Discovering Harmony in Diversity - Essay Example

Discovering Harmony in Diversity Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 2 2.Introduction 3 3.Diversity & Strategies 4 4.Motivation 9 5.Motivating Theories for Diverse Workforce 10 6.Conclusion 13 7.Bibliography 14 1. Abstract In this era of globalization, there is much controversy on the coming together of all kinds of people for a common purpose. Diversity is slowly becoming a common feature in schools, workplaces and communities. Due to this development, a lot of issues crop up such as acceptance of different races and cultures, sexual preferences, educational qualifications and changes in practices previously viewed as established norms. The concept of diversity has been broadened to include all individuals who bring unique perspectives or outlooks to the organization. It not only includes the traditional categories of race and gender but also people with disabilities, gays & lesbians and other non-traditional categories considered having “diversity of thought” or those from the different disciplines, college degrees, socio-economic backgrounds etc. It was Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who inspired the concept of diversity when he advocated that people should be judged by their character, not by the color of their skin. This propelled lawmakers to come up with laws that provide equal opportunity to all. (MOR BARAK, M. E., 2000) These laws have been designed protect anyone from being discriminated against by reason of sex, marital status, ethnic or national origin, color, race, nationality, age, disability, religion, and differing terms of employment, including pay for jobs of equal value. 2. Introduction As of now, an escalating number of European firms are implementing diversity and equality strategies; not only for principled and legal reasons but also for the trade benefits they are anticipated to deliver. Amongst the most imperative of these benefits are enhanced employee recruitment and employee retention from a broad pool of superior quality workforce, better corporate icon and repute, better innovation and improved promotion opportunities. The term “Equal opportunity” refers to a situation where a person is entitled to equal access in society. “Equal opportunities approach” is premised on the principle that all people are eligible to avail certain rights or privileges like education, employment, health care or other welfare services without any discrimination or any preference. Different organizations now apply various equal opportunity practices which consist of a number of means adopted to provide fair conditions for all their members in the process of employment and work. (GILL KIRTON, A. M. G., 2000) This current trend of the embracing of diversity has given birth to the concept of “the inclusive workplace”. As per the understanding of MOR Barak: (MOR BARAK, M. E., 2000) “values and uses individual and intergroup differences within its work force; cooperates with and contributes to its surrounding community; alleviates the needs of disadvantaged groups in its wider environment; and collaborates with individuals, groups, and organizations across national and cultural boundaries.” The Progression always has its cons. One is people’s resistance to change, refusal to come out of comfort zones to embrace newness and integrate it in the familiar leading to discrimination as a justification of such non-acceptance. In workplaces with highly diversified employees, the conflicts are bound to ensue. These conflicts are mainly caused by the senior level administrative officer’s attitudes and behavior. Even in today’s “politically correct” environments, prejudice and stereotypes (biased views) and discrimination (biased behaviors) either overt or covert prevent the successful implementation of inclusive policies at the workplace. Such obstacles usually suffered by women, older adults, ethnic and racial minority groups, homosexuals and the disabled include lack of support in their career planning, guidance of these nontraditional employees that is necessary for job advancement and a lonely and unsupportive work environment. (MINER, J. B., 2005) 3. Diversity & Strategies In terms of cultural diversity, it is required to understand the culture where another comes from if harmony is to be achieved. Culture is defined as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguished the members of one human group from another Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture.” (HOFSTEDE, G., 1994) As per this definition, an individual is able to perceive how much influence culture has on people. This is markedly felt in an international environment. If people are considerate and understanding other cultures, and makes the necessary adjustments to accommodate the needs of others then they can earn the cooperation of others. On the other hand, if people insist on promoting their own culture and their value system, whether it is agreeable with others or not, then it can be surmised that sooner or later the personal relationship will encounter major conflicts. This analysis is logical and general, but it goes without saying that there is more than meets the eye. As in any culture, there are sub-cultures which may reflect variations in beliefs, interpretations or communication of the main culture. An example is the Asian culture. There are some values upheld which may be “typically Asian”, such as honor and integrity. Within Asian countries, some interpretations differ. To illustrate, in one country, being able to look straight into the eye of another person when speaking, means that the person is sincere while in another country it denotes defiance and disrespect especially if the gaze is directed to a person of higher authority. Even within a specific country, there are sub-cultures. Not to mention individual differences of members of the sub-groups stemming from influences from their family, gender, age and psychology. These nuances need to be carefully taken in consideration in a culturally diverse environment. (MATS ALVESSON, S. S., 2008) Most conflicts that surface in a culturally diverse setting are caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding. Ethical considerations are subject to interpretation. The reason there are cultural differences is because there are differences in how the situation is understood. Almost everyone agrees that ethics is doing the right thing but how to reach an ethical decision is open to debate. (COX, T., 1993) Coming up with a final business decision depends on situational factors such as organizational goals, organizational codes of ethics, the legal environment and the perception of the other party. Organizational goals may be set but people from different cultures may have different approaches in reaching them. There will also be cross-cultural differences in how code of ethics is understood depending on the familiarity with and tradition or longevity of codes of ethics within individual business organizations. That is why it is essential that no matter who they are, employees’ values must be aligned to the company’s. Differing values create conflict and will impede goal achievement. (KHOO, G. P., 1994) According to Mishra and Morrissey, the following factors propagate trust: (MISHRA, J. &. M. M. A., 1990) Open communication; Giving workers a greater share in decision making; Sharing of critical information and True sharing of perceptions and feelings For diversity strategies to succeed, the firms are required to overcome a superseding obstruction that is universal to most of the businesses i.e. opposition in the workplace. As per a survey conducted by EBTP, 17% companies highlighted biased attitudes and behaviors as their chief confront in promoting diversity. To resolve this problem, good practice company’s advance towards diversity as a culture change process via application of lessons they have learned in the past about effectual change management including defining a transparent case for action, building leadership commitment, establishing an infrastructure to support implementation as well as communicating diversity and addition principles to workers, clientele and other stakeholders. It is crucial for the management to be consistent in communicating to each worker its philosophy, mission and vision. Each worker should be able to feel that he is part of a great team that sets high goals and successfully attains them. Creating the conditions that engender knowledge transfer entails significant structural and cultural changes by top leadership, which will require leaders to be convinced that the benefits of knowledge transfer outweigh the costs. In the absence of this commitment, it is unlikely that attempts to increase knowledge flow will succeed. (BURGESS, D., 2005) It is vital that the source of conflict is examined. Personal backgrounds need to be studied to be able to understand where the conflict is coming from and to predict future behaviour. Explaining differences in a non-threatening manner may just be the key, if conflicting parties are mature individuals. During more complex situations, Dr. Gillian P.S. Khoo identifies five types of handling conflicts which are as follows: 1. Domination 2. Compromise 3. Integration 4. Avoidance and 5. Obliging conflict styles (KHOO, G. P., 1994) Advanced research reveals that European Americans have been found to dominate conflict situations while Asians and Asian Americans tend to either avoid conflict or to oblige the other party. A high degree of individualism has been attributed to the use of a confrontational- oriented style among Euro Americans, while greater collectivism and a desire to avoid loss of face have been attributed to the use of more passive and accommodating conflict styles among Asians and Asian Americans. (KHOO, G. P., 1994) The collectivism involves a connection amid the individual’s self-identity and a collective, whereas individualism implies that the two are more fully distinct. It must be noted, however, that the individualist sees the distinction between self and other as the defining characteristic of social interaction, whereas the collectivist sees the distinction between in-group and out-group as paramount in social interaction. (KATHARINE ESTY, R. G. M. S. H., 1995) Strong personalities usually dominate and crush the conflict into oblivion by claiming their stake. More cooperative parties integrate their ideas and compromise for a “win-win” solution to the problem. Some subservient ones just oblige in spite of their own opinion to avoid conflict. Whatever mediation business people use to minimize conflicts in a diversified organization, it is important to accept that there will always be differences among people involved in the organization. Instead of focusing on its possible liability, why not extract its strengths and its possible contribution to the interests of the organization? An inclusive workplace allows, encourages, and facilitates the inclusion of individual employees who are different from the "mainstream" in the organizational information networks and decision-making processes. Valuing diversity goes beyond the golden rule of treating others as you wish to be treated yourself, because it involves a higher behavior, one that is receiver-centered rather than self-centered. It entails treating others the way they wish to be treated. This may be a huge challenge to management; however, if it is not willing to confront the overwhelming task of moving toward an inclusive workplace, then diversity-related goals may not be appropriately set. (SONNENSCHEIN, W., 1999) Creating an inclusive environment involves organization culture and culture change. It takes re-evaluation of long-held beliefs and practices to accommodate such change. For instance, power distance may intimidate some minority groups from being participatory in the organization. In a typical hierarchal organization, the dominant groups control the resources and hold the power to set rules. Organizational change shortens the power distance form the top to the bottom of the pyramid. (SCOTT W. LESTER, J. K. C. E. J. P.) Another cause of disharmony in the highly diverse setting is uncertainty avoidance. Uncertainty avoidance describes the reaction of a group to that which is different or unfamiliar. Typically, those cultures that are allowed more freedom to define themselves as individuals experience a lower level of uncertainty avoidance, whereas cultures that stress conformity tend to experience higher levels of uncertainty avoidance. Culture and group formation themselves are the result of a desire to reduce uncertainty, as membership in a particular group defines value systems and provides a framework for behavior. Inclusive environments allow people to have the freedom to keep their uniqueness to bring in different ideas to either enrich what is happening or challenge what is entrenched. When they become too assimilated in a homogeneous culture, they lose their uniqueness and true value to themselves and the organization which made them attractive candidates to the organization in the first place. (SCOTT W. LESTER, J. K. C. E. J. P.) Participation in the decision-making process has been linked to job satisfaction, especially if the diverse, nontraditional members are asked of their opinions. Not only does this increase their self-esteem and sense of belonging, but it can potentially affect their retention and effectiveness on the job. (MOR BARAK, M. E., 2000) 4. Motivation Motivation is the set of grounds that promotes an individual to indulge in a specific behavior. The term “MOTIVATION” is usually utilized for human motivation. As per to the various theories, motivation could be entrenched in the fundamental requirement to reduce physical pain and maximize satisfaction, or it might consist of precise requirements like eating and resting, a preferred object, pastime, objective, state of being, superlative or it may be accredited to less-apparent reasons such as unselfishness or morality or overcoming mortality. (GEEN, R. G., 1994) Effective communication is key to any relationship, be it personal or professional. The organizational communication is the process by which individuals stimulate meaning in the minds of other individuals by means of verbal or nonverbal messages in the context of a formal organization. Most of the time, this comes in the form of “dialogues.” Dialogue is defined as “a sustained collective inquiry into the processes, assumptions and certainties that compose everyday experience.” In the organizational setting, dialogues are used to have a “meeting of minds”, extracting what each member believes and coming up with an agreed decision that takes into account those beliefs, Members think together, analyzing causes and effects, and end up understanding a shared meaning. (GEEN, R. G., 1994) Usually, they reach greater heights in idea-storming that as individuals, they could not have thought of. This is contrasted with the construct of consensus building wherein people “seek some rational means to limit options and focus on the ones that are logically acceptable to most people.” Usually, the final consensus is reached if only to end the discussion, and that is what the group can “live with for now”. There is no guarantee that whatever factor initially leading some members to disagree will just vanish after the consensus has been made. It is likely that some members walk away in resignation but not in total satisfaction. 5. Motivating Theories for Diverse Workforce Part of effective communication within a diverse organization is the sharing of knowledge and ideas that will ultimately redound to the benefit of the organization. However, there is usually a breakdown in the transfer. “Motivational barriers to knowledge transfer included a lack of extrinsic rewards, stronger levels of group versus organizational identification, reciprocity norms, and the view of knowledge as a means of achieving upward organizational mobility.” Workers will be more encouraged to transfer knowledge to another member however different that individual is if this sort of behaviour is rewarded by management either by external means such as merit or salary increases or internal means to boost their self-esteem such as praise or simply appreciation. According to the experts, rewarding people with money and other status symbols such as titles, promotions, larger offices, etc. actually reduces motivation. Every time people are rewarded for doing something, they are motivated externally. In doing so, it inevitably reduces people’s inner motivation – and it is this motivation that eventually guarantees quality and performance. (MINER, J. B., 2005) In every employment, employees consciously or unconsciously expect a kind of “psychological contract” apart from the expectations the job usually presents – benefits and compensation for a particular job description. This psychological contract usually includes open and honest communication, managerial support and challenging and interesting work. Employees are becoming increasingly aware of the non-monetary rewards that companies can provide them. It is generally important that the job not only fulfills their economical needs, but their socio-emotional needs as well. This implies that recruiters need to go beyond a discussion of compensation and benefits and highlight aspects of their organization that job candidates will find intrinsically satisfying. (CARR-RUFFINO, N., 1996) Employers are required to be cognizant of and responsive to their employees’ perception of their psychological contracts with the company. Things such as meaningful work, recognition, creative freedom and opportunities for personal growth are desired by all employees. Management must maintain open and honest communication with employees, bearing in mind their socio-emotional needs and concerns, and being encouraging enough to boost their self-esteem. (KATHARINE ESTY, R. G. M. S. H., 1995) Lack of communication is ultimately problematic because it suggests to employees that management may be susceptible to perceived psychological contract breaches across a variety of areas because the basic issue of communication is not met. Employers must be able to invest more time developing and strengthening healthy relationships with their employees in various districts so they are kept abreast of their progress in both personal and professional areas. (LEE THAYER, G. A. B., 1997) In line with understanding employees’ needs and concerns, employers should be ready to invest in their professional and personal development. Full-fledged diversity management, as opposed to a mere sensitivity training class, requires a radical upending of basic assumptions, patterns, and structures. Also, regular trainings and participation in seminars or enrolment in courses shouldered by the company may be perceived as part of the job, but it should be communicated to the employees that although application of their leanings will highly profit the company, ultimately it will redound to their own benefit. This knowledge from trainings is bound to increase their market value. Being aware of diverse employees’ gripes and complaints as well as constructive suggestions may be brought up to the proper authorities and dealt with seriously. Regular evaluation of company performance should include the assessment and feedback of employees of their employers and employment. Managers should not be remiss in this duty of bridging communication or else employees may perceive management to be incompetent. This negative perception could also lead to widespread problems satisfying other psychological contract obligations. This may be particularly troubling because it may often be the responsibility of an employees manager (acting as the organizations agent) to see that the individuals psychological contract is fulfilled. (SCOTT W. LESTER, J. K. C. E. J. P.) Being acknowledged for one’s creative contributions to the company motivates an employee to think up of more. An employer may be instrumental in awaking that creative spark by advocating for dynamic ideas from the employees, who, coming from diverse backgrounds, may be the best people to rely on. Keeping in mind that for some employees, rewards do not necessarily come in form of money, benefits such as more flexible work schedule, scholarships for further studies, promotions, child care support, work-life balance may be enough to motivate them to maintain their good work. Finally, employees appreciate some down time from work and team-building events. Leisurely activities such as sports fests, family trips, etc. relax employees from the demands of work and enable them to relate to one another as simple human beings. When people have a clear idea of where they are heading and how they fit in to serve the company’s goals, they become motivated to perform well. Trust is essential as well as a very open climate and a lot of freedom. 6. Conclusion It is necessary to value the exchange of alternative points of view. This fosters thinking “out of the box” and brings fresh perspectives into the organizational thinking. Another guideline is to tolerate uncertainty in group processes. This may even strengthen the bond of the members as they strive to pursue best options together and cooperating to come up with a group decision is answer. Still another one is to respect each other’s experiences and share one’s own, as this enriches each other’s knowledge and possibly increase understanding and tolerance of differences. Finally, use the exposure to other cultural values as opportunity for learning. Everyone stands to gain from learning about others. Global trends point to the formation of inclusive organizations that welcome people from all walks of life to contribute their ideas, talents and efforts to the pursuit of organizational goals. It may be a challenge to sustain such a diverse organization, but if people learn to accept, respect and appreciate others no matter how different they are and then it is a huge step to achieving the elusive harmony in a totally diverse environment. (SONNENSCHEIN, W., 1999) 7. Bibliography BURGESS, D. 2005. What motivates employees to transfer knowledge outside their work unit? Journal of Business Communication. 42(4). CARR-RUFFINO, N. 1996. 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Organization-Communication: Emerging Perspectives. Greenwood Publishing Group. MATS ALVESSON, S. S. 2008. Changing Organizational Culture: Cultural Change Work in Progress. Routledge. MERRYFIELD, M. 1995. Journal of Teacher Education. Institutionalizing cross-cultural experiences and international expertise in teacher education: The development and potential of a global education PDS network. MINER, J. B. 2005. Organizational Behavior I.: Essential Theories of Motivation and Leadership. M.E. Sharpe. MISHRA, J. &. M. M. A. 1990. Trust in employee/employer relationships: A survey of West Michigan managers. Public Personnel Management. 19(4), pp.443-463. MOR BARAK, M. E. 2000. The Inclusive Workplace: An Ecosystems Approach to Diversity Management. 45(4). SCOTT W. LESTER, J. K. C. E. J. P. Psychological contracts in the 21st century: what employees value most and how well organizations are responding to these expectations. SONNENSCHEIN, W. 1999. The Diversity Toolkit: How You Can Build and Benefit from a Diverse Workforce. McGraw-Hill Professional. Read More