Diversity climate in an organization - Research Paper Example

Introduction Successfully managing an organization especially in today’s increasingly diverse workforce has become one of the most challenges facedby management and corporate leaders in recent years. Human capital is the most valuable and powerful asset and therefore it has been found that effectively managing the human resources is extremely critical to organizational success. Managing diversity climate effectively is one of the most significant elements of effective managing of the human capital as it can help the organization increase the productivity of its workforce, make them fully satisfied and highly committed to the job as well. This piece of research paper explains what is diversity climate in an organization. This paper attempts to design a model with methods and procedures to analyze diversity and to implement the results in a cultural diversity training program. Diversity Climate in an Organization Diversity refers to the attributes and aspects that can be considered to be salient to an employer making him think that he is different from another individual. Gender, racio-ethnicity, nationality, age etc are some of the attributes that create and influence diversity within the organization (Friday and Friday, 2003, p. 863). Diversity happens in an organization where its members’ have attitudes and perception towards people from cultural groups other than their own. Herdman and McMillan-Capehart (2010, p. 40) described that diversity referred to the degree of inter-organizational representation of people in a way that different groups are inter-affiliated of cultural significance. Plurality of perspectives and experiences prevail in diversity climate and it serves as strategic resource to the organization securing a competitive advantage. They viewed diversity climate as an opportunity and a resource that the managers can turn them better strategy to increase organizational performance and achieve sustainable competitive advantage if the management is successful in managing it. As Garcia and Hoelscher (2010, p. 23) detailed, there are four different themes when it comes to diversity climate, they are: Perceptions of degree between group conflicts and a mind set to accept others, Level of institutional commitment to the diversity in the organization, Fairness, like lack of institutional bias, and A very generalized atmosphere for getting and giving respect each others. As today’s workforce has become increasingly diverse, diversity management has gained considerable attention and has emerged to be an important element of larger business strategy that can help an organization improve organizational competitiveness and effectiveness. As Hur, Strickland and Stefanovic (2009, p. 501) noted, many large organizations have recently given greater emphasis on identifying, considering and implementing varieties of practices that are designed and developed to foster better diversity business environment as well as to combat discrimination and all other legal risks in the workplace. Where diversity climate persists, there will be shared perceptions regarding the ways things are around there. Employees in such circumstances will be able to retrieve information from salient stimuli so that they can describe and interpret their work environment. They also can integrate the perceptions of unique workplace conditions and events in to quite a broader perceptions of organizational climate. A strategic method to analyze diversity climate There can be different cultural groups and people from different ethnic background in any organization. the workforce today is getting too much diverse. Diversity climate, as mentioned above, is the perception and attitude of people towards the culture of people other than their own. In a diversity culture, people are mentally capable of accepting other culture, groups and ethnic behaviors, rather than their own. The depiction above illustrates a model that can be used as a tool to analyze diversity and that can help implement the results in the cultural diversity training program. The model depicted above comprises of three-stage program, including 1) top management commitment to diversity climate, 2) management accountability for it and 3) establishing diversity program. The diversity program comprises of forming a diversity committee, conducting diversity training, establishing monitoring system, emphasizing diversity in succession and establishing multicultural work system. In a diversity climate, the management should be concentrated on establishing and developing heterogeneous workforce in a way that employees’ potential can be performed in an equitable work setting and their performance can be enhanced as well. In such a climate, the management must be bale to ensure that no particular group gain advantage or disadvantage over the other. People in an organization may belong to a number of different groups and ethnic backgrounds, but managers are expected to manage them all in equal consideration, so that no one among them gain advantage over the others. In a diverse climate, the managers should be able to ensure equitable work-environment for all the people. Employees are ensured of equal employment opportunity. An effective diversity analysis program necessarily comprises of certain important elements, mainly viewed as commitment throughout the organization, beginning from the top management etc. The program should also be able to be aligned with training programs so that employees can be made aware of how they should treat each others culture and ethnic backgrounds. Cultural Diversity Training Program Cultural diversity training is a personnel training that can educate members in an organization about cultural diversities, prejudices, stereotyping and positive aspects and impacts of workforce diversity. A cultural diversity program can thus help an organization move from monoculture aspects towards one cultural climate that gives due respects and supports for cultural differences. A cultural diversity training can be designed and developed by considering various significant communication skills, conflict resolution aspects, inter-personal relationship variables, intra-cultural and inter-cultural relations etc. the training program should be bale to convey messages to enhance cultural diversity in a way that each member within the organization would be able to see other cultural activities as their own. Conclusion This piece of paper has described diversity climate and explained how people’s perceptions and attitudes are structured in diverse climate in the organization. This paper has put forward a model for analyzing diverse climate and explained various stages that it is comprised of. The diversity climate program designed in this paper gives much importance to management commitment and responsibility almost as important as establishing diversity programs. References Friday, E & Friday, SS 2003, Managing diversity using a strategic planned change approach, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 22 No. 10, MCB UP Limited Garcia, JE and Hoelscher, KJ, 2010, Managing Diversity Flashpoints in Higher Education, Reprint, Rowman & Littlefield Herdman, AO and McMillan-Capehart, A, 2010, Establishing a Diversity Program is Not Enough: Exploring the Determinants of Diversity Climate, J Bus Psychol, Springer Hur, Y, Strickland, RA & Stefanovic, D 2009, Managing diversity: does it matter to municipal governments? International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, Emerald Group Publishing Limited Mathis, RL & Jackson, JH 2008, Human resource management, Twelfth edition, Cengage Learning Read More