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Importance of managing diversity
Importance of managing diversity
Importance of positively promoting diversity
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Introduction Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Etsy,et al. 1995). The idea of diversity emerged when globalisation came into the picture in 1990-91 (Bhatia, 2008). As globalization began to affect organisations, there was a coverage of workplace from diverse countries, cultures, values, and styles that presented tremendous opportunities as well as challenges (Bhatia, 2008). Organisations can have the ultimate lead in the market place if effective human resources are in place. Now in the 21st century, it is not an option but a necessity to embrace diversity. With all the available talent available, companies can no longer afford to restrict its ability to recruit talented employees because of his differences that did not sit well with the company. Fortunately, organizations are becoming more comfortable with diversity. It is typically seen in an organization to have a diverse workforce; different race and ethnicity, gender, the handicapped, gays and lesbians, elderly, and people who are significantly overweight. Even though they work together, each of them maintain their characteristic, lifestyles, and their distinct identity. It is necessary for managers today to have the knowledge to live with these diverse culture in the office. If diversity in an organisation is properly managed, it can make a company blossom very quickly because of all the raw and fresh ideas, different perspective, and an increase of innovation and creativity that could not possibly be achieved without such diversity. ... ... middle of paper ... ...nd properly, it will allow for smooth communication and can possibly bring high value to the company. To solve most of the problems when it comes to managing diversity, it will be easier for companies to start off with a diverse group than companies that doesn’t because once a culture is formed in an organisation, it will be hard to break that culture. References Baltzan, P., 2011. Due Dilligence:// DUI in Gold Cart. s.l.:McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Bhatia, S., 2008. Diversity Management The Challenges And Opportunities. [Online] Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/shruti27bhatia/diversity-management-the-challenges-and-opportunities-presentation [Accessed 4 April 2014]. Punwani, T., 2007. Doing business abroad? Simple faux pas can sink you. [Online] Available at: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2007-08-23-faux-pas_N.htm [Accessed 4 April 2014].
The real definition of diversity includes different elements of the identity and culture of each person. Diversity involves cultural differences, such as origins, religious or political affiliation, race, and gender, and other more profound differences, such as experiences and personality. As Banks argues in her research, the real definition involves several elements of our identity (149). Therefore, the way in which we define and conceptualize diversity affects the way in which we interact with people of others culture, race, and affiliations.
Diversity has many definitions but only one true meaning. This concept Analysis is dedicated to exploring the broadened sense of diversity through active concepts with respect to term usage, and current literature research to support the understanding and relevance of the term itself.
Now more than ever a company needs to be diverse in their leadership and throughout the entire company. Moreover, to reach this extraordinarily diverse market, it takes an extremely diverse workforce that is able to tap into to their various differences to understand exactly what a diverse customer base needs and wants, which provides greater innovation in productivity. Furthermore, research has proven that for every 1 percent rise in gender diversity there is an increase in sales of 3% and in for each 1 percent increase in ethnic diversity there is a 9% rise in sales, this can equate large revenues for the firm that reaps the rewards of having a diverse staff (Smedley, 2014).
It helps to promote the organization which leads the company in the direction of becoming an international force to be reckoned with. When diversity is embraced in an organization, it grows the global portfolio and provides employers and employees with multiple options. It helps a person learn to be flexible and to overcome obstacles that get in their way. We all know that the world is diverse with many different cultures, genders, religions, and ethnicities. However, implementation of diversity is imperative within an organization because it allows access to a larger pool of complex ideas. As demographics shift globally, diversity is a necessity that organizations need to embrace in order to show their commitment to being open to change. Diversity in the workplace is important for the organization and the employee because it allows the organization to flourish through outreach and recruiting efforts.
Many executives and scholars believe that the managing diversity in an organization is an important organizational function. Every organization is approaching to change their work force accordingly competitive globalized market to achieve better outcomes. People are now part of a worldwide economy than ever before. The globalization of business world has influenced much interest in the areas of diversity management among management scholars and experts. An organization needs diversity to become more creative, flexible and open to expanding the globalized market. Hence maximizing and optimizing on workplace diversity has become a essential role for diversity management today. Managers are well aware about managerial skills and multicultural work environment and their impact on the business world. The assay will discuss about diversity in an organization, diversity strategies, demography, and prevailing conditions. Furthermore, the assay will guide readers to understand the theory in practice in the Microsoft organization as an example.
Diversity in the workplace is very important in today’s global workforce because workers in the economy all over the world are currently made up of many different ethnicities, varied cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. People that are involved in management such as managers, and supervisors could greatly benefit from being accustomed to diversity in the workplace because their job entails dealing with a multicultural work environment on a daily basis. Knowing how to handle diversity in the workforce and having the necessary skills for supervisors would be beneficial not only to them but also to the success of the company and economy because a strong, diversified workforce will create a more “creative, innovative, and productive workforce.” (Kerby, 2012).
Traditionally, diversity refers to an assortment of races, ethnicities, genders, ages, disabilities and perhaps sexual orientations. A definition of diversity, however, should not be constrained by traditional categories such as these. Such a definition should also include categories such as religion, educational level, life experience, geographic location, socio-economic background, marital status and work experience. Indeed, each person employed by a company possesses unique qualities that encompass many factors.
(BassettJones, N., 2005) Diversity in management denotes the methodical obligation on the part of an organization to recruit and retain employees with diverse backgrounds and abilities. There are many opinions which vary on why diversity in management arose in the way that it did. (Latimer (1998) argued that diversity in terms of ethnicity, age, gender, personality and educational background endorses creativity and problem-solving capabilities. An increase in the level of diversity leads to lower levels of risk and enhanced decision-making and problem-solving competencies. This arises due to the diversity which promotes a more tough critical calculation for the first solution in order to obtain significant support.
The impact of diversity in the workplace is contingent upon several factors. Across companies diversified workforces are becoming increasingly common. To successfully manage a diverse workforce, organizations are ensuring that employees understand how their values and stereotypes influence their behavior toward others of different gender, ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds; are gaining an appreciation of cultural differences among themselves; and behaviors that isolate or intimidate minorities are being improved (Noe et al., 2010, pg. 302).
Diversity is defined as race, gender, age, language, physical characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, economic status, parental status, education, geographic origin, profession, life-style, religion, personality, position in the company hierarchy and any other difference[3]. In other words, diversity refers to ...
In spite of the view as espoused by the scholars above, diversity can be managed properly to achieve the intended benefits. The concept of concept of diversity management is clear and unambiguous in definition and it is often interchanged with the term managing diversity. The concept was first introduced in the United States in the 1980s. RR Thomas wrote in 1991: ‘Managing diversity is an idea whose time has come. The majority of corporations and organizations are becoming conscious of the fact that a diverse workforce is not a burden, but rather their greatest potential strength; when managed properly’ (Thomas 1991, viii). According to McCuiston et al. (2004), for example, proper implementation of policies to promote workplace diversity can result in an improved bottom line; increased competitive advantage; superior business performance; higher levels of employee satisfaction and loyalty; a strengthened relationship with multicultural communities, and attracting the best and the brightest candidates. Indeed, contemporary scholars concur: having and making use of a diverse workforce is beneficial to organisations (Stewart and Brown, 2010; Ivancevich and Konopaske, 2012; Dessler, 2013; Mathis et al., 2013; Mondy and Mondy, 2014; Noe et al.,
Diversity is real and exists in any organisation. The need to recognise and embrace diversity necessarily means that it should be taken into full account by understanding the issues surrounding it to optimise its valuable benefits. At the same time, diversity management in the workplace rests on the awareness of factors and risks associated of diversity. Any successful organisation deals with the presenting risk factors of diversity and delicately balances its techniques to make room for business growth and development. The following discussion highlights the benefits and risks associated of diversity. It aims to unpack some of the remarkable positive
There are several definition of diversity depends on the context. In general, diversity concerns to personal or group's socio-demographic behaviour
The researcher believes, in this fast-changing era, any kind of company or organization should be able to improve the quality of workplace diversity by having some important main factor to boost the new paradigm of a diverse workplace, such as:
Diversity also gives many type of organizational culture inside the organization such as an employees can pursuing themselves into career position without being afraid with the gender, race, religion, nationality and other relevant factors that may relevant with the performance (Bryan, 1999). Besides, the diversity also brings the conve...