Analysis of Organizational Diversity Practices

Hallmark Assessment Task (HAT)
Alternate HAT Instructions – Executive summary and interview
Purpose and Process:

This project provides you with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you develop in this course in an analysis of a healthcare organization. The selected healthcare organization could be one with which you are personally familiar or an organization that you choose to investigate.

Analysis will begin with and follow an “Organizational Snapshot”, a template of which is included in Course Content. You may base the content of your analysis on interviews, news reports, your own observations, or publicly available information.

In conducting your interviews and research on this organization, you should consider the interaction between what you are finding and the concepts, tools, and techniques introduced in this course and your independent reading.

Product: The content of Organizational Diversity Practices Analysis will follow APA format, be between 12 to 21 pages (not including title page and references), and include an Introduction and Conclusion section and the following components, each of which should be a section heading within the document:

History. Brief history of organization overall and its approach to diversity. Make sure to include the number of employees, how long the organization has been in business, the healthcare sector in which it operates, and any other relevant information.
Assessment. Utilizing the “Organizational Snapshot,” provide information on the current state of the organization’s diversity efforts. Briefly describe each area of assessment and consider questions such as:
What is the organization’s official diversity statement?
How does it align with the mission of the organization?
What specific groups or populations are served that may present unique considerations?
What initiatives are currently taking place to advance diversity?
Recommendations: Assume you are a leader of this organization. What actions may be applied to enhance team effectiveness from a diversity perspective?
Acceptance.  Consider the barriers and benefits to engaging in diversity efforts. For organizations with existing, sophisticated diversity efforts, include what additional initiatives or approaches might be beneficial (e.g., continuous improvement). What kinds of leadership capabilities would be necessary in your organization to increase the diversity/inclusion of the workforce?
Action. Building upon the information you have provided in the acceptance section, detail three specific goals related to diversity that the organization should consider undertaking. In detailing these goals, make sure to include the who, what, when, why, where, and how to have a complete description. How would you get people involved in these initiatives? What resources would be needed to put these goals into action to enhance team building?
Accountability. Now that you have considered some specific diversity goals for the organization, think about who will be responsible for implementing those goals. In this section, you should consider your potential role as a leader in this organization even if you are not directly involved in diversity initiatives. What exactly should your role be in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace? Who else can or should be responsible for these types of initiatives and how will accountability be upheld?
Achievement. This section focuses on measuring results as well as recognizing employees for their efforts. Include the business metrics that should be impacted by increased diversity efforts and how those measures will be collected and reported (e.g., turnover, employee satisfaction, productivity, etc.). How will these figures help to tell the story of your proposed diversity goals? Additionally, include information about how to recognize good work and reward progress towards goals.
More Action. In this section, think ahead to a future state of the organization being analyzed. The focus of your discussion should be on how to maintain momentum for diversity and inclusion efforts in the organization, particularly in light of changing demographics and societal norms. While you would not know if the goals you described in the Action section were met or not, think generally about what kinds of initiatives, processes, or plans might keep employees engaged and moving towards the organization’s diversity goals as an effective team.