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Introduction

Introduction Diversity relates to gender, age, language, ethnicity, cultural background, disability, s****l orientation or religious belief. Diversity also refers to the myriad ways we are different in other respects such as educational level, job function, socio-economic background, personality profile, geographic location, marital status and whether or not one has family. I have taken the opportunity to explain my perception of age, gender, personality and ethnic types of diversity and demographic characteristics and differences. Age Characteristics With the fact that today's workplace has individuals that vary in age, most employees can be placed into one of 4 categories: Mature, Baby Boomer, Generation X'ers and Millenials. The members of each group, based on age, are generally easy to identify; however definitely have different characteristics. The Mature group consists of people born prior to 1946. Generally speaking, members within this group have a high respect for authority, place duty before pleasure, are patient, avoid challenging the system and are dedicated to the project or job once they accept it. They also place a high value on honor and integrity. ...read more.

Middle

� Respond quickly to calls for assistance. � More tolerant of differences, so they're more skilled at managing diversity. � Identify problems quickly and more accurately than men. � Define job expectations and provide valuable feedback. Men tend to be quicker at making decisions, compared to women. Male managers are also more adept at forming what management psychologist Ken Siegel calls "navigational relationships," or temporary teams set up to achieve short term goals. Men also tend to be decisive, logical, aggressive, and often more independent than woman. As men and woman work more closely together, they are learning from one another and picking up characteristics from one another; thus improving the quality of working relationships and becoming more productive. Personality Traits There are several types of personality traits that are used within an organization. A person's personality consists of not only mental traits, but physical traits as well. Understanding a personality, although difficult, is important as the employee's individual personality determines in many cases their work ethic, their professionalism, their attire and their dedication among many other traits and behaviors ultimately leading to their overall job performance. ...read more.

Conclusion

For the most part, their behavior was that of respect and a sense of pride, although their skill levels were low and their education was minimal. Now, due to an increase in globalization and companies becoming more diverse, we are seeing even more people of ethnic backgrounds relocating to the United States for opportunities. With the increase in education, this is bringing forth many individuals of whom tend to have a great deal of input into organizations that otherwise would not have happened. These individuals bring a vast array of knowledge from their culture and beliefs. They tend to see things differently and have afforded companies to understand the needs of people throughout the world. Conclusion In conclusion, age, gender, personality and ethnic origins may have definite characteristics that overlap, they indeed are different. Each strongly influences the overall success of the organization and is a necessary diversity factor within organizations to be successful. A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and marketplace. Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual differences will benefit the workplace by creating a competitive edge and employers will gain the advantage when employees are selected and positioned so that their talents, skills and personality traits are properly utilized. ...read more.

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