BREAKING THE SILENCE AT WORK: A TABOO TOPICS AND B

i1v2e5y5pubs

BREAKING THE SILENCE AT WORK: (A) TABOO TOPICS AND (B)

EXPLORE YOUR OWN STORIES

1 . ..,

CASE SYNOPSIS

Intolerance and discrimination are widespread in the modern world. These two cases explore how the use of mindful communication strategies can help when dealing with episodes of intolerance that arise during daily life. Learning how to break the silence when faced with “taboo” or challenging topics should enable individuals to understand other people’s perspectives and draw others into a shared conversation, thereby fostering understanding. Case (A): Taboo Topics recognizes the heightened focus on social issues and calls for an end to discrimination. It focuses on the prevalence of common types of intolerance in the workplace and enables participants to consider and role play multiple mini-cases connected to racism and sexism based on real-life events. Case (B): Explore Your Own Stories asks participants to reflect on similar interactions from their own lives so that they can personalize the process and make plans for dealing with such events in the future. The two cases are designed to help participants feel confident in their ability to help reduce the level of tolerance and improve the degree of fairness in the world.

CASE FORMAT

This case is designed for use in either face-to-face or online (i.e., in a virtual format such as Zoom) classes.Thus, throughout this teaching note, instructions are included for both formats.

CASE STRUCTURE, COURSES, AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The two-part structure of the “Breaking the Silence at Work” cases allows instructors teaching both graduate- and undergraduate-level classes a certain amount of flexibility in terms of structuring the class discussion.1 All information presented in this teaching note is supported by information and sources contained within the associated case documents unless otherwise specified.This Teaching Note is authorized for use only by DR. CAMILLA JENSEN, University of Nottingham until Oct 2023. Copying or posting is an infringement of [email protected] or 617.783.7860.Case Notes & Answer for 1 / 2

Page 2 W25585 The default structure is that Case (A) can be used as the basis for either a synchronous or an asynchronous class in which participants work alone or, more preferably, in small groups. A debriefing can be held during a synchronous session. The optional Case (B) can be assigned as a pre-or post-class exercise.The cases can be used effectively in courses or modules concerning leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion, organizational behaviour, communication, or ethics.After working through the case and assignment questions, participants should be able to • recognize and explore the challenges faced by both individuals and groups who encounter intolerance and discrimination; • experience reduced levels of discomfort when engaging in conversations related to intolerance and discrimination; • analyze a conversation in order to pinpoint triggers and cues concerning emotional distress; • develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of varying perspectives; and • reflect on past interactions in an effort to increase readiness for future conversations.

RELEVANT READINGS AND SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

• Juliet Bourke and Andrea Titus, “Why Inclusive Leaders are Good for Organizations, and How to Become One,” Harvard Business Review, March 29, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/03/why-inclusive- leaders-are-good-for-organizations-and-how-to-become-one.• Tessa E.S. Charlesworth and Mahzarin R. Banaji, “Research: How Americans’ Biases are Changing (or Not) Over Time,” Harvard Business Review, August 2, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/08/research-on- many-issues-americans-biases-are-decreasing.• Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (Boston,

MA: Beacon Press, 2018).

• Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, “Why Diversity Programs Fail,” Harvard Business Review, July–

August 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/07/why-diversity-programs-fail.

• Jessica Edge, Eleni Kachulis, and Matthew McKean, Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Business and Higher Education Perspectives (Ottawa, ON: Conference Board of Canada, 2018).• Robin J. Ely and David A. Thomas, “Cultural Diversity at Work: The Effects of Diversity Perspectives on Work Group Processes and Outcomes,” Administrative Science Quarterly 46 (2): 229–273.• Sian Ferguson, “Privilege 101: A Quick and Dirty Guide,” Everyday Feminism, September 29, 2014,

https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/what-is-privilege.

• Joshua D. Margolis and Anthony Mayo, Feedback and Coaching Workshop (Boston, MA: Harvard Business Harvard Business Publishing, 2012). Product no. 5-413-017.• TEDx Talks, “Just Belonging: Finding the Courage to Interrupt Bias | Kori Carew | TEDxYouth@KC,” March 8, 2018, YouTube video, 19:16, https://youtu.be/DIf43L6hNkM.• “Making the Most of ‘Hot Moments’ in the Classroom,” University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), September 3, 2014, https://crlt.umich.edu/sites/default/files/ resource_files/HotMomentsHandoutcrlt.umich.edu.pdf.• Belle Rose Ragins and Kyle Ehrhardt, “Gaining Perspective: The Impact of Close Cross-Race Friendships on Diversity Training and Education,” Journal of Applied Psychology, advance online

publication (2020), http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/apl0000807.

This Teaching Note is authorized for use only by DR. CAMILLA JENSEN, University of Nottingham until Oct 2023. Copying or posting is an infringement of [email protected] or 617.783.7860.

• / 2