Multicultural Diverse Workforce in the Australian Hospitality Industry - Term Paper Example

Running Head: Managing Culturally Diverse Workplaces Name Course Lecturer Date Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Assimilation Policy in Australia 1 1.2 Integration policy 2 1.3 Multiculturalism in Australia 3 2.0 The Differences between Assimilation, Integration and Multiculturalism When Applied To Recruitment, Retention, Training or Promotion in the Hospitality Industry 5 3.0 The Best Concept for Stimulating Competitive Advantage in the Hospitality Industry 6 4.0 Conclusion 8 5.0 References 9 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Assimilation Policy in Australia Generally, assimilation is the conversion or incorporation in order to become similar or identical. It refers to another part of adaptation process, through assimilation; people take in new experiences and information and incorporate them in to their existing ideas. The process of assimilation is by some means subjective as people tend to modify information or experiences somehow to fit in with their preexisting beliefs. Assimilation is the easiest way to adapt to new information and experiences, by adding them to4 our existing knowledge base and sometimes reinterpreting these new information and experiences so that they fit in well with the previous existing experiences and information (Haebich, 2008). In Australia, the idea of assimilation had been about since 1930s; however the Australian government did not adopt it as an official government policy towards the aboriginal peoples. The government adopted assimilation policy in 1950s, it become an official government policy not only for the aboriginal people but also for all foreign migrants as well. Before 1950, Australia was dominated by British people and was referred to as “British country”; about 97% of the population was Australia or British born. Any person who came to Australia from another country was expected to fit in with their culture; they were at least expected to assimilate. The migrants and the aboriginal people were anticipated to give up their own heritage and accept the beliefs and values of the majority (Markus, Jupp & McDonald, 2009). The government of Australia implemented assimilation policy with a purpose of making the aboriginal Australians and part-aboriginals attain the same lifestyle as the other communities in Australia; they were expected to forego their traditional and cultural practices. The assimilation policy had several strategies to be employed with the purpose of integrating the aboriginal people in to the Australian communities. The government wanted to eliminate the aboriginal race by encouraging people to inter marry between the white societies and the aboriginal people (Altman, 2009). 1.2 Integration policy While assimilation was failing in Australia, the general notion behind assimilation was increasingly being questioned. It took no account of the resilience or value of aboriginal culture and did not allow aboriginal people to maintain their own language and traditions. Eventually, assimilation was abandoned after revelations that equality could not be achieved by loss of original identity. As such, the Australian government adopted integration policy, this was used to denote a policy that recognised the values of migrants and the aboriginal people to retain their customs and languages as well as maintain their distinctive communities (Rubenstein, 2011). Such integration policies such as the Australia Citizenship Act 2007 encourage integration. Integration policy reaffirms the fundamental principles of the agenda for multicultural Australia; it also sets strategic directions for future policy enactment. The government aims to build on the success as a culturally diverse, open and accepting society, united through a shared future as well as commitment to the nation (Belshaw, 2007). In addition, the Immigration Guardianship of Children Act 1946 ensures that persons from other country integrate well with the Australian society. Integration is further enhanced by the Immigration (Education) Act 1971, this arranges for citizenship and English education for persons intending to migrate to Australia as well as persons in Australia. The Immigration (Education) Charge Act 1992 ensures that migrants are charged fairly for their education courses in order to enhance integration. The Immigration (Education) Amendment Regulations 2007 ensures that all persons migrating to Australia have their annual indexation of the prescribed course fee. This ensures that they learn English and the Australian values. Furthermore, Australia has measures such as Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP) to help eligible adult refugees and migrants to settle in Australia successfully. Moreover, the Citizenship Support Grants Programme (CSGP) does not only teach English but also provides information about the culture, society and customs. It helps migrants to be prepared for Australian citizenship test. 1.3 Multiculturalism in Australia Australia is an increasingly culturally diverse nation; it is now recognised as a central feature of its society and identity. The government of Australia adopted multiculturalism since 1970s. The policy is designed to make cultural integration a reality. Multicultural policy in Australia provides communities with the freedom to maintain their cultural traditions within the legal and democratic framework of Australia (Hartwich, 2012). As such, the native communities can keep their native languages, religion, rituals and cultural ways as long as the loyalty to Australia and its values (civil responsibilities) are clear. Multicultural policy in Australia has four main major aims; to ensure that persons understand their society responsibilities, to foster respect, to encourage fairness as well as to ensure that all communities are progressing. Others are education of communities about Australian law, official language, system of democracy, constitution and elected government (Koleth, 2011). Also the Australian values such as respect, fairness, community spirit, cultural tolerance and work ethic. All of these are expressed in multicultural policy along with a commitment to speech, freedom of religion and expression. Multiculturalism policy recognises the cultural diversity in Australia; it also seeks to address opportunities and challenges arising from multiculturalism. Positively, the government does not only fund migrants but also assist them in settlement in Australia. Australia has a department of immigration ad multicultural affairs which was later changed to department of immigration and citizenship. This indicates the countries efforts in embracing multiculturalism. These policies emphasis on greater emphasis on promoting shared national identity based on the set core values. They are included and reflected in the governments diverse Australia programme (a community based education initiative). Through the programme the government provides financial assistance, information and education to help organizations to promote sense of belongingness for every person (White & Tadesse, 2007). Basically, Australia started by introducing assimilation policy where it aimed to change migrant’s culture and adopt the Australian culture. This failed and it later adopted the integration policy, integration policy was better than assimilation as it allowed migrants to practice their own customers and culture but be loyal to Australia and its values. The government later adopted multiculturalism policy where it recognises the cultural diversity of people in Australia; it aims to unite all people in their diversity through “unity in diversity” drive (Babacan, & Babacan, 2007). 2.0 The Differences between Assimilation, Integration and Multiculturalism When Applied To Recruitment, Retention, Training or Promotion in the Hospitality Industry Assimilation policy does not promote or retain the customers and culture of the different people. Instead, it encourages indigenous people and migrants to leave their customs and culture and adopt the Australian culture and lifestyle. On the other hand, multiculturalism is well reflected in the Australia’s recruitment, retention, training and promotion. Among the three policies, multiculturalism is the best implemented policy in all the four fields. As expressed through its values, the ethos of the public service in Australia is committed to service to achieve the best results for the Australia communities and the government (Boese & Phillips, 2011). The public service reflects multiculturalism as well; it is respectful of all people, including their heritage and rights. It is also committed to providing services to the culturally and linguistically diverse communities to a whole of government to the access and implementation of access and equity framework. The public service has an agency multicultural plan; this is an individual plan for Australia public service commission. Through the plan, the public commission ensures that recruitment, training and promotion of the workforce reflect the diverse multicultural society. The public commission ensures that all Australian have equal access to employment opportunities in the in the public service commission. Notably, its values and employment principles, its vision for multicultural access and equity ensures that all employees (including potential and prospective employees) as well as other stakeholders have unlimited access to advice, information, education and services to meet their needs (Poynting & Mason, 2008). In addition, the commission has a responsibility and role of ensuring that the legislation, framework and policy for recruitment terms and conditions applies, and are available, to all potential and prospective employees regardless of their background and also provides appropriate flexibility for the employees from linguistically and culturally diverse background. The hospitality industry is one of the most developed industries in Australia. Also, the industry boosts of fully multicultural and socially diverse workforce. Actually, it is arguably the only industry in Australia that recruits, retains, trains and promotes workforce diversity. The industry has developed a very strong hold of labour market and the labour unions and therefore the hospitality industry is much better organised. The industry is also well unionised, this ensures better bargaining powers and working conditions and hence allows for good wage rate to the diverse employees. For this reason, many skilled workers from around the world prefer to come and work in this industry in Australia. The workforce diversification has enabled the hospitality industry to be core in the inflow of tourists from around the world. The hospitality industry and tourism are very much related (Betts & Gilding, 2006). 3.0 The Best Concept for Stimulating Competitive Advantage in the Hospitality Industry Being one of the sensitive industries in Australia, hospitality industry requires workforce possessing diverse skills and knowledge. To be able to serve and understand clients from different regions of the world, it is important to have workforce drawn from different regions. But the biggest worry is how the employees will be able to work harmoniously together. As such, the assimilation, integration or multiculturalism policy is needed. This part discusses the best policy for stimulating competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. In essence, among the three concepts, multiculturalism policy is the best for stimulating competitive advantage in the hospitality industry. Multiculturalism is very beneficial and also produces a lot of opportunities for this industry. One of the essential benefits derived from multiculturalism is that it designates the workforce to better tackle problems as well as meet deadlines (Jupp, 2002). When teams are formulated, the team members have different sets of the required characteristics and qualities. For this reason, the teams are better in avoiding problems as well as conflict management. Moreover, the teams are also better at finding innovative methods and ways for effective production. Another major benefit is competitiveness, this is especially important as competitiveness among the workforce increases their performance and productivity and this benefits the organisation considerably (Tate, 2009). It results to increased income, and better performance of the organisation. This spreads to the whole industry as well. The diverse workforce has different qualities that enable them to compete, when the workforce unleash these qualities, they become effective thereby uplifting the industry. Another case supporting multiculturalism in this industry is that the diversification of the workforce allows it to deal with the equally diverse inflow of tourists from all walks of life. Remarkably, the Asian visitors expect to find employees that re efficient and knowledgeable but who are not too friendly. They also expect employees not to make eye contact (which is considered disrespectful in Asian countries) and not to shake hands as well. In this case, employees with all these characteristics are readily available as the industry has employees from the Asian background and or from Asian countries (Moran, 2011). These employees are efficient, knowledgeable through training and education; they are not too friendly and avoid eye contact. Therefore, the visitors get what they want and this helps them to have a comfortable stay in Australia. This is a source of competitive advantage as well. On the other hand, visitors from America and Europe expect knowledgeable responses from the employees, they also expect casual but courteous attitude from the employees. Likewise, visitors from the United Kingdom are rather formal and expect employees to be punctual. In addition, they expect the employees to give them personal space and privacy and also they like to be addressed by their formal titles (Markus, Jupp & McDonald, 2009). The industry has enough employees from all these backgrounds and hence would provide them with exactly what they expect. This makes multiculturalism a competitive edge. The users of hospitality services get exactly what they expect as there are employees from the same background who understand the values and ways of the visitors or users of their services. This has helped the industry to be among the top three best performing industries in Australia. It also makes the hospitality industry to be a significant contributor to the national domestic production as well as economic growth (Gibson, McAllister & Swenson, 2002). 4.0 Conclusion The hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries in Australia and also contributes heavily towards the country's economic growth as well as stability. There is multicultural dimension that is associated with the industry and hence require efficient and effective care as well as management in order to provide satisfaction. This has been achieved through multicultural diverse workforce. Conversely, the management for such workforce requires exceptional management approaches. Conclusively, Australia moved from assimilation policy to integration policy and then to multiculturalism policy. These concepts have worked at varying lengths. Multiculturalism is considered the best policy in Australia as it has enabled equality in all aspects of life in Australia. Indigenous people and migrants feel free and at the right place due to adoption of multiculturalism. 5.0 References Altman, J. C. (2009). Beyond closing the gap: Valuing diversity in Indigenous Australia (Vol, 54): Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, ANU. Babacan, A., & Babacan, H., (2007). Multiculturalism in Australia: Journal of Industrial Relations and Human Resources, 9, 25-38. Belshaw, J. (2007, July 23). Assimilation, Integration, Multiculturalism: policy and practice in Australia since 1966 1. Retrieved August 29, 2014, from Multiculturalism policy in Australia: http://ninglun.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/assimilationintegrationmulticulturalism-policy-and-practice-in-australia-since-1966-1-3/ Betts, K., & Gilding, M. (2006), the growth lobby and Australia's immigration policy: People and Place, 14(4), 40. Boese, M., & Phillips, M., (2011), Multiculturalism and social inclusion in Australia: Journal of Intercultural Studies, 32(2), 189-197. Gibson, R., McAllister, I., & Swenson, T. (2002), the politics of race and immigration in Australia: One Nation voting in the 1998 election. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 25(5), 823-844. Haebich, A. (2008). Spinning the dream: Assimilation in Australia 1950-1970: fremantle Press. Hartwich, O. M. (2012). Selection, migration and integration: why multiculturalism works in Australia (and fails in Europe), Council of Academic Advisors, Canberra. Jupp, J. (2002). From white Australia to Woomera: The story of Australian immigration, Cambridge University Press. Koleth, E. (2011). Multiculturalism: a review of Australian policy statements and recent debates in Australia and overseas; Parliamnet of Australia Library, Canberrra. Markus, A., Jupp, J., & McDonald, P., (2009), Australia's immigration revolution: Allen & Unwin. Moran, A. (2011), Multiculturalism as nation-building in Australia: Inclusive national identity and the embrace of diversity. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(12), 2153-2172. Poynting, S., & Mason, V. (2008), the new integrationism, the state and Islamophobia: retreat from multiculturalism in Australia. International Journal of law, Crime and Justice, 36(4), 230-246. Rubenstein, C. (2011, February 18). Integration the key to multicultural success. Retrieved August 29, 2014, from The Australia : http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/integration-the-key-to-multicultural-success/story-e6frg6zo-1226007813161 Tate, J. W. (2009). John Howard's “Nation”: Multiculturalism, Citizenship, and Identity. Australian Journal of Politics & History, 55(1), 97-120. White, R., & Tadesse, B. (2007), Immigration policy, cultural pluralism and trade: Evidence from the white Australia policy. Pacific Economic Review,12(4), 489-509. Read More