Workplace Diversity - Dealing with the Challenges that Diversity Brings - Coursework Example

Workplace Diversity: Dealing with the Challenges that Diversity Brings Name of Student: Student No: Name of Supervisor: Date: Introduction The topic of workplace diversity is still one that must be dealt with, with sensitivity. Diversity in this case means plethora of differences that exist between different individuals and groupings and may include age, gender, ethnicity, race, education, sexual orientation, physical abilities, income, marital status, geographical location, religious beliefs, job classification, work experience, parental status, etc. within the context of the workplace diversity entails the creation of an office atmosphere that is inclusive and accepting of differences and respectful of all persons. The key is to create an environment that seeks to optimise the different skill sets and potential of every employee. Successful firms are increasingly embracing this concept as an important tool in maximising their profits (Flagg, 2002). Quality workers give the company an advantage over competitors. Diversity is not a factor of people’s self perception but rather their perception of others. This perception can affect how they relate to other people (Koonce, 2001). In order for a large cross section of individuals to interact effectively within the workplace environment, it is essential that the human resource professionals need to handle such issues as communication, adaptability and change to good effect. With the possibility of increasing diversity in the coming years, it is essential for companies aiming for success to have mechanisms in place to deal with matters that arise (Greenburg, 2005). The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2011) gives some guidelines on the requirements for working with diversity. It encourages sensitivity in recognising and responding to individual differences in employees, clients and customers; while ensuring that legal requirements are adhered to. The accommodation of diversity must also be evident in all verbal and non verbal communication. Furthermore, the guidelines exhort working effectively with personal differences by recognising and documenting the experience, knowledge and skills of others in line with the goals of the team. Also, colleagues are to be encouraged to share and utilise their individual backgrounds, qualities and skills in order to augment results in the workplace. This goodwill should extend to clients and customers who should be handled in such a way as to appreciate the value placed upon diversity by the business. Effects of Increasing Diversity on Decision Making Employers are required to have culturally appropriate communication skills according to the department guidelines as well as problem solving and initiative skills in order to identify and resolve their own reaction to diversity. Benefits In order for an organisation to succeed and be competitive, it must embrace diversity in order to reap the benefits. This would entail an active assessment of the methods used to handle diversity issues in the workplace and development and implementation of diversity strategies. This leads to benefits such as: a. Improved Adaptability: a diverse workforce translates into a larger pool of knowledge in which to source for solutions to problems that may arise. These ideas may be more flexible in adapting to situations arising due to fluctuating markets and demands from customers. b. Wider Range of Service: when an amalgam of skills and experiences exist within the same entity it increases the scope of globalisation possible for the company. c. Differing Perspectives: should there be freedom of expression amongst a diverse workforce, this may be a source of wider ideas and experiences. These can be used by the firm in building strategies and serving the consumer effectively. d. Augmented Implementation of Company Policy: employees gain inspiration from their differences and this enhances their work output. This results in greater execution of company policy, increased profit and return on investment (Greenburg, 2005). However, there are problems associated with diversifying a workplace and sailing is not always smooth. Some of these problems include: a. Communication: barriers of perception, culture and language must be overcome if the concept of diversity is to succeed. When communication is ineffective this leads to confusion, an uninspired workforce and deficient teamwork. An example would be if some employees speak limited English or do not read it as well. This may not hinder them from performing their duties but should there be a situation where management issues communiqués via extremely intricate memos this may not be an effective communication tool. While it is true that distributing this memo to all staff is treating all of them the same, it may not work in communication of information to all. An employee who may not understand the memo may complain of unfair treatment. A process should be implemented which ensures that all employees have understood the information and any supervisor who goes out of their way to ensure this should be rewarded (UCSF, 2011). b. Resistance to Change: this is a natural reaction of most individuals to change but it tends to also disrupt innovation and inhibit progress. c. Execution of diversity in Workplace Policies: this involves evaluating bio data of all employees and using their evaluations to build a template fro the company’s strategic goals going forward. This is a huge challenge. d. Successful Management: while diversity training is helpful as a foundation to integration of diverse groups, this is insufficient as a diversity management plan. Every department and functionary must be included in an intricate strategy that is to be created and implemented (Greenburg, 2005). Management of diversity involves more than an acknowledgment of differences between individuals but instead, it is recognising the value of the differences, fighting bias and encouraging inclusiveness. There may be an exodus of personnel to deal with as well as a drop in output due to intolerance, bigotry, grievances and litigation against the firm (DeVoe, 1999). The challenges enumerated above may be a source of hindrance in decision making because apart from the actual factors to be examined in any decision, a manager also has to take into account all the cultural sensitivities in play and whether there is any conflict of interest between the pertinent decision to be made and the cultural values of different employees. Strategies Employed to Optimise Decision Making There are a number of skills the good manager needs to employ in order to create a successful diverse working environment. It is essential to comprehend the implications and consequences of discrimination as well as the manager’s own cultural biases (Koonce, 2001). The crux of diversity is not about group difference but that of individuals, with each representing their own interests and not that of a group. The manager of the organisation must be willing for change to occur in the organisation as needed (Koonce, 2001). This entails having a manager who comprehends what is in the best interests of the organisation taking into account workplace dynamics and teamwork. This is a comprehensive process which must include everyone and the manager must focus on personal awareness in terms of their own biases (Roosevelt, 2001). This involves setting up continuous trainings to foster behaviour change (Koonce, 2001) and an understanding that fairness does not always equal equality. It is also vital that managers cultivate a ‘safe’ place in which employees can communicate freely and in which each person can hear and be heard in an effective environment that promotes dialogue (Koonce, 2001). Mentoring programmes and other policies to encourage access to information and opportunities should be implemented by management while constructive, critical feedback should not be denied them (Flagg, 2002). Surveys conducted to assess employee satisfaction can be useful in bringing challenges and obstacles to the fore in a bid to implement policies that eliminate the same. This implementation of policy is then followed by reassessment to determine the success or failure of the new policy implementation. It is necessary to develop and implement a workplace diversity plan (Greenburg, 2005). This plan should include solutions to the problems identified that hinder decision making and pose a challenge for management in the process. Some of these solutions could be: a. Excluding change resistance by including all stakeholders in formulation and execution of diversity initiatives. b. Creating an atmosphere of openness in expression of ideas, opinions and points of view to create a feeling of equality and avoidance of faux pas to do with ignorance. c. Encourage the promotion diversity amongst leaders in the organisation. d. The use of diversity training to educate and elucidate company policy. e. Launching a customised employee satisfaction survey that will provide information useful to management in strategizing and implementing policies (Greenburg, 2005) Conclusion Managing diversity in the workplace is a difficult and challenging issue yet it has many rewards and is the crucial for the present and the future, considering the increased globalization of the world which increased diversity everywhere, including the workplace. It is therefore imperative for the top management of every company/ organization seeking to flourish to come up with ways of harnessing the differences in a way that is largely beneficial to the organisation and employees in all areas of work, particularly in its decision making processes. References Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2011) BSBDIV301A Work Effectively with Diversity. Revision Number 1.Industry Skills Councils Devoe, D. (1999). Managing a diverse workforce. San Mateo, CA: InfoWorld Media Group. Flagg, A. (2002). Managing diverse workgroups successfully. United Behavioural Health Greenberg, J. (2005). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions. Retrieved September 24, 2011 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-­in-­the-­Workplace:-­Benefits,-­Challenges-­and-­Solutions&id=11053 Koonce, Richard. (2001). Redefining diversity: It's not just the right thing to do; it also makes good business sense. Training and Development, December. Roosevelt Thomas, R. Jr. (2001). Elements of a successful “diversity” process. The American Institute for Managing Diversity. Retrieved September 24, 2011 from  http://www.aimd.org/articles/elements.html UCSF. (2011). Chapter 12: Managing Diversity in the Workplace. In A Guide to Managing Human Resources. UCSF Human Resources, CA 94143 Read More