A Diverse Workforce Demands I-Deals!

Abstract: This short exercise explores issues associated with managing a multi-generational workforce. Generational diversity leads to a range of employee needs that are unlikely to be satisfied by the organization’s one-size-fits-all benefits. It behooves organizations to consider person specific work arrangements, known as idiosyncratic work arrangements or i-deals to fulfill employees’ unique needs, goals, and aspirations that lie outside the standard benefit offerings. Prevalent examples of i-deals include developmental training and assignments, flexibility of work schedule and location, task method redesign, and financial rewards. In today’s diverse workplace managers can utilize i-deals to recruit, retain, and motivate desired talent. Through this exercise instructors can introduce this new human resource management device to the students and enhance their management skills. Organizational behavior (OB) and human resource management (HRM) instructors can use this exercise to explain contemporary employment relationship and diversity management. This exercise can also be used as a role-play.

Keywords: Idiosyncratic deals, i-deals, diversity management.

Topic: DEI   |   Format: Activity or Exercise