Diversity in the Workplace (Sociology) - Essay Example

Diversity among the military workers is a challenge itself, but should be also viewed as the number of certain separate aspects and diversities, among which are generation gap, incomes and benefits, communication with civilians, etc. The fact, that 'many large corporations transfer executives and their families to different cities, particularly early in their careers. [] The military is unique in the American labor force in the extent to which it expects its rank-and-file personnel and their families to relocate'.

(Segal & Segal, 2004) This creates the principal diversities in the workforce among military. Generation gap is rather common problem among military, as well as among the other kinds of working staff in the country. From the sociological point of view, the principal attention of this aspect should be devoted to relations between the representatives of Generations X and Y. Though both generations display rather comfortable relations with technology, they still tend to have different attitudes towards work as the notion and the co-workers as the social surrounding at workplace.

In the military workforce, where the changes in surroundings occur more frequently due to the geographical and movable character of the military work, it is essential not only to remember the differences, but to manage these differences effectively. Both generations, having much in common, still need different techniques of motivating them at work, which should also be accounted. Stereotypes in relation to generation gap should be eliminated. It is common to judge the person and its attitudes on the basis of the commonly spread assumptions; 'although certain characteristics may be attributed to one generation or another, that does not mean that all people in a particular generation exhibit each of that generations' common characteristics'.

(Segal & Segal, 2004) The same characteristics should be eliminated in stereotyping the mostly probable population to serve for military. For example, as Segal & Segal (2004) state, 'enlistment is predicted by parents' education, high school grades, college plans, race and ethnicity'. However, it does not mean that sociologically this or that population layer is more likely to participate in the military, than the other. Thus, stereotyping is a common problem in the military organization. As other issues, it is closely connected with the challenge of active move across the country, or even abroad, for both militaries and their families; thus in getting used to the new work surrounding stereotyping should be replaced by immediate feedback and thorough analysis of the actions performed.

The diversity in income and benefits directly impacts the performance of the military in one organization. It is clear, that the rank plays certain role, but the process of promotion also influences the attitudes of marines towards the job they have to do. 'When you came up for promotions, your minority status was prominent and was included as a basis for promotion." He recalls the promotion candidates' dossiers being flashed to board members from a microfiche projector. "On the screen was the dossier, and splashed across on a diagonal banner, in big, bold, capital letters was the word MINORITY.

' (Waller, 2001) This probably resulted in the inappropriate behavior among marines which has become the subject of ardent discussion in press and