Understanding HRM from a Diversity Perspective - Coursework Example

3. Understanding HRM from a Diversity Perspective Name Institution Course Date Understanding HRM from a Diversity Perspective Workplace diversity recognizes the different natures of people ranging from what is visible, invisible, age, gender, disability, religion, marital status, ethnicity, culture as well as personality to name a few (ACIB, 2000). However, the biggest issue regarding diversity range from country to country. For instance, gender inequality has been the most known form of diversity issues since it has been in existence since the old age though diversity issues such as religion and ethnicity have plagued our nations separating people into their various groups. In addition, multiculturalism has been one of the greatest form of diversity issue that affects people in the western countries which are inclusive of the European Union states, Australia and New Zealand (Allen et al., 2004). This has been characterized by large volumes of international migrants who possess diverse cultural backgrounds. In nations such as the United States and South Africa, the most dominant issue of diversity is racial inequality where the black as well as other minorities have been looked down upon and have faced discrimination in their places of work from the privileged (Boselie, Dietz and Wein, 2000). This essay will discuss the significance of understanding human resource management from a diversity perspective. It will also highlight the literature on diversity practices in the field of human resource management. Furthermore, it will detail out how organizations can develop a framework in their HRM section to manage diversity effectively. A diverse workforce is composed of a large number of beliefs, understandings, and perspectives of the world as well as unique information. The rapid development of the world has improved the importance of workforce diversity (Subeliani and Tsogas. 2005). Therefore, a work force characterized by cross-cultural and multicultural features has been seen not only in western communities but also in other corporations worldwide. Due to this, diversity has become the most dominant issue when it comes to political, legal, and corporate as well as education arenas. Therefore, as a result, the reaction from people towards a diverse workforce has been very mixed and can vary from prejudice to permissiveness whereas others show gratitude to diversity (Subeliani and Tsogas. 2005). Then again, quite a number of corporations are very hesitant to hiring female employees as well as ethnic minorities particularly when it comes to acquiring the senior managerial positions. According to some researches, it has been observed that human resource management diversity exercises are not linked with the continued increase in diversity. Bennington and Wein (2000) argues that acceptation of diversity exercise fails to necessarily increase the diversity status within the top management as well as the general workforce. De Cieri and Kramar (2003) also mentions that companies with high rates of diversity most of the time tend to offer minimum wages and often record a huge number of employee turnover. Then again, a research conducted by the Australian Centre for International Business shows that the diversity enhances the quality of management decisions and at the same time offers bright ideas and superior solutions to various organizational issues (Kaifi, 2013). Therefore, most organizations opt to have a diversity management that is effective in order to profit through the bottom line returns. Management of diversity is preceded via identification of differences within an organization rather than solving their problems. Bennington and Wein (2000) identified that having a diverse workforce within an organization demonstrates a better quality when it comes to brainstorming tasks, displaying of more cooperative behaviour and also it can increase the effectiveness of an organization as well as their profits (Kaifi, 2013). Ultimately, the value of diversity may possibly turn out to be a source of leverage, improve the quality of an institutional life and also it may be very upright for business. The importance of diversity management lies on both tactical thinking and people-centered policies. It is considered an approach that is centered among employees, therefore, HRM role is the upholder of the various processes that involves the management of people (Snape and Redman, 2003). Both HRM and diversity management are pertained with the involvement to the human resource to business strategies. Secondly, the relation between HRM and diversity management is mostly concerned with identifying the differences and recognizing the well-being or every member within an organization (Snape and Redman, 2003). Previous studies have indicated that utilizing HRM in order to address the issue of inequality during the recruitment process, advancement as well as reward can improve equal opportunities, promote inclusiveness and also encourage creativity within a diverse workforce. Furthermore, a study conducted on the Ford Foundation on their HRM practices indicated that their diverse board members made easier the recruitment process by tapping into their talent pools (Maxwell, Blair and McDougall, 2001). It showed that hiring more female employees as well as board members who belonged to the minority group led to greater diversity when it came to recruitment exercises. Therefore, effective diversity management can be accomplished through the utilization of formalized HRM practices which integrate appropriate strategies. These strategies are very significant in disabling both individual and group issues while at the same time enhancing the bottom line. An effective HRM strategy focuses on factors that result in an increased institutional learning, information creation as well as growth of a stable workplace atmosphere that is favorable to diverse management (Martin and Worldring, 2001). Therefore, diversity management plays a major role HRM’s practices and policies. Effective diversity management over the years has taken root and has become fundamental within the human resource management especially in international organizations (Martin and Worldring, 2001). This has been primarily due to the globalization and international merges which have occurred around the world allowing the free movement of workers from one end of the globe to the other. The role of diversity management has substantially grown due to the policies incorporated within human resource management which will be of utter important even in the future (Eagan and Bendick, 2001). The concept of diverse management is changing the processes together with the way of thinking by concentrating on the attributes, experiences as well as the way of thinking without any biasness (Eagan and Bendick, 2001). Furthermore, identifying the both the opportunities and the advantages that help to develop and observe the human resource in a different perspective. Diversity management is linked with inclusion, and cohesion between employees of an organization rather than individual performance. Therefore, in an organization, the role of ensuing that diversity is practiced and maintained is the HRM departments. They are very significant to an organization since they take part in ensuring that diversity is implemented in all levels of an organization. They ensure that the factors that are fundamental in promoting success are followed such as interacting, employee behaviour, networking as well as the general respect towards every individual (Dwyer, Richard and Chadwick, 2001). According to numerous studies, the aspect of competitive advantage has been the key goal for almost every organization and it often results from having a well nurtured diversity management. Although, with the high rate of diversification taking place all over the world, companies ought to be careful so as not to be pushed too far. For instance, companies should ensure that the right criterion is followed such as hiring with regard to the qualification of the job rather than blindly hiring minorities ignoring those that may have qualified for the position (Eagan and Bendick, 2001). This may also come out as discrimination towards the majority of job seekers. There are a number of factors that motivate a human resource management team into ensuring diversity within its organization. They can be categorized into two main groups; internal and external possibilities. The external possibilities offer new customer sections while identifying their desires and social responsibilities whereas the internal possibilities includes; constancy of employees, increase in productivity, innovativeness as well as encouraging an inspiring atmosphere (Kossek, Lobel and Brown, 2005). Therefore, HRM departments within an organization ought to pay extra attention to these factors in order to increase their utilization of diversity management. Organizations ought to be dedicated to their ethical motives and objectives that offer a significant requirement for development. Diversity will change the way management thinks and will help the organization attain goals and objectives linked to both business activities and HRM. Therefore, leaders within an organization ought to invest their time and resources in order to acquire the results of diversity management (Northouse, 2004). On the other hand, organizations need to follow the certain steps in order to ensure diversity within their human resource management departments. In order to ensure diversity, structural, cultural and behavioural changes need to be implemented. These three changes interact, reinforce and compete amongst themselves hence a controlled amount of each is fundamental in ensuring maximum changes towards diversity (Gustaffsson and Li, 2000). Structural changes within an organization entails the changes with regard to policies, practices as well as other formal systems which directly affect the achievement of diversity. For instance, HRM departments can review their current recruitment operations, enhance the flexibility of vacation policies and implementing equity in their employee payments. Cultural changes is considered a very complex process since it is connected with the independent values, beliefs and views that contribute to an organizational culture. The perceptions in an individual affects how they choose to act or think (Friedman and Holtorn, 2002). Therefore, an organizational HRM department can conduct cultural audits which can encourage the identification of an organizational culture as well as their effects on groups and individuals. These audits help to evaluate value and behaviours that affect the atmosphere and performance of an organization. Behavioural changes addresses the attitudes and the behaviour an individual employee has to another. Aspects such a communication, stereotyping as well as using humour and differently interpreted from one individual to the other (Friedman and Holtorn, 2002). This could be one of the hinderances towards diversity. Therefore, in order to achieve the behavioural change, HRM within organizations should encourage diversity trainings with the intention of minimizing the rate of employee stereotyping, eradicating negative attitude towards each other’s culture and readying the employees for the change (Friedman and Holtorn, 2002). Moreover, the HRM department ought to create multicultural teams so as to encourage tolerance and improve innovativeness. A number of authors have suggested various methods for improving diversity management through human resource management. Leadership and administration determines the nature of careers provided to male and female employees (Northouse, 2004). For an efficient diversity organization, a culture that embraces inclusion produces a working environment which encourages teamwork, active employee involvement as well as coherence. Therefore, a diverse culture ought to be emphasized and initiated into an organizational vision, mission and the HRM strategy. For a diverse culture to be formed, commitment should be considered with regard to resources and leadership (Northouse, 2004). Also, formalization of HR diversity policies is fundamental in ensuring a diverse management. To sum up, HR diversity management over the years has attained momentum as a result of the external pressures on business activities due to competitiveness, variation in the workforce composition, developing awareness of the HRM as well as the backlash brought about by perspectives of special treatment for both women and minorities. In this age, most organizations require an effective diversity management as well as a HRM that can be able to ensure that these needs are met. An effective diversity management can be implemented through a good human resource which adheres to its practices and procedures therefore resulting to positive effects. Furthermore, diversity management ought to be made a priority to every HRM practices in all organizations. This is because most of these organizations perceive diversity as a problem of compliance with both legal needs as well as employing ethnos hence there is a growing demand for an enhanced human resource diversity strategies which primarily concentrates on making good use of diversity. References ACIB (Australian Centre for International Business) 2000, The International Business Case for Diversity Management, Program for The Practice of Diversity Management, Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in Cooperation with the Australian Center for International Business. Allen, R.S., Dawson, G.A., Wheatley, K.K and White, C 2004, ‘Diversity Practices: Learning Responses for Modern Organizations,’ Development and Learning in Organizations, 18(6), 13–15. Bennington, L and Wein, R 2000, ‘Anti-Discrimination Legislation in Australia – Fair, Effective, Efficient or Irrelevant?,’ International Journal of Manpower, 21(1), p. 21–33. Boselie, P., Dietz, G and Boon, C 2005, ‘Commonalities and Contradictions in Research on Human Resource Management and Performance,’ Human Resource Management Journal, 15(3), p. 67–94. De Cieri, H and Kramar, R 2003, Human Resource Management in Australia, Sydney: McGraw-Hill. Dwyer, S., Richard, O and Chadwick, K 2001, ‘Gender Diversity in Management and Firm Performance: The Influence of Growth Orientation and Organizational Culture,’ Journal of Business Research, 55, p. 1–11. Eagan, M and Bendick, M 2001, ‘Workforce Diversity Initiatives of U.S. Multinationals in Europe,’ Research Report, Washington, DC., Bendick and Egan Economic Consultants. Friedman, R and Holtom, B 2002, ‘The Effects of Network Groups on Minority Employee Retention,’ Human Resource Management, 41(4), p. 405–421. Gustaffsson, B and Li, S 2000, ‘Economic Transformation and the Gender Earnings Gap in Urban China,’ Journal of Population Economics, 13(2), p. 305–329. 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Subeliani, D and Tsogas, G 2005, ‘Managing Diversity in the Netherlands: A Case Study of Raboank,’ International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(5), p. 831–851. Read More