Managing Diversity within the Organization
Managing Diversity within the Organization
Abstract
Diversity within the workplace has certainly increased over the last decade, being a key issue among organizations of today. This paper will identify and discuss some of the important issues when managing diversity within the workplace. The paper will also document numerous key challenges that managers face regarding workplace diversity. Key strategies to overcome such challenges will be employed. Finally, some important opportunities and benefits that arise as a result of workplace diversity will be examined.
Introduction
Managing diversity represents both a challenge and an opportunity for management in an organization (Poole, 1997). Indeed, managing diversity is a challenge as it calls for organizational change. The challenge is about dealing with the situation of workplace where everyone is different and in turn valuing these differences to maximise the potential of all employees (Poole, 1997). Many strategies have been developed to tackle such challenges associated with diversity. Therefore, greater diversity within the workplace has changed the face of manager's job, requiring greater understanding, better communication, better conflict skills and additional responsibilities of promoting educational and training programs (Monica, 1995). Managing diversity allows greater opportunity for success. Organizations that recognize diversity have a competitive advantage resulting from greater innovation, better efficiency as well as increased attraction and motivation of high potential employees (Poole, 1997). Primarily, challenges associated with diversity need to be addressed and overcome in order to prevent serious problems.
Challenges of Workforce Diversity
The challenge facing diversity is to bond an organization that may be divided along lines of sex, race, ethnicity, religion and generation. Society is made up of different people therefore making it often difficult to unite those differences without creating a uniform strategy. One has to bear in mind that diversity in one business will be different from another business (Hodson, 1993). This will depend on the structure and composition of the workforce. People are different in age, education background, physical abilities, qualities, social status, economic status, marital status, lifestyle, religion, ethnicity and many other characteristics. As a result, managing diversity requires organizational change, adjustments and accommodations thus promoting a healthy and harmonious environment for employees to work in (Poole, 1997).
Managing diversity, therefore presents a special challenge for today's manager going beyond traditional views of appropriate behaviour. For years, managers have been trained to treat their employees exactly the same. Sameness was stressed to avoid discrimination. In fact, managers were taught equality transformed into sameness (Smith, 2000). However, there are mass changes in organizations of today. To treat employees fairly often means to treat them differently. Flexibility is the key in managing employees today (Jenner, 1994). While this shift towards flexibility has been seen in some areas, many managers still rely on sameness in dealing with employees (Smith, 2000). Despite these challenges, workplace diversity has now been developed into an important issue for organizations nowadays.
The culturally diverse workplace has been brought about with the rapid changing nature of our society. With effects of globalisation and shifting trend in labour market, office staffs are no longer homogenous (Gudmunson and Hartenian, 2000). For example, it is very unlikely to find a male-dominated workforce. Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is a legalistic approach to workplace that has fostered a wider view on workplace diversity (Carrel, Jennings and Heavrin, 1997). Organizations need to go beyond mere acceptance and begin to actually capitalize on what women, minorities and immigrants are bringing to the workplace. A diverse workforce enhances ...
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The culturally diverse workplace has been brought about with the rapid changing nature of our society. With effects of globalisation and shifting trend in labour market, office staffs are no longer homogenous (Gudmunson and Hartenian, 2000). For example, it is very unlikely to find a male-dominated workforce. Equal employment opportunity (EEO) is a legalistic approach to workplace that has fostered a wider view on workplace diversity (Carrel, Jennings and Heavrin, 1997). Organizations need to go beyond mere acceptance and begin to actually capitalize on what women, minorities and immigrants are bringing to the workplace. A diverse workforce enhances innovative and adaptive capacity of a firm, thus helping in promoting success in an organization. Various strategies facilitating workplace diversity have to be established and pursued in order to achieve success.
Strategies Facilitating Workplace Diversity
Effective management of diversity creates a number of benefits and is also very profitable for an organization. All CEOs, managers, supervisors, training professionals and educators have to effectively recruit, train, manage and promote culturally diverse workforce. Unfortunately, few of them have been adequately trained to fulfill the necessary directives (Laabs, 1993). There are six important strategies for facilitating workplace diversity. Firstly, management should ensure that employees strictly follow anti-discrimination laws. Managers have the responsibility to know the law well. They also have to communicate these laws to their employees so that workers know what is expected from them. The key is to follow and support legal requirements (Ramsey, 1993). Each individual in an organization should be treated equally and fairly without regard of tradition or preference of another person.
Secondly, managers have to base all their decision on the employee's competence and performance. Managers should not assess employees on the behavioural criteria. Failure to understand the different perspectives and experiences of diverse employees is equivalent to under utilization and wastage of human resources (Blank and Slipp, 1998). If managers fail to foster diversity, they are more likely to generate problems by creating barriers that stop employees from progressing as far as their talents and abilities could take them (Detert, Shroeder and Mauriel, 2000). A clear understanding and awareness of existing differences encourages open mind ness, respect and harmony in an organization.
Thirdly, although many differences exist managers should be aware that there are common values and beliefs that cross all cultural and ethnic line. It is necessary for management to build on common beliefs, interest and goals that are vital for establishing success and trust in an organization (Ramsey, 1993). Moreover, greater understanding of such issues is likely to promote better communication within an organization.
Fourthly, communication is definitely an important criterion that managers have to consider when managing diversity. An essential step is when managers encourage integration of minority groups at all levels of the organization (Fine, 1996). This allows organizations to establish smooth communication networks that promote interaction as well as sharing and generation of ideas between employees. Such an ideal diversity climate is likely to help in the reduction of problems such as prejudice and discrimination (Milliken and Martins, 1996). Communication will aid managers to explore and cope with differences. Managers are more likely to acquire effective management of a diversified workforce through training and educational programs.
Fifthly, educational programs that promote awareness of cultural differences are certainly the key. Providing staff training about the contributions of different cultures to the society helps to avoid racism, stereotype thinking and labeling in the workplace (Ivancevich and Gilbert, 1999). The programs provide accurate information on cultural differences. Laying great emphasis on such programs will ensure that employees understand the organizations commitment in building an ideal and positive working environment (Capowski, 1998). Educational programs are likely to promote and improve understanding of human relationships within an organization. However, these programs are very unlikely to eliminate conflict.
Finally, as a result of growing diversity between workers within an organization, conflict is inevitable (Brown, 1995). Employees working in an organization will have different characteristics and personalities. Conflict is very likely to occur as different people have different views and ideas and opinions. Managers should be watchful for any signs of conflict. Conflict will be reduced only if necessary ground rules of conduct for organizational behaviour and relationships are established (Iverson, 2000). Rules help to set appropriate standards of behaviour and contribute a great deal in resolving conflict. The role of the manager is to shape an atmosphere of discipline and harmony to make diversity successful in the organization. As these key issues are established, an organization is more likely to benefit from more advantages and opportunities to achieve success.
The Opportunity for Greater Benefits
Workplace diversity creates a pool of opportunities. Rapid changes in business operations due to advances in technology, new product development have been a great advantage to organizations. However, firms that address diversity are more likely to benefit from competitive advantage (Buhler, 1993). These advantages include attraction, motivation and retention of high potential employees, greater innovation and higher efficiency, which leads to greater productivity and profitability. The key to obtaining these benefits is for managers to enthusiastically accept different viewpoints and familiarize with a more heterogenous workforce.
Organizations that can adapt to a wider range of culturally different people will have a better chance to attract and retain the most highly skilled people and to obtain the best talent from them. Today's workforce is becoming more and more diverse as proportionately more women, minorities, immigrants and older people enter the job market (Woods and Michael, 1995). If a firm acquires a good reputation for being a good source of employment for minorities, immigrants, women and older people, current job applicants may seek for employment in the firm (Gudmunson and Hartenian, 2000). Thus, organizations with individuals having most advantageous skills are more likely to be innovative.
Exposures of diverse colleagues in an organization encourage creativity and innovation. Increasing the diversity of an organization's workforce brings a broad continuum of backgrounds, interests, point of view and ways of doing things in a firm. Different ideas provided by employees bring effective solutions to problems, improve quality of decision-making and encourages growth of creativity (Laabs, 1993). In any organization, it is important that managers view their workers irrespective of their age, sex, colour, race and religion.
Age, gender, culture and lifestyle of a diversified workforce will enhance a company's ability to operate efficiently within domestic and international markets. The marketplace is becoming a more diverse. Nowadays, there are customers who purposely buy from organizations that vigorously manage their diverse workforce (Coleman, 1994). Workplace diversity not only provides opportunities and benefits to the organization but it also helps in boosting competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Conclusion
Managing diversity is definitely a challenge and also an opportunity for management in an organization. The technique for managing diversity is a challenge, as it requires organizational change, adjustments and accommodation. Managing diversity is the organization's commitment to recruit, train, and promote a diversified workforce (Poole, 1997). The organizations mission is to value differences of the workforce and to capitalize on the potential of its employees. This can be indeed very difficult at times as people are often unwilling to move away from their traditional views and norms of proper behaviour. Training programs are conducted to increase understanding of differences, stimulate open mind ness, improve communication skills and improve conflict resolution skills. These training programs help to overcome challenges. Managing diversity is also a great opportunity to success. Organizations that foster diversity benefit from competitive advantage resulting from greater innovation, better efficiency as well as increased attraction and motivation of highly skilled employees. Organizations are becoming more and more exposed to diversity in their workforce. This trend is expected to continue in future years. This is why managers have to become more aware of the challenges, opportunities and solutions of workplace diversity.
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