Diversity And Multiculturalism Essay

Diversity and Multiculturalism are often used interchangeably. But these two words are vastly different in definition, function and in execution in the workplace. Diversity explains the various differences among the people (employees) in the workplace. On the contrary, the term multiculturalism refers to the existence of many different ethnic and/or cultural groups within a society. In this case, the society being referred to is the workplace environment.

In the climate of the not only the United States, but arguably the world, diversity is becoming ever more important and prevalent in the way business and corporations function. This includes diverse environments within the workplace. For example, the finance department and the human resources

While diversity and multiculturalism may not be essential parts, job satisfaction could be considered one of the most important parts. Job satisfaction does not affect diversity and multiculturalism. One could be completely satisfied with their position in a non-diverse or monocultural workplace. However, diversity and multiculturalism can affect job satisfaction adversely or positively.

According to Greenberg (2004) the positives of having a diverse workplace include increased adaptability, broader service range, variety of viewpoints, and more effective execution. Greenberg (2004) also discusses possible negative effects on increased diversity including resistance to change, issues with communication, implementation of diversity within workplace policies, and successful diversity management. Throughout this essay, each of these topics will be related to job satisfaction in the

According to Storey (2011) ‘effective communication is a key component to any organization’s success. But with diversity and multiculturalism there could be a strong disconnect with communication’. Different cultures have different ideas and moral values surrounding what their culture believes to be appropriate clothing, hand gestures, body language and other subtle nuances in the workplace. With differing cultural ideas and expectations comes a differing acceptance level. While some employees may be okay to adhering to their coworkers or supervisors ideas of appropriate workplace attire, another employee may not. This could lead to breakdowns in communication and a disconnect of the team. According to Alessandra, A. J., & O'Connor, M. J.(1998), the teamwork and motivation that happens at work are pivotal to an organization or company’s success. Therefore, if the communication breaks down and the team falls apart, there is no advancement which could potentially mean no increase in revenue. . Another barrier could be actual spoken (or signed) language(s). When there is more than one language spoken in the workplace for work related business, there is a larger opportunity for miscommunication. This, in turn, could lead to frustration and even unintentional mistakes. Again, teamwork and motivation are pivotal and without them, minimal to no success should be