Can Diversity and Discrimination in the Workplace Be Ever Overcome - Literature review Example

Diversity and discrimination in the work place, can it ever be overcome?’ In the modern age, there has been a sea change in the demographic pattern of the workforce because of globalization, an increasingly dynamic market, higher competition and economic recession. Corporations across the world have seen an increase in the diversity of their staff. Many aspects including change in population trends and no discrimination policy has also bought about this change (Cox, 2001). As the workforce becomes more and more diverse, it brings for the challenge of appropriate diversity management so that instances of discrimination can be avoided. This study looks at whether it is possible to avoid diversity and discrimination at workplace. Diversity Management The main reasons for diversity in workplace are globalization, migration, increasing in women employees and changes in corporate structure because of global operations and outsourcing. While this diversity proves to be an asset to the organization because it fosters innovativeness, co-cooperativeness and adaptability, it can create major challenges related to diversity (Green, 2010). Overcoming the discrimination that occurs because of diversity management is a long process that needs to be executed with the help of appropriate policies and hence, an inclusive, diversity management policy is important for the organization (Cox, 2001). Diversity Management can be described as a set of policies which are taken on a proactive basis in order to ensure that opportunities due to diversity are maximized and threats related to diversity are reduced (Maier, 2005). Lack of appropriate diversity management can not only lead to discrimination, but it can also result in conflicts, attrition, legal action as well as lack of efficiency. Over the past couple of decades, the United Nations and countries across the world have stressed on the importance of equality and overcoming discrimination. For organizations, it is mandatory to be an equal opportunity provider in terms of both hiring staff as well as in providing equality at workplace. From an ethical perspective, it is necessary to overcome discrimination and accept diversity (Green, 2010). Discrimination in a workplace can happen on account of numerous aspects such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnic origin and so on. Therefore, to overcome this discrimination, diversity management policies should have a high focus on increasing awareness, sensitizing the staff and ensuring inclusive policies. Causes of Discrimination and Strategies to Overcome Awareness In the recent years, eliminating any discrimination due to diversity has been a topic that has received the attention of researchers and scholars. One of the main reasons because of which discrimination takes place in workplace is the lack of awareness that leads to insensitive and discriminatory behavior (Nishii and Wright, 2008). Hence, creating awareness should be one of the most important steps when it comes to diversity management. In addition, creating awareness does not mean having certain non-discriminatory policies at workplace, instead it means educating employees and making them understand how to acknowledge as well as accept the diversity that they would be experiencing. This is particularly crucial in a situation where the majority of employees belong to one particular group (age, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation and so on). In such a situation, discrimination can even happen in the form of isolation (Nishii and Wright, 2008). For example, most organizations have a policy of non-discrimination with regard to homosexuals, but due to the stigma associated with homosexuality, it is possible that the individual is looked at in a different manner because of the sexual orientation. Therefore, both the Human Resources team as well as the management should work in tandem through formal sessions, online trainings and need-based individual sessions to improve awareness. Acknowledgement and Acceptance According to Green, Lopez, Wysocki and Kepner (2002), many instances of discrimination happen because organizations often feel that acknowledgement of the differences among people are enough. However, to overcome discrimination due to diversity it is necessary to understand that diversity management is a complex process where the value of various differences are understood and discrimination is removed based on that. To illustrate with an example, with globalization, it has been seen that people belonging to various cultures work together. Some employees may have an individualistic approach because the upbringing they had was based on an individualistic culture. Similarly, some other employees may have a collectivist culture. This scenario may not result in ideological clashes, but it can also create discrimination because, if the management or leadership is biased to one particular type of culture, the other group may feel discriminated. In such a scenario, the management may acknowledge the presence of the group with the different thought, but may not be able to prevent discrimination (Green, Lopez, Wysocki and Kepner, 2002). Hence, if an organization wants to overcome discrimination challenges bought about by diversity, mere acknowledgement is also not enough. Along with acknowledgement of the diversity, acceptance is also equally important as this acceptance can lead to an effective blending of individuals in such a manner that the focus shifts from diversity to the collective mission of the organization (Strum, 2009). It is a given fact that individuals would remain different on account of a number of factors, but acceptance of these differences can help in blending them to one cohesive unit. Only when individuals accept that diversity is a fact of life, a change would be seen. In this situation, the responsibility lies with not just the Human resources team but with employees also. Acceptance is a process that may take time; hence it is necessary to continue taking steps in a consistent manner (Strum, 2009). Team building activities, effective communication programs, leading by example and encouraging focus on collective mission rather than on individuals are some steps that can be taken. Communication At times, employees have a perception that discrimination has happened because they do not have adequate information. For example, if an individual has performed well in the organization and is being rewarded, the criteria for it should be stated clearly so that there is no ambiguity. If the communication does not happen properly, then individuals begin to speculate and would feel that they were not rewarded because they belonged to a diverse group, and not the mainstream group (Borak, 2005). Hence, any reward schemes, evaluation method, compensation programs or bonuses should be done through a transparent and fair method. In addition, both the management and the Human resources team should always communicate their policies and approaches related to diversity management in a clear manner. Similarly, if an employee feels any sort of discrimination at the work place, there should be appropriate mechanism in place to address this issue. The employee should be aware of whom to contact and how to resolve such issues. Inclusion Strategies If an organization has a diverse work force, it is imperative to have certain strategies that encourage inclusion (Thomas, 2006). For example, if a particular manager feels that there would be issues of discrimination in a certain group, he or she should step forward in a proactive manner and encourage people to speak their differences. Such sessions can bring in more perspective to the employees regarding diversity. Inclusion strategies should aim at cultivating respect towards other individuals and groups so that a feeling of oneness gets established in the team. For example, if a team has a physically disabled individual, then the mindset of the team should be such that they plan recreational strategies which do not require a lot of physical abilities so that this particular member can feel included and there would be no scope of discrimination. In 2012, Innovisor, which is an organization based in Copenhagen, carried out a research on over 5000 people across different organizations on diversity and their attitude towards it (Corbell, 2012). The research concluded that employees had a tendency to collaborate and communicate more with people who had a similar background or attitude, rather than with the people who were from different backgrounds or had different attitudes. As per their research, this tendency can lead to widespread discrimination in an organization. Therefore, it’s important that such a group think does not emerge in an organization and it can be done with appropriate inclusion strategies. Leadership and Management Commitment The leadership and management of an organization have an important role to play in shaping the culture of an organization and hence, to ensure that their organization follows an inclusive culture that does not foster discrimination (Kwak, 2003). For this, the commitment of leaders and managers is very important. Often, it is seen that the culture that leaders belong to permeates to the rest of the organization also. For example, if the majority of the top leadership belongs to a collectivist culture, then the organization also follows this culture and it can lead to the staff that have an individualistic approach feeling discriminated. First and foremost, the leadership should be fully committed to the idea of accepting diversity and ensuring non-discrimination (Kwak, 2003). For this, an organization should have strategic diversity management plan that is well aligned with the strategic plan of the organization. Gradually, as the employees see the leaders accepting and adopting an inclusive approach, the employees will also follow suit. Diversity Audit In fact, most organizations have a process called diversity training which aims at informing and educating the management as well as the staff about diversity and the advantages that a diverse workforce can provide to the organization. Additionally, some organizations have also implemented the policy of diversity audit (Coats, Goodwin and Bangs, 2000). This audit is carried out through means such as surveys and personal interviews to understand if there are any hidden prejudices or discrimination that exists in the organization. A diversity audit can not only help in resolving any discrimination issues, but it can also provide information on how to improve the diversity management strategies from an employee’s perspective. Policy Review One of the major mistakes that organizations make with regard to diversity management is that they frame certain policies and implement it, but do not subject it to periodic review. This can be drawback because as trends related to diversity change; the needs of diversity management also undergo a change. Hence, they should periodically review these policies to see if it suits their needs of the current set of employees that the organization has (Friday and Friday, 2003). Similarly, another common mistake which is made by many organizations is that they have an all-compassing policy without specific references to particular groups. Such policies are aimed at ensuring that there is no discrimination, however, in practical application, the aim does not get fulfilled. This is because the factors that matter for one particular group may not be relevant to others. For example, a homosexual individual, acceptance from others may be an important factor, but for a woman, equal distribution of the work may be much more relevant. Hence, it is necessary to have policies that address these finer nuances and such policies also should be reviewed in a periodic manner. Karabackoglu and Ozbiligin conducted a study on global diversity management in Ericsson, which is a Sweden based organization which has expanded its presence in a number of countries like India, USA, China, Brazil and so on (Karabacakoğlu and Özbilgin,2010). Through its commitment to diversity management, the organization has developed a complex and multi-layered approach to diversity management. As per this policy, there are certain global priorities such as gender representation and national representation. Along with this, the diversity management policy is formulated in such a manner that there is scope for local or domestic priorities too (Karabacakoğlu and Özbilgin, 2010). Furthermore, the organization considers diversity management to be a change process which needs constant renewal. The example of how Ericsson has handled diversity management illustrates that diversity management is a complex process which needs to be handled at multiple levels to avoid any form of discrimination. Conclusions With rising competition and challenges related to economic recession, it is necessary for the organization to ensure that any form of discrimination is eliminated because it can result in not just the loss of productivity, but it can also compromise the ethical foundation of the organization. Across the world, the message of equality and acceptance is being propagated and hence, a good diversity management policy which is effectively implemented can help in overcoming the challenge of discrimination at workplace. Citations Borak, M. (2005). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Coats, R., Goodwin, J., & Bangs, P. (2000). Seeking the best path: Assessing a library’s diversity climate. 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