Knowledge that Transforms

Diversity is perhaps one of the most important concepts in today's business environment. Organizations have expended significant resources in this area in an effort to improve the bottom line, to become an employer of choice, to avoid lawsuits, and to “do the right thing.” Diversity is also one of the most difficult initiatives to implement in organizations because there are such diverse views on what diversity is and how deeply it should be woven into an organization's culture. Diversity can be difficult also because the dimensions of diversity are closely tied to an individual's personal beliefs, perceptions, and life experiences. These personal beliefs often present barriers to full inclusion and participation in the workforce. At NASA/Goddard, we are using dialogue and other initiatives to break through these barriers to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive workplace. Our Diversity Dialogue Project has been key in helping us to identify and address the diversity issues and concerns at the Center and in helping us to move confidently toward the future. This article describes the diversity journey at NASA/Goddard thus far and provides insight into the challenges and opportunities of such a journey.

In contrast to traditional models of change developed in the private sector, change in public‐sector organizations often is initiated by noninclusive cultures, and the culture itself is the direct focus of the change effort. This article describes the strategies used by the Chief Commissioner of Police to change the Victoria Police Force's culture to be diversity‐inclusive. We first explain how this change effort used traditional change strategies (e.g., organizational artifacts reflecting the new culture). We then analyze how it differs from traditional change models and explain the role of the broader system, such as legislative support, in the change process.

Today's workplace designs are being revolutionized due to the changing nature of work and worker profiles, the impact of technology, and the need for organizational efficiency and flexibility. Our case study of the Future of Work (FOW) program at Capital One highlights how thoughtful segmentation of work styles, supportive HR policy, customized workplace design, and the optimal use of technology can enhance knowledge work. FOW results show clear success in terms of increased employee satisfaction leading to improved organizational performance along with better real estate asset utilization and flexibility. To assist HR leaders and planners, we suggest a practical model that shows the impact of workplace design requirements on employee behavior and ultimately on organizational outcomes.

Since the 9/11 attacks in the United States (2001) and the two bombing events in Bali (2002, 2005), there has been renewed interest in emergency prevention policies in many organizations around the world. Functional terrorism preparedness requires changes in organizational thinking about external environmental threats. This shift in organizational thinking could be led by human resource departments. In order to achieve this goal, HR departments must redefine their role in terms of crisis management, and then four key planning measures for insuring postemergency operations should be observed. Using system dynamics (SD) methodology, this article examines the causes of states in which organizations operate after terrorist attacks. Based on the qualitative analytic approach of causal loops, this article explores the major challenges for HR development prompted by terrorism. Specifically, we focus on changes both to organizational communication and to workforce planning and succession. These activities are a tremendous challenge immediately following a disaster. A functional HR plan must include elements for proactive alertness, the ability to dispatch inventory, evacuation plans, and record preservation coupled with dissemination to employees and explicit employee training and cross‐cultural management.

Although human resource managers have critical insights into the successful implementation of reduced‐load work arrangements, relatively few studies focus on their perspective. These arrangements are a growing work form for employees who choose to work less than full‐time with a commensurate decrease in salary. Qualitative data analysis was used to identify key success factors noted in interviews with 52 HR managers in 39 companies. Individual employee characteristics (e.g., self‐regulatory work habits) were viewed as most critical. Also important were the design of the arrangement (e.g., clarifying the arrangement in advance) and workgroup relationships (e.g., positive supervisor‐employee relationships). We conclude with eight new takeaways for HR managers on how to create and sustain successful reduced‐load work arrangements and directions for future research and practice.