DIVERSITY AT THE WORKPLACE
Rose, M. W. and Palma-Rivas, N. (1998) says
According to Triandis, Kurowski, and Gelfand (1992), “Managing diversity means changing the culture-that is, the standard operating procedures. It requires data, experimentation, and the discovery of the procedures that work best for each group. It is more complex than conventional management but can result in more effective organizations” (p. 773). Thomas (1992) states that managing diversity means empowering or enabling employees. “Managing diversity prescribes approaches that are philosophically broad enough to encompass all dimensions of diversity” (p. 315). Managing diversity also means employing managerial skills and policies that optimize and emphasize every employee’s contribution to the organizational goals (Henderson, 1994). Leach, George, Jackson, and LaBella (1995) use the expression “working with diversity” rather than “managing diversity” They believe that working with diversity “calls forth the challenge to be curious, inquire, interact, reflect, and experiment. It requires individuals to be respectful, curious, patient, and willing to learn” (p. 3).
Making diversity a workplace asset: Focus on inclusion and employee well-being. (2021) states
It is logical to assume that certain contextual factors possess the capacity to shape diversity effects to some degree. Employee perception of inclusion has been noted in this regard. Inclusion is reflected by the prevailing climate within a firm; encompasses feelings of being accepted; andmeans experiencing a sense of belongingness as a result.
Many observers point out that inclusion helps break down barriers and generate positive outcomes. From a business perspective, inclusion in relation to knowledge diversity encourages greater sharing of knowledge and cross-functional integration. This helps increase project success which, in turn, enhances self-efficacy and strengthens shared professional identity.
Another notable aspect here is that individuals feel valued more for their unique contributions. This is important as people believe that integration should not mean that their distinctiveness is no longer recognized.
Ghosh, A. (2014) says
Certain definitions considers behaviors of personnel and organizations an important dimension of cultural competence that enables them to deal with cross-cultural situations effectively. Since intergroup theory places special emphasis on behaviors of the leaders and members of the organizational and identity groups, a study on culturally competent behaviors appears of significant interest when it is desired to view cultural competence from the lenses of intergroup theory. Though studies in other disciplines (say, in healthcare literature-Thom and Tirado, 2006; and Benkert et al., 2011) inform on what is meant by culturally competent behaviors, the scholarship on business management is largely silent on this question. Hence, the first aim of this study is to find out what constitutes culturally competent behaviors at workplace. Second, considering the personnel at workplace as various organization group leaders or representatives who also belong to various identity groups, managing cross-cultural situations by them can also be seen as managing the group boundary, power distance, affective patterns, and cognitive formations in the intergroup relations. Since the behaviours of leaders and representatives of these groups in the organization reflect upon the characteristics of intergroup relations (Alderfer and Smith, 1982), the second objective of this study is to find empirically whether culturally competent behaviours actually do so.
Place, A. (2021) says
After a year that forced the nation to examine its relationship with race and equality, employers are increasingly turning to new technologies to help them gain momentum around diversity and inclusion efforts.Employers have turned to technology to help them with the heavy lifting around eliminating recruiting bias and changing corporate culture. These tools are crucial to holding employers accountable and creating a diverse and dynamic workplace.The COVID pandemic has also been a catalyst for this work. The widespread adoption of remote work and an anticipated hiring frenzy mean that employers are turning to virtual recruiting, presenting greater opportunities to expand their talent pool.And while the tech industry favors the use of go-getter terms like “ninja” and “hunter” in job descriptions, that kind of aggressive language can actually deter candidates from applying. Identifying these triggering words helps neutralize the hiring experiences.Virtual training has provided an opportunity for managers and employees to engage in these discussions more consistently, a collection of ready-made courses offered through Epignosis, a learning and development platform. Epignosis expanded their training modules to include more education around inclusion, discrimination and unconcious bias after responding to increased interest over the past year. While technology can be an important tool, organizations should avoid turning it into a crutch.
“The technology is only as good as the people using it”. It’s our responsibility at the end of the day to be mindful and hold ourselves accountable. When people are comfortable and people feel represented, they’re going to do their best work for you.”
Howes, C. (1996, Jul 27) says
The value of diversity can be measured through such things as improved employee morale, lower turnover rates, higher productivity, fewer hiring costs and a decrease in absenteeism. And it suggests that by improving its management practices by just one standard deviation, an average company will achieve a $27,044 increase in sales, a $3,814 increase in profits and an $18,641 increase in market value per employee in the year following the change.
FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
* Lower turnover costs.
* Less absenteeism.
* Increased employee productivity and efficiency.
* Fewer expenses related to poor-quality goods and services.
* Less use of outside consultants.
* More effective and productive teams.
* Fewer legal and reputation costs from diversity-related employee grievances.
* More innovation.
* Better employee morale and job satisfaction.
* Improved customer service and satisfaction.
* Enhanced reputation.
* Increased long-term profitability and financial health.
Workplace diversity delivers for the bottom line: People seeking out business partners, team members, and employees who share their traits miss out on quantifiable benefits. (2022, Nov 18) states
American economist Paul Gompers has put a lot of time into studying the impact of diversity on business. During research spread over a number of years, the Harvard professor looked at the investment decisions made by thousands of VCs. His findings are revealing. The more alike the teams, the lower their investment performance.It’s now widely accepted that diverse teams tend to make better decisions, often because they’re more representative of the wider consumer base.
Returnships and internships are also a way of reaching out to those who have been out of the workforce for a while. And choosing a diverse interview panel can also help with removing the barriers to inclusion. It encourages companies to set realistic targets for diversity that can be measured, evaluated and reported on.
Workplace diversity programmes often fail: It’s not the thought that counts. (2022, Sep 08)
Diversity and anti-harassment training is a booming industry. Attempts to improve the workplace are laudable, and make good business sense. But only if they work. Unfortunately the consensus now emerging among academics is that many anti-discrimination policies have no effect. What is worse, they often backfire. For a forthcoming book, Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev tested this proposition. They collected data on anti-discrimination training programmes and targeted grievance procedures at 829 American companies implemented from 1971 to 2002, and how they affected the representation of ethnic groups and genders in management up to 2015. They found that most did the opposite of what one might expect.
Scheiber, N. (2023, Jul 01) says
The Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. argued that a university could take into account the effect on a candidate of having overcome racial discrimination, as long as the school didn’t consider the candidate’s race per se. But Dr. Tillery of Northwestern said making such changes to business diversity programs could be an overreaction to the ruling. The individual hiring and promotion decisions explicitly on race, it allows employers to remove obstacles that prevent companies from having a more diverse workforce. Examples include training managers and recruiters to ensure that they aren’t unconsciously discriminating against racial minorities, or advertising jobs on certain campuses to increase the universe of potential applicants. In the end, companies appear to face a greater threat of litigation over discrimination against members of minority groups.
Pacáková, V. and ET ALL (2022) says
Various factors contribute to the gender pay gap, such as differences in labour force participation rates, differences in the occupations and activities that tend to be male-dominated, or female-dominated. They are often not insignificant differences in the extent to which men and women work on a part-time basis, as well as the attitudes of personnel departments within private and public organizations towards career development and unpaid and/or maternity/ parental leave. Some underlying factors that may, at least in part, explain gender pay gaps include sectoral and occupational segregation, education and training, awareness and transparency, as well as direct discrimination. Gender pay gaps also reflect other inequalities, in particular, women’s often-disproportionate share of family responsibilities and associated difficulties of reconciling work with private life. Many women work part-time or under atypical contracts: although this permits them to remain in the labour market while managing family responsibilities, it can have a negative impact on their pay, career development, promotion prospects, and pensions
Barnett, V. (1999, Mar 26) says
12.5% of companies have diversity incorporated into the corporate strategy. It’s viewed as an essential element of continued growth and development. An ongoing effort is made. 17.5% Recognize the competitive value of diversity, and tend to have numerous diversity programs. 20% of organization motivated by obedience to the legal system or commonly held moral principle. Often has a system for tracking diversity, but nothing more. May have good diversity initiatives that disappear in cutbacks. Generally little drive from top executives. 50% of organizations tend to be aware of demographic changes because of recent popular publications, but don’t believe diversity is an issue for them. Argue a diverse workforce happens inadvertently while acknowledging glaring differences such as many women in the lower ranks while few reach executive levels.
Conclusion
Each individual is distinct and does not speak or represent any one group. Finally, managers must be prepared to alter the structure of the company as needed. To succeed in the future, organizations must understand how to manage diversity in the workplace. Unfortunately, there isn’t just one way to be successful. It largely depends on the manager’s capacity to recognize what is best for the organization given team dynamics and workplace dynamics. Roosevelt claims that handling diversity is a comprehensive process for developing an inclusive workplace. A good manager should emphasize personal awareness when developing a successful diversified workforce. Managers and employees alike need to be conscious of their biases.
Promoting an environment where employees may interact in a “safe” manner is another crucial element when dealing with diversity. Conversations can be started during social events and business meetings when everyone must listen and has an opportunity to speak. Managers should put rules in place, such as mentorship initiatives, to give staff members access to resources and opportunities. In addition, colleagues should never be denied essential, constructive criticism so they can learn from their failures and triumphs. A varied workforce is an indication of how the globe and the economy are evolving. Multicultural work groups are very valuable to organizations. Respecting individual variations will enhance workplace efficiency and provide employees a competitive edge. By fostering a climate where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges, diversity management helps employees. Everyone should be educated on diversity and its issues, including rules and regulations, using management techniques in a varied workforce. Organizations need to learn how to adapt if they are to succeed because the majority of workplaces are made up of varied cultures.
References
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Ghosh, A. (2014). Culturally Competent Behaviors at Workplace: An Intergroup Perspective for Workplace Diversity. South Asian Journal of Management, 21(3), 73-95. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/culturally-competent-behaviors-at-workplace/docview/1814318313/se-2
Howes, C. (1996, Jul 27). Diversity can have impact on bottom line; FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF WORKPLACE DIVERSITY: [FINAL edition]. Edmonton Journal Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/diversity-can-have-impact-on-bottom-line/docview/252319113/se-2
Making diversity a workplace asset: Focus on inclusion and employee well-being. (2021). Development and Learning in Organizations, 35(6), 34-37. doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-01-2021-0008
Pacáková, V. and ET ALL (2022). FACTORS OF GENDER PAY GAP IN THE HIGHEST WAGES OF EMPLOYEES IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC. E+M Ekonomie a Management, 25(4), 20-39. doi:https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2022-4-002
Place, A. (2021). DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY: Technology can bridge the workplace diversity gap: Employers are utilizing artificial intelligence and virtual tech tools to navigate the conversation about diversity and inclusion. Employee Benefit News, 35(3), 7. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/diversity-equality-technology-can-bridge/docview/2535401567/se-2
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Workplace diversity delivers for the bottom line: People seeking out business partners, team members, and employees who share their traits miss out on quantifiable benefits. (2022, Nov 18). Irish Times Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/workplace-diversity-delivers-bottom-line/docview/2737253961/se-2
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