(Bassett‐Jones, 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 minor 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.
Research by (Kirton &
Cost-reducing turnover and absence
2. Resource acquisition - this is drawing in the best employees as the employment pool shrinks and fluctuates
3. Marketing – this brings the element of insight and cultural compassion towards the marketing effort of an organization
4. An increase in creativity and innovation
5. Problem solving - conveying a wider range of viewpoints and more systematic critical analysis
6. System flexibility - reacting to environmental alterations faster and at a lower cost
A primary method for managers to increase diversity in an organization, is by identifying the ethical considerations that need to be taken into factor when it comes to maintaining a healthy balance and success. Various business decisions that differ in approach to ethical actions arise from individual, professional, organizational, and societal standards. One of the key golden rules that every organization must follow and which is most popular is that if a human being wants to be treated fairly, he should treats others the identical as well (Carroll, 1990); and that the comprehensiveness implied in diversity management cannot prosper without fair conduct of all
The Challange of Cultural Diversity in Corporate America The expanding conflict over cultural diversity in corporate America may present as many opportunities and problems as affirmative action. Today, cultural diversity is an important fact of life and business, due to the changing face of society, and therefore, the work place. It is growing ever more essential for people to interact with others outside of their racial, ethical, religious, regional, social, etc. boundaries. To stay on top of their competitors, corporations must change their approach, and see diversity not as a necessary evil, but as a source of enrichment and opportunity that may bring a wealth of benefits to the company.
While diversity is often a term used to refer specifically to cultural differences, diversity applies to all the qualities that make people different. From a management perspective, the key to diversity is to understand how different types of diversity and different demographic characteristics can impact human behavior. The four types of diversity that will be examined are: occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and value and attitudes. For each type of diversity, the impact on individual behavior will be described.
According to McCormick (2007), the first form of workplace diversity happened in 1948, when President Truman approved Executive Order 9981 whose main purpose was to advance equal treatment and opportuities in the armed forces. Therefore, scholars cite it as the origin of workplace diversity because President Truman the committee tasked to implement the executive order, used it to pursue desegregation in the armed forces. In the business world, many companies long held the belief that the assimiltion of new recruits in an organization required their socialization to adapt to the organization’s existent culture. However, over the last few decades, business organizations have realized that because of various reasons, the orgnizational culture must conform if it must attract and maintain a competitive workforce. This change has been steered by variety of workplace diversity initiatives. Despite the proliferation of such initiatives, the term “workplace diversity” is virtually never defined. Many attempts at defining the term are often in a circular or conclusory manner that does little to strengthen a collective understanding of this term.
19. Wilkinson, Brad (1999, October) Managing diversity: Buzz word or business strategy? HR Atlanta, 8.
Within an organization, diversity is considered a having a population of people that are of different races or cultures working collectively. From this collection of people, a variance of perspective is formed and talent is fostered in order to maximize performance. These great minds work
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.”
Having diversity in the workplace allows for greater growth within a company due to the different opinions and perspectives of people from all walks of life. To remain competitive, many companies are being advised to recruit, develop and retain men and women of all different backgrounds, ages and races (Cox and Blake, 1991). By doing this and also accommodating the needs of their demographically diverse workforce, companies will become much more appealing places to work therefore reducing turnover and absentee
Jefferson P. Marquis, Nelson Lim, Lynn M. Scott, Margaret C. Harrell, Jennifer Kavanagh "Managing Diversity in Corporate America, An Exploratory Analysis" Rand Corporation. Web. 29 June 2015.
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).
In summary, most workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse as people from different genders, races, cultures, ethnic origins, and lifestyles find themselves working together. The key to making diversity work is management. Knowing what they are and understanding what effects (positive or negative) they have on the organization is very important to the success of the company.
Diversity is a highly important issue in today’s business, especially in a globalized company. Workplace diversity helps to get better solutions to business problems (Schawbel, 2012). When you have a group of individ...
Consultants and the managers as well as business leaders believe that effectively managing and handling the diversity is the competitive advantage. This advantage stems from the process in which diversity management affects the organizational
The importance of diversity in the workplace that it can aid in a competitive framework
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).
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.