Gender Diversity: Change for the Better?

Assignment No. 3: Gender Diversity: Change for the Better?

Talal Engineering Company (TEC) was founded early in the 21st century as a small, family-run business located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many companies in this area are family run, and some have grown significantly as the UAE has expanded into a global trading hub. TEC grew quickly, and soon the number of employees had grown to 75; the new recruits were mainly engineers, but also included some sales staff, clerical personnel, and project managers.

In 2007, Mr. Talal’s daughter, Fatima, graduated from university and joined the company full time. Fatima earned an undergraduate degree in engineering in the United States and received an MSci (engineering management) from a local university. Previously, she completed an internship in a U.S. engineering company and had worked for TEC during vacations from college. Fatima was given increasing responsibility over the years.

In 2012, Fatima realized that she was still the only qualified female engineer in the company, and only 10 percent of TEC’s employees were women, and they all work as clerks. She is also puzzled as to why there are no female managers within the company. Fatima submits a diversity management program review to the founder and the other senior managers in TEC.

Several weeks later management considers the review, and Fatima finds that the majority are against having a specific gender diversity program. The feedback she receives is that it will be a waste of money to have such a program, that all jobs are open to both genders anyway, and that the company has been successful without it.

QUESTIONS

1. Explain why the senior managers may be against gender diversity in TEC.

2. Generally, what should the