Diversity Processes at Charles Darwin University - Research Proposal Example

name of the university HOW DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PROCESSES ARE APPLIED AT WORKPLACE: A CASE STUDY OF CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY Proposal STUDENT NAME: ADM. NO. COURSE NAME: COURSE NO: SUPERVISOR: DATE OF SUBMISSION 1.1. BACKGROUND OF STUDY In a model world it’s perceived that one would be accorded a fair consideration during any employment or career development opportunity. However, the matter of unfairness as a result of diversity remains to be a major concern in a contemporary world. Discrimination based on several dimensions of diversity: like race, gender, education background and so on still plays a core position in the appointing, dismissal, and promoting of persons (Foster et al, 2008, p.38). Most individuals or organisations do not distinguish and examine the bigger picture of diversity. Valuing diversity entails build a place of work that respects and encompasses different social characteristics. This paper aims at exploring the diversity processes at Charles Darwin University, which is one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory. More recently, under the microeconomic reforms, the Australian Government has been promoting diversity in all sectors of the economy, for example in educational sector, the promotion has been en route for a “unified national system” of higher education that embrace diverse social characteristics. Professor Helen Garnett, the Vice-Chancellor of Charles Darwin University, points out that even as many surveys, reports and processes appear to strengthen equality, ever-increasing diversity is evident in higher learning institutions (Charles Darwin University. Official Website). She further illustrate that most regional universities have placed more emphasis on developing the capacity of their region; as manifested in their delivery of distance learning, while retaining their on-campus delivery. Moreover, nearly all are positioning emphasis on particular areas for research specialisation and center of attention. Professor Garnett recommends that Charles Darwin University offers a specific case study on diversity management processes in this changing world. This is intended to help the university successful diversity competency policies and operations in sustainable ways in which stimulate compromise and social justice, by enabling the factors that contribute to social, economic and political change. 1.2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS To be able to illustrate the best way diversity management is applied at workplace, the research questions for this study will ask: a) What diversity processes are applied at workplace? b) What are the impacts of diversity management at workplace? c) What are the beliefs in diversity management and inclusion? 2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW Diversity refers to composition of groups of people with diverse social qualities; except that are evident in other persons or groups. The compositions of diversity consist of but are not limited to age, customs, sex, human characteristics, race, tribe, sexual orientation, educational history, location, earnings, marital status, life experience, parental status, religion, and job level (Thomas and Robertshaw, 2005). Diversity management is described as the planning and accomplishment of organizational structures and practices to handle workers so that the likely return of their social exceptionality at place of work are utilized to optimum while the probable drawbacks are minimized (Foster et al, 2008). Nowadays, workplaces have turned out to be steadily more diverse with workers of diverse gender, race, creed, culture levels and standard of living. The varying cultural systems of organizations have become enormous and indispensable for managers to spot cultural diversity and see how it may affect on their organization. 2.1. Benefits of diversity management Sound management in relation to diversity supervision does well to organization; however it will rely on agenda being pursued. The wellbeing may embrace staff recruitment and retaining individuals of diverse gift, cut costs of labor turnover and build employee dedication, self-esteem and discretionary effort at workplace. Organisations that positively manage the diversity of its workers will be positioned to benefit from their social diversity. This calls for creation of essential structures and establish a diversity culture at work. The main objectives of managing diversity are creating a productive atmosphere at the university, preventing social discrimination of minority, and improving equal opportunities in education and employment. Most organizations embrace three different phases in the implementation of an effective diversity management: Phase One: Prohibition of either direct or indirect discrimination of certain marginalized groups within the university. Phase Two: representation of the minority group in question in the university’s recruitment for jobs or study opportunities. This phase pose unchanged organisational culture because minority are still exposed. Therefore, diversity issue at this stage does not benefit the organisation. Phase Three: This stage is also called inclusion phase; the minority combines with the majority without losing their identities. The diversity of the institution structure is reflected in the organizational culture. 2.2. Certainty in diversity management The management of diversity issues at Charles Darwin University entails the development and backing of a diverse and all-inclusive labor force, through a provision of mutual learning surroundings, respect to other cultures and positive reception of differences. To achieve a diverse and inclusive workforce, organisations support the following practices; recruitment, promotion and selection, remuneration, performance management, flexible work arrangements and equal opportunity for women. Recruitment, promotion and selection: during the hiring and promotion processes, the university management employs issues of diversity in regard to expectations for specific roles. Similarly, diversity concerns are put into consideration in selection and appointment processes to make sure that there is no intent of discrimination in the whole course of action. The University has a strong commitment to equal opportunities for minority groups such as women across the organisation Remuneration: the university management has always ensured that there is no intended or unintended discrimination to or not in favor of workers of specific diversity compositions in regard to the remuneration that they are accorded at workplace. The University Board through Remuneration Committee evaluates and endorses the university’s remuneration ranges yearly. This is reviewed from time to time to ensure that it is consistent with market expectations and encloses no orderly bias. Performance management: management will always make an effort to ensure that performance review methodologies and processes ranging from lecture halls to administration office are consistently applied to relevant groups of employees in relation to evaluations of their performance. In this observation, it is the responsibility of the executive to make sure that activities to be integrated in implementation are held by all the employees so that when planned they will benefit both the individuals and the organisation. Flexible work arrangement: Charles Darwin University recognizes the significance of providing flexible work arrangements for workers to enable them to balance personal and work responsibilities and for their continued success. The institution endeavors to support workers who have family or other personal commitments elsewhere such as career development by introducing rewards like parental leave, personal career leave and examination leave. The flexible working conditions have motivated a number of staffs who have contributed to its success. For example, the maximum working hours in every week is supposed to be 38 hours plus any realistic extra hours that attracts bonuses. Flexibility in working arrangements is also allowed to allow parents with school going children to fit into work schedule as they also meet their parental duties like child care. Parents are accorded up to 12 months unpaid parental leave by their employers in addition to maternal or paternal leave. There is also annual leave of four weeks that is paid for every employee and additional one week for some shift workers (Dowling, 1999). Fair Work Information: each employer is supposed to issue a statement of Fair Work Information to all newly recruited workers. The statement encloses information about the National Employment Standards (NES), the most recent remuneration packages, how agreement should be made between the two, the workers right to association, right of entry or exits as elaborated in Part 6 subsection 4 of the Fair Work Act 2009, business transfers and roles of respective commissions such as Fair Work Australia and the Ombudsman where disputes of the two can be looked into or sorted out. Equal opportunity for women in the workplace: Charles Darwin University is one of the largest employers in the Northern Territory, and demographic composition of women corresponds to 58% of the workforce (University official website). The University helps women at all levels of the organisation, and recognises their important role toward the accomplishment of its mission and strategic directions. The University has a strong commitment to equal opportunities for women across the organisation, and this has been supported through a key function of our business since the establishment in 2007 of a dedicated unit, Support and Equity Services. 3.0. METHODOLOGY For this study, qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used in order to better understand the research problem. The methodology will be used to investigate the diversity management processes at workplace. 3.1. Research design A descriptive research design will be used in this study. According to Laurel (2007), descriptive research focuses on the depiction of an observable fact within its background. Characteristically, this research is established on already existing theories and hypotheses. Moreover, it is suitable to make use of it when a phenomenon or problem is visibly planned and the researcher does not aim to link causes and effects (Caswell, 2005). The key agenda of the descriptive approach is to depict a precise silhouette of individuals, events or state of affairs. In this type of research, it is important to have an accurate image of the observable fact on which the researcher intends to gather data, before the real collection of the data (Bryman 2005). 3.2. Target Population The target population for this study is the known acquaintances in the Charles Darwin University, professors, workers and lecturers. The questionnaire will help sort their opinions on the topic of study; with a sample size of 50 respondents on the subject being sort. 3.3. Data collection procedure Questionnaires will be used to collect data. Questionnaires are deemed to be important study tools and responses and opinions on them will not to be disclosed to anybody or for any reasons other than study being carried out. The main aim of using questionnaires is to access first hand information (primary data) that will be fundamental in assessing the correlation between the two variables of the study. The questions are open-ended as opposed to simple yes-or-no questions. Respondents are asked to fill the questionnaire and they read instruction on their own. Random sampling will be used in selection of sample size. 4.0. CONCLUSION The diversity issues and employment relations in Australia have greatly been influenced by the National Employment Standards as stipulated in the Fair Work Act 2009, which have contributed to greater success in enhancing equity at workplace. Charles Darwin University significantly contributes to role of equity and diversity policy development and program monitoring through its office of Leadership and Organisational Culture. The institution has vowed to continue displaying its commitment to improving the diversity issues and gender balance in its education and workforce structures. The university management should continue to support diversity initiatives and ensure a smooth transition to a more diverse work culture. It could also create a diversity council that will enforce and examine diversity issues in the organisation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bryman, EB 2005. Business research methods, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Caswell, F. (2005) Success in Statistics, (2nd Ed), London: Murray. Charles Darwin University. Official Website. http://www.cdu.edu.au Dowling, D. (1999). The policy of equity and redress and the problem of quality in research. Bulletin: News for the Human Sciences, Vol. 5, pp.10-12 Foster, B., Jackson, G. & Hardiman, R. (2008). Workforce diversity and business. Training and Development Journal, Vol.42, pp.38-41 Fuhr, I. (2000). Worlds Apart: Managing Workforce Polarisation. People Dyanmics, vol. 12, pp.9-17 Havenga, A.J. (1993). Beyond affirmative action there is diversity. PRO Technida, vol.10, pp.9 17 Jacobs, D. (1999). Quantum leaps in quality assurance in higher education. Bulletin: News for the Human Sciences, vol. 5, pp.7-9 Miller, K. (2012). Organisational Communication: Approaches and Processes, 6th Edition, Cengage Learning. Thomas, A. & Robertshaw, D. (2005). Achieving employment equity: A guide to effective strategies. Randburg: Knowledge Resources. Von Hirchfeld, S. & Downs, S. (2001). Change through understanding. People Dynamics, Vol. 10, pp.28-37 Read More