Organizational Communication: Workplace Diversity - Coursework Example

Organizational Communication: Workplace Diversity The Effect of Diversity in the Workplace Executive Summary As one would take a glance around any ordinary American workplace, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see that not all people look alike. The demographics of the workforce have undergone a marked transformation over last half century. In the 1950s over 60% of the workers were white males and they were generally the only breadwinners in their households. It was expected that they would retire by the age of 65 and would spend their remaining years indulging in leisure activities (Lindenberger, 2014). The reality today, however, is different, in that it significantly comprises both male and female workers of various races, religions, ages, and other background aspects to contributing towards earning a good livelihood. Outline of the Paper The paper starts with a comprehensive introduction about the topic which has been chosen for study. This is followed by a thesis statement which clearly provides the reason of doing this research and study. Next the topic selected, i.e. workplace diversity, is explained in detail and expanded using real life examples and facts as supporting evidences on the subject. Last is the conclusion summarizing what has been learned, and some personal opinions are included in response to the study which is conducted. Introduction Over the course of the long-run period, it is essential to any business’s success that its workforce be as diverse as possible. That way the business can benefit from fresh ideas, various perspectives and ways of reviewing the nature of its work. It then falls upon the business’s managers to optimally leverage the benefits arising from a workforce comprising of the combination of mixed genders, cultural backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles. If availed properly, this combination can fast create dynamic business opportunities (SHRM, 2005). Thesis Statement This paper aims to explore the positive and negative effects which workplace diversity brings to an organization or to a nation. Moreover the topic will outline how different workforce helps businesses in increasing employee turnover cost and in achieving a competitive economy in a globalized world. Workplace Diversity Diversity in the work-place, today, is no more plainly a black/white, male/female, or old/young phenomenon. It is much more intricate in nature and rather interesting as well. It is about how individuals of different backgrounds relate to each other, how they interact with each other, and where and when is it that they need to be careful about not bordering on disrespect. The word diversity implies several things – it is a connection between occupational and non-occupational lives, it is about developing corporate capability, and then it is the structure for interpersonal relationships. A diverse workforce belong to different backgrounds and possess varying degree of experiences with them, hence a workplace having diversity is rated more creative, innovative and productive. With the passage of time every other business has understood the need of diversity not only for running their individual businesses but also strengthening the nation’s bottom line. According to a study directed by McKinsey & Company it has been found that the increase in women’s overall portion of labor in the U.S. have raised from 37% to 47% over the past 40 years (Kerby & Burns, 2012). Managing workplace diversity focuses more on the maximization of employee’s abilities and their contribution towards organizational goals. The managers are responsible for managing diversity tactfully, which means acknowledging differences happenings at various phases and enhancing good management practices by preventing discrimination. The significance of organizational diversity has increased with the linkage of organizational culture. Despite the fact that we have too many technological advancements going around the international relations, it necessitates towards dealing with one another on person-to-person basis. It is also observed that with the increase in age, older employees tend to disregard the fact of having diversity and their acceptance of such changes starts decreasing. Hence it is imperative to have regular trainings, workshops and group discussions among employees for not only increasing the opportunities, but it also opens more chances of collaboration (Patrick & Kumar, 2012). Examples of Workplace Diversity Discussed below are two examples of the challenges that can arise in managing a diverse workforce: An American company General Electric has always believed in finding the best and the right way to do business. The company is operating at an international level hence maintaining a balance in workforce diversity is not an easy task. They are committed in employing diverse workforce which has made it possible for them to have the most innovative minds available under one roof. The management is always in the process of encouraging and motivating their employees which also creates a feeling of belonging and support. In this way GE has been able to keep their diverse workforce intact and has achieved a competitive advantage in the markets they serve (Immelt, 2012). At an American subsidiary of a Japan based bank, some Japanese women voiced their agitation to management about their older male bosses who were allegedly disrespectful toward them. The human resources manager investigated this matter by questioning all female workers in the office. As it thus became known, all Japanese women complained about having issues with the Japanese men. On other hand, no American woman had any such problem at all. This confused the human resources manager, who then proceeded to question the Japanese male managers. These men said that they fully comprehended the expectations of Americans with regards to sexual harassment and therefore, were wary as to how they behaved with the American women. However, when it came to the Japanese women in the bank, the males were annoyed as why those women had issues with them when they had no ill intentions. This kind of thinking made apparent the critical dearth of clear and straightforward communication in the work-place (Bolen & Kleiner, 1994). An advantage of a workforce that is dynamic and diverse is that it can avail the skills of several other employees at the workplace who come from different backgrounds, hold varying view-points and possess unique talents as well as limitations. The business cards of workers in a particular Fortune 100 company, is rather a telling example of this benefit. These cards appear to be rather ordinary at first glance, but when looked at closely, the raised Braille characters of employee information was quiet clear (Morgan & Várdy, 2009) Diversity is bound to increase in the next few years to come and only those organizations will be successful which can recognize the importance of workplace diversity. Intercultural diversity is associated with the ability of workers to produce their full output effectively despite of having diverse environment. Having workplace diversity attracts lots of differences but is the key to overcoming such obstacles and lead culturally through different groups. The greatest challenge which an organization faces when trying to adopt more inclusive environment is to have assimilation from members present outside the dominant group. Another new challenge being faced by managers working in a diverse environment is handling miscommunication within an organization. In workgroups which are acknowledged as culturally diverse it was found that the cross cultural differences are obvious and lead to several bad issues. It is the duty of managers to self-monitor and take strategic decisions for having relaxed and balanced working environment (Henry & Evans, 2007). Conclusion Many companies are faced with challenges posed by developing diversity in their work culture. One reason for this is that employees are placed in different, almost isolated cubicles according to their designated portfolios. If it were to be considered as to how to categorize a white male employee, over 50 years of age, who is also an atheist, one would think about having to choose between gender, generation, ethnicity, and religion. Diversity cannot be categorized categorically and those organizations that respond effectively to the variety to employees that they have at their workplace are the most successful in expanding their businesses and client base. Hence it can be concluded that managing workforce diversity has become an important issue for both government and private organizations. Initially the workforce diversity was emerged with the concept of introducing equal employment opportunities in the workplace but now this idea has expanded into including individuals from different races, cultures, nation regardless of their religion, cast, color or creed. References Bolen, L., & Kleiner, B. H. (1994). Managing Diversity in the Workplace. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 3 - 8. Henry, O., & Evans, A. J. (2007). Critical review of literature on workforce diversity. African Journal of Business Management, 72-76. Immelt, J. (2012). General Electric. Retrieved from Diversity Journal: http://www.diversityjournal.com/7688-jeff-immelt-general-electric/ Kerby, S., & Burns, C. (2012). The Top 10 Economic Facts of Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved from americanprogress.org: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/12/11900/the-top-10-economic-facts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/ Lindenberger, u. (2014). Diversity And The Workplace. Retrieved from experience.com: https://culinary.experience.com/alumnus/article?channel_id=diversity&source_page=workplace&article_id=article_1134069577860 Morgan, J., & Várdy, F. (2009). Diversity in the Workplace. American Economic Review, 472-85. Patrick, H. A., & Kumar, V. R. (2012). Managing Workplace Diversity Issues and Challenges. Sage Journals. SHRM. (2005). Workplace Diversity Series Part I: Moving Forward With Diversity. Retrieved from Workplace Diversity Practices Survey Report: http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Pages/WorkplaceDiversitySeriesPartIMovingForwardWithDiversity.aspx Read More