Week 9 assignment paper - Essay Example

Diversity and Inclusion in Organizations Assignment No. 9 Brian Giuliano Texas A&M Commerce The article “Why does Diversity Matter?” provides brief but incisive commentary about the diversification and inclusion strategies of a particular company, in the course of which it draws attention to D&I as a unifying force for companies in general. In this assignment, attributes and elements of my organization, St. Jude Medical, are discussed in so far as its own D&I practices have contributed to the advancement of the overall corporate goals while further strengthening its overseas and cross-border subsidiaries as integral members of the locality and good corporate citizens in the host country.

Look at these questions from the perspective of your organizations community, shareholders, and suppliers. How does the public perception of the organization affect its value?The public image of the company is paramount in keeping its customers and retaining its value. People arrive at the decision to purchase goods and services based on personal values. If the company projects the image consistent with public values, then sales may be expected to go up, as well as revenues and profits. This leads to a more valuable company through increased ROI for investors.

However, companies negatively perceived are shunned and sales suffer. One need only look at Nike and Gap when news broke out that they outsourced products from child labor and sweat shops in Asia (Thottam, 2005). St. Jude Medical, my organization, is perceived as a reliable provider of quality medical goods, with a solid reputation in corporate responsibility.How does the organizations employee retention rate affect profitability? An organization with a high employee retention rate keeps its trained and skilled workers for a long time.

The organization gains the benefit of their long-term experience and expertise, and avoids the cost of having to train new employees frequently. A high turnover rate reduces profitability because of the time new hires go through their learning curves, and the disruptions in the production schedule because of vacancies. Besides, one must “employ the market” to best serve the market (RBC, 2012). At SJM, employee turnover rate is low, and retention high.How does the organization respond to negative and positive news breaks?

 Of course, positive news breaks about the company are always welcome, and in the case of negative news, SJM, a Fortune 500 company, has its crisis management team to pre-empt the worst effects. The key to the crisis management plan is prompt, transparent communication with the public. SJM does not rely on PR or window dressing. Instead, its 16,000 engaged employees worldwide become the company’s spokesmen and uphold its brand name, by their own testimony and endorsement. Finally, SJM counters bad news by its good quality products.

Do the diversity practices of the organization achieve a sense of community? Why, Why not?Yes, D&I practices at SJM develop a sense of community. The organization is spread over several countries in different continents worldwide, therefore building a community in the broad sense is difficult but necessary to ensure business integrity and competitiveness. Its subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and North and South America comprise a diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities, which the parent company harmonizes towards a single strategic goal.

By identifying commonalities while celebrating diversities, SJM is able to engage this massive multiracial workforce and create a single communal esprit de corps (SJM, 2012).Do the organizations diversity and inclusion practices enable employees to be more productive? Why, why not?D&I practices enable employees to be more productive if such practices effectively seek out and hire diverse people with the right skills, knowledge and attitudes to perform the jobs they were hired for. Between a member of the majority and a member of an underrepresented group, assuming all necessary qualifications are the same, the member of the minority group shall be able to bring to the job a different perspective pertaining to his/her group affiliation, beyond what the majority already have.

The unique viewpoint can add new channels for productivity.How do the organizations diversity and inclusion practices affect public perception? D&I practices affect public perception which in turn redound to company value. SJM, as a multinational company, has as many faces to present to the public as it has publics to serve. Each location identifies with SJM as their own company, a part of the locality and community which understands their medical needs. This will not be ordinarily possible if the company maintains the cultural exclusivity of its parent company.

Therefore, SJM must actively pursue D&I worldwide to be able to communicate and interact with its market, in order to be perceived as a company that knows and understands how to deliver the needed goods and services.ReferencesRoyal Bank of Canada (RBC) (2012) “Why does Diversity Matter?” RBC. Retrieved 8 August 2012 from http://www.rbc.com/diversity/why-does-diversity-matter.htmlSt. Jude Medical (SJM) (2012) St. Jude Medical Web Site Directory. Retrieved from http://www.sjm.com/web-site-directory.

aspx Thottam, J (7 October 2005). "A New Push Against Sweatshops". TIME. Retrieved 8 August 2012 from http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1115508,00.html