Diversity Management, a New Organizational Paradigm for Equality Policy-Making - Essay Example

Introduction In the work place, diversity is experienced in all categories. Human beings demonstrate diversity in different aspects; race, morality, language, ethnicity, color, mentally, religion, and gender. There are more other forms of diversity to mention experienced in the work place disability and so on. Ordinarily, one would construe and that was the case many years that the diversity aspect was a criterion of giving preference to other in any event that involves competitive selection. In fact, it is accurate to say that certain diverse manifestations were used to discriminate upon and therefore equal opportunity was denied on those specific grounds (Dickie, and Zhanna, 2008). The different diversity can be categorized into two, the social allied and the individual allied. In the social diversity, it is further subdivided into what is referred to as the six strands of diversity, which includes; ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender, age, and religion. In the individual differences, they can be classified into the following castes; personality, lifestyle, appearance, work style and education. The equal opportunity tends to downplay the aspect of discrimination based on the diversity factor. It is hinged on the emphasis of equal treatment of the individuals regardless of their social groups. The equal opportunity aspect is anti-discrimination program intended to provide relative social justice in the process of individual selection (Dickie, and Zhanna, 2008). Most of the human resource managers in organization today appreciates the need to embrace diversity in the human resource and they have realized that if taken positively, the diversity aspect can make an organization realize it goals in the most efficient and predictable way. The tolerance for counterparts in the work place is highly encouraged and any discrimination unfairly advanced to anybody be it on social or individual level is taken seriously sometimes to the legal redress. How Management of Diversity Has Contributed To Equal Opportunity The realization of the dangers of discrimination based on diversity led to the consideration of what is referred to as Equal Opportunity. In the equal opportunity aspect, politics have gotten into it and there are several schools of thoughts, other arguing that it is like a baskets of fruits -this it to mean that even though there is equal treatment and opportunity for all, individual differences can still be recognized and be used in their reference. The other school of thought is that equal opportunity is like a melting pot, it assumes that under equal opportunity there is no recognizable difference among those to be considered (Gilbert, Stead and Ivancevich 1999). In this regard, the neo classical and the sociological approaches of understanding equal opportunities are interchangeably used to satisfy certain selection criterion. For example, the neo-classical theory is used for the exploration of preference and choice while the sociological one is used for the understanding the constraints and barriers associated with choice. The acceptance of the diversity in work place and equal opportunity is not something that has been achieved in a round table talk; it has been a protracted struggle where those who were being discriminated against have agitated for equal treatment in all manner of sense. The union of trade organization has addressed the issues, laws have been enacted in the legislative assemblies, and the issue of equal opportunity has become not just a matter of benevolence but also that o procedural way of going about things. Acts of parliaments have been adopted and violations of the acts by anybody in the employment area will be liable for the charges of demonstrating discriminatory tendencies of a given nature (Thomas, 2010). Between the 1970 and 1980, one of the agenda that was agitated for in the history of workforce is that of equality. The question of equality was recognized to be existing if and only allowed deliberately. In pursuit of equality, individuals are supposed to be granted the opportunity to compete for the socials reward in a free and equal environment without any interest guiding the process. The philosophy of sameness was highly regarded during this period where it was argued that there is fundamental degree of sameness in people and in this reason, they should be give more or less the same treatment irrelevant of their social background (Thomas, 2010). The equality agenda was based on the individuals and the merits they had, the wanted this to be the determinant factor of selection and not mere diversity issues. There was a belief that individuals should be selected according to what they have base o talent, ability and effort. This again was intertwined in the free market philosophical proposition in which all the labor obstacles were to be removed and the free labor market entrenched. The Liberal Approach The liberal approach used in this period championed for the provision of a leveled playing field in the area of selection. In addition, the policy statement was that all are the same in the face an opportunity employer. The following were also addressed in the same approach, formalization and standardization of the recruitment and selection process, the work force diversity was to be keenly monitored, those experiencing underrepresentation were to be given certain special training, disability access was to be provided, and the provision of friendly family policies (Webb 1997). The Radical Approach In the radical approach, there was the same agitation in a different version but agitating for the same equal opportunity in the work place (Gilbert, Stead and Ivancevich 1999). The radical approach stated that equality could not exist in a society if the method of distributing rewards in unfair. This is in the recognition of the liberal approach’s statement. This approach appreciated the existence of “difference” and quickly asserted that it did not equate inferiority, which could be interpreted that there is incompetency thus being considered last or not at all. They believed that the desired social change could not be achieved without direct intervention from the interested parties. This is because without direct intervention, there would be no need for holding on the position of social change in the manner of selection and recruitment (Gilbert, Stead and Ivancevich 1999). The radical approach believed that the systematic discrimination started at the social level and that it is at this level that extreme focus was to be made. It also recognized that the individual ability and talent are not suppose to be taken as neutral but should be used objectively in the interest of rewarding the most outstanding-this is was they referred to as just societal reward. The radical approach was framed to ensure that fairness in recruitment and selection is done according to the set standards and criterion, if possible, intervention would be made to ensure that selection is done devoid of discrimination of diversity background (Wrench, 2007). The position of the 2 theories in the 1970 and 80s were later incorporated in the work environment and selection processes in the pursuit of fairness and justness accordingly. Results of the Diversity Management in Equality Following the development of the diversity concerns in the work place, most of the employers made it compulsory to adequately practice non discriminatory tendencies during the selection process and embrace diversity as a strength rather than as a weakness that is meant to pull down the organization. In this reference, the organizations have also made responded by making their own internal policies that cushion individual for sheer discrimination but instead expose them to fair form of reward by the employer. In fact, the principle of equal opportunity reign very high in the organizations and it is strictly adhered to (Webb 1997). The need to provide equal treatment and reward according to meritocracy is becoming highly embraced. It has been modified to cover equal remuneration for equal pay irrelevant of your age, gender, tribe, and color. Giving special treatment of employees in the same capacity is also viewed as post selection discrimination. There is need to totally delink organization from extending any form of conduct that can be reasonably be construed to have been motivated on diversity grounds. A plethora of equality policies have been made to address the issues surrounding discrimination in the work place based on diversity ground. Conclusion In as much discrimination is being fought in the aspect of diversity, it should be recognized that of all the diversity factors considered, only two stands out to have been overwhelmingly practiced. This is based on gender and race. Talking about gender discrimination here refers to as those conduct aimed at disadvantaging female gender where equal opportunity is suppose to reign. For a long time women have faced discrimination against them and with the equality policy that is gender sensitive, there is hope that the place of women in the society will significantly change. The extreme gender parity in the majority of the work place necessitated the term “career women.” If there are equal opportunity for all why is one special than the other, one may pause. The other severely practiced discrimination is that based on race, the racial factor has contributed to the peripheral placement of equal workforce in the work places and because today businesses want to open up new frontiers in the world, it is high time they start embracing diversity based on racial factor on equal opportunities. This will help the companies with the socio-cultural issues in the various places in the world and this will be of significant help to them in terms of making product forays into the region. The knowledge of taste and preference associated with certain culture is important for the success of a business. References Dickie, Carolyn, and Zhanna Soldan. Diversity management. Prahran, Vic.: Tilde University Press, 2008. Thomas, R. Roosevelt. World class diversity management a strategic approach. San Francisco, Calif.: Berrett-Koehler Publishers :, 2010. Wrench, John. Diversity management and discrimination immigrants and ethnic minorities in the EU. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2007. Gilbert, Jacqueline A., Bette Ann Stead, and John M. Ivancevich. "Diversity Management:A New Organizational Paradigm." Journal of Business Ethics (Kluwer Academic Publishers), 1999: 16. Webb, Janette. "The Politics of Equal Opportunity." Gender Work and Organization (Balckwell Publishers) Vol.4 (July 1997): 11. Read More