Cultural Diversity - Assignment Example

Name Tutor Course Date Assessment Two PART ONE 1. A diversity policy for a school with a variety of cultures within staff levels and students. a. Definition of diversity The concept diversity encompasses respect and acceptance. It refers to understanding that every individual is unique and to recognize our individual differences. The differences could fall along the dimensions of ethnicity, race, gender, socio-economic status, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities political beliefs, religious beliefs and other ideologies. It’s the exploration of the differences in a positive, nurturing environment and safe. It’s about understanding one another and to move beyond simple tolerance to embrace and celebrate the diversity’s rich dimensions contained within each individual. b. A rationale (an explanation why it is necessary). Staff and education managers on how to effectively work in a diverse environment assists the university hinder discrimination and promote inclusiveness. Managing a work force that is diverse contributes to increased staff productivity and retention. It can enhance the responsiveness of the organization to a world of customers that is increasingly diverse, improving relations with surrounding communities, expand the organization’s creativity and increase the ability of organization to cope with change. c. The principles and values diversity is based on. The policy provides access to opportunities in employment and education through free from discrimination processes. Appreciate and respect the students and staff diversity which richly contributes to the learning, teaching, creative endeavours and research of the institution. d. The objectives and goals of the policy The policy will ensure that there is a skilled and diverse work force that reflects students, carers/parents and staff’s diversity and leads to better interactions and engagement to deliver responsive customer service. It will also lead to the development of a work place culture that focuses on inclusive behaviours and practices for the sake of all staff’s benefit, training system and public education. A school and work environment that utilizes and values the employees’ contributions with diverse experiences, backgrounds, educational levels, and skill. Create awareness to every staff of their responsibilities and rights with regard to respect, respect and equity for every aspects of diversity. e. The benefits of diversity policy The policy helps various students from diverse backgrounds. Each person has got a unique thing about themselves to bring on board, and with everybody’s strengths used together they can end up making anything better. A single person cannot do things alone always but with the various talents from diverse communities, things with potential can get strengthened. Overall, diversity in faculties, staff and students bodies is fundamental to fulfil provision of quality education as a primary goal of the school. PART TWO 1. Brief profile of my own work place in regards to diversity.-where diversity is supported in the policies and procedures. This is a universal institution that acknowledges the importance of diversity. This is the core reason as to why there are core diversity policies set a side to guide and protect both students and staff. As much as it is a Christian based school, it recruits students from diverse cultural, racial, and educational backgrounds without any biasness or stereotype and prejudice. 2. List three potential barriers to inclusivity that could exist in my workplace. a. Ignorance or lack of knowledge and lack of acceptance b. Miscommunication as a results of language barriers c. Discrimination, biasness and lack of equality when handling people. 3. Three suggestions to help ensure all workplace activities were effective and equitable for everyone in my work place including clients.-provide reasons. a. Universal training- training the workers on professionalism is fundamental in that they (workers) will be in a position to handle diversity in the work force without discrimination or bias. b. Ensuring that there is a policy or regulations in place that each person abides to so as to bring uniformity in the work force. c. Demographics of the community or religion- if there is respect to each and everyone regardless of religion or the community they come from there will be mutual coexistence. 4. Explain at least three benefits of diverse workforce a. Increase in Productivity-diversity in workforce can bring fourth an increase in competitive advantages and productivity. Employers are able to offer more solutions to customers due to the new processes and ideas brought into the organization. Diversity in workplace boosts the employee morale. It also causes desire for the employees to work more efficiently and effectively. Diversity within a firm, in leadership, allows managers to bring in new methods and skills to achieve unity within their teams. b. Increase in creativity-diversity in work force for instance within a company increases creativity in that there is a cross-fertilization of heterogeneous groups within the organization. Employees from various backgrounds bring a lot of solutions on achieving a common goal. When more ideas are suggested, chances to find a workable solution are improved. In atmospheres where brainstorming is needed, more ideas are coined because members are different culturally. For instance, Chinese employees working within the American companies approach problems completely differently from America workers. Some companies have created innovative processes successfully by borrowing ideas from other companies. c. Language skills-a company that plan to expand to global markets get benefits from diversity in language within the workplace. For instance, companies with employees fluent in mandarin and who understands Chinese culture experiences a much easier time to communicate with representatives from China. A bilingual worker experiences advantages when she/he applies for a job because most employees understand how language diversity is beneficial. The other example can be companies that hire employees who are fluent in standard German to increase the reputation of the company in Germany communities. An increased presence results, usually into an increase in sales. d. Positive reputation- A job seeker is drawn to a company with a diverse workforce because it’s evident that the company doesn’t practice employment discrimination. Potential employees need to know that an employer treats his/her staff fairly regardless of gender, race or ethnicity. Not only is such a firm in a position to attract new but its able to attract new talents but it can as well retain the existing due to high employee morale that results from diversity in workforces. 5. Briefly outline difference between direct and indirect discrimination. Within the employment context, direct discrimination refers to a situation whereby a current or prospective employee is treated less favourably because of sex, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment marital status or religion. Direct discrimination appears to be the obvious forms of discrimination, for example when a female job candidate with the best and most experienced as well not getting to at least an interview whereas a male candidate being less qualified but still reaching for the interview. Indirect discrimination on the other hand occurs in a situation whereby business practices by a specific company or individual employers who apply to everybody in their employment result into certain people, regardless of gender or race being disadvantaged. For example, failure to provide food that is religiously appropriate when catering. That is indirect discrimination on belief or regions’ grounds. 6. Importance of suspending my own cultural assumptions when working with diversity. - Where negative assumption may impact on the behaviour of the work team. People have cultural beliefs that are different. When working with diversity, failing to suspend my cultural assumptions means I may stereotype individuals depending on the assumptions I have about them, this may result to biasness or unfairness hence discrimination. An example is for instance in a work force where whites look down upon blacks (Africans) assuming that they are culturally primitive and backward will impact, negatively on the behaviour of the African at the work force hence making them less productive all together. 7. How my school promotes the principle of diversity within the work practices of the staff. a. There is the provision of both harmony and multi-cultural days. These days help train the students how to absorb and except each other’s cultures and giving the students the freedom to practice their culture. There are trainings on professional development too where students are taught how to be professionals hence making them capable of surviving in a diverse workforce. 8. Describe an advocate-what an advocate can to ensure equitable service delivery to students and staff An advocate basically speaks for or on behalf of somebody else. An advocate publicly recommends or supports a particular policy or cause. Advocates help in legal implementation in case of breach of policies and procedures. 9. School system diversity policy-how the policy can be measured Feedback from the staff or stakeholders survey- the policy can be measured and rated depending on the feed backs and opinions from the staff and stakeholders. 10. What is meant by cross cultural communication and two strategies to help the kind of strategy? Cultural communication depicts the ability to form, improve and foster successfully, relationships with members from different cultures. It’s based on knowledge about a lot of factors, like other culture’s perceptions, values decision-making practices and social structure, and to understand how members from the group communicate-non-verbally, verbally, in writing, in person and in various social contexts and businesses. This strategy can be improved by use of interpreters to enhance learning of different cultures. It can also be improved by discouraging stereotype and negative stereotyping some cultures. 11. Equal employment opportunity Equal employment opportunity means bringing up the disadvantaged to the level of those advantaged and giving them all an equal chance and opportunity of employment. 12. Three principles relating to equity and diversity within a school system a. Acceptance and tolerance b. Respectful relationship c. Diversifying the curriculum in that every kid is catered for. 13. Strategies to promote diversity in a work place a. Training on diversity b. Implementation of policies or procedures c. Professional development Assessment Tasks 1: short answer 1. On what basis is it illegal to discriminate against people? It is illegal to discriminate people on basis of: a. Religious affiliation b. Gender c. Disability d. Culture e. Political affiliation 2. The anti-discrimination legislation as it applies to workplace-one aspect of legislation and its implementation at my work place. a. The Anti-discrimination Act talks about equal employment opportunities to each and everyone-at my organisation there is equality during employee recruitment. The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) principle ensures that the selection of staff into any position is based on merit. The disadvantaged have been put at the same level in terms of employment opportunities like the advantaged. This is done regardless of gender, race, cultural backgrounds or disability. 3. Definition of diversity within legislation. Diversity refers to the differences between people within a workplace. It entails the differences in beliefs, ideologies and practices. Illegal employers or organisations discriminate against people with various diversities. 4. Respond to workplace diversity in accordance with workplace objectives My draft plan is about is about creating awareness on elimination of discrimination, stereotyping, negative prejudice from the workplace. a. The school’s objective is to offer quality education to everyone within a diversity school. The plan will therefore bring harmony in that there will be no discrimination, stereotype and prejudice and hence each student will have an opportunity to attain quality education. b. Fighting discrimination, prejudice and negative prejudice definitely helps the school to uphold inclusion and diversity. c. The trainings against discrimination are avenues for professional development for the pupils d. There are no major resource constrains in creating the awareness plan e. The plan helps the pupils to be able to withstand people from different cultures, gender, race, ethnicity and religion. 5. How to promote the activity within the workplace to encourage participation by client This can be done through the use of: a. Newsletters b. Sending emails c. School server d. Communication/ notice board e. Upload on the school website. Read More