Course Project: Diversity Audit

For the Course Project, each student is to select an organization and perform a diversity audit. You will then prepare a paper outlining your research and results.

Review the detailed information contained in the textbook Harvey Case #50, Evaluating Diversity Management: Conducting a Diversity Audit, pages 376–382, for preliminary information to assist you.

As you progress through the project, you’ll want to use the process flow diagram given below as a guide.

There are graded deliverables due in Weeks 2 and 3 as outlined below, and the final Course Project is due in Week 7.

Papers should be 8- to 12-typed pages, not including references, cover sheets, table of contents, appendices, and so forth.

To be considered complete, papers must include a title page, table of contents, executive summary, appropriate appendices, and reference list (APA format). Substantial points will be deducted for failure to include all of these items. See the grading rubric below.

Week 2: Course Project Proposal Due

This week, you should be working on Steps 1 and 2of the project (See the process flowchart in the Course Project section under Course Home.).

Identify the organization you selected for the Course Project. Instructor approval is required. Be prepared to provide the following information (in bulleted format) regarding your selection.

1. Describe the industry of the selected organization.
2. Explain why you selected this organization.
3. Discuss what steps you will need to take to complete the diversity audit (What interviews will you conduct? What other steps will you take?, etc.). What steps will you need to take to complete the audit? What secondary research will you need to evaluate? This might include company websites, annual reports, news articles, and so forth. What primary research will you conduct? This would include personal interviews (can be conducted in person or over the phone). You might choose to utilize a questionnaire or survey.

Week 3: Diversity Audit Criteria Due

This week, you should be working on Step 3 of the project. Identify the criteria that you will use for the audit. These criteria will become the benchmarks that you will later use for evaluating the organization’s diversity initiatives. The criteria must be based on research, not just your opinions. You might also think of the criteria as a list of best practices.

Weeks 4–6: Conduct Audit

Complete Steps 4 through 7 in the process flowchart. This involves actually conducting the audit (gathering your secondary research and conducting the primary research). Then write a description of the organization’s diversity initiatives. The information you need to write this portion of the project is the secondary and primary research that you have completed. Evaluate the organization’s diversity initiatives. This is not an evaluation based on your own opinions. It is an evaluation against the audit criteria (best practices) that you have identified earlier.

Then write your recommendations. The recommendations should flow logically from the description and evaluation of the organization’s diversity initiatives.

Week 7: Diversity Audit Paper Due

The Course Project is due at the end of this week. If you have kept up with the project as outlined for Weeks 1–6, then you have already written the first draft of the report. Use this week to edit the final report, and add the title page, table of contents, list of references, and any appendices.

Write the Executive Summary. This should be no more than two pages. It should include a description of the organization and summarize the audit criteria, audit methods, description of organization’s diversity initiatives, your evaluation, and recommendations.

The following are the best practices in preparing this paper.

• Cover Page—Include who you prepared the paper for, who prepared it, and the date.
• Table of Contents—List the main ideas and section of your paper and the pages in which they are located. The illustrations should be included separately.
• Introduction—Use a header on your paper. This will indicate you are introducing your paper.

The following is the purpose of an introduction or opening.

1. Introduce the subject and why the subject is important.
2. Preview the main ideas and the order in which they will be covered.
3. Establish a tone of the document.

Include in the introduction a reason for the audience to read the paper. Also, include an overview of what you are going to cover in your paper and the importance of the material. (This should include or introduce the questions you are asked to answer on each assignment.)

• Body of Your Report: Use a header titled with the name of your project. Example: The Development of Hotel X—A World Class Resort. Then proceed to break out the main ideas. State the main ideas, state major points in each idea, and provide evidence. Break out each main idea you will use in the body of your paper. Show some type of division, such as separate sections that are labeled, separate group of paragraphs, or headers. You would include the information you found during your research and investigation.
• Summary and Conclusion: Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing but presents the gist of the material in fewer words than the original. An effective summary identifies the main ideas and major support points from the body of your report. Minor details are left out. Summarize the benefits of the ideas and how they affect the tourism industry.
• Work Cited: Use the citation format as specified in the Syllabus.

Additional hints on preparing the best possible project.

1. Apply a three-step process of writing: Plan, write, and complete.
2. Prepare an outline of your research paper before you go forward.
3. Complete a first draft and then go back to edit, evaluate, and make any changes required.
4. Use visual communication to further clarify and support the written part of your report. You could use example graphs, diagrams, photographs, flowcharts, maps, drawings, animation, video clips, pictograms, tables, and Gantt charts.