Leadership Challenges in Diversity The article, “Challenges of Leading a Diverse Workforce,” by Janice R.W. Joplin and Catherine Daus, discusses research that suggests six challenging factors when promoting diversity in an organization, along with proposed solutions to those challenges. The six challenges include, the Change of Power Dynamics, Diversity of Opinions, Perceived Lack of Empathy, Tokenism, real and perceived, Participation, and Inertia (Joplin, Daus 1997). The challenges and solutions are discussed in relation to a continuum that consists of stages of intolerance, tolerance, and appreciation for diversity in the workplace. Each challenge is met with a solution involving required skills and attributes of a leader. The …show more content…
“Two people can view the same event with very different interpretations and formulate opinions on the basis of those perceptions and interpretations” (Joplin & Daus, 1997, p.37, para.6). In my experience, both personally, and professionally, I have learned that no two people think alike. Being very strong headed and believing there was a right and wrong to every situation, I had to learn to accept that others had a right to differing thoughts and viewpoints. It was growing into leadership roles where I learned the values of opinions, and how incorporating them led to more success of the team and business. The article suggests that along with the ability to find commonalties between all opinions, leaders must be excellent at finding solutions to conflict in order to maintain respect (Joplin & Daus, 1997). This allowed me to recall a leader of mine who empowered diverse opinions to flourish. She was successful in listening to differing points of view in order to find solutions. I believe it was her leadership skills that motivated myself to perform at a higher level. By encouraging input in all decisions, the team and overall business results were very successful, and I believe this to be vital for all …show more content…
My first process was to type in word searches that included, “diversity and leadership”. After skimming the articles that populated, I began to narrow my search. I chose more specific words such as, “how to lead diversity,” and, “leadership needed in diversity,”. I read the titles and descriptions first, then was able to narrow down exactly what I wanted to learn from this article. I knew I wanted to reflect from past experience and take this as a chance to learn and gain new insights. I read a few articles, took notes, and contemplated my responses to them. When I read this article, I was immediately drawn to how it displayed common challenges, then proposed solutions. It helped me to review past decisions in leadership roles and learn new ways to deal with various challenges in my behavior working with others. I would not say that it was a particularly difficult process, nor was it easy. In the end it took a lot of time and contemplating to understand the correct word combinations to display the desired result. The process helped me become more familiar with the online Library as I have not previously had to use the system. I learned to search broad topics to trigger more ideas for a subject, then once the desired subject is realized, to narrow the search. In the end I know I have a long way to go with utilizing the system to its fullest, but know I have many
Cañas, K. A. & Sondak, H. (2011). Opportunities and challenged for workplace diversity: Theory, cases, and exercises. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Leadership Challenge in the multi cultural workplace may benefit from being managed by helping people to manage changes in terms of personal development or leadership role changes within organizations. Leaders may get caught the needs of globalization and cultural characteristics by using different practices and styles of leadership.
Being successful at managing workforce diversity involves attracting and retaining the highest quality individuals in the talent pool. For managers it means learning how to manage human potential sensitively. It requires an ever-increasing awareness of how people from different backgrounds deal with authority, communication, overall business etiquette, and relate to their communities of affiliation. Successful management of workforce diversity is a process that takes place in many stages and on many levels. It requires managers to first recruit a competent and qualified staff, then to accommodate individual needs within the context of the work team and the organization.
A diversity initiative needs to be embedded in a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to enable it to live through leadership changes and associate attrition. Only once inclusiveness becomes a shared value within the organization, does the diversity initiative become a corporate culture and not just simply a lifeless statement.
To be successful in managing diversity in the workplace first one must understand it from a personal perspective. To be able to derive knowledge and strength from one’s lineage and differences shows deep facets in character. These traits show brilliantly when dealing with individuals of many cultures and backgrounds in the workplace. A leader with this ability can handle everyone uniquely and ethically and is in tune with what differentiates one associate from the next. Once one has a firm grasp on who they are then and only then can one expect to have the aptitude to lead a diverse team.
Diversity management initiatives are long term and strategic in focus. They strive not only to recruit, but to actively develop, promote and capitalize on the different skills and perspectives of minority employees (Marquis, 2007.) Every day, peopl...
Throughout this semester—as a class—we discussed why and how diversity is important, and how we can manage diversity in successful and productive approach. My aim in this paper is to clarify what—I believe—ought to do as an ethical leader toward promoting diversity. First, I will briefly discuss the importance of ethical leadership and diversity. Then, I will shadow on other dimensions in understanding diversity and how to achieve them. Finally, I will conclude with my personal statement which is: “diversity—besides being a positive tool both ethically and economically— goes beyond to be the guiding tool for a bright future for the mankind. I believe that accepting diversity has a profound positive effect not only for organizations but to all societies worldwide.”
Diversity plays a major role in society. People tend to perceive one another by their physical appearance. This creates a mindset that may affect one 's path to leadership. Relating physical appearance to the work force the individuals that have a greater physical stature tend to receive more recognition to leadership and power, than shorter individuals. Research is shown that taller people are more successful have higher authority, higher professional status and are projected as leaders.
Gender, racial, and ethnic diversity means different things to different people. Some believe that diversity is about quotas, and affirmative action. Others believe that diversity is something that will happen on its own with out intervention. Some experts who study diversity, however, believe that diversity is not something that should be left up to chance. It is important, therefore, for organizations to take action to encourage and foster diversity in the workplace (Clarke, 1995, p. 13).
Today’s management in the workforce is composed of all types of people verses thirty years ago when white males held a majority of upper-management positions in companies. These positions are now held by a mixture of ethnic back grounds and women who hold just as many if not more management positions then men. Just by looking at the changes in management demographics shows how important it is for people to understand cultural competency in the workplace. Dr. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. (1999) stated, “Diversity is the collective mixture of whomever we have in our workforce characterized by their differences and similarities” (p.11). Managers and supervisors must understand the characteristics of a diversity mature individual; they also need to be able to articulate the differences between affirmative action, managing diversity, understanding and valuing diversity to build skills that transforms awareness into productive and supportive workplace behaviors.
Subbarao, A. V. Managing workforce diversity: an innovation or an evolution? Ottawa: Faculty of Administration, University of Ottawa, 1995.
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).
Barak, M. E. (2005). Managing diversity: toward a globally inclusive workplace. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
According to Kinicki, diversity represents the multitude of individual’s differences and similarities that exist among people. When developing a cultural diversity training program, one has to manage diversity with a new approach of inclusion and recognition. Managing diversity enables people to perform up to their maximum potential (Kinicki p. 111). As we analyze diversity, we will evaluate some common barriers and challenges in managing diversity. In developing a diversity program, we will analyze methods and procedures that will be apart of the program. Kinicki (p.*) says an important first step in overcoming these obstacles is for leaders to convey to their employees why the organization values diversity.
Diversity is all around us and how organizations deal with the notion of diversity can be complex and quite diverse. We know that being diverse in the workplace is important to the organization's success, should be recognized, accepted, and embraced. It’s how the organizations live up to what they believe in and must go above and beyond legal compliance and requirements to promoting diversity and inclusion. Otherwise, employees may view the organization's vision and policies as lip service and only be tolerant of diversity because the organization said so.