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Images of diversity

Our society is becoming more and more diverse and that has inevitable consequences for the way in which we deal with one another as part of society, but also in the business world. Within organisations, groups of staff are becoming more and more heterogeneous. Not only as a result of demographic factors (aging of the population, growth of immigrant population groups), but also due to social developments such as women’s liberation and the assimilation of handicapped and homosexual individuals. This produces a breeding ground for the diversity theme in the internal as well as external professional relationships of an organization.

In order to remain competitive in an increasingly diverse sales and labour market, most organisations see the necessity of adjusting their policies and product assortment accordingly. That makes diversity management an indispensible theme for HR managers, product managers, recruiters and department heads. Every successful implementation of diversity management necessarily entails an enduring change in the thoughts and actions of all staff members and therefore falls into the category of ‘culture change.’ 

What is Pygmalion?

The Pygmalion game was specially designed to give people the opportunity to make the ethics of diversity explicit within the context of their own organisation. It is meant to encourage participants to examine ideas and images of diversity without passing judgment. Participants receive insights into their personal images, assumptions and stereotypes about diversity and the effects which they have on the organization’s culture, both consciously and unconsciously. Furthermore, Pygmalion provides insight into the roles participants can fulfil in a successful implementation of diversity policy within their organisation.

How does Pygmalion work?

Participants sit in groups of a maximum of six people and one game board. The game supervisor presents them with organization-specific questions and dilemmas about diversity. The answers to the questions win points and the choices participants make in dilemmas place them on the game board. At the end of the game, each participant has a certain number of points and a certain position on the board. These are compared to a generic model of images dealing with diversity. This model gives not only typologies, but also instructions for roles which can be fulfilled in order to achieve an effective change process regarding diversity.

Results and application

Pygmalion can be used as an introduction to thinking about diversity. But it can just as easily be part of a broader program in which new policies regarding diversity management are designed and implemented. The smallest form of this is a workshop in which participants are encouraged to translate conclusions from the game into an action plan to be used in their area of responsibility.
Pygmalion gives participants insight into their own ideas about various population groups and about diversity in general. It confronts the participants with their attitudes and convictions which can contribute positively as well as negatively to the successful implementation of diversity policy. The game can provoke dialog and motivation to seize opportunities provided by diversity within the organisation.

For who?

Pygmalion can be played by divergent target groups with various function levels. Groups can consist of participants from different departments within the same organisation.