Workplace Diversity - Issues and Perspectives - Essay Example

Running Head: Reflective Journal Reflective Journal (Name) (Course) (University) Date of presentation: Lecturer: Introduction The following three essays are a reflection of what we had learnt in the course and are particularly based on group development and workplace diversity. In these essays, it has been articulated that effective management of workplace diversity is a key aspect of human resource management in modern organizations. Regardless of the size or nature of business that an organization engages in, diversity in the workforce is a key feature and can impact negatively or positively on key organizational outcomes. Diversity is crucial in group development and this is the reason why successful performance groups consist of individuals with different education, cultural backgrounds and experiences. Researches have shown that performance groups which embrace diversity demonstrate superior outcomes and are likely to survive extreme conditions. Part 1: Reflection on “The Boy, the Girl, the Ferryboat Captain and the Hermits” The girl is in the pre-conventional stage of moral development. In this stage of development, a person’ choice between right and wrong is based on the personal consequences involved in the decision (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2006). This is clear in the story where it is noted that the girl weighed the alternatives and made a decision to accept the ferry captain’s offer. In many cases, the values, considerations and choices that individuals in the pre-conventional level of development make are directly related to the physical consequences that they perceive (Anita, 1993). Essentially, individuals tend to be concerned too much about their own pleasure and pain and do not take others into account. The ferryboat captain is also in the pre-conventional stage of moral development. This stage includes what is called exchange and individualism, in which people accounts for personal points of view and judge actions depending on how they serve personal interests (Larry & Ziegler, 1992). It is clear from the story that the captain understood his interest in a concrete fashion and tried to deal with the girl in terms of reciprocity. The boy is in the conventional stage of development. This is the stage in which an individual’s moral values and principles reside within the desire to maintain expected standards while living up to the expectations of others (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2006). Having learnt that the girl was to spend a night with the ferryboat captain, the boy did not want to be associated with the girl any more. Presumably, the boy felt that the girl was immoral and that her decision to spend the night with the captain could be against the conventional expectations of morality. Most people in the conventional stage of moral development learn to take the point of view which takes into account the social system as a whole. For these people, the rules and norms of the society are the basis for deciding between right and wrong (Larry & Ziegler, 1992). Both the first and second hermits are in the principle level of moral development. The first hermit told the girl to weigh the alternatives and make a choice while the second hermit felt that it could be wise to help her get back home. This way, the hermits demonstrated morality as a means of entering into rational contract with fellow human beings and being kind to each other (Anita, 1993). Had the second hermit not looked for money to help the girl pay for the boat fare, the girl could as well have remained stranded in the island given that the boy had disowned her. As such, the hermit was quite concerned about the girl’s welfare. Part 2: Personal Reflection on Team Development Process Based on the “Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing” Model This reflective essay is based on the success of a class assignment group in which I was a member. During our regular meetings and discussions, the group went through the stages of group development as described in the “forming, storming, norming, and performing” model. We were a group of four and while forming the group, several issues arose which included lack of critical analysis of research and unsystematic decisions. Strazzabosco and Nazzaro (2009) have noted that during the forming stage of group development, everyone tries to fit into the group. Our group leader constantly reminded us that positive synergy and collaborative work environment were necessary for the development of our group in the long-run. To achieve this, we set up a code of group behavior and ethical responsibilities for members as individuals and as a group. With time, an atmosphere of politeness ensued in the group and this made it possible for members to discuss issues and reach consensus while taking into account each member’s standpoints and divergent viewpoints. In fact, this was the storming stage of group development but for our group it was smooth Group members collectively promoted critical thinking in the group by strengthening commitment to group and making everybody feel that they were part of the group. Some of the most challenging problems that arose in the group were because we initially divided tasks into parts and assigned them to different group members. We realized that this made it difficult for some members to participate effectively in the group because it encouraged members to work independently (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter, 2006). In group meeting, we did not actively discuss individual performance and contribution to the group as the group leader was of the view that criticizing each other could exacerbate conflicts and ruffles (Brabender & Fallon, 2009). With time and as group members got used to each other and to the norms of the group, we felt that it was necessary to do all the researches jointly instead of assigning different parts of an assignment to individual members. At this point, members had learnt to take up individual responsibilities and we could work independent of the group leader’s direction and guidance. This marked the norming stage in the progressive development of our group. One thing which was apparent in this stage is that group members quickly avoided resistance as in-group feelings and cohesiveness developed. Towards the end of the group project, we were taking more assignments per week and as such, responsibilities for the group increased. Not wanting to be caught up with time, each group member was his own leader yet we worked for the common good of each other. We were in the performing stage and interpersonal structures became a vital tool for group efficiency (Strazzabosco & Nazzaro, 2009). At this point, it was clear that roles were very flexible as everybody was ready to take responsibilities even in the absence of group leader. Part Three: Reflective Essay on Valuing Work Force Diversity In today’s workplaces, the need for diversity is at the highest point. Accordingly, it has become important for companies to learn and understand effective ways of managing diversity (Baines, 2003). From a business perspective, diversity is a concept which entails a range of aspects through which companies integrate different identities such as racial and ethnic background, gender, age, sexual orientation, education and lifestyles. Robbins, Bergman, Stagg & Coulter (2006) have noted that workplace diversity overrides organizational culture and brings many benefits to organizations, which help in the realization of strategic business objectives. In my college, people of different backgrounds, age, races and religions work together and have created a future-focused workforce. Indeed, there are advantages in having diverse workforces such as providing improved organizational performance. However, with diverse workforces, there arises need for a company’s management to develop new management strategies. In particular, organization leaders and managers may need to understand differences among their employees and to know how these differences can be used as a source of strength and unity in their workforces (Dickmann, Brewster & Sparrow, 2008). During the summer of 2011, I had the opportunity of participating in an internship program with a wine distilling company in Canberra. This was a foreign company and employed more than a hundred employees of different nationalities. In particular, there were Koreans, Thais, Americans and Chinese working in the company, in addition to a good representation of Australians. Moreover, female and youthful employees seemed to dominate the junior staff population while the executive management was dominated by aged and male workers. At first, one could expect this kind of diversity arrangement to be problematic for the company, especially with the Chinese and Koreans whose English was hardly passable. I, however, discovered that this diversity was a source of workplace strength for the simple reason that employees with specific talents felt appreciated and had high morale. Empirical research studies (Katharine, 2002) have shown that organizations that embrace diversity in workplace have high chances of understanding and penetrating new markets both locally and internationally. One thing which is common across organizations with successful, culturally diverse workforces is that their human resources are always focused on getting the best input out of their employees regardless of their age, sex and other demographic characteristics (Alfrieda, 2001). Moreover, these organizations have developed career plans for their employees that take into account the interests and needs of minority groups. In the wine brewing company where I worked, the management had a policy of promoting members of minority groups (more especially non-Australians) to responsible positions in the workplace. Another thing which was evident in the company was that the management effectively communicated to all employees and was ready to listen to their problems and offer help where necessary. This made employees to feel appreciated in the company regardless of their cultural differences (Gay, 2003). Scott (2008) has explained in his article that in order for diversity to be effectively integrated in the spirit of modern workforces, the management and employees should expect the best from each other. In addition, the management should give the best training and resources to enable employees capitalize on their diverse capabilities and skills for the common goal of improving organizational efficiency and productivity. It has been noted (Dickmann, Brewster & Sparrow, 2008) that creativity in the workplace increases when people with different ways of solving problems work in addressing a common problem. Such a group of people is capable of creating solutions with diverse ideas and which can have long term impacts on the problems being solved. Katharine (2002) has critiqued that workplace productivity increases rapidly when people from diverse backgrounds commit their efforts into pursuing a common goal. For instance, foreign employees and executive can help bring in different views and sets of competency as well as management and organizational skills. Moreover, new attitudes and perspectives are brought into the workplace by diverse workforces. New processes develop when people with diverse ideas, skills and experience collaborate. It is the case that in today’s world of business, change and adaptation are necessary. Companies must employ multiple skills to the workplace, think cross-culturally and adapt to new situations quickly. Companies that meet these criteria are likely to do well even during moments of tough economic times (Gay, 2003). Conclusion Diversity is necessary for improved group performance. While group development is a process in itself, the diverse experience, orientation and skill of members add substantially to the development of the group. Group work is a key feature of today’s workforces and in order for the workforces to be effective, it is imperative for group members to work together while putting personal considerations aside. This, however, is not a simple issue as everyone has different expectations. To cultivate effective teamwork and diversity in workforces, managements of organizations should work closely with their employees and create an enabling environment. Researches indicate that where employees are poorly motivated, the spirit of group work cannot thrive and hence it becomes difficult for organizations to reap the benefits of workplace diversity. References Alfrieda, D. (2001). Workplace diversity: issues and perspectives. New York: NASW Press. Anita, E. (1993). Educational Psychology. New York: Allyn & Bacon. Baines, J. M. (2003). Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: A Review and Synthesis of the Literature. Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Brabender, V. and Fallon A. (2009). Group Development in Practice: Guidance for Clinicians and Researchers on Stages and Dynamics of Change. Boston: American Psychological Association. Dickmann, M., Brewster, C. & Sparrow, P.R. (2008). International human resource management: A European perspective. London, England: Routledge. Gay, K. (2003). Cultural Diversity: Conflicts and Challenges. New York: Scarecrow Press.  Katharine, C. (2002). Workplace diversity. Boston: Adams Media Larry, A. H. and Ziegler, D. J. ( 1992). Personality Theories, 3rd edn. New York: McGraw Hill. Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I. and Coulter, M. (2006). Foundations of management, 2nd ed. Sydney: Prentice Hall. Scott, D. E. (2008). The multicultural health care work environment. The American Nurse, vol. 40, no. 1, p. 7-9. Strazzabosco, J. and Nazzaro, A. (2009). Group dynamics and Team building. World Federation of Hemophilia. Read More