In the public sector values may be influenced by government-determined standards and targets. Alongside this, however, exists the informal workplace culture which is influenced by daily interactions between employees/managers (at all levels). We can explore the nature of informal workplace cultures by asking ‘what is it like to work there?’ Informal work cultures will have their own values, which are not always in line with the formal ones. As Schein’s definition suggests, such cultures may have evolved over a considerable period of time. ‘Old hands’ absorb informal rules of behaviour and pass them on to new recruits. The importance of such cultures is indicated by the common phrase ‘his/her face doesn’t fit.’ Both managers and employers will have their own views of what kind of people will ‘fit’ in with the existing workforce and its cultures. If people cannot conform to the cultures and feel ‘comfortable’ within them, they are unlikely to thrive and perform their best. This may affect their chances of promotion, or they may decide to leave. There’s a language, isn’t there, in an organisation. Some of it manifests itself in jargon, but some of it manifests itself in in-jokes and that. If you don’t feel part of that then I suppose that’s where there is a blockage or you could feel excluded (Black Caribbean woman).

Schein (1988) provides a useful account of three aspects of an organisational culture: artefacts, values, and basic assumptions: •

Artefacts refer to what you see within an organisation: its physical manifestations, such as buildings, décor, pictures and posters, and all the various newsletters and bulletins it produces. Also included, which is particularly relevant to us, is dress code.

•

Values refer to what is considered important and includes the goals, philosophies and mission statements as listed above. Who the organisation designates as its heroes is an important aspect of this.

•

Basic assumptions relate to what are the unspoken rules and practices of the organisation. This is at the core of the informal culture.

We may add to this account of culture two more elements discerned by Deal and Kennedy (1982): •

Rites and rituals relate to the regular patterns of behaviour expected of employees (such as what breaks are allowed and how they are spent) and also to ceremonies, such as office parties, excursions and awards.

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•

Finally, the cultural network refers to patterns of communication and interaction within the organisation, encompassing ‘story-tellers, priests, cabals and whispers’. To get on in the organisation one needs access to such networks in order to understand how to get things done, who to make alliances with and how to become influential. The network lies at the core of cultural politics.

As we shall see, these last two elements are very important for ethnic minority women. In discussing workplace culture, we should also be aware that organisations absorb the values and assumptions within the wider society. Sadly, racism and sexism shape many of these values and assumptions.

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3

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

As we turn now to consider what happens within such cultures, a question that must be posed is why does bad practice persist? After many years in which organisations have had highly developed equality and diversity policies (EDP) on their books and posted on their websites, why do the old problems keep on repeating themselves? The answer is that the policies remain on the book shelves and websites but are not taken from them. We are facing the issue of an ‘implementation gap’ between written policies and what actually happens at work. We were told this over and over again by everyone to whom we talked and a number suggested that ‘paper policies’ were worthless and should be thrown in the bin! Indeed, it was interesting that one of our case study organisations, West Bromwich Building Society, made little fuss about its written policy, but had made substantial strides in building a successful diversity strategy. A more considered approach is to reflect on how policies can be activated, as in this comment by a manager with EDP responsibilities: There is certainly no intention to discriminate in anyway and indeed people would be horrified if they thought they were discriminating but I think there may sometimes be failures to be proactive enough. These problems are probably greater at middle and lower ranks. The senior management seem to me to be fully supportive of all the equal opportunities policies and indeed anxious to ensure that they understand things like the business case for diversity, but I’m not sure that we are really proactive enough and creative enough in thinking about ways of improving the balance of the staff. .. There is a sort of gradual seepage, but equal opportunities are certainly not embedded as yet

This failure to ‘embed’ EDP is at the core of the issue. In later sections of this report we shall suggest many ways, some of them quite simple and practical, others more challenging, in which this embedding can be achieved. But in this chapter we want to highlight some longstanding problems and try to shed some new light on them plus providing examples of how some organisations are tackling them. 3.1 Recruitment and interviews Recruitment and interviewing often feature quite strongly in equal opportunities policies. Many organisations lay down principles, such as ensuring diverse interview panels, trying to avoid cultural stereotyping and asking all candidates similar questions. Organisations are aware of the need to extend their recruitment techniques, for example by advertising in the local ethnic minority press.

18

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

However, many employers still find it difficult to recruit staff whose ethnicity reflects that of the local population. Why should that be, when apparently so many ethnic minority women are seeking jobs? Our case studies suggest three contributory factors: •

For women to apply to an organisation it needs to be seen as ‘diversity friendly’. It must be seen to employ numbers of ethnic minority workers and not have a reputation for racism.

•

Some jobs, for example those including contact with alcohol (bar work) or close contact with men (construction, security, nursing) may be seen as ‘unsuitable’, especially by some Muslim women.

•

Women may have limited awareness of the range of opportunities in the labour market and tend to think in terms of a narrow range of jobs (lawyer, doctor, accountant, pharmacist, teacher)

WHY DON’T BANGLADESHI WOMEN JOIN THE POLICE FORCE? I originally wanted to be a police officer. I did a criminology degree and I wanted to go in that line. But hearing about the police – that they’re institutionally racist and all that - has just put me right off it and now I don’t want to go; and my husband’s saying everyone knows that’s institutional racism, stop and search Muslims. Why go into a sector knowing that it exists there? That’s why I’ve given up basically what I want to do, just for the scare of being abused within the police force.

There is a need, therefore, for organisations to be proactive and creative in their recruitment approaches. This means going out into the community and selling opportunities to local ethnic minority groups. It also means identifying ‘safe spaces’, especially for Muslim women to work in. For example, some Pakistani women consider nursing a low-status and demeaning job for women. It is stigmatised because it involves handling male patients and dealing with bodily processes considered polluting. We learned that in Pakistan, relatives are expected to handle such aspects of patient care. But there are many jobs in hospitals that do not involve these activities and we came across some interesting examples of such initiatives, such as the Candles’ Project in Slough, which sought to raise awareness and remove misconceptions of hospital work. BUILDING PATHWAYS If there are new projects that are trying to encourage people into nursing, I think that’s good. But you have to understand the needs of Pakistani women… I think all too often you’ve got only the one path and

19


employers try and socket you into that path. But actually if you can create alternative pathways for progression and into a career, then I think what you will find is that most employers will get a better employee because they are happier. So for example, with nursing, if Pakistani women or Asian women generally were given the option of actually doing their general nursing on a children’s ward or working with females, then I think you are more likely to get more women going into nursing.

Job interviews are still a problem. Many women we talked to, especially those from Islamic groups, had negative experiences of interviews. We asked who had been on the panel, and there was very rarely an ethnic minority panellist. Typical was the experience of Zainab, a young Pakistani woman with some qualifications who was seeking a full-time job in administration. She had attended a number of interviews and felt that interviewers responded negatively to the sight of a young woman wearing a headscarf. In her view Muslim women were currently more likely to be discriminated against than men, because the clothing was such a visible symbol, leading interviewers to have stereotyped perceptions, such as the view that Muslim women are tied to the home: Being Asian and being Muslim. Applying for a job in the NHS or wherever, they see you as something, like a terrorist They see you as a Muslim wearing a scarf on your head…Just imagine walking into an interview and having them think, well what’s this young lady going to be able to do. She’s probably well qualified in cooking and cleaning and all the rest of it, but what is she going to be able to do?

A young Bangladeshi woman who does not wear a scarf and has chosen a western clothing style recounted how she had attended some interviews with a friend who was wearing Islamic dress. In each case the company had shown interest in her, but not in her friend. One of my friends, I went with her, but I got my job for … and she applied for the same job. And she wears a full hijab And their attitude was very different as to how they treated us both. Whenever we went in together if I asked ‘Do you have any application forms?’ it would be ‘Oh yes’.

Despite the fact that the majority of employers who responded to the Moving On up? survey said that they were happy to allow women to wear headscarves, Islamic garments seem to trigger off stereotyping in interviewers. Botcherby (2006) found that ethnic minority women were much more likely than white women to be asked inappropriate questions about marriage plans, husbands and children. Indeed, there are many ways in which current interviewing practice can be seen as problematic for ethnic minority women. Women of all three groups reported that they 20

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

and their friends had experienced problems in failing to get jobs for which they were well qualified or failing to get promoted to another job in the organisation. In some cases these had led to tribunal cases settled in the woman’s favour. Does your face fit? Examples of overt discrimination provided evidence of steps taken to prevent ethnic minority women from fitting in. Susannah and Mary, Black Caribbean women with typically British names, had experiences which are apparently all too common: The proprietor employed me over the phone. But when I turned up the first day he nearly died of heart failure. He employs university guys, girls and boys whose parents have money so they are well travelled, can carry a conversation and are well educated. Well he couldn’t tell me to leave that day but what he did do was put me right in the back to work in some dark corner. Because my name is Mary Johnson, it’s a very English name, I had reams of qualifications, I would go for jobs, go for the interviews and get the interviews but as soon as they saw me I could tell they switched off as soon as they saw that I was Black.

There are also more subtle ways in which interview conventions may not favour ethnic minority women. They often centre on personality and self-presentation which cause difficulties for some people from other cultures. Self-promotion may not come easy for women who have been brought up to defer to older men. In some cultures making eye-contact is avoided as it is seen as impolite. Presentation skills may be judged wanting because of accent or cultural style. Interviews do not tap into the whole range of competencies and qualities which women possess, especially when many of these for minority women are gained in the community or voluntary sector (e.g. teaching children in Koranic schools, bookkeeping for voluntary organisations, organising outings or festivals for community groups). Women may be found wanting in English language skills – when in fact many are bilingual or multilingual! Interviews need to be rethought to make sure the range of qualifications and competencies are taken into consideration and less weight is placed on personal style. While employers often have rules or guidelines for interviewing, they are not always enforced or monitored. Some of our case study employers had taken specific measures to address this. We were advised that QMUL require that all interviewers are trained and managers are asked to hand in names in advance so they can be checked off against lists of those who have undergone training. In a similar scheme at PricewaterhouseCoopers, we were told of instances where people can fail 21


recruitment and selection courses, and be disallowed from playing a part in the selection process. A trade union activist from Haringey described how work can be done to make interviews fairer: The practice that we got was that every interviewing panel must have a female member and a member from the BME (Black and minority ethnic) group on it.. During that period the BME group was recognised as an asset by the council in that we were able to run training courses for BME staff in how you fill out the form, how you dress when you go for an interview. We would run mock interviews to show the persons or persons where they would be likely to fail, if they conducted themselves in that way. We were allowed time to hold training days. A whole list of Black staff was trained by Haringey in their recruitment procedures so that there was a list of staff always available in the various grades when an interview came up.

In fact, including ethnic minority people on a panel is a very simple way of giving off a positive message about an organisation’s openness to diversity, as the following account from a Black Caribbean woman in the NHS shows: When I went for the job I looked at my two interviewers and they were Black and I thought, I must have this job. So it was motivating and inspiring and warming to see two Black women in that position. Seeing them in that position and thinking, yes, okay, we can do it.

We suggest therefore that employers need to think carefully and creatively about recruitment: • •

They need to monitor recruitment to see that guidelines are being followed They should consider going to local schools and community centres to publicise the range of jobs on offer.

•

They should identify safe and suitable jobs for particular groups and follow up with targeted recruitment schemes.

3.2 Retention Once good staff are recruited, managers will not wish to lose them. If they have targets or aspirations for diversity they will not want to see ethnic minority staff leaving. Our interviews and focus groups revealed a number of reasons why there may be high turnover among such staff.

One set of reasons surround negative experiences. Women may become stressed and disillusioned by their experience of racism and sexism and frustrated at not being 22

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

valued. They may leave because they can see no progression chances or because they resent not being treated fairly. They may seek a more welcoming job, quit the workforce altogether or start their own business: I want people to be treated fairly and equally. Unfortunately even now in 2006 there’s still a long way to go. So do what I did, jump ship and set up your own organisation. Then it’s bliss really. (Black Caribbean, consultancy business)

Another set of reasons may apply even in diversity-friendly firms, such as our case study organisations. This relates to the employment of women in jobs below their skill and qualification levels. We talked to a number of young women graduates in this situation, who were trained as lawyers and accountants but were filling low-level and not very well-paid jobs. Often they had taken such jobs because they had not been successful in other interviews and wanted simply to get into the labour market. While they saw the organisations in question as good employers, they did not see a future for themselves within the organisation. They wanted better pay and either did not believe that ethnic minority women could achieve management careers in these organisations or wanted to work in areas directly related to their qualifications. So they were looking for other opportunities or might contemplate returning to training or getting further qualifications. They may then meet another hurdle faced by ethnic minority workers, rejection on the grounds of over qualification. 3.3

Promotion and development I’ve worked in housing for 12 years. And there is no opportunity for promotion. In the higher grades there are men who tend to be white. In low and middle management you may have the odd Black woman manager. If I have come across Pakistanis they are at the lower end of the salary scale. (Pakistani woman)

This is one of numerous comments from our participants which describes the typical hierarchy of race and gender in organisations of all types. At the top are white men: at the next level of the hierarchy there may be some white women and Black men (probably Asian). Then at the base come ethnic minority women within their own hierarchies: Indians at the top, then Africans and Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women. What makes women particularly distressed and bitter is the way their qualifications and experiences seem to be ignored or devalued:

23


I have a Masters in fund-raising as well as a degree and I saw all these women without such specific training getting promoted and I didn’t. (Bangladeshi woman)

This relates to the fact that, as revealed in a survey of young women (EOC, 2006), ethnic minority women who are working are often better qualified than white women, and particularly ambitious to succeed in their careers. If they see white people unaccountably doing better than they are, they will see it as discriminatory behaviour. Even organisations which are otherwise doing well in initial recruitment may fall down on this: I mean I’ve noticed the people managing teams and departments, none of them are from the ethnic minorities. There’s no ethnic minority there. All the little people are Asian and Caribbean but not in the manager role. They’re all Caucasian. I think that’s why a lot of people leave. Because since I’ve been here a lot of ethnic minority people have left that have been here for a while. You have to move to go up. 3.4 Everyday racism Sadly research continues to suggest that racist attitudes and prejudices are deeply rooted in some sections of English society, especially among older people who have not grown up in the current multi-cultural environment. Botcherby (2006) reports that one fifth of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women and one third of Black Caribbean women had experienced racist comments at work. Similar proportions also reported sexist comments: it is, of course, difficult to disentangle the two. For example, Melanie, a Black Caribbean, is a highly-skilled specialist nurse: We had a visiting team come across for a meeting, and I came over and said ‘Hello, I’m Melanie, I’m the specialist nurse’. And one of the consultants actually said ‘I will have tea and two sugars and are you bringing biscuits?’ And I said ‘Sorry, were you talking to me there?’ And he said ‘Are you the secretary?’.

Interestingly one quarter of white women had also experienced sexism in Botcherby’s (2006) study. Although instances of overt racism from managers and workmates are likely to be less frequent nowadays, commonly reported are what we refer to as ‘everyday’ or ‘banal’ racism, little comments which might appear harmless but, in fact, emphasise that the ethnic minority person is different or inferior. We could also call it the ‘your people’ phenomenon. Though such comments are not necessarily intended to be offensive, the constant barrage of them can be alienating and undermining.

24

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? People make comments, like colleagues say ‘Your lot’s here’ or ‘One of yours is here’. If there was a white person sitting here imagine how they’d feel if we said ‘One of your lot’s coming in.’ It’s not exactly thrilling is it? Or like somebody made a comment a couple of months ago that the majority of people from ethnic backgrounds come to the UK and they’re on benefits...Or there’s somebody said to me ‘Oh, you know, like your mum and dad are on benefits now.’ I’m sorry but my mum and dad have not been on benefits, my dad worked.

A culturally competent manager should make people aware that such comments are inappropriate and hurtful; but unfortunately poor line managers may well be among the perpetrators. This is where the importance of setting standards of ‘respect’ and sensitivity to cultural difference is so crucial. BANAL RACISM I had to provide ID and everything. And I got in to the conference on leadership and I didn’t see much diversity at all in the audience. Went up onto the podium, delivered my speech, and people came to speak to me at break. A very well known chief executive of an organisation came up to me and said he’d enjoyed my speech but the question that he’d really wanted to ask me, the question that had been on his lips ever since he saw me, was did I have a good recipe for chicken tikka masala. (Bangladeshi, consultant)

It is a mistake to assume that if there is a problem of racism in an organisation, it will be challenged by the person aggrieved and dealt with informally or formally through the various written procedures. Such assumptions are based on a culturally inept reading of organisations. Taking a complaint of racism or sexism (or both) is very difficult and may be potentially damaging professionally and emotionally. This was illustrated by a woman from one of the Pakistani focus groups: But again people are afraid to bring forward disputes for cases because they’re isolated at work, there is no support and they know, especially in (this area) it’s a very small section and its difficult to get a job elsewhere so you have to consider those issues too. You don’t bring a case unless you know you’re not going to be working in (this area) again.

We also noted examples of strong ethnic minority women who had mentored and supported women who challenged racism. However, such support was not available in most cases. 25


Racism is also likely to come from customers and clients. This is common in the NHS, in private health care and not uncommon in shops and banks. Young Muslim women told us they were accused of being terrorists; customers told them to remove their scarves. Black Caribbean nurses and carers were subject to streams of abuse from elderly patients, especially those suffering from dementia. Although they accept that such patients are not in control of their behaviour and they have been trained to cope with such outbursts, it is clearly offensive for women to undergo such abuse. Customer racism puts line managers in a dilemma, because they are caught between the imperatives of customer care and concern for their staff’s wellbeing. Managers seem to respond variously. A Black Caribbean woman who was falsely accused by a customer of short-changing him had to suffer hearing her manager apologise to the customer and repay the supposed shortfall, while no support or apology was offered to her. However, on another occasion when she was extremely upset by a customer who made offensive remarks about Black people not paying tax and carrying guns, another manager was supportive and had dealt with the customer. While patients with dementia may pose a particular problem, we were told of cases in BUPA homes where patients’ relatives were warned that if abuse continued, the patient would have to leave. We were impressed with how these issues were handled at BUPA. There seemed to be a genuine attempt to embed diversity principles in that ‘from day one’ new recruits are told that the organisation treats everybody equally and that abuse and harassment are unacceptable. Staff who made racist comments would automatically be subject to disciplinary proceedings. If abuse came from patients or relatives the manager would take up the issue, in the first instance by sitting down and talking things through, pointing out that they were receiving highly professional services from Black staff. If the behaviour persisted the patient might be asked to leave or transferred. It’s not something you push under the carpet. If you hear a resident or a member of staff coming out with racist sexist stuff it has to be dealt with straight away. (Black Caribbean manager)

BUPA provided a good example of the adoption of the important principle that the member of staff concerned would not be moved to another department when there was patient racism. Counselling is also provided for sufferers. Having heard some horrendous stories of really aggressive verbal abuse, where no action was taken, and others where managers have taken firm action, employers should adopt a zero tolerance approach to racist and sexist abuse both from staff and customers – even if it means losing a few of the latter. Companies might adopt 26

RECURRENT PROBLEMS

the BUPA approach. Displaying notices that abuse to staff is not tolerated, as in post offices and railway stations is a simple strategy There is also, obviously, a need to give support to those who suffer such abuse. 3.5 Resistance to change - the undermining of initiatives One reason why longstanding policies on equality and diversity do not work is that there may be considerable resistance to them, which leads to people working overtly or covertly to undermine them. There are two bases for such resistance. One is that people simply do not agree with the principles. More commonly, perhaps, they accept the principles but dislike the processes by which they are carried out. A manager explained why this might operate in the university system: I think within academic departments there is a strong feeling that this is another of those wretched HR things – HR is always sending heads of departments stuff. Stuff that arrives about health and safety and all these other things are seen as the bureaucratic inconveniences of modern life. So there has not been a great deal of enthusiasm.

Examples of resistance to EDP may be found in the sections on 'Recruitment and interviews' (section 3.1), 'Resistance to change: the missing middle' (section 5.3) and in Chapter 6 , 'Training is not a panacea'.

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4

WOMEN’S CULTURES

EXPERIENCES

WITHIN

4.1

The significance of workplace cultures

ORGANISATIONAL

Each workplace culture is different. I’ve worked in three or four places, it’s very different and you have to know how each one works. (Pakistani woman)

Women we interviewed were very aware of the impact of cultures and were eager to discuss them: I think the key thing that I found, and that I find in all organisations is about the culture. I think that’s what does impact upon how you are within the organisation. (Pakistani woman)

We were offered many examples of ‘bad’ organisational cultures where women had worked in the past. Such cultures were described as ‘patriarchal’, ‘male-dominated’ or ‘bullying cultures’. It was made clear that bullying was commonly practised by some senior managers. One Black Caribbean woman was shocked to find that a bullying culture can be found within the voluntary sector: she had worked for a leading equality organisation, in which the Director had discouraged friendships among different departments and even among staff. As a result, as she put it, ‘people were leaving like flies. They would turn up for a few months and leave.’ While bullying is a widespread problem in British workplaces and can be experienced by any type of worker, research highlights that women and ethnic minority employees are more likely to be targets. A recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that one third of Asian workers had experienced bullying compared to under one in five white employees (CIPD 2006). Bullies tend to pick on people who appear more vulnerable and those they think will not fight back. So bullying is clearly an issue linked to racism and sexism. INFORMAL WORKPLACE CULTURE The HR department etc. might think they run it in some organisations, but actually … it’s like with politics isn’t it? They say that all the policies are made in the bars and in the toilets! And it’s exactly the same in some cultures. That’s where it really goes on. And if you aren’t part of that clique then you can possibly struggle. If it is part of the culture, they go to the pub or they do this on a Friday afternoon, you don’t feel able to participate in. Whether through choice, or whether it’s because of religious or cultural conviction – you ain’t going to be part of it. And so

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WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES WITHIN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES

much goes on there and is decided there. And in terms of how you get on, how you don’t, who you fit in with, who you’re going to assimilate with. You know what, your whole experience is grounded within that informal culture, that unseen culture to a large degree for some people, more than actually what goes on in the workplace.’ (Black Caribbean woman)

A very important part of workplace cultures are the informal rituals which have developed as part of work routine and the celebrations which act to bind workmates together. Such rituals are linked to the mainstream cultures with which minority women cannot identify. For example, a company or team outing might be to horse or greyhound racing (Islam forbids gambling); a group might choose to have an Elvis Presley or Karaoke night. Such events do not make women from other cultures feel welcome and they will often excuse themselves from them and risk being seen as unfriendly or standoffish. For example, we heard of a firm where the weekly ritual was eating a bacon sandwich on Friday morning. The employees could not understand why a Muslim woman did not join in: They didn’t want to understand it, you know this bacon butty. And so they saw her as being selfish because she couldn’t get involved, she didn’t sit around the table with everybody gossiping. 4.2 Feeling welcomed and included Work is a very important source of friendships (many people meet their future partners in the workplace), but ethnic minority workers may feel excluded, and this stops them feeling ‘at home’ in the work group. As a result some women (especially the Muslim women) described themselves as being ‘quiet’ or ‘not sociable’ at work: I’m not a sociable person, so I won’t go to the social things. I hate small chat, so I don’t think they are doing anything to exclude me but perhaps I’m not making an effort to be included. Because of my culture I don’t like drinking and I don’t like going to a pub with smoke and everything. (Pakistani woman)

It is crucial, then, that institutions consider ways to promote cultural awareness throughout the organisation. Many women complained of the ignorance of English people about their cultures: When I worked at the boutique every time I would fast and things everyone was just so amazed. They didn’t understand and I’d have 101 questions ‘Why do you do this?’ You’d think they’d get taught that at school. (Bangladeshi woman)

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They think all Asians are one, that they’re all the same. All I’ve done is teach people: Ravi’s Indian, I’m Bengali, I speak Bengali (Bangladeshi woman)

A common misperception is that all Asians speak the same language, characterised as ‘Indian’ and that if somebody speaks Urdu they must also speak Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi and so forth. Women were frequently asked to deal with non-white clients and customers described (erroneously) as being ‘one of your people’ It is especially important that managers are aware of these issues and also take account of the religious needs which are central to many of these women’s lives. We’re supposed to pray five times a day. So you know a bit of flexibility in that. When it’s Ramadan, a bit of understanding that we fast and so we might not be fully 100 per cent you know on the job. (Pakistani woman) When I was working at the shop two years ago they actually made me come in on an Eid day for induction. So I went in, but my parents weren’t pleased. (Bangladeshi woman) DRESS CODES AND CONVENTIONS I went for an interview at this store and they really wanted me to work in their lingerie department, I had three years lingerie experience as a consultant. But yet again they wanted you to wear short skirts – just below the knees and I was no, I can’t do that. It’s not a preference – but rather it’s my religion so that’s something I wouldn’t compromise. (Bangladeshi woman)

A WELCOMING ORGANISATION

One of our case studies, the West Bromwich Building society (WBBS) was working hard to develop a diversity-friendly work culture, especially within its Head Office. WBBS has been successful in increasing the proportions of ethnic minority staff and has taken steps to ensure that all recruits felt welcome and included. If you’re walking down the corridor and you don’t know anybody they still acknowledge you, they still smile at you. (Pakistani woman) They’re just really friendly. Everyone’s always willing to help you and go out of the way. They invited you to places when you’ve only just started, oh we’re going out and do you want to come with us? That’s one thing that really made me stay here. (Pakistani woman)

30


There is a code of conduct which forbids rudeness, swearing or disrespectful language. A young hijab-wearing Bangladeshi woman, Nazreen, described the contrast between WBSS and her two former jobs: When you start a new job you’re nervous about who you’re going to meet, are they going to be friendly. But everyone was just so friendly. Even people that I didn’t know in the lifts or whatever, they’d smile at me and say good morning, good afternoon, things like that. So it was really welcoming. And it wasn’t like that with the other two jobs. Especially with my first job because I was the first ethnic person there. So I think there was like a wall there. So they didn’t know what to say to me and I didn’t know what to say to them.

Through regular performance meetings, mentoring and coaching systems, staff are made to feel supported and encouraged: It’s really enjoyable. They always do encourage you to go forward. And if you’ve got any problems they’re always there to help you out. (Pakistani woman) Every month you get your one-to-one and you’re always asked are there any issues or how do you think you’ve done this month. (Pakistani woman)

There is also a lively social life, and teams are encouraged to go out together. They are also encouraged jointly to decide on a venue. Although many of the outings do involve going to pubs, Muslim women were still persuaded to go, encouraged to drink fruit juices and not pressured into taking alcohol (as we were told sometimes happened elsewhere). But other outings involved restaurant trips, sports and visits so that alcohol did not mould sociability in the common way. Managers have a crucial role here in setting a good example and Nazreen described her manager as more like a friend than a manager.

4.3 Good and bad managers Perhaps the central finding of this study is the role of line managers. Line managers are the key actors in bringing about a diversity-friendly culture. It is in all organisations’ interests to realise that employee welfare and cultural competence should be at the heart of good management: and that technical skills, administrative competence and long service alone do not make a good manager. Bad managers will result in high levels of quitting, discouraged and demotivated workers, potential talent getting stuck in low-level jobs, unpleasant relations among staff and interethnic rivalries. This will lead to accusations of cliques and favouritism.

31


The manager that was there at that time wasn't very cooperative in terms of listening to employees as to what issues they’ve got. There was a lot of backbiting and favouritism going on. Which is why at the moment they’ve got a very high turnover of staff. (Pakistani woman) . The manager must be seen as ‘fair’ and not promote the interests of only one ethnic group. If this happens staff from other ethnic groups will become demoralised and often will leave. MANAGERS AND DIVERSITY SKILLS I never fail to be amazed about how some people are in senior positions… they may be very good in terms of writing policies, doing a strategic report, but when it comes to personal skills and management of people, it never fails to amaze me the lack of ability, the lack of experience, the lack of understanding some managers have. Managing conflict, empowering people, motivating people. Particularly when it comes to managing diversity issues in the workplace, managing potential areas of conflict…again, that informal culture and an understanding of how that operates and works. They might be very highly skilled and qualified in terms of business acumen, but when it comes down to managing people and those kind of issues, they are absolutely useless, they have not got the skills. There is a serious skill gap. And in terms of some areas of management training the issue doesn’t even get onto the agenda. (Black Caribbean woman)

Luckily, there are many good managers around and we were offered many examples by our focus group and case study interviewees. Characteristically, such managers, men and women, were friendly, open, democratic, supportive and encouraging, preferring to identify strengths rather than carp about mistakes. Here the managers actually know you at a personal level, they talk to you about what you’ve done at the weekend. It’s just the way people really talk back to you, showing appreciation. They show that you do matter to them. (Pakistani woman)

Those in positions of power are key shapers of workplace culture. We heard interesting examples at BUPA from employees who had been in homes with managers who had shown no interest in the well-being of their staff. However, in both cases the managers had left and the atmosphere and culture of the home had been completely turned round. Now the employees had nothing but praise for the home managers and highlighted how they set an example for good practice through the homes:

32


When my manager came she had a person-centred approach and she started changing things around. I wanted to stay and help. You try harder. I felt really, really happy working with her. Because if the head is doing it, everybody’s going to do it. (Black Caribbean woman) You can have an 8 o’ clock start. The bosses here at BUPA honestly they are brilliant, if we are having difficulties in that area they will help us a lot. (Black Caribbean woman) You feel independent. You feel you are okay. You feel you are at home. Just feel comfortable. (Black Caribbean woman)

This example illustrates the absolutely critical importance of managers in influencing culture. One crucial aspect of good management is the ability to recognise potential and provide the experiences necessary for career development: I want to become a qualified accountant. My manager’s seen that I was doing my exams, so he changed my job a bit. He gave me more work that was accountancy related. (Pakistani woman). My first formal entry into the NHS, the director was absolutely brilliant. I’d just come out with a fresh Masters, taking on a new role. He offered the opportunity of training up further in areas that I wanted. I was always encouraged to present and write reports. Again, I have done freelance work and that’s been valued. He is very, very supportive. {Pakistani woman)

Woman who are treated in a supportive way like this gain the confidence to move up in the hierarchy and are much more likely to stay. It is important to state that the practices of good managers reported in this study (e.g. friendliness, regular one-to-ones, openness, regular information flows, open-door policy, sensitivity to cultural needs, openness to flexibility) will be welcomed by all employees. So this is surely a win-win point. This point was emphasised by a manager from Lloyd’s TSB: Ultimately if you’re going to be a good manager and a good leader you’ve got to understand what makes your people tick, you’ve got to understand their motivation and their differences… For me this isn’t about diversity it’s simply about good management practices, good people management practices. And because we live in a diverse country with a diverse culture, you need to be constantly attuned to okay, how am I engaging with my team?

As he told us, some managers may need assistance in acquiring skills that do not necessarily come naturally to them. 33


4.4 Socialising and networking A major factor which was constantly mentioned by the women we interviewed was the characteristic pattern of after-work socialisation, and its focus on the pub. Women noted the British preoccupation with alcohol. Especially in the financial sector, but also in public sector organisations, groups of young men set the pace by gathering to drink at the end of the working day. As we have seen, many ethnic minority women, most of whom do not use alcohol, are uncomfortable within pub culture. At the same time they are aware that these after work activities are an important location for cementing work friendships and for informal networking, from which they are consequently excluded: Because of cultural differences they don’t know how to engage in this networking system, and especially talking to men who are not their husbands and immediate family. (Pakistani woman) I don’t drink, but that’s not the point, I will go to the pub, but to socialise. You get certain people going to the pub. They have these little cliquey discussions, and then that might become a policy. Or, ‘She doesn’t fit in.’ So there is an internal vacancy, she doesn’t get it. ‘She’s not a team player is she?’ (Black Caribbean woman)

This can be seen as a gender issue as many white women may also find it difficult to engage with pub culture, especially if they have family responsibilities. In this sense the pub can be seen as promoting the ‘Old Boys’ Network’. Many organisational cultures reflect male values and interests: The white male drinking and football network, which you don’t necessarily want to break into but still makes you feel uncomfortable. (Black Caribbean woman)

But a comment from a Pakistani woman, reveals how the intersection of gender and ethnicity presents a particular problem for Muslim women, given the rules on social proprieties: There are some gender issues even with the white women; they have to be termed ‘laddies’, you know, drink more than the men and swear and conform to their habits to be considered for promotion. Asian women, there are very few that I know who would go to those extremes and white women are more likely to do that.

However we also noted alternative sites of socialising away from the pub. Women mentioned to us examples of going out to eat and going to the theatre with their work colleagues. One theatre visit (by Black and white colleagues at QMUL) cited was to a play written by an eminent Black playwright and set in the Black community. Such examples are important in acknowledging the importance and value of achievement 34


by Black artists. Black History Month was widely promoted within Tower Hamlets encouraging people of all ethnicities to learn about Black achievement. THE SMOKING ROOM CULTURE

Ashley told us this story which exemplifies how patterns of socialising within the informal culture can lead to people feeling unwelcome. A smoking room was provided within the organisation, which was officially non-smoking. It became used as the lunch-room; however Ashley and her friend, a Muslim woman, didn’t smoke. So they requested that it was made into a lunch room so that they did not have to eat lunch at their desks: Because you get people coming in to speak to you, so we’re not really having a lunch break. And also my friend needed somewhere to pray. She used to go into the car park to pray in the cold in the winter.

They took this issue to the workplace meeting but it became a major fight. When Ashley put up some information about the health risks of smoking, her manager tore it down. Eventually Ashley left because she felt ostracised: When you’ve got a smoking group, it’s quite a powerful group.

4.5 The ideal workplace culture Two Pakistani women describe what to them is a good working environment: A A good job is when you’re feeling trust and you’re committed there as well. And you are comfortable, you are not bored. And family environment is a another thing. B Our needs have been addressed, training needs, whatever. There’s a large variety of activities and things going on. And we’ve always been encouraged really to go ahead and progress…And everyone else being culturally aware as well, that’s been important for me.

Flexibility is also seen as crucial and in general the public sector was seen as more responsive in terms of women’s childcare responsibilities and needs than the private sector Due to marriage commitments I can’t work in the private sector which means longer hours. I work in the voluntary sector because of flexible time and I can get home to continue child care. (Pakistani woman) For many women in our focus groups the conditions within community organisations appeared to offer the ideal conditions: 35


What I like about this job is that it’s flexible. When you’re around your own people you do feel comfortable. (Bangladeshi woman)

However, women we spoke to in the community organisations acknowledged the limitations. Such jobs are limited in number, low-paid, often part-time and insecure since they are dependent on funding being continually raised. While they provide an ideal stepping-stone into the broader economy, it is necessary to provide options which encourage women to step outside their ‘comfort zone’. Lessons can be learned, however. The qualities our participants value in the community sector can be replicated elsewhere: friendliness, flexibility, respect for difference and individual needs, mutual support within the team, a caring culture and sisterly solidarity. A crucial enabling resource that an organisation can provide or support in the community is a nursery. For women with children, the provision of a nursery provides important messages about a child friendly culture for both ethnic minority and white women. Universities are often viewed as being flexible employers; in addition QMUL has a workplace nursery which provides both child care and employment to the local community. Reflecting the clustering in Table 2.1, many of the women who worked in the nursery were Bangladeshi. The nursery was very important to the following Black Caribbean woman: My daughter was at the nursery here, which again I would say is a very good thing. That there was a workplace nursery, that’s been such a help to me. 4.6

An alternative: self-employment and employment within the ethnic minority business sector Another option for ethnic minority women which may be seen as a ‘safe’ location is to work in the ethnic minority business sector, either as a self-employed small business owner or as an employee in an ethnic minority owned business. Previous research into small businesses and ethnicity has highlighted that they may serve as a refuge from racism and discrimination in the mainstream labour market; people excluded from the labour market or who feel they are not making progress within it may also turn to self employment (Ward and Jenkins, 1984; Phizacklea, 1990; Ram, 1992). The same has been said to be true for women (Goffee and Scase, 1985).

We interviewed women from a number of ethnic businesses, including hairdressing, accountancy, restaurants and retail. Most of the women we interviewed claimed to enjoy their jobs and appeared to have chosen them freely rather than being pushed into such work. Their accounts highlighted a number of advantages and disadvantages.

36


Ethnic minority businesses offer a more sheltered environment. There is freedom from external control and greater autonomy for those who set up a business. This was mentioned as a motivation by the business owners. They spoke of the family nature of the work, ‘we all muck in together’ but also stressed that it was hard work and might be financially risky. For women who find work in these businesses the attraction tends to be the freedom from fear of racist abuse, the friendly easy-going atmosphere, the close relationship with their boss: I like the fact that we’re like a little family, everyone gets along, we just treat each other like friends really. I have a very good boss, the atmosphere’s great. There’s certain places you walk into and you know people have just got like a face and its just really not welcoming but here I was really, really welcomed when I first started.

But the negative sides are also obvious: lower salaries, long working hours and above all, in very small outfits there are no prospects of promotion and developing one’s potential: That’s why I really want a job where I can move up. You’re just at the same level. You can be working here maybe for five years, if you’re doing plaits, then that’s all that you do.

Salma was an interesting case. A Bangladeshi woman, she works in her husband’s restaurant. She is the company secretary and performs a range of business management tasks: Basically I do all management side of it. Accountancy, book keeping, all the administration, dealing with suppliers, dealing with the employees, customers. And at the restaurant I do work in the bar, serve customers, also do home delivery.

Salma explained that she was unusual as many Bangladeshi men do not like their wives working in restaurants where they may come into contact with drunken men. She thought this was a pity as the job provided an excellent chance to develop business skills which would be beneficial to many women. Salma really enjoys her work, but does see it as highly pressurised, and when asked if she would like to stay in her community, she explained that she would like to get a financial job in a larger company such as a bank: Not only within my community, I want to work with a big company or with a different environment, I don’t mind. I love meeting people so.

37


Salma’s work has given her confidence and expanded her horizons, so like the community organisations discussed in the previous section an ethnic minority business can serve as a stepping stone into the mainstream economy. This was also the view of a young Black Caribbean woman, Martha, who was currently working in a hair salon: What I find good about is that I get to meet people, a lot of different people and in meeting them I get to know a lot of things that they are going through and I can also share, relate my situations with them. Because I want to become a social worker and just speaking to those people it just helps me develop my confidence.

However, there are complexities here around freedom and expectations. A younger woman, Lila, who was waitressing in her father’s restaurant explained that it would be easier for her to work outside the community precisely because she would feel free from the censure of older Pakistani and Bangladeshi men watching her. Having been brought up in Britain she felt no uneasiness in working among English men. Like Salma, she saw the lure of a large company where she could meet many people. But by contrast, Jess, a young Caribbean woman with a Law diploma, had gone to London to work for an international law firm, had hated it, and so returned to Bristol to work in her parents’ shop, which she described firmly as ‘a career’. Thus, ethnic minority owned businesses offer some advantages to ethnic minority women especially in terms of the social relationships within them. The fact that they tend to be close to home is also an important asset for women with young children to care for. However, women we interviewed in these businesses also stressed the need for greater access to mainstream opportunities, which they felt were denied to them: I do think generally that there is discrimination out there. I don’t know if it will change. Something needs to be done to help ethnic minorities to get better jobs.

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MANAGING DIVERSITY: POLICIES FOR CHANGE

5


5.1 Managing for diversity Our interviews have revealed three clearly distinct perspectives on policies for reforming workplace cultures: •

It is up to the employer to introduce measures to change the organisation (Top-down approach)

•

It is up to BME employees to learn the rules of the game and adapt accordingly, with suitable help and advice (Bottom-up individualistic approach) It is up to employees to work together to transform the culture, through trade unions, Black networks etc (Bottom-up collectivism).

•

There is quite fierce contention between advocates of these three stances. Is it the responsibility of the organisation to change or the individual to adapt? We believe it is important to combine elements from all three approaches and we do not see them as incompatible. Employers, employees, unions and networks can all have a key role in cultural transformations. We have explored thoroughly the motivations which lead people to commitment to diversity, for example within our case study organisations. It is clear that there are three sets of issues involved: •

A fairly widespread acceptance of the ‘business case’. This involves recognition of the changing nature of British society (Birmingham and Leicester are vying to be the first city with a majority non–white population) and the demands of a increasingly global economy in which both staff and customers/clients are from a wide array of nationalities.

•

Values of human justice, fairness and meritocracy, which are widely held in society. These values are especially pronounced in the voluntary sector and some sections of the public sector, but are held by many individuals in all sorts of organisations. HR specialists often hold these values strongly. They are also propagated by ethnic minority networks, forums and other groups developed by the equality and diversity agenda. Legal compliance with a rapidly developing regulatory framework, including the new Gender Equality Duty which was introduced in April 2007. The legal imperative is strongest in the public sector because of the recently introduced duties, but older legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act and Race Relations Act still cover or affect other sectors, as does the more recent emphasis on equality in public procurement.

•

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In practice, most organisations act with a mix of these three drivers, as is shown in these statements, both from private sector equality managers: The business case is the big driver now from the year 2000. When I first started out we were banging on doors and having them slammed in our faces. But now the business case is a big strong force… there’s a big legal case. There’s a moral imperative, an ethical imperative. So I think a combination of all those factors. People should be able to progress on merit. We remove the barriers that might prevent people from progressing or fulfilling their potential. And obviously there’s an element of legal compliance, which we tend to forget about a bit with all the emphasis on diversity. But that’s still important that we are compliant with current and forthcoming legislation, but that also we articulate the business benefits from diversity as well, that we can’t just continue being a white male middle-class organisation, we have to reflect what’s happening in wider society. And that we are responsive to the needs of different groups there’s a strong business case for doing that as well.

There is a strong basis for developing a culture of diversity by employing these values firmly within an organisation. Most people are responsive to values of dignity and respect for others: Because a lot of the legislation actually is common sense. It makes sense to treat people well in terms of your employees so that they’ll be engaged and they’ll stay with you, in the same way as it does for customers really.

As the last quotation illustrates, the importance of equality and diversity principles is wider than employment and engages with customers or clients, therefore connecting with the business case. 5.2 Why focus on equality and diversity? Drivers and benefits of change While these arguments have been widely rehearsed, it is still the case that in the hectic modern business world, concerns for equality and diversity get swept aside in the pressure for profits and become seen as a secondary or ‘add on’ matters, to be left to the HR department. However, the experience of some of the case study organisations illustrates why equality and diversity practices matter. It also indicates that the reasons for adopting EDP and the benefits gained from it may be specific to a particular organisation.

Thus, for BUPA, EDP was seen as important in ensuring that the service provided for clients and their relatives was of top quality and that care embraced elements of ethnic difference. Although the proportion of ethnic minority elders is still quite low in BUPA homes, there are signs that it is on the increase. It is important that the make40


up of the workforce reflects that of the local populace, so that, for example, there are staff who can speak to older people whose English is limited in their own Asian languages, or kitchen staff who can cater for differing food preferences, such as Caribbean dishes. Similarly, as B&Q seek to expand their business and open new stores, a more diverse workforce is expected to help to draw in new customers and make shopping at their stores a more rewarding experience for ethnic minority citizens. There are clear commercial benefits to be reaped in almost any organisation. In a multicultural city like Birmingham, any store with an all white staff is unlikely to compete successfully for custom. For public sector organisations there is clearly a need to ensure compliance, but other motives are involved. Thus at QMUL, there was a stress on the university’s historical mission and egalitarian public image: Queen Mary is proud of its heritage which saw it widening participation in East London in the early 20th century, providing education for women at an early date and, from the Westfield end, providing medical education for women, again at an early date. So, the institution has a heritage of reaching out beyond the society's elites and embracing the E&D policies. It builds on extremely firm foundations and strong credentials in recognising an individual's worth and not their gender or ethnicity.

Like other universities, QMUL has an ethnically diverse student body. It has attracted 48 per cent of its student body from an Asian, Black or Chinese group – a higher proportion than most comparable status ‘old’ universities. Students are more likely to feel committed to and welcome in an organisation with a diverse culture. Similarly, Tower Hamlets sees providing a better service for its multi-ethnic community, by providing staff in its schools, offices and other services with an informed cultural understanding of diverse needs: The results of the latest BVPI (Best Value Performance Indicator) show significant improvement in satisfaction both with services and also with the community leadership aspects of the authority’s work.

Authority leaders also note the significant improvement in the Borough’s schools’ levels of educational attainment: For instance, in 1990 something like eight per cent of kids locally got fiveplus A to Cs, but now it fifty-something per cent, fifty-six.

This is a very real achievement in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country. It also bodes well for these young people’s future development.

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Another key driver is the race for talent. In a competitive world, all institutions are eager to find innovative, hard-working and efficient employees. To find the best, most suitable recruits means expanding traditional horizons. Thus Tower Hamlets’ community-based training schemes are seen as a significant way of identifying, supporting and developing local talent, whereas global talent management is central to the thinking of PriceWaterhouseCoopers: And talent management is part of the global thinking at the moment and, like I say, we are looking at it through a diversity lens. We are probably influenced by global strategies.

There are also gains of another kind in avoiding the negative consequences of failure to comply with legislative requirements. In 2005/6, 115,038 claims were accepted by Employment Tribunals; 12 per cent of claims were concerned with some form of discrimination. The average award in race discrimination cases was £30,361, in sex discrimination cases £10,807. The maximum awards were £984,465 and £217,961 respectively (ETS, 2006). As well as the economic costs, there is also the reputational damage which may be a major factor for many high-profile organisations. As a Tower Hamlets’ spokesman expressed it, avoiding legislative actions or judicial reviews or investigations is important in enhancing the authority’s reputation both locally and on a national basis: and this of course will feed back into its ability to recruit high-calibre staff. In a competitive environment, firms want to be seen as ‘a good company to work for’. The position that all forward-thinking firms should espouse is summed up perfectly by Lloyds TSB: We adopted a robust approach to equality and diversity because we recognise that the best talent exists in all communities. We also know that our customers come from many different backgrounds. In order to get the best people to come and work for us and for us to exceed the expectations of the widest customer base possible we have embraced diversity as a business imperative. Any organisation that doesn’t treat diversity as a business issue will lose out on talented employees and profitable customers.

As a result of such thinking, Lloyds TSB state that staff and customer satisfaction has increased, customers are more likely to recommend the bank as a service provider, and staff retention has improved. 5.3 Resistance to change: the ‘missing middle’ Nonetheless, these important drivers may be over-ridden or put aside because of the pressures of profit-driven organisational life or through conservatism and the short-

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sightedness of some players. This can be a cause of frustration for equality specialists. As we have seen, many of the problems lie at the ‘missing middle’ level of line managers. The translation from top-down to local implementation beyond the necessary compliance approach is at this level, and it is here that the ‘implementation gap’ may be most acute. What is missing from the middle is commitment and prioritisation. This acts as a barrier for both top-down and bottom-up approaches to work. Thus we reiterate the point that line managers have the most crucial role in ensuring the development of a diversity-friendly work culture. This problem is clearly recognised by HR staff: I think the difficulty we find is that diversity doesn’t find itself into many people’s performance management objectives. So in an organisation like this, which is very sort of driven by sales and processes, then if it doesn’t get measured then it doesn’t perhaps always get done as well as it could be.

We also note the danger of what we might call a ‘compliance culture’, whereby employers recruit people merely to fulfil targets, to ‘tick boxes’ without considering if they are rightly placed or their welfare needs are met when in post. This may lead to clustering of Black and Asian workers in the least desirable posts. It can also mean that people may be ‘set up to fail’ as one focus group member explained: The thing that bothers me enormously is when Black staff and other minority staff are actually set up to fail – when there are square pegs in round holes because the manager is under pressure to be seen to be implementing the McPherson report to meet the duty of care obligations of the local authority in order for the figures to look good. (Black Caribbean woman).

Thus targets should be used with circumspection. It is important to identify potential talent and use targeted resources for training and mentoring, rather than appointing and promoting people who are unready due to lack of development resources. Stereotyping means that the failure of an ethnic minority woman may be used as evidence against all ethnic minority women in workplace conversations. Therefore if they are crudely used, targets can be counter-productive and create backlash against EDP. 5.4

Closing the gap: from policies to practice They’re just on paper. But they’re ignored most of the time. They’re there, you can look at them but they’re not really part of the work scenario. (Pakistani woman)

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How then can organisations overcome this implementation gap? Most large organisations do have good and often elaborate paper policies but either have not bothered or have failed to implement them successfully. In some cases there is a genuine desire to implement, but people are not sure how to achieve this. In the remainder of this chapter we suggest ways in which organisations might be able to revitalize their approaches to EDP. In thinking about how to progress it is useful to consider the increasingly used concept of ‘intersectionality’ in the analysis of inequalities and EDP. 3 Intersectionality issues arise when an individual does not suffer a single form of discrimination, but is subject to a number of discriminatory forms at once. Intersectionality is an integrated approach that addresses forms of multiple discrimination on the basis of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance as they intersect with gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, migrant, socio-economic or other status. Intersectional discrimination is a form of racism and racial discrimination which is not the sum of race PLUS another form of discrimination to be dealt with separately but is a distinct and particular experience of discrimination unified in one person or group. (United Nations, 2001)

Thus the women we have talked to potentially face issues relating to the intersection of gender, ethnicity and, often, religion. As one woman told us: It’s like a double whammy, being a woman and then being a Black woman. (Black Caribbean woman)

The experience of these multiple forms of discrimination (which may be augmented by disadvantages of age and class) means, if we follow the above definition, that ethnic minority women have a distinct set of problems, which we explored in Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Below, we set out the elements of a framework for ‘intersectionality proofing’ organisational policies and procedures. Critical to the task of addressing inequalities and improving ethnic minority women's experiences of work, is uncovering the ways multiple discrimination converges to create and worsen experiences of disadvantage in the workplace. An ‘intersectionality proofing’ framework might have several distinct components: 1.

Data collection and audit, including attention to culture.

3

The United Nations and other agencies have increasingly used the concept of ‘intersectionality’ in the analysis of inequalities and the development of EDP.

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2.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

Contextual analysis: using the data to diagnose what particular problems exist, with a strong focus on how multiple disadvantages may be displayed (for example, are Asian women in lower positions than Asian men?). Review existing policies, initiatives and systems of implementation and alter them if they are not being effective. Determine priorities, in consultation with the relevant groups of employees (different groups of women may experience different types of problems so each group should be allowed to voice their concerns). Identify leaders and champions to take implementation forward and raise its profile in the organisation. Implementation of intersectional policy and initiatives with action to embed it throughout the organisation. Monitor the outcomes and publicise achievements.

An important objective is to identify who in the organisation takes responsibility for EDP and for putting its goals into action. Again, there was general agreement that there was need for a ‘champion’ at the highest level, if not the CEO, then a very senior and influential manager. The role of such a champion would be to show active involvement in promoting diversity, through personal example and through taking the message out into the broader community. If a very senior player is setting an example in a visible way, an important message is sent to the key group of middle managers, that diversity issues are not just an ‘add-on’ but central to the organisation’s values and assumptions. To back up this approach, whereby senior managers set the tone for the organisation, it is important to ensure that diversity targets are included in managers’ appraisal and in managerial promotion. This practice has been widely adopted by local authorities such as Greenwich LA. At Tesco, managers are required to produce both a personal and a departmental plan. This is an important way in which diversity and equality are embedded in the organisational culture. We suggest, then, that even organisations with long-standing and detailed policies need to take a fresh look at what they are doing. IMPACT ASSESSMENTS: ONE WAY AHEAD FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR

‘Celebrating diversity’ is the strapline of Tower Hamlets and in many ways conjures up the essence of what we believe organisations should be doing. We applaud the attempts to celebrate diversity, but recognise that for many organisations this does not just happen. For public sector organisations, their responsibilities are laid down in law, but the private sector may also find that the public sector responsibilities will 45


force similar compliance on private sector suppliers of services or goods through procurement policies. Under the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000) the public sector is required to undertake equality impact assessments of those policies and functions as having a high relevance to the Act. The CRE defines impact assessments as a way of systematically and thoroughly assessing, and consulting on, the effects that a proposed policy is likely to have on people, depending on their racial group. This is a process of carefully exploring how a policy or activity might have an unequal impact on a particular group or community. Importantly some organisations, such as Tower Hamlets, go beyond the Act: all six equalities strands are addressed in its assessment process (i.e. gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexuality and religious belief).

5.5 Data collection and monitoring When we asked equality experts what should be the first step in developing successful EDP, the almost unanimous response was the need to identify the problems, given that these are organisationally specific. Obtaining these base-line data was cited as the first step for organisations which were setting out to raise the priority of equality and diversity (for example, John Lewis Partnership). It is important for organisations to find out where the problems lie by using statistical evidence from monitoring and local Census data. Monitoring data can identify for example, which departments have no minority staff, and Census data can help an organisation compare their recruitment data with their local residents’ composition, and importantly can inform decisions to address identified problems. Equality audits will make this easier to accomplish.

It is, of course, pointless monitoring or auditing if no use is made of the data, as is often the case. Crucially for our target groups, the data should allow distinction by sex and ethnicity, so that different patterns between ethnic minority women and men may be identified. This leaves the question of how fine the analysis of ethnicity should be, given that, as we have stated, women of different ethnic groups fare differently. All our case study organisations spoke of the desire to reflect the composition of the local population in their workforce. This may determine how they break down their data on ethnicity. Thus, equality and diversity initiatives need to be predicated on evidence of where the gaps are and where the priorities lie. An equality audit can provide clear evidence of, for example, the proportion of minority ethnic and white women and men: •

at each level of the organisation;

•

in each occupation/departments; 46


•

in different regional locations;

•

who take grievances;

•

who are disciplined;

• •

apply for posts/promotion, are short-listed, are recruited; who have access to training by department.

Many organisations now have highly sophisticated human resources systems that can quickly provide reports on the above equality aspects. But simple data collection on common software packages, such as Excel, can also be used to provide some analysis. We noted that ethnic monitoring varied considerably between our case studies. In some cases, it would not be possible from the data collected to distinguish between Black Caribbeans and Africans, and between Indians and Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, nor to combine sex and ethnicity. But if we are to understand the representation of Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women, such statistics are important. These data can expose inequities; equally they may be used to show that progress has been made. Because of the different degrees of success in the labour market and the different inequalities experienced by these different groups, our view is that monitoring needs to be more detailed. Drawing on the experience of the Department of Health (DoH) and Tower Hamlets, we provide examples of more detailed classification systems in Appendix 3. We recognise that it is difficult to get a consensus on different approaches to monitoring, but we suggest that these approaches have the benefit not only of identifying different ethnic groups, but because of the Census link, of allowing national and local labour market comparisons to be made. Both the DoH and Tower Hamlets have adopted the 2001 ONS Census as a national standard. The Tower Hamlets approach breaks groups into four: Asian, Black, Mixed Heritage and other ethnic background, and white. This approach reflects the ethnic composition of the borough. We do not offer these necessarily as the ‘best’ approaches to monitoring. Indeed there are flaws. For example, in both examples, the use of the term ‘Asian’ in the mixed category may not be particularly valuable in view of the differences in labour market positions between different Asian groups. However the schemes can be adapted; for example, other groups may be added, e.g. where there is a large Arab community, Arab groups may be added. The Tower Hamlets approach puts ethnicities in alphabetical order which is an important recognition of equality rather than hierarchy between the ethnic groups. The main benefit of both approaches is that they allow comparison between the workforce in an organisation and its locality. This comparison may point to the need to change the recruitment strategy to encourage applications from the local population. 47


However, the approaches discussed above do not give information about both sex and ethnic group; this requires additional analysis between the sex and ethnic group categories. In other words, what is required is ‘intersectional analysis’ whose first requirement is the availability of organisational data disaggregated by ethnicity and gender. We noted examples of organisations which do this routinely and others which do not. This omission is important and needs to be addressed since it is well recognised that men and women have different workplace experiences and these differences can be heightened within particular ethnic groups. For example, Caribbean young women fare better in the labour market than Caribbean young men (Berthoud, 2000). A valuable part of baseline data also includes the intersection of sex, ethnic group and religion. It is important to recognise that religion and ethnic group may overlap, but not in all cases. In some instances, religion will be a very important signifier guiding equality and diversity initiatives. This may be particularly the case for service provision. The NHS choice of questions on religion are again drawn from the ONS Census of 2001 (see Appendix 3). Data which provide insight into religious representation allow certain needs and demands to be anticipated, for example, the provision of a prayer room. With regard to service provision in the health services, knowledge of a patient’s religion will be crucial at particular stages in treatment and in death. Notwithstanding the above, it is also the case that many individuals (including people from ethnic minority backgrounds) are resistant to filling in monitoring forms. The reasons why such monitoring is important, and the safeguards in place to prevent inappropriate use of monitoring data, should be made clear to encourage employees to co-operate. It is crucial that the efficacy of such monitoring is given a regular health-check. 5.6 Contextual data analysis In the above section, we introduced the concept of ‘intersectional analysis’. Part of this includes examining the context in which an organisation is sited. Each organisation is unique and will require both universal and some tailor-made solutions. Monitoring should not be confined to ‘hard’ data, but should include feedback, perhaps from focus groups or diversity forums. The second task, building on the information gleaned from the statistical analysis, is to consider why disparities based on the sex/ethnicity link arise and what can be done about them. For example, data may reveal that Black Caribbean women are under-represented in managerial posts. A subsequent exploration of the context may reveal organisational stereotypes about Black Caribbean women (e.g. “can’t manage”, “too aggressive”) that have created a

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‘climate of permission’ for the discrimination to occur. Thus, the contextual realities could include stereotypes about ethnic minority women, which are distinct from stereotypes about women in general and about ethnic minority men. An important aspect of contextual analysis (linked to statistical data) is an examination of data on disciplinary and grievance procedures. Tower Hamlets’ equality impact assessments provide interesting insights into one of the most confidential processes in organisations. Indeed many of the outcomes of disciplinary and grievance procedures in organisations are the subject of individual final settlements and therefore not in the public domain. Tower Hamlets recognise that management attitudes on preconceived stereotypes could lead managers to identify disciplinary issues for particular groups of staff and not to approach the process with an open mind. Similarly with regard to grievance procedures, whilst there were not areas of adverse impact identified in the impact assessment, it was considered essential that all managers using the Grievance Resolution Procedure be aware of areas that could lead to adverse impact in practice. This included applying sensitivity to any religious and/or cultural considerations, for instance, timing of meetings to avoid clashes with religious observation, or allowing individuals to be accompanied by a colleague of the same race or gender. Thus the conclusion of their contextual analysis was that more monitoring on these matters was necessary. With data and contextual analysis as background information, organisational policies and systems of implementation can be evaluated for their effectiveness in addressing the problems caused by different intersections. For example, does a policy or initiative addressing racial discrimination for one group of ethnic minority women (e.g. management development initiatives targeted at Black Caribbean women) create tensions by promoting competition, jealousy and conflict among different ethnic minority groups? Or on the other hand, do the implementation procedures for gender equality include a variety of strategies that are sensitive to the different situations of women within different groups? One way to explore these issues is through focus groups which explore the experiences of very specific groups; equality and diversity managers have found these very helpful in revealing the key issues to tackle. This technique has been used in many of the organisations we studied, such as B & Q. It is evident that many creative and ambitious equality and diversity schemes are introduced, often with much fanfare. In their early stages, successes are promoted, often in internal publications such as house magazines. However, the success of such schemes may not be evaluated before the next new initiative is launched. Such evaluations require both hard (statistical) and soft (qualitative) data. From our informants we were advised of the importance of such monitoring.

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In this chapter we have considered some of the drivers to change and some of the blockages, and we have set out a general framework for moving on constructively. In the next chapter we survey some of the successful initiatives we have learned about during our fieldwork.

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WHAT WORKS: STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

6


6.1 Communicating positive messages to potential employees One of the findings from our interviews highlighted earlier was that ethnic minority women have clear views about which organisations are ‘friendly’ to their own ethnic communities. It is important, then, that organisations consider their public image and go about amending it if it is one of white exclusivity. Setting a standard Organisations may seek to set a standard which is publicly available in contrast to those which set targets which remain internal to the organisation. Public sector organisations are required to undertake equality impact assessments and therefore they are more open to public scrutiny.

Tower Hamlets, for example, have set out to achieve the ‘highest level of the national Equality Standard for Local Government’. This is explicitly set out in the Tower Hamlets policy statement on equality and diversity under the section ‘How will we deliver our commitment (to equality and diversity)’. The Local Government Standard is a nationally-recognised framework which is used to measure progress in achieving equality and diversity on behalf of both the community and the workforce. This commitment has resulted in the Council becoming: one of three, only three local authorities in the country that is at level five of the Equality Standards for Local Government. And that’s just recently been validated by an audit by the authors of the Equality Standard.

We noted in some impact assessments an emphasis on service delivery. For example, Queen Mary focused on student admissions, teaching and learning strategy and post-graduate students. It piloted its initial assessment which led to a simplification of an initially over complex methodology. This simplification sought to address the paradox that is often apparent regarding equality initiatives: that whilst the principles may be accepted, the processes may be seen as unduly burdensome (see section 3.5). Care needs to be taken in the standard setting and the results of any audits and assessments widely publicised. Traditional approaches to recruitment and selection The selection process is central to the ability of ethnic minority women to ‘get in’ to organisations and to ‘get on’. The ‘sifting’ or short-listing process needs to be transparent so candidates are aware how their applications will be scrutinised.

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Attention is often paid to the training of interviewers but not to those who shortlist (they may not be the same people). Good practice will ensure that short-listers and interviewers will have the cultural competence to make such decisions. But attendance at training courses is, of course, not in itself enough to guarantee equality-friendly interviewing. We were interested in PricewaterhouseCooper’s strategy whereby people are assessed on recruitment and selection courses and can be disallowed from playing a part in the selection process if they do not pass the assessment. The interview remains central in Britain today. It is well established that the composition of the interview team is crucial. Key questions need to be asked including: •

Have all interviewers been trained?

•

What was their performance on the training course?

•

Has a diverse group of interviewers been selected?

Ideally interviewers should reflect both sexes and the local population and include an ethnic minority interviewer. Managers often excuse themselves for poor make-up of interview panels by saying that not enough ethnic minority senior staff are available. As mentioned earlier, this issue was tackled by UNISON at Haringey Council by maintaining lists of trained interviewers who are women or from ethnic minorities. We were also advised that many women found the interview process inhibiting. The culture of interviews demands that interviewees need to ‘talk up’ their achievements; many of the women we talked to seemed reluctant to do so as it seemed a form of boasting. Many of the women in our study were uncomfortable with this process and found it difficult to be other than diffident and factual in the exposition of their skills and experiences. This put them at a disadvantage. It is important that interview teams are skilled at sensitively eliciting information from interviewees. Interviewers need to be very skilled to uncover those who are able to inflate their achievements at the interview. Another approach is to widen the selection methods and for organisations to consider complementary methods of selection. There was a sense from some of our participants that there was an over-dependence on interviews. One alternative is to use selection centres based on a competency approach; thus the criteria are not qualifications but the skills and experiences (competencies) that a person has. Even so, care needs to be taken to ensure that competencies are not selected and defined in a purely Eurocentric or sexist way. Complex assessment centres are, on balance, because of their multiple-pronged approach, seen as fairer than those employing a 52


singular approach (see Healy et al., 2006). However, this is an expensive process which tends to be confined to highly qualified occupations and may, if poorly designed, replicate the weaknesses of other systems. Consideration should also be given to alternative locations for the interview so that it becomes more a probing conversation than an inhibiting and interrogatory selection set piece. For example, interviews have been carried out in community centres, where some ethnic minority women may feel more at home and relaxed. This tactic is particularly useful for women living in rural areas who may feel that travelling a long way for an interview in which they may not be successful would be a waste of their time. Community locations have the advantage of familiarity and may encourage those women to apply who tend to live in their own urban communities and have little experience of formal employment. However, change of location is not, in itself, sufficient. Interviewers also need to need to adapt their style to a conversational one. Feedback from interviews, possibly with indications of jobs which might be suitable, or encouragement to try for other jobs at the same organisation may also be helpful in persuading Muslim women to keep trying and not join the ranks of the ‘discouraged workers’, which we learned was a real danger. However, some women may be put up off applying for jobs by the documents that guide the shortlist process and underpin interviews. Women raised the question of the application form and in some cases its unnecessary complexity, which they argued could deter women for whom English was not their first language from making an application: Even for some of the most simplest jobs you have so many questions to fill in on an application form. (Bangladeshi woman)

Thus the appropriateness of an application should be relevant to the job in question. Positive action remains a central mechanism to combat disadvantage. Tower Hamlets’ positive action schemes include the encouragement of Bangladeshi and Somali people to train as social workers and occupational therapists; similar schemes are in place to train teachers and teaching assistants. Tower Hamlets has lessons, too, for other organisations seeking to recruit their local populations. For example all Council vacancies up to Scale 6 are automatically referred to Skills Match to increase the number of job opportunities offered to local people. 4 Following a successful initial trial, this is to be established as a permanent arrangement.

4

Skills Match is a scheme where the council acts as a broker between local job seekers and employers with job vacancies. See: http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/data/jobs/data/skillsmatch.cfm).

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Using technology to communicate Getting in to a highly competitive job market can be very challenging for potential applicants without some ‘insider information’ to guide an individual. It is well established that some groups will be more privileged than others in being able to access such information.

Technological developments offer new opportunities in equality and diversity to widen access to ‘insider information’. We noted some valuable initiatives to make the recruitment and selection process more transparent. Paper sources of information have long been important as a source of guidance for applicants but these vary in quality and depth. The web has become critical as a source of information and organisations seeking to take diversity seriously have the opportunity to use their websites in creative and innovative ways. The range of information for potential applicants and on-line application forms can go some way to fill the ‘insider information’ gap. We noted examples of creative uses for the web: blogs and podcasts. Using examples from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), we noted blogs on the PwC graduate site from a range of young people from different ethnic groups. The following example indicates a young woman, Nishma, keen to promote Asian interests in different ways and prepared to challenge top management at a high profile event.

NISHMA’S BLOG AT PwC Outside of my day-to-day role, I have taken on a leading position within our ethnic forum and Asian business forum. I contribute to developing links with the Asian community, helping the firm to advance its policies on diversity. I am the firm’s first accredited Asian interviewer. I was specifically asked by PwC to join a panel comprising the firm’s “Big 4” firms at a major recruitment event for exceptional students from ethnic minorities. The only person representing PwC, I was challenged by over 200 students on a range of issues including work / life balance, culture and diversity. The firm was rated the number one performer at this event by university campus leaders. I have worked hard to ensure that diversity remains a high priority on PwC’s business agenda for the future. I took part in the firm’s 2005 annual results programme, where I challenged the Chairman on diversity and retention issues in a filmed studio debate that was distributed to around 15,000 PwC partners and staff members.

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I am successfully building my career as a professional and continuing to raise my profile as a role model, not just for Asian people, but for all young people. I will also continue to develop my professional role and that of ambassador for PwC.

This is a valuable example to put into the public domain as it serves to encourage young people of different Asian backgrounds to take seriously a career at PwC. The second example, a podcast, is a particularly useful way of enabling young people to gain some of the ‘insider information’ that might elude them under normal circumstances. These podcasts can be downloaded to a computer or an MP3 player. They have distinct advantages over paper or text websites which tend to be giving information rather than sharing information. We listened to a podcast of young people talking about: 1. 2.

graduate jobs in PwC, and interviewing.

It was clear that at least a third of the young people in the podcast were from ethnic minority groups. The podcasts provided perspectives from young people who had been successful in the graduate recruitment round. It enabled their different experiences to be shared and to some extent, demystified the process. The podcast on interviewing spelt out the application process and the key areas to consider. Importantly the successful graduates on the podcast encouraged potential applicants to reflect on their skill set in order to help them demonstrate the required competencies. It also gave clear steers as to what PCW were looking for and which parts of an application form applicants should take very seriously. PCW require applicants to demonstrate several competencies: teamwork, flexibility, motivation, commitment to career and commercial awareness. These are then explained in the podcast. The example of commercial awareness was drawn from a graduate who had also worked in his family’s corner shop. The graduate was able to demonstrate that he had gone beyond selling and shelf stacking by checking out the competition in the area and making suggestions for change which were adopted by his family. New technology offers exciting ways to present equality and diversity signals visually and orally and to help demystify what can be a complex and challenging process. Such technology can present Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in positions of responsibility providing role models for potential applicants. Importantly, they can be shown wearing traditional dress, which transmits a strong message that diversity is valued in an organisation. Many young women we interviewed told us how anxious they were as to whether hijab-wearing would be acceptable when they 55


apply for jobs. The web, as well as traditional forms of communication, can put these concerns at rest. Chatlines are an additional idea that can flow from the blogs and the podcasts. Having read the blog, listened to or watched the podcast, a potential applicant could be enabled to contact a particular individual (perhaps of a similar ethnic group) in the podcast to ask questions about careers in an organisation. Importantly this facility would allow them to ask the all important question ‘will the culture be friendly to people like me?’ 6.2 Improving cultural awareness Raising awareness through training CULTURALLY INTELLIGENT RECRUITMENT Don’t book all your interviews on a Friday afternoon because you’re automatically excluding the Jewish Community. It’s things like that and also the whole cultural piece; if you’re interviewing an Asian person they may not hold eye contact with you because that’s seen in their culture as being rude. Let’s make managers understand that so they’re not saying righttonow they’re not getting the job.equality, fairness and universal respect is One way embed values of diversity, through training. Awareness training is often viewed as the solution to transmitting

Compulsory awareness training may be used to ensure that all employees understand the importance of EDP to the organisation and to them as employees. The purpose of the training may be to help participants understand the importance of equality and diversity, the way that unfair practices are reproduced and how the individual can influence equality and diversity practices. Awareness training should include the development of competencies to deal with sexism and racism and their intersection. It is necessary to: • •

Make it clear from the outset to staff and clients that racist and sexist behaviour is not acceptable; Provide awareness training that will build competencies to confront damaging stereotypes, demeaning banter and provide the confidence to tackle racist behaviour.

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Raising awareness through e.learning The use of technology is a valuable resource for equality and diversity awareness training. We noted that organisations are increasingly turning to e-learning to overcome some of the inherent difficulties in awareness training. E-learning is often introduced in environments where: • •

The technology is widely available; It is difficult to ensure attendance because of the uneven demands on people’s time;

•

Flexibility in training delivery is required so an individual can choose the time and space to complete the course; External drivers are an incentive to ensure widespread compliance.

•

We reviewed two such e-learning training tools (QMUL and PwC) and suggest that they have a number of clear benefits: •

The same training is available to everyone;

•

It allows the organisation to monitor that the training has been undertaken;

•

It allows an individual to check their understanding by using multiple choice questions and answers;

•

E-training provides the opportunity to introduce some of the more sensitive issues emerging from the culture of the organisation in a way that is highly accessible with frequent scenarios, for example: o The reproduction of stereotyping is illustrated by using specific examples, e.g. a woman is described by a previous boss as being not very good with computers; she is therefore not sent on computing courses by her new boss; she is given work that is mainly off computers; unsurprisingly, the result is that she is not good with computers. Thus, a casual remark influences management actions which precludes an individual from accessing opportunities open to others and leads to a self-fulfilling prophesy; o Video clips are used to illustrate the demeaning nature of banter based on religion, race, sex, sexuality and disability. In one example, the banter dialogue is shown in relation to a Black woman. Questions are asked of the learner about the banter and what action should be taken. The clip ends by showing how the banter might be considered offensive and the way that it should be challenged. Such training is also good at tackling different forms of offensive remark and showing how what might be offensive to one person may not be considered so by another. This is an important means of raising awareness.

•

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•

E-training forces the learner to decide on the appropriate form of action in relation to, for example, harassment, giving choices of a) doing nothing b) taking disciplinary action, c) obtaining more information.

•

We noted examples which highlight social relations in off-duty time, e.g. the coffee break or the lunch break. These examples made it clear that social occasions are arenas where insensitive talk with colleagues which demeans others directly or by implication remains a matter of organisational concern and action; An e-learning approach goes some way to overcome poor quality training and reduces the impact of negative social dynamics that may arise in the training process. It also can allow an individual to score their performance and assess how knowledgeable they really are about equality and diversity.

•

•

The introduction of e-learning on equality and diversity may not be unproblematic. Indeed we noted in one organisation, a series of subversive emails that encouraged levels of non-engagement with the e-learning initiative. However, these were quickly addressed by those responsible for either equality and diversity or the driver for the initiative. Prompt interventions are crucial to the success of such initiatives. Building cultural intelligence Building cultural intelligence is important. This can be developed in a range of ways. Training may be one means of doing this. Too often the focus in poor training is negative or concentrated mainly on avoidance of legal action and compliance with bureaucracy.

Training will work best when it is clearly intended to promote cultural awareness. Many of our participants saw this as an absolutely key issue, especially for managers. This relates to the need, discussed above, to build a cadre of ‘culturally intelligent’ managers, thereby increasing the ‘cultural capital’ of the whole organisation. This strategy may help close the ‘implementation’ gap and confront the problem of the ‘missing middle’. There are many ways that an organisation can seek to increase its cultural capital. Building cultural intelligence is a complicated task that can be addressed in different ways through equality and diversity training, for example, and through the introduction of cultural awareness courses. I think cultural awareness courses are most important. And they should be, not just only done once and it’s done. They should be more regular, say, every six months. (Pakistani woman)

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The lack of knowledge about different cultures among the white population was a recurring theme from the women in our study. It is important that the cultural values and social dynamics are explored by all groups so that mutual knowledge and understanding might grow. Once trained it can become the managers’ responsibility to spread cultural intelligence within the team, for example by making sure people understand about Ramadan and Eid and their significance for Muslim workers’ daily routines. Strategies also need to be in place for managers who do not empathise with cultural difference during the training. It is crucial that the spread of cultural intelligence is done with empathy. The diversity of people in organisations should be visually represented in a range of roles so that diversity is normalised. It is important that ethnic diversity in organisations is visually displayed. QMUL publicity has good examples of the diversity of its student population. These examples are presented in various contexts: the lecture theatre, the laboratory, the seminar room. Tower Hamlets’ public documentation is another example of how an organisation can present the diversity of its staff. These representations are important in different ways and to different people: they provide encouragement to those from ethnic minority groups who are often visually invisible, while they emphasise the normality of diversity to those who see organisations through a ‘white lens’. Organisations can facilitate cultural knowledge by sending out yearly schedules which include all major religious festivals, not just the Christian ones. Staff who wish to take leave during these times for religious reasons can be assured that priority will be given to them. This is important since it effectively gives permission to staff to request leave at what might be a busy time for the organisation. Other organisations may go one step further and organise celebrations of religious festivals as has been done at WBBS, BUPA and B&Q. Employees are invited to come to work in traditional festive dress, observe customs and eat appropriate food. This a simple practice with excellent results: ethnic minority workers feel welcomed, their culture is affirmed as important, and all the workforce gain knowledge in a sociable and enjoyable way. Imaginative organisations are getting across the message: ‘diversity is fun'. Another useful device is to send round, as Tesco have done, a ‘religious toolkit’ which explains the features of the major world religions. Again, culturally intelligent managers can use this to promote understanding among their staff, by correcting major misunderstandings and challenging stereotypes. Such material could also be incorporated in a useful and entertaining way into training. QMUL has produced cultural diversity guidelines with links to its e-learning course. In these guidelines, 59


there is helpful information about different religions and a section on family names and their ethnic origin. Managers without access to such facilities said they would appreciate them. Indeed, most people are keen to acquire new knowledge rather than being lectured at! Moreover this is a two-way process, a sharing of information which avoids the view of ethnic minorities as ‘a problem’. Information (both formal about rights and procedures, and informal about custom and practice) is crucial. We noted that it may be available on an organisation's ‘intranet’ but information simply being available on the web is not enough. Staff were not necessarily aware that a company 'intranet' existed nor knew about its content. Information can be difficult to acquire, especially when you don’t know what you’re asking for! Handbooks in straightforward language given out at induction are useful but insufficient, while briefing sessions covering, for example, new legislation, can be valuable and offer HR the chance to liaise with other departments within the organisation. We should not forget the social context of organisations. This can create a welcoming and friendly environment in many different ways. For example, food can be a valuable tool to break down cultural barriers. •

•

Many of the women in our study commented favourably on the provision of ‘ethnic foods’ in canteens and this was particularly mentioned at QMUL and BUPA. Special functions, whether conferences or networking events, are opportunities to be creative about the provision of food. We noted at WBBS that a festivity with a range of ethnic foods (samosas, bhajis, papadoms, curries, rice) was commented upon favourably by the women in our study. Equality-focused conferences at QMUL used both Bangladeshi and African caterers, which also provide custom to local ethnic minority businesses.

A number of important aspects of culture and faith in organisations emerged from the study. For example, it is important that organisations should: •

• • •

Ask Muslim staff if they would like prayer facilities and provide them, rather than waiting for them to ask, when they are forced to position themselves as demanding and ‘different’; Allow flexibility around Ramadan, for example, allowing staff to work through the lunch-break and go home early (as happens at WBBS); Respond positively to other cultural and religious needs (for example, allow extended leave to return to countries of origin for funerals); Normalise different dress styles. 60


Finally, a lot can be done by changing the environment to reflect the context of cultural diversity. Walking into an entrance hall or foyer where all staff (porters, receptionists, secretaries) come from a single ethnicity can be daunting. We noted by contrast that, for example, the new foyer of the London Metropolitan Police appears instantly as a multi-ethnic space, with reception staff and visitors from all ethnic groups chatting comfortably in an inviting lobby. Similarly, the Youth Department at Greenwich Local Authority gave off messages of welcome to all as men and women, white, Black and Asian, interacted together, laughing and chatting, while the walls were covered with bright pictures of local young people from many communities engaged in projects and visits connected with their Youth Forum. Training is not a panacea It is important to recognise that training comes in many forms and guises, some of which will go some way to meeting equality and diversity objectives. However, some forms of training may unintentionally be used to subvert these objectives. Organisations need to be alert to some of the negative aspects of training and take appropriate action:

Examples of poor practice in training may be the result of: •

Equality and diversity responsibilities apparently passed from the organisation to the course participants as a result of the training;

•

The facilitator/trainer is unable to present equality and diversity in a way that engages participants positively; The facilitator/trainer may have difficulty managing high status people who may make it clear that their time could be better spent elsewhere; The participants subvert the training using jokes and banter to undermine the messages;

• • • •

The group dynamics of the training means that the intended messages are undermined and equality and diversity becomes another ‘chore’; Completing the course may be seen as a necessary evil to allow an individual to recruit and select or hold management responsibilities. Performance on the course may be immaterial.

Therefore, EDP training needs to be very carefully considered and effectively carried out to avoid a counter-productive impact. The careful choice of the content and the equality trainer is paramount. Notwithstanding the deeply serious nature of equality and diversity, it is important to accentuate the positive and get across the message that cultural learning can be fun.

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6.3 Career development Mentoring, networking and role models The provision of mentoring schemes has been an important arm of EDP for some while now, but in our experience was patchily and variably used across the organisations in this study. Most of the interviewees we talked to who had not had mentoring said it would be helpful.

Some object to the idea of mentoring as it appears to locate the problem in the individual, not the organisation: Finding your mentor within your organisation is sometimes quite difficult because you are almost raising your hand and saying well actually I need help. You are setting yourself up as vulnerable. (Black Caribbean woman)

However, a lot of the networking and socialising we have discussed earlier in the report is in effect a form of mentoring, from which ethnic minority women are excluded. Many women we interviewed said how important mentoring had been in their careers. Often this had involved choosing mentors themselves, having different mentors at different stages in their careers and being provided with mentors from outside the organisation. This is the practice, for example, at Regional Action West Midlands (RAWM); it helps to ensure confidentiality and remove any element of stigma. It also helps when mentoring is firmly supported by a senior figure and its purposes made clear. Thus rather than being an add-on it is embedded as part of the culture. Women felt that had been the case when Sir Nigel Crisp headed the NHS and developed a ten-point initiative on diversity: You mentor a BME employee, and it was almost you had to do it. That got good results that approach, wow, fantastic. You felt special.

An alternative approach is to ensure that some kind of mentoring and support is provided for everybody who enters the organisation. This is the strategy used at WBBS. Every new recruit is given a buddy or mentor when they start their job, who can explain the ropes to them. I was trained by Judy, one of the girls that works there. So just day on day if I had any questions I’d go to her. I still do go to her and say, I’ve got to send this, how do I do it? I’ve always fallen back on Judy to help me and advise me.

This modern version of ‘sitting by Nelly’ is a useful way to learn about the culture and to find out things about the work tasks which a recruit may be embarrassed to ask 62


about, although care should be taken with this strategy as it may reproduce existing poor practice. Subsequently, employees have regular ‘one-to-ones’ with their line managers, in which they can raise issues, be kept informed about their performance and also gain careers advice. ‘One-to-ones’ were very much valued by women in many of the case-study organisations as they felt them a safe arena where progress could be reviewed. However we should emphasise also that one-on-ones alone are not sufficient in that they rely on the relationship between the manager and the employee and, of course, the manager’s cultural intelligence. Collective approaches (through trade unions or ethnic minority networks) can be very useful in underpinning line management relationships. For example, members of a Black network may provide advice, confidence and strategies to enable an individual to inform and if necessary challenge their manager’s decisions. A good example in this study is the Black Network in Haringey. This is where mentors can play a role, if managers are not being effective in the area of personal development. Mentoring is important in small organisations. Although communications may appear to be more straightforward, this is not necessarily the case. Small organisations may be hierarchical or collective in their approach to management. But young people need to be helped to understand the context in which they work: That would be something that would be helpful for me because I am so young and I’ve still got so many other things that I want to do. If there was someone there just to tell me, oh this is what you could do or how about like this you know that would be helpful for anybody I’d say. Black, white whatever. (Pakistani woman)

One way in which mentoring can be achieved is through self-organised ethnic minority or women’s networks. For example, we learned of a network set up for ethnic minority fund-raisers which was helping them to progress their careers. The close link between network groups, networking and mentoring was clear in some organisations. In others we noted difficulties in getting both Black and women’s networks to operate. We suggest that network groups are more likely to be successful where there is some homogeneity between the employees and a strong career orientation or where there is a significant number of ethnic minority women. Thus, in a knowledge based organisation such as PwC, such networks seem to thrive and facilitate culture transfer (both of the organisation and of the ethnic/religious group). Particularly good elements of network groups are evidenced when successful individuals in an organisation get involved in such groups. They become role models, mentors and advise on the organisational culture. The GEM (Group Ethnic Minority) network in 63


Lloyds TSB, which boasts 1000 members, is a good example of how a network can develop influence within an organisation. THE GEM NETWORK: PROMOTING A CULTURE OF DIVERSITY The network’s been really successful in terms of helping people move from the early understanding … you know difference is not scary and not bad, it’s actually a good thing. Some of the issues around ‘Well you know I don’t understand diversity and what it’s all about’ … We’ve had fantastic support from the senior people of the group. And each year over the first five years we ran an annual conference in Islington. We had 350 to 400 ethnic minority staff attending this conference. We were blessed with speakers including the group’s chief executive, our executive sponsor, the most senior people in the organisation, the deputy directors running the retail bank or the wholesale bank, or the group HR director, The main conference was designed to show the group’s visible commitment to diversity. It was designed to showcase individuals within the organisation who had developed themselves and deliver personal stories and testaments, and these were massively powerful. These were people saying ‘I joined Lloyds TSB at this level, here are the barriers I faced, this is how I overcame them, this is what I’ve learnt from going on a career development programme. And now I’ve moved up the organisation, I’ve found my niche or I’m continuing to develop and I’m fulfilling my potential. Then the third piece was a celebration of culture and success if you like and we had external people coming in performing for us. We had motivational guest speakers, high profile people like Kriss Akabusi, the athlete, Nina Wadia from Goodness Gracious Me.

The ‘how we do things here’ nature of cultures may necessitate having sponsors to gain partnership levels in, for example, a consultancy. Such networks allow access to influential and supportive people who may become future sponsors. Throughout the research women emphasised the importance of role models: When I see a Black person in a top position it motivates you, okay, you can get there as well. (Black Caribbean)

Identifying young ethnic minority women with potential and helping them develop their careers is thus a crucial part of building a diversity-friendly culture. The only organisation in our study which had really succeeded in getting numbers of ethnic minority women into management was BUPA. There was no doubt that this had helped to make employees at BUPA believe that the organisation did genuinely offer equality of opportunity. It is of course easier for an organisation like BUPA, where most of the employees are women and a very high proportion from non-majority

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backgrounds, to identify women to promote. However, there are other areas (retail, the NHS) where this is also the case but white men still dominate in management. As our evidence indicates, progression is a key issue in organisations and for individuals. Ethnic minority women should have equal access to the ladders of career development. Without this, it is self evident that organisations are failing to utilise their talent effectively. We have noted a number of strategies that ‘make a difference’: •

A buddying system provided for new recruits is a good way to impart knowledge at the same time as making people feel welcomed.

•

Mentoring has been effective in helping women develop careers, though schemes need to be carefully thought out to avoid being linked to a ‘deficit model'.

•

Making mentoring universally available might be one way to tackle this, although multiple mentors should be encouraged. Encouraging network groups is a very important strategy to facilitate informal encouragement, the sharing of cultural intelligences and the promotion of role models. It may be more effective to develop external mentoring systems, arranged on a regional basis (within the public sector) or through a partnership such as RAWM. Organisations need to review their reward strategies, especially with graduates, and develop transparent career pathways. Having ethnic minority women visible in senior posts as role models and facilitators for more junior women is a very important way to encourage young women to stay on and develop careers. Exit interviews should be held and properly analysed to pick up negative features and experiences. These should be analysed and lessons learnt.

•

•

• •

• •

Self-organised networks may be helpful in building skills, making links with other useful people and identifying sponsors. They appear to work best when occupationally based, both inside or external to an organisation, or run through trade unions.

The role of training in career development Access to development training is a critical element of equality and diversity. This operates at different levels and in different ways. Disadvantages cited to us reflected concern that there was an unequal access to development training. Lack of transparency in the allocating of development resources was critical in this assessment. Training was seen as a ‘development key’ that was available to some but not to others. Pakistani or Bangladeshi women may be overlooked because

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assumptions are made from style of dress about their ambitions. It is crucial that style of dress is not linked with competence nor with development opportunities. Part of the solution may be about helping people understand what their colleagues do in their work. A young woman working in a small organisation pointed to her lack of knowledge about what other people in the organisation did and what she would like to happen: If we had some sort of training day for everybody or an awayday where we close all the classes and just sit down and have a meeting and talk through what’s been going on and what this person does and who this person is.

Such an approach may be even more important in a larger organisation where communication between departments is often limited, as women reported to us. Such knowledge can provide better understanding between staff and enable better communications to work. It can also prevent incorrect assumptions being made and grievances being raised. Line managers have a central role in career development. Many line managers have it as part of their job explicitly or implicitly to enable their staff to develop. Often operational issues will take precedence and the development of staff may be forgotten or become an inconvenience. The example of West Bromwich Building Society is a helpful example of good practice. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WEST BROMWICH BUILDING SOCIETY

At WBBS it is clearly stated to be part of a manager’s role to help anybody with career aspirations to achieve them, by matching their needs with training courses, internal and external, or coaching. All line managers are themselves trained in coaching at a minimum of Level 1. Each employee has a personal development plan which they themselves write but which is then worked on with the line manager. Training is tailored to the plan and may include funding for professional certificates and study leave. This is also part of leadership development, whereby people with potential are trained and assisted to develop their performance to move towards a management role.

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We earlier raised concern about the perceived lack of opportunities for training in many organisations, including the NHS. However, we also noted the opposite view: If I was a trainee accountant in the NHS I would be laughing. It would be so easy because the support you get is unquestioned and unquestionable. The department’s well-being isn’t thought of, it is the individual’s in that case. So I think it depends on which department you are working for.

Thus it is important to recognise that there is not only variability between organisations, but also between departments within organisations. But the above quotation also points to the tensions between the individual and the organisation with regard to training leave. Such tensions are inevitable and therefore the importance of transparency in decisions to grant training leave and provide resources for training is paramount. We also noted important initiatives which were grounded in the communities close to the workplace, for example in Tower Hamlets. Tower Hamlets BME Graduate Development Scheme provides graduates from local minority ethnic communities the opportunity to gain work experience and a post graduate qualification – this has provided 88 per cent of entrants to the programme to date with permanent employment with the local authority. The local targeting is crucial in this case because the UK’s largest number of Bangladeshi residents live in the Borough. Local targeting in graduate schemes may well have greater effect than national schemes. We come to this conclusion because of the strong desire of many of the Bangladeshi and Pakistani interviewees to serve their community and remain within it. COMMUNITY-LINKED TRAINING One of the things that we have is a local graduate trainee scheme where about 22 young graduates, local graduates, are given a two-year placement with the Council. And there has been a significant success of them moving into employment with us. Another area which has been successful is in encouraging local people into teaching. A number of programmes have been in place for some years now which encourage parents to become involved and become teaching assistants and go on to become qualified as a teacher. There are ways in which the Council looks to encourage participation in terms of, certainly, for local people, them moving into senior management, the process of developing skills and experience.

The link between training and career development can be summarised in the following points:

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•

•

Training for promotion and management is valued by everyone. Given the current lack of ethnic minority women in senior roles, management training targeted specifically at women and ethnic minority women in particular, should be developed. Competency training is an important part of career development. At WBBS if employees feel they are weak at any aspect of their job they can ask for training which is provided in one-to-one sessions.

•

E-learning in equality and diversity may solve some of the problems identified with past training in EDP and provide valuable career development information.

•

At RAWM each member of staff has a personal training budget; subject to agreement with their line manager they can use it for personally tailored training.

6.4 Reaching out to the community Making external links I went to an open day. I‘d seen it advertised in the papers that West Brom are holding an open day and anyone who was interested in a position could go along.. On the day I had two interviews and I got through them and was offered the position on that day. (Bangladeshi)

WBBS exemplifies a good approach in developing links with the community, a policy specifically encouraged by its CEO who chairs the local Race for Opportunity. It was clear that the open invitation and the speedy response to an application was highly valued by the above woman. Obviously WBBS benefits from being a regional rather than a national organisation so that its image is rooted in the West Midlands, where nearly half its potential customer base is from an ethnic minority group. Therefore working on its local reputation is very important. A sculptural display in the Head Office foyer illustrates the history of West Bromwich. The company sponsors local sports teams and youth groups, including a link with West Bromwich Albion football club. It has helped support a local Sikh festival and uses local ethnic radio stations for advertisement and recruitment. Recruitment material is available in Urdu, Punjabi, Gujerati as well as Welsh and English. These activities help give off the message that the Society is a place where diversity is accepted and celebrated. REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY My manager put out an article in Vine magazine which is for Black Caribbean people, with all the Black people that were at the time working for West Brom just showing this is what you can do. And they did little mini interviews, which was very good.

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Such external approaches are very important and our research suggests that they influence young people in particular. They transmit an initial message that ‘this organisation might welcome applications from people like me’. It is crucial that ethnically diverse people are visibly represented in publicity in terms of dress as well as skin colour. The hijab has become a political conversation; it is important that this is normalised in the context of the workplace. As discussed earlier, Tower Hamlets seeks to attract local applicants to its graduate schemes rather than relying on a nationally-based process. In this context the location of Tower Hamlets is central. Such strategies are genuinely reaching out to highly qualified individuals who do not see themselves as mobile in the national context. Such initiatives could be replicated in Canary Wharf, where there is huge wealth in contrast to most of Tower Hamlets. The distinctive nature of a local authority is its primary relationship with its community as service users. During the year 2005-6, Tower Hamlets held nine consultation events to increase the number of women involved as councillors, governors and in other areas of life. Some 25 have taken up a post in public life to date. Involvement of local women, many of whom are from the Bangaldeshi community, is important in ensuring that such women are given voice in local decision-making. The NHS does considerable work in the context of service provision. Challenging the inequalities of health is a central issue of concern to the NHS and many of their strategies are outward reaching to educate and involve different community groups. Community links in the recruitment of ethnic minority women This research points to the need for organisations to have a culturally intelligent recruitment and selection strategy. This should be built over time as well as in response to particular labour market needs. There is little doubt that organisations that claim to be diversity-friendly will increase their applications of ethnic minority staff; in other words they will increase the talent base from which to select future employees. We do, however, note that certain approaches may be more likely to lead to an increase in applications from ethnic minority women in this study. These are set out below: •

Locally targeted recruitment and training may be more effective for some Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi women than national schemes, because many women from these groups reported that they are less able to move anywhere round the country.

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•

Employers can make a real difference by going out into communities to build understanding of their organisation, the range of jobs available and to promote perceptions about their workplace culture as diversity-friendly.

•

Being an outward facing organisation has a knock on effect. For example, where internal and external communications strategies include messages about minority communities, this educates staff as well as customers. Roadshows or Open Days targeted at specific communities can be used to target and recruit particular groups of women.

• • •

Making use of local media including ethnic minority press and radio to highlight opportunities can be helpful in recruitment. Organisations should consider taking part in ethnic minority graduate fares such as ACDiversity annual career fairs.

•

Recruitment material should be available in a range of languages and demonstrate the visible presence in the organisation of people from ethnic minorities.

•

Dress codes should emphasise that Islamic dress may be worn and that a shalwar kameez and hijab is a perfectly acceptable form of professional clothing, as it is in many other countries. Potential applicants and existing staff should be made aware of this.

Women’s suggestions for change We emphasised the importance of consulting with ethnic minority women employees as a key part of the intersectionality framework, as it helps us to understand what they see as contextual issues blocking equality of opportunity. Throughout this report our findings are informed by the Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women we interviewed. Also, as part of our interviews we asked women what kind of changes they would like to see in their organisations and what could be done to encourage ethnic minority women to apply for a wider variety of jobs. Some of their suggestions have already been explored in the report. The box below lists a number of their responses in order to indicate to readers the kind of issues which concern the women themselves: WHAT CHANGES ARE NEEDED: VIEW FROM BELOW I would like to see positive role models, especially in the NHS. More teaching and learning for senior management. Cultural awareness courses are most important. A need to highlight Pakistani women’s contribution to Britain. I’d employ a woman not a man as the Chief Exec!

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More reviews around sickness levels, looking at the reasons, looking at exit interviews. Understand your religious needs, give you time for prayer. If our managers could understand our circumstances, our needs. One of the key things is going out to recruit them, not waiting for people to come to you. Have training offered in-house. At certain times being able to work at home would be great. You know, if you needed to be at home , you can always get some kind of office work, reports and what have you, done at home. Recognising the qualifications from back home.

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7

CONCLUSIONS

7.1 Moving on: equality and diversity policies in the twenty-first century In chapters 5 and 6 we discussed a number of major EDP strategies which have been employed and explored the ways in which they can be made to work successfully. As we have suggested, there are no universal answers or quick fixes. A key message is that EDP needs to be well-designed and sensitively implemented if it is not to be subverted, ignored or become counter-productive. Another is that policies must be tailored to the specific organisational context. However, it is still possible to isolate some general principles which should be applicable in most types of organisation. TEN GUIDELINES FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF A DIVERSITY-FRIENDLY ORGANISATION

1. 2. 3. 4.

Diagnosis: collect and analyse hard statistical data. Identify a diversity champion at the highest level. Reach out to communities. Take active steps to welcome new people into the organisation e.g. mentoring and providing role models for new staff. 5. Encourage and publicise flexible working. 6. Recognise the central role of line-managers in tackling the implementation gap and upskill them in cultural competence to support people from different backgrounds. Incorporate diversity targets into performance of managers and staff. 7. Set clear standards of behaviour to all staff, customers/client and take prompt action to deal with any instance of racism, sexism or Islamophobia. 8. Engage all employees with cultural diversity e.g. religious festivals, languages (which will improve customer service as well as relationships between staff). 9. Create social occasions that do not rely on drinking alcohol, eating pork or gambling. 10. Talk to your staff. Collect 'soft' data, by asking Black and Asian women – via one to one management meetings, focus groups and trade unions, and through staff surveys, exit interviews, market research with groups in the local community.

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CONCLUSIONS

7.2

Policy implications and recommendations: towards a diversity-friendly organisational culture If the above guidelines are followed we believe it would improve the position of all ethnic minority employees, both men and women. However, following our discussion of intersectionality, it is not possible to separate analytically how much of ethnic minority women’s disadvantage is due to gender and what is due to ethnicity, given that ethnicity is experienced by them in a gendered form and gender in an ethnically specific form. What we can say is that all the actions we suggest can help to replace ‘old-boy’, paternalistic or compliance cultures with diversity-friendly organisational cultures.

The core of this endeavour is the need to embed diversity within organisational cultures. Embedding means getting everybody at every level of the organisation to be aware of diversity and to see themselves as responsible for making the organisation a welcoming environment. Strategies for embedding might be for example, including a diversity question in all interviews for any post; and including diversity targets and objectives in appraisal, review and promotion procedures so that this becomes part of the skills set for all managers. We develop and summarise the necessary steps in relation to our ten points above: 1.

2.

Diagnosis: collect and analyse hard statistical data • The first step is to carry out an equality audit. This audit should include an audit of the impact of work culture. This should result in a statistical and cultural audit and highlight the equality gaps. •

Data should be broken down by gender and ethnic group as too often an overall figure may conceal problems. For example, where an organisation appears to have a high ratio of minority employees, they may turn out to be all from one group and at one level,. The audits should be used to identify precisely where the problems are. Action and initiatives can then be targeted at these areas.

•

Review and monitor progress at regular intervals.

Identify a diversity champion at the highest level • It is important to identify a champion to head up and monitor these activities. The champion needs to be a senior person, with real power in the organisation and real commitment to EDP. •

While HR departments usually have responsibility for EDP and are committed to it, their activities are often ignored or even resisted. To overcome this, equality specialists and HR managers need to engage more with line managers and staff, focusing on the positive aspects of EDP, not simply the necessity for compliance. 73


3.

Reach out to communities • Recruitment activities based within community centres have proved successful in increasing ethnic minority representation. •

Using community media resources, such as ethnic press or radio, is a good way to promote a diversity-friendly image.

4.

Take active steps to welcome new people into the organisation e.g. mentoring and providing role models for new staff • The induction process is very important, to help ethnic minority women get over the strangeness of joining and to send a positive message of being welcomed. • Provide all new recruits with a buddy or informal mentor to show them the ropes during their first months.

5.

Encourage and publicise flexible working •

•

6.

Recognise the central role of line-managers in tackling the implementation gap and upskill them in cultural competence to enable them to support people from different backgrounds We have stressed throughout that line managers are the key players in • implementing EDP. They often need help in gaining ‘cultural competencies’. • Cultural awareness should be a part of all management development and training. •

7.

The availability of flexible working hours is essential. Without this, many women with domestic responsibilities cannot work. This applies to all women as well, but is even more necessary for many of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in our study due to the demands of home. Equally, many Black Caribbean women have sole care of children and also need flexibility despite their high commitment to full-time work.

Managers should be accountable for diversity outcomes as part of performance management and appraisal processes.

Set clear standards of behaviour to all staff, customers/client and take prompt action to deal with any instance of racism, sexism or Islamophobia • Senior staff must take a stand on curtailing any instances of disrespectful behaviour. •

Notices can alert customers to organisational standards of behaviour.

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CONCLUSIONS

8.

Promote cultural diversity in the organisation e.g. through religious festivals, visual displays of cultural diversity (which will improve customer service as well as relationships between staff) • Managers can take steps to spread messages about different customs and ceremonies. •

•

9.

Create social occasions that do not rely on drinking alcohol, eating pork or gambling • Build cultural awareness within the organisation, e.g. by marking religious festivals such as Eid and Diwali. • Diversity should also be presented as interesting and fun. •

•

10.

Network groups can help with strategies for change, so that the cultural knowledge within the organisation is properly and systematically harnessed. The visual environment is important and can promote cultural awareness through the use of photographs, newsletters, and posters of the visual diversity of its workforce. Such symbols specifically should include women in religious dress and ethnic minority women in positions of responsibility.

Canteens should provide ethnic food options and use ethnic catering for events and celebrations which puts money into BME businesses as well as sending welcoming signals to minority workers. There is a need to develop more inclusive and varied ways of socialising, such as visits to restaurants, coffee shops, theatres and cinemas, sporting facilities.

Talk to your staff: collect and analyse 'soft' data, by communicating with ethnic minority women Ethnic minority women’s views should be sought through a variety of • means, through management meetings, focus groups and trade unions, and through staff surveys, exit interviews, focus groups, network groups, market research with groups in the local community. Their views should be an essential part of the knowledge of any equality audits.

Building a diversity friendly culture is no easy task. There is no one simple solution. A web of equality and diversity initiatives is necessary to build a culturally aware environment where talent thrives. The web is built up in different ways and at different levels in the organisation and experienced differently by the individual at different stages of their career. The early period within an organisation is a critical 75


time when people establish their perception of what it is like to work there and is crucial in influencing retention rates. It is also vital that the internal management systems of recruitment and selection are closely observed. We have noted many instances where the procedures of good practice are flouted. The subversion of such rules can begin in the informal context of training, through conversations on ‘how we do things around here’ and in the decision-making process itself. Such comments often perpetuate the idea that it is the women who are the ones who need to change or adapt – to become more like the ‘white male norm.’ 7.3 Who should change – the organisations or the women? It is not possible to state that strategies should be about either a) changing the organisation or b) changing the woman since there is an interrelationship between a) and b). Recent history tells us that organisations change when there is pressure to change. From our study we know that there is considerable pressure for organisations to change to: •

Meet the demands of legislation;

•

Meet the demands of suppliers;

•

Provide a wider customer base;

•

Provide a better service;

•

Respond to clients;

•

Present an image of a company ‘fit for purpose’ in a modern multi-cultural environment.

We do not suggest that organisational culture change is simple, straightforward and inevitable; it will always be constrained by existing power relations within an organisation and the desire by many of those in authority to restrict access to knowledge and cultural resources. Whilst we recognise the realities and constraints of organisational life, the need for organisational change is immense. Recognising the difficulty of cultural change processes should alert equality ‘champions’ to the need to develop political skills and tenacity to overcome resistance. In our case study organisations the most successful managers showed awareness that the job gets done better when people feel ‘at home’ in their work and there is a friendly sociability among the work group. Just saying ‘hallo’ to people in the corridor can make them feel much more welcomed. Good managers see this as integral to their job. This is a small indicator of a culture based on respect and inclusion in workplace social relations that needs to be encouraged. It is crucial that 76

CONCLUSIONS

organisations develop a ‘culture of welcome’ and that managers acquire the ‘cultural competence’ that will help to embed EDP. At the same time we know that people (whatever their ethnic group or sex) may have difficulty in understanding ‘the way things are done’, and consequently get things ‘wrong’ to their career detriment. Some move in the circles that make this easy. For others this kind of knowledge is harder to acquire and sometimes picked up in an ad hoc way. It is important that people are enabled to learn the key to workplace cultures and that these are made more transparent. It is too late if, when someone leaves, they are told ‘that’s not the way we do things here’. It is essential that organisations articulate clearly, not in coded messages, what is required with respect to the ‘the way things are done around here’.. Finally, we want to point to the broader significance of the approach we are recommending in terms of social policy on community relations within the UK. Recently there has been analysis of the need to move beyond the perspective of multiculturalism to a new phase of interculturalism (Parekh 2000; Bloomfield and Bianchini 2002). Interculturalism, as we have been advocating, involves the sharing of cultural experiences of people from different cultural backgrounds and should be occurring within the work place. It is based on the belief that ‘people can learn and profit from meeting other cultures’ and that ‘by knowing individuals and something about their home life stories, prejudice based on ignorance can gradually be broken down’ (Hussain, Haq and Law 2003: 25, 44). It will benefit everyone in contemporary Britain if work organisations can become the sites of intercultural exchange. We wish to end this report on a positive note, by telling the story of Saira. This illustrates the good work that can be done by a concerned and culturally intelligent manager. Setting the tone within an organisation, such a manager, with the involvement of all the other staff, can achieve the combination of people from many differing backgrounds into an effective team and ensure their commitment to the organisation. SAIRA’S STORY

Saira comes from Pakistan, where she worked as a trained nurse for many years. Learning about vacancies for nurses in the UK, she applied for a job with BUPA and was taken on as a carer. As a recent migrant, her English skills are still limited. But she was assisted by a manager, completed her adaptation course, and has been on a number of training courses in various aspects of nursing and care, the latest being on taking blood samples.

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Saira heaps praise upon her colleagues. Her managers she describes as ‘angels’, while she says that her workmates are all ‘like sisters’ to her. She told us that nobody – staff, relatives or patients – had ever made a racist comment to her. She believes that if she can improve her English she has a good chance of getting promoted. She can hardly find the words to praise the people she works with. They are ’very good people, very lovely people’. The managers are excellent. She is treated with ‘respect’ and ‘politeness’. Everyone is treated the same regardless of colour. Her colleagues have helped her to settle down in the UK and given advice to her about the tasks (nursing practice being different in Pakistan and Britain) and about any problems she has. She explained how she was able to do her prayers, fast for Ramadan without critical comment, and that when she wore a sari or shalwar kameez the managers told her how pretty she looked. Clearly she has become very attached to the residents and she told us how they had nominated her for the ‘Personal Best’ award which is given to people who make a special contribution. ‘And at Christmas everybody gives me cards, maybe 100 cards. Can you imagine? Everybody gives me presents, all the English people and the Black people give me presents at Christmas.’ Saira was warned ‘back home’ that English people might appear proud and unfriendly. Instead she says ‘the people of Britain are great’! Saira has been welcomed in to the organisation, made to feel at home. She wants to stay at BUPA and hopes to develop her career. Yes she says, she would like to stay forever. ‘Forever’!

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APPENDIX 1

PARTICIPANTS IN SCOPING PHASE OF PROJECT

The following people helped us with information or were interviewed for the project. We would like to thank them all for their invaluable help. Roger Mackenzie (TUC Midlands) Cheryl Garvey (Birmingham Race Action Partnership) Mohini Howard (Birmingham Race Action Partnership Denise Milani (London Metropolitan Police) Sharon Palmer (Regional Action West Midlands) Lily Khandker (Bristol City Council) Sandra Kerr (Race for Opportunity) Christine Bennett (Civil Service) Cindy Westcarr (UNISON) Lara Rufus (Greenwich Local Authority Young People and Children’s team) Randeep Kular (NHS Employers) Tracey Jolliffe (J, T and C Consultancy) Andy Merryfield (Somerset Race Equality Council) Jenny Duncan (British Telecom) Bola Williams (Queen Mary, University of London) Cordell Pillay (National Association of Probation Officers) Balwinder Gill (Lloyds TSB) Tim Taylor (Lloyds TSB) Julia Hurst (BUPA) Tracy Brunnock-Cook (University of Bristol Equalities team) Eddie Procter (University of Bristol Equalities team) Farah Quereshi (Norman Broadbent) Jacqui Randall (West Bromwich Building Society) Katie Smith (John Lewis) Sarah Fox (Tesco) Catherine O’Connor (Northern Rock) Tara O’Brady (B&Q) Margarita McNee (B&Q) Michael Keating (Tower Hamlets Borough Council) Sarah Churchman.(Pricewaterhousecooper)

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APPENDIX 2

THE CASE STUDY ORGANISATIONS

B&Q B&Q is the largest home improvement and garden centre retailer in the UK and Europe and the third largest in the world with more than 60 stores opened internationally. B&Q employs over 38,000 people worldwide. The first B&Q store was opened in the 1960s in Portswood Road, Southampton, Hampshire. It was originally called Block and Quayle, after its founders, but later shortened to B & Q.

B& Q has a very good reputation for EO&D, particularly in terms of age diversity. The company has removed all age restrictions surrounding recruitment and promotion and no longer sets a compulsory retirement age (its oldest member of staff is 92). Over 21 per cent of its workforce is over 50. In 2006 B&Q received the ‘Age Positive Retailer of the Year’ award in the People in Retail Awards, run by The Retail Bulletin. BUPA BUPA is one of the largest private health care provider in the UK. It was set up in 1947 as the British United Provident Association. It has global network of medical services with over seven million customers and 40,000 employees in 192 countries around the globe. The company entered the care home sector in the eighties by acquiring and renovating existing care homes. The BUPA care services head office is located in Leeds with care homes spread across the UK specialising in care for the elderly and dementia related diseases. Lloyds TSB Lloyds TSB was formed 1995 by the merger of the Lloyds Bank group and the TSB group, their origins which dating back to 1765 and 1887 respectively. Today, it is one of the largest banking group in the UK with successful subsidiaries such as Cheltenham and Gloucester and Scottish Widows. The Lloyds TSB office is located on Gresham Street in the City of London with regional head offices spread throughout different areas of the UK such as Bristol and Birmingham.

Lloyds TSB group was ranked the top most organisation with regard to race in Race for Opportunity’s 2003, 2005 and 2006 surveys. Lloyds TSB has a organisation wide group ethnic minority (GEM) network for its employees. Queen Mary, University of London Queen Mary (QMUL) is one of the colleges of the University of London. Queen Mary has its roots in four historic colleges: Queen Mary College, Westfield College, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College and the London Hospital Medical College. Westfield College was founded in 1882 as a pioneering college for the higher

80

APPENDICIES

education of women, and was granted its Royal Charter in 1932. The Mile End campus is historically the home of Queen Mary College, founded in 1885 as the People's Palace, a philanthropic endeavour to provide east Londoners with education and social activities. It was admitted to the University of London in 1915. The student population at Queen Mary is ethnically diverse with some 48 per cent of undergraduates with a known ethnicity from an Asian, Black or Chinese group. Tower Hamlets Borough Council Tower Hamlets Council is made up of 51 elected local councillors from 17 wards across the borough. Tower Hamlets is one of the UK’s most culturally vibrant and diverse areas. Densely populated, with over 200,000 people living within its 8 square miles at the heart of London’s East End, the borough has for centuries been home for many immigrants to Britain. Today, some 49 per cent of residents are from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. 33 per cent are of Bangladeshi heritage, and there are also sizable Somali, Caribbean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Pakistani communities.

A dedicated ‘workforce to reflect the community’ strategy was introduced in 1998 to enable the Council’s to delver appropriate and effective services to the diverse community that it serves. West Bromwich Building Society West Bromwich Building Society is the ninth largest building society in the UK with over nine hundred employees (556 women and 364 men). It was formed in 1849. The head office of the society is located in the West Bromwich area of Sandwell district in Birmingham. It is surrounded by a vibrant Black and ethnic minority population in the local community. The society has over fifty branches spread mainly throughout the West Midlands area.

In 2003, the society was ranked second in the top ten private sector organisations in the UK vis-à-vis race by the Race for Opportunity and the society’s CEO also serves as the Chairperson of the Race for Opportunity Campaign in the West Midlands.

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APPENDIX 3

CATEGORIES FOR COLLECTING STATISTICS

Figure A3.1 Ethnic group

The examples are drawn from the 2001 ONS Census Ethnic Group – 16+ codes What is your ethnic group? Choose ONE section from A to E, then tick the appropriate box to indicate our ethnic group A: White o British o Irish o Any other White background, please write in) B: Mixed o White and Black Caribbean o White and Black African o White and Asian o Any other mixed background (please write in) C: Asian or Asian British o Indian o Pakistani o Bangladeshi o Any other Asian background (please write in) D: Black or Black British o Caribbean o African o Any other Black background (please write in) E: Chinese or other ethnic group o Chinese o Any other (please write in) Not stated o

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Figure A3.2 Ethnic group Asian

Bangladeshi Chinese Indian Pakistani Vietnamese Any other Asian Background

Black

Caribbean African: Somali Other African Any other Black background

Mixed/Dual Heritage and other ethnic background

White and Asian White and Black African White and Black Caribbean Any other mixed background Any other ethnic background

White

English Irish Scottish Welsh Any other white background

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Figure A3.3 Religion Religion What is your religion? Tick one box below • None • Christian • Buddhist • Hindu • Jewish • Muslim • Sikh • Any other religion (please write in) • Not stated

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APPENDIX 4

TOPIC GUIDE FOR EMPLOYERS

INTRODUCTION - The paradoxes Previous EOC research shows that: Employers accept the business case for employment of ethnic minority women, but are still failing to recruit or promote them in proportional numbers.

Many employers have good EO/diversity policies on paper, and some put substantial budgets into equality and diversity initiatives, but there is a perception that these are failing to deliver desired results. BME women are sceptical about the true commitment to equality amongst employers. A high proportion of employers in areas with an above average BME population do not employ any Black or Asian women, or employ less than the proportion in the local population and there are very few BME women in management roles. Young minority ethnic women are often harder working and better qualified than young white women but are still finding it harder to get jobs and are more likely to be unemployed. Why? What can be done? What works and what doesn’t? TOPICS Can you tell me something about your organisation and your role within it?

Tell us about the area in which your organisation is situated. Do you know what proportion of the local labour force is from an ethnic minority? Can you tell us about your policies and strategies designed to achieve race and gender equality? Policies and strategies aimed at changing the organisation: champions and ombuds; sexual/racial harassment advisers; trade union equality representatives; work-life balance policies; outreach; prayer facilities. Targets and positive action; ethnic monitoring. What works? What doesn’t? How do you measure success? What strategies do you use to ensure that people follow the procedural guidelines.

85


How do you capture the hearts and minds of line managers to work for equality? Has anyone ever been disciplined for discriminatory behaviour? Are there any incentives for managers to achieve equality and diversity objectives? How do you use your monitoring data? Who receives it, what changes are made as a result of monitoring? If we asked Black and Asian women who work for you, what do you think would they say about working here? What do you think your external reputation is for diversity – in the past, the present, and what do you aspire to for the future? Can you tell me something about your recruitment methods? Do you do anything special to attract BME women? What sort of behaviours/skills are rewarded in your organisation? How do people get selected for promotion? How would you describe the values of the organisation? How do people learn about how to do well in the organisation? What would success look like? Why do you think Muslim women have such low levels of economic activity? Are there untapped opportunities for them in your organisation? How would you describe the values of the organisation? How do people learn about how to do well in the organisation? Many BME women speak of not feeling comfortable at work. What do you think causes that? What can be done to make them feel more comfortable? How do you decide where to put your energies ? What should be the priorities? What advice would give us in undertaking this project? What should we be particularly alert to?

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APPENDIX 5

CASE STUDY INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

Can you tell me something about your job here at (organisation) ? (what do you do? How long have you had it? FT?PT? Temporary/permanent? How did you get it?) We are interested in knowing how this job compares to others you have had so you could you just take me briefly through your job history before you came here? How did you get the job? Were you interviewed? Can you remember what was the interview like? Who interviewed you? What is it like working here? What do you find good about it? Any problems? What attracted you to work here? Did you have particular hopes/aspirations for the job? What are the most important things for you in thinking about a job and the place you work? How far does (organisation) give you those things? How far have your hopes been realised? Is it better, worse, the same as you expected? Did anything surprise you? Do you find other people who work here friendly and welcoming? Do you feel included? Do you ever socialise with people from work? Do other people socialise much? How about relations with managers and senior staff? How far would you say you can be yourself at work? (have you had to change yourself to fit in, e.g. dress, your name, have you had to ‘westernise’ yourself) Do you feel the work you do is properly valued? How is appreciation shown to you? What sort of qualities are valued in the organisation? How does it compare to other places you have worked at? Have you been promoted? Have you tried to be promoted and failed? Has anyone at work encouraged you to go for promotion? How does this compare with other people you work with? Do you feel you will be able to develop your career here? Do you have access to any training you need? Have you ever had the opportunity to take on new projects that would develop your skills and experience? Do other people you work with get these kind of opportunities? In order to get on in an organisation and find your way around it you often need to have certain types of information. Do you feel this information is available to you?

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Has anyone talked to you about how to get on in the organisation, what you need to do, who you need to impress? Most organisations have "unwritten rules" as well as formal procedures – i.e. ways of behaving, who you need to talk to if you want something done, how to express things – even where to sit …. Did anyone take you aside and explain this sort of thing to you when you joined? Have you ever been put in an embarrassing situation at work by doing or saying the wrong thing – but you didn't realise it would be the wrong thing? Have you ever heard comments/jokes that made you feel uncomfortable? Did you say anything? Has anyone ever criticised your performance/suggested how you might improve your performance? How did it make you feel? If you had a problem or issue here would you (feel safe to) raise it? Are there people you could go to? Do you feel you would get support?( If not why not? Has anything ever happened to you at work which you wanted to complain about? How did you deal with it?) Are there many other ethnic minority staff in your department? In other departments? (If not, probe as to whether they feel isolated, if they mind about it; ) Are there women/ BME women in management positions. (if so , does it make a difference, do you prefer it) Here is a list of words that might describe an organisation. Could you tick the ones that you think apply there? (friendly; democratic; hierarchical; transparent; bureaucratic; helpful; cliquey; exciting; unfriendly; lively; sociable; formal; open; fun; pressurised; supportive; empowering; target-driven) Do you know about the organisations policies on equality and diversity? How did you find out about them? What do you think about them? Have you ever needed to ask about your legal rights (e.g. maternity benefits, flexibility rights). Who did you go to? Does the organisation cater for any religious needs you might have? (prayers, fasting) Is there any kind of Black/Asian/women's support group or network here? If so have you used it? Would you join a network? If not why not? Would you join a management development scheme targeting Black or Asian women? Have you had any kind of mentoring, buddy provision here? If so have you found it helpful? Do you think it’s a good idea?

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Is flexibility at work important to you? Does the organisation offer flexible/PT working? Have you taken up any such arrangements/ do you think you might need to in the future? Can you tell us about anything that has been done since you worked here that has made working life better? Is there more that needs to be done, especially on diversity issues? In general do you think people are treated fairly here? Have you ever experienced any treatment you consider unfair? Do you think you will go on working here? Finally: is there anything you would like to tell us about that we have not covered?

DEMOGRAPHIC DETAILS: Can you please tick which applies: 1.

MARITAL STATUS: Married ; Single; Separated/divorced

2.

AGE: Under 2o; 21-30 ; 31-40; 41-50; 50+

3.

WERE YOU BORN IN BRITAIN?

4.

CHILDREN: Children under school age (give number); Children at school or grown up (give number); No children

5.

RELIGION: Muslim; Christian; Other (please specify); No religion

6.

ETHNICITY: Black Caribbean; Pakistani; Bangladeshi; Mixed heritage; Other (please specify)

7.

WHAT IS YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION? GCSE (or other school leaving certificate); A levels (or university entry level); undergraduate degree; Masters; PhD; other (please specify)

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