Equal Opportunities and Managing Diversity - Essay Example

Equal Opportunities and Managing Diversity Order No. 430229 April ‘10 Equal Opportunities and Managing Diversity Diversity has been defined “asacknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status” (Esty, et al., 1995). Work place diversity is about providing equal opportunities in a workplace. As for the term managing diversity, Jacqueline Gilbert’s definition is very apt. Gilbert (2000) says, “Broadly defined, the term diversity management refers to the systematic and planned commitment by organizations to recruit, retain, reward, and promote a heterogeneous mix of employees”. Equal Opportunities is guaranteeing all individuals that they will be provided equal access to employment and development based on merit , ability , and potential and will not be influenced by race , colour , nationality, religion, age, sex or disability. According to Pilbeam(1998), “there are recognised benefits for organisations that provide equal opportunities in the work place. They have a large and diverse pool of potential employees who bring skills and capabilities to the workplace”. Diversity strives to provide equal opportunities in the work place and creates an environment where all differences between people are ignored and where individuals talents, skills and competencies are valued and utilized fully. Equal opportunities on the other hand is concerned with following the law and ensuring that all decisions with regard to recruitment, pay , and promotion are based purely only on the individual s ability and merit. When diversity is not managed in the right way it can prove to be extremely harmful to the organisation and can result in high employee turn over rate, discrimination suits and unnecessary expenses on litigation. Some experts claim that managing diversity is a ‘paradigm’ shift from equal opportunities whereas some see it as an extension of equal opportunities. Managing diversity is often compared to equal opportunity initiatives. Some of the differences are: Equal Opportunities is externally driven and is based on legal and moral issues. Equal opportunities policies are adopted by many organisations because of external pressures. According to Wilson and Iles( 1999), reasons for adopting equal opportunities policies "varies between a narrow minimalist response to legislative requirements, and a wider concern that people should be treated equally, based on ethical and human rights or moral arguments. Managing diversity on the other hand is internally driven, from a commitment by the organisation and its key players". Organisations consider equal opportunities as a cost. Whereas managing diversity is perceived as an investment. Equal Opportunities policies are initiated at the operational level and are more process oriented whereas managing diversity policies are based on strategy and concerned with the outcomes. Equal opportunity is considered to be problematic whereas managing diversity is all about encouraging different kinds of people. Whereas equal opportunities policies focus on group initiatives and group discrimination, managing diversity focuses on the development of an individual. Equal opportunities initiative is more of a HR function and the focus is on recruitment whereas managing diversity is more about staff and general management. Equal opportunities policies focus on changing systems and practices whereas managing diversity policies focus on changing culture and values. Organisations adopt equal opportunities policies that are based on ethical, moral and social issues whereas managing diversity principles are based on sound business reasons. Equal opportunities policies are made mainly to see that the organization operates within the law and meets certain formal obligations. In many organizations it is nothing more than this. Managing diversity is more than adhering to legal requirements and is all about strategy, commitment and organisational culture. In diversity management, managers develop ways to increase the skills and knowledge base of the work force in order to benefit the company as well as the people who comprise it (IPD 1996). Organisations which have a managing diversity action plan in place view differences as an advantage, whereas organisations that have only equal opportunities in place view people from different backgrounds as outsiders who have to be fitted into an environment consisting of white and physically fit people. Diversity management professionals believe in what Cox and Balke (1991) have to say, “Diverse group of employees are perceived to be more creative and efficient in problem solving as compared to homogenous group”. The equal opportunities approach is concerned with trying to set right a wrong for certain groups such as women, ethnic minorities or those with disabilities, whereas managing diversity is all about setting it right for all individuals of the organisation and developing individuals. Judy Nixon is right when she says, “Diversity management is the process through which each individuals contributions are valued and used in achieving organizational goals”. The differences pointed out show that managing diversity is looking at equal opportunities in a new perspective and that if in an organisation managing diversity principles complement equal opportunities principles, the organisation will certainly benefit from this process. To manage diversity effectively an organisation has to be proactive. Managing diversity is about recruiting, training retaining and promoting people based on their skills and competencies. Many organisations have adopted policies of diversity management that are related to gender, equality, people with disability and Corporate Social Responsibility. Also new legislative initiatives for diversity management are being formulated. A diverse workforce is an asset to an organisation and not a problem to be avoided. According to Judith Foreman, the concept of managing diversity embodies two key assumptions:  The heterogeneity and diversity of social groups and that organisation can benefit from valuing difference and managing diversity effectively. A proactive approach to managing diversity enables an organization to identify and understand the importance of the diverse knowledge, skills and background that the workforce brings with it. Managing diversity in a proactive manner also enables the organisation to fulfill its obligations towards social justice and Corporate Social Responsibility. However one finds that it is a difficult task to manage employees belonging to diverse backgrounds.. But there are many guidelines based on key principles that can make managing diversity easy and effective. According to Cascio (1995) cultural diversity can be managed through communicating (creating awareness among all employees about diverse values of peers through communication), cultivating ( facilitating acknowledgement, support and encouragement of any employee success by all other workers), and capitalizing (linking diversity to every business process and strategy such as succession planning, reengineering, employee development, performance management and review, and reward systems) strategies. Some of the key principles for progressive action for managing diversity are detailed below: Communicating with employees is one of the most important principles. Employees must be informed of the diversity efforts an organisation is making as any misinformation or rumour can undermine the efforts. The management should communicate to the workforce a value system that is based on trust. The culture of the organization should be an open one with good communication channels. Eligibility criteria for selection and recruitment should be fair to all and support the business goals of the organisation and also meet all legal requirements. Inclusion of diversity objectives in documents like job descriptions, application and appraisal forms will be helpful in this regard. It is necessary that standards of behaviour and code of conduct regarding treating people with dignity and respect are set and communicated. Training programmes for this should be conducted and disciplinary action taken when the code of conduct is not followed. All recruitment should be based on merit and competence Managers should be provided with guidelines that will enable them to take flexible decisions. Proper mechanisms to deal with bullying, harassment and intimidating behaviour must be put in place and the employees must be told that such behaviour will not be tolerated. The appraisal system should take into account workplace behaviour. Proactive measures should be taken to remove unfair biases in procedures and systems Diversity training programmes that will help employees deal with the implications and effects of workplace diversity must be provided. The employees must be aware of the ethical reasons for managing diversity. Diversity concepts and practices can be incorporated into training and team building programmes. Surveys should be conducted to evaluate the success of managing diversity initiatives. Priority must be given for initiatives that aid personal development and encourage individual contribution. The organisation needs to be kept informed about the latest developments in matters of diversity through newsletters, notice boards, in-house magazines and by making managers attend conferences and seminars on diversity issues. Considerable attention must be given to the selection of the person who will be in charge of managing diversity. The person must be a respected employee committed to the principles of diversity management. .Also it is important that managers understand and revise their own misconceptions and stereotypical thinking in order to fully utilize the strengths of everyone in their diverse workforce (Blank & Slipp, 1998). Management must allocate a budget for diversity action plans. According to Elizabeth K. McArthur, “Allocating a diversity budget sends a clear message to employees, suppliers, and customers that management is serious about bringing about changes to enhance productivity and opportunities for growth. Finally all diversity management initiatives must be assessed on a regular basis. This will give the organisation information about the progress made in this direction and also indicate where improvements have to be made. Conclusion In conclusion it can be said that managing diversity differs from equal opportunities in that diversity management is much more than adhering to legal requirements. Managing diversity is all about treating employees with respect and dignity. As Ken Birkett & Val Rowland have rightly said, “Managing diversity is about valuing differences. It is about treating people with dignity and allowing everyone to be able to perform to their level of ability”. The emphasis here is on valuing differences. Diversity recognises and accepts the differences between individuals and knows the benefits these differences bring with them. In today’s business environment it is imperative that managing diversity and equal opportunities complement each other, since as La Fasto (1993) suggests that managing diversity is not at odds with equal opportunities and the legislation / policies that support it. References 1. Blank, R., & Slipp, S. (1998, July). Managers’ diversity workbook. HR Focus, 75(7), 7-8. 2. Birkett Ken & Rowland Val, Managing Diversity, http://www.fenman.co.uk/traineractive/training-activity/Managing-diversity.html 3. Cascio (1995) Cascio, W., F., (1995), ‘Managing Human Resources International Edition, US: McGraw Hill. 4. Corbridge M. Pilbeam.S. (1998) Employment Resourcing. Pitman Publishing. London. 5. Cox, T. H., & Balke, S., (1991), ‘Managing Cultural Diversity: Implications for Organizational Competitiveness Academy of Management Executive, Vol 5, Issue 3, August 1991 6. Esty, Katharine, Richard Griffin, and Marcie Schorr-Hirsh (1995). Workplace diversity. A managers guide to solving problems and turning diversity into a competitive advantage. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation. 7. Foreman Judith, What is ‘Managing Diversity’, www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/.../Judith_Foreman_workshop1.ppt 8. IPD (1996). Equal Opportunities and Diversity. Workbook 4. Institute of Personnel and Development. Manchester Open Learning. 9. Gilbert Jacqueline (2000), Diversity Management : Time for A New Approach, www.allbusiness.com/management/548609-1.html 10. La Fasto (1993) Human resource management. 4th edition. Prentice Hall. Europe 11. McArthur Elizabeth, Managing Diversity for Success, http://www.diversityworking.com/employerZone/diversityManagement/?id=14 12. Nixon, Judy C., America addresses work force diversity, http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/721760-1.html 13. Wilson, W and Iles P (1999), Managing diversity - an employment and service delivery challenge’, International Journal of Public Sector Management. 12: 27-4 Read More