Critical Incident Paper - Essay Example

The most significant reason for a business to embrace diversity is to ensure that creativity is maintained. People from diverse cultural backgrounds usually approach problems from different perspectives. A combination of creative ideas usually leads to the realization of a practical solution (Scott 2007). However, the values and principles of each culture have to be respected in order to achieve the desired integrity in the workplace. In this particular incident, there was a misunderstanding between the management and some of the workers regarding certain cultural values whereby people are restricted from engaging in certain activities during a certain period of the year that has been set aside for fasting and remembering the problems that the society has been going through and coming up with ideas of how to tackle them, and also assist the disadvantaged people in the society.

This particular incident presented a dilemma to some of the employees, who were required to participate in a send off party prepared to honour the outgoing executive director. The event involved celebrating and feasting, which was not in line with the cultural practices of the employees who were required by their culture to shun from feasting for a whole month. On the other hand, each off the employee had a role to play in the banquet organized by the management. Although the employees who were affected by their culture comprised a minority of the employee population, it was necessary for the management to recognize them.

As Dana (2000) observes, ignorance, negligence and discrimination in the workplace lead to conflict. There was a general misunderstanding by the management regarding the significance of this cultural event, and the implication of preventing some of the employees from participating fully in it through engaging them in the banquet. It is important for managers in any work place