The Diversity Wheel is a powerful framework that provides a comprehensive understanding of diversity and its multiple dimensions. Developed by Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener, this model helps individuals and organizations recognize and appreciate the complexity of diversity beyond the surface level. At the heart of the Diversity Wheel are four interrelated levels, each representing a different aspect of diversity. In this insightful article, we delve into the intricacies of the Diversity Wheel, unpacking its four layers and shedding light on their significance in fostering an inclusive environment.
Layer 1: Personality Traits and Inner Dimensions
The first layer of the Diversity Wheel encompasses personality traits and internal dimensions that are inherent to individuals and often beyond their control. These include aspects such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, and more. These dimensions shape a person’s identity and contribute to their unique experiences and perspectives. Recognizing and valuing this layer of diversity is essential to promoting inclusivity and combating bias based on immutable characteristics.
Layer 2: External Dimensions
The second layer of the Diversity Wheel includes external dimensions that are influenced by societal and environmental factors. These dimensions include issues such as educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, parental status, language, and religion. External dimensions reflect the impact of external influences on an individual’s experiences and perspectives. Understanding and valuing these dimensions helps to create environments that are inclusive of individuals from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.
Layer 3: Organizational Dimensions
The third layer of the Diversity Wheel focuses on the organizational dimensions of diversity. These dimensions include work experience, job function, department, hierarchical level, tenure, and work location. Organizational dimensions recognize the diversity that exists within the workplace itself, encompassing the different roles, responsibilities, and experiences of individuals within an organization. Acknowledging and leveraging these dimensions can foster collaboration, innovation, and a sense of belonging among employees.
Layer 4: Worldview Dimensions
The fourth layer of the Diversity Wheel includes worldview dimensions, which represent the values, beliefs, attitudes, and cultural norms that individuals bring to their interactions and experiences. Worldview dimensions include factors such as communication style, educational background, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, and cultural practices. Recognizing and respecting diverse worldviews is critical to effective communication, collaboration, and building inclusive relationships among individuals and groups.
The Interconnectedness of the Layers
It is important to note that the four layers of the Diversity Wheel are interrelated and overlapping. Each layer influences and shapes the others, adding depth and complexity to the concept of diversity. Understanding the multifaceted nature of diversity and considering all layers simultaneously allows for a more holistic and comprehensive approach to promoting diversity and inclusion.
Conclusion
The Diversity Wheel serves as a valuable framework for understanding the multifaceted nature of diversity beyond superficial characteristics. By exploring its four layers – personality traits and internal dimensions, external dimensions, organizational dimensions, and worldview dimensions – individuals and organizations can develop a deeper appreciation for the richness of human diversity. Embracing the interconnectedness of these layers fosters inclusivity, empathy, and understanding, creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone can thrive.
FAQ
What are the four layers of the diversity wheel?
The four levels of the Diversity Wheel are
- Personality traits and internal dimensions: This layer includes inherent aspects such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
- External Dimensions: These dimensions are influenced by societal and environmental factors and include aspects such as educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, parental status, language, and religion.
- Organizational dimensions: This level focuses on work-related aspects such as job function, department, hierarchical level, tenure, and location within an organization.
- Worldview Dimensions: Worldview dimensions represent an individual’s values, beliefs, attitudes, and cultural norms, including communication style, educational background, political beliefs, socioeconomic status, and cultural practices.
The interconnectedness of these levels highlights the multifaceted nature of diversity and the importance of considering all dimensions to foster an inclusive environment.
What is the four layers of diversity model?
There are generally four different types of diversity: internal, external, organizational, and worldview—and you should aim to understand and represent them all.
What is the purpose of the four layers of diversity model Gardenswartz and Rowe 2003 )?
In view of its effective graphic representation, the 4 Layers of Diversity model based on Gardenswartz and Rowe (2003) provides a widely used method of identifying dimensions in diversity in organisations. The model correlates roughly with the legally protected areas of discrimination.
How does the diversity wheel show?
The “Dimensions of Diversity” wheel shows the complexity of the diversity filters through which all of us process stimuli and information. That in turn leads to the assumptions that we make (usually about the behaviors of other people), which ultimately drive our own behaviors, which in turn have an impact on others.
What is at the center of the diversity wheel?
At the very center of the Wheel is the individual. All dimensions of diversity connect back to our unique experiences and perceptions of the world around us.
What is the diversity wheel?
The Diversity Wheel gives an overview of the dimensions of diversity that are present and active in one’s workplace or environment. It consists of four layers of diversity (personality, internal, external and organisational levels) through which stimuli, information and experience are processed by all of us.
What are different types of diversity?
Here’s a breakdown of these forms of diversity:
- Cultural diversity. This type of diversity is related to each person’s ethnicity and it’s usually the set of norms we get from the society we were raised in or our family’s values.
- Race diversity.
- Religious diversity.
- Age diversity.
- Sex / Gender / Sexual orientation.
- Disability.
What is the diversity wheel and why was it created?
The above wheel of diversity has been adapted from Marilyn Loden’s Implementing Diversity. The wheel was created to help ‘initiate conversations about similarities and differences that cross societal and cultural boundaries.
What are the key internal dimension in the four layers of diversity?
Level 1: Personality — which I’ll further break down into the big-5: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. Level 2: Internal Dimensions — age, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, race.
Which of the four layers model that concerns on the aspects of culture that you can found in a work setting?
Organizational Dimensions
Layer 4—Organizational Dimensions
Organizational dimensions layer concerns the aspects of culture found in a work setting.
What are the 4 cores of a person but can be changed in Loden’s diversity wheel?
These four principles are respect, inclusion, cooperation, and responsibility – or RICR.”
How many dimensions of diversity are there?
In general, we classify diversity into 4 major Diversity Types Dimensions. The four diversity type dimensions are Internal, External, Organizational, and World View.
What are the key dimensions of diversity?
The dimensions of diversity include gender, religious beliefs, race, martial status, ethnicity, parental status, age, education, physical and mental ability, income, sexual orientation, occupation, language, geographic location, and many more components.
What are the three types of diversity?
Affinity bonds us to people with whom we share some of our likes and dislikes, building emotional communities. Experiential diversity influences we might call identities of growth. Cognitive diversity makes us look for other minds to complement our thinking: what we might call identities of aspiration.
What are the five most common areas of diversity?
We’re focusing here on the five most common areas of diversity that companies identify.
- Cultural Diversity. The modern working world has been defined by one central phrase: culture fit. …
- Racial Diversity.
- Gender Diversity.
- Physical Disabilities.
- Diversity in Interests.
What are the three 3 dimensions of diversity?
Quote from video:
What are the key internal dimension in the four layers of diversity?
Level 1: Personality — which I’ll further break down into the big-5: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. Level 2: Internal Dimensions — age, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, ethnicity, race.
Which of the four layers model that concerns on the aspects of culture that you can found in a work setting?
Organizational Dimensions
Layer 4—Organizational Dimensions
Organizational dimensions layer concerns the aspects of culture found in a work setting.
Which diversity layer is the result of life experiences and choices?
Experiential diversity is based on life experiences that shape our emotional universe.
Who created the diversity model?
Gardenswartz and Rowe
The FOUR LAYERS OF DIVERSITY model created by Gardenswartz and Rowe has influenced and broadened the conversation about diversity. It sets the tone for inclusion by reflecting each person’s reality in the organization.
What are the 4 principles for managing interacting our behavior to the global context?
What we can do is keep in mind four principles for managing our own behavior in a global context and dealing effectively with people globally. These four principles are respect, inclusion, cooperation, and responsibility – or RICR.”
What are the key dimensions of diversity?
The dimensions of diversity include gender, religious beliefs, race, martial status, ethnicity, parental status, age, education, physical and mental ability, income, sexual orientation, occupation, language, geographic location, and many more components.