The Issues Relevant to the Diversity in the Workplace - Essay Example

Diversity Management and Approaches and Strategies Overview Name Institution Affiliation Diversity Management and Approaches and Strategies Overview Introduction Current organizations have different challenges in ensuring proper management of individuals with different abilities and personalities in an organization. In ensuring their inclusion, the organizations have ensured that they diversify their management through different approaches to take care of all the individuals in the organization. This paper gives the analysis of the diversity management approaches and strategies for the system within the current organizations. Diversity management is the practice that is done by leaders in addressing and supporting multiple lifestyles and characteristics of different personality within a defined group in an organization (Wrench, 2016). Management in the context of diversity involves different activities such as educating, providing support for acceptance and respect for various racial, cultures, and political backgrounds. To better understand the diversity management, D'Netto, Shen, Chelliah, & Monga, (2014) stated that some important factors within the organizations needs to be fully understood and they include; equal employment opportunity (EEO) for the entire populations, and the affirmative actions (AA) on the stakeholders of the organizations. Diversity management has the emphasis on evaluating the performance of the organizations through recruitments, retentions, and development strategies which are beyond the legal framework of EEO and AA. With the understanding of these two principles, the organizations are currently seeking for the increase in productivity and performance within the organizations. The diversity management is also considered to be the ability that the top management develops to strategically program policies to manage and accommodate the diversity in the workplace. In developing this ability, the diversity aims at ensuring that management programs are designed to increase cultural sensitivity, develop awareness, and recognize the issues relevant to the diversity in the workplace (Sabharwal, 2014). Today the Australian organizations have gone internationals and some still operate within the nation having different people in running the entire processes. Some of the factors that make the diversity management important in these organizations include; first, the organizations are comprised with people from different cultures which need to be fully understood and incorporated in the organization (Anheier, 2014). Secondly, the organizations operate with people of different sexes that is both males and females making it necessary to diversify the management to understand how good to work with both gender (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis, 2015). Thirdly, the organizations within Australia are controlled and have workers with different academic approaches in learning of the different sectors within organizations (Chong, 2014). Fourthly, the organizations operate even beyond the country bounders which imply that the management must design programs to ensure that there is incorporation of different political understanding of different states and countries (Kulik, 2014).. Lastly, Wrench (2016) the disabled within the Australian communities have been engaged in running and making decisions within the organizations and dealing with such people requires their understandings by the management. Diversity management paradigm concerns the best way up on which the diversity in the work place can be treated to achieve the objectives of the organization (Choi & Rainey, 2014). The diversity has three aspects which must always be considered to ensure that there is smooth running of the organizations. The human resource management (HRM) has the mandate to ensure that these paradigms are well taken care of to ensure the best recruitment in an organization. The first aspect is the discrimination and fairness paradigm which concerns that everybody is the same and the difference that we possess do not matter in our lives (Janssens & Zanoni, 2014). These paradigm ensure that assimilation is not force into the workers and the workers are just but guided by the rules. Secondly is the access and legitimacy paradigm which ensures that there are connections between clients when making representations for the organizations (Vangen & Winchester, 2014). Lastly is the integration and the learning paradigm which base on the fact that we are the same with minor differences and our differences and experiences need to be shared in diversifying the resources for our learning. In this paradigm, the cultures we have are learned and shared with our differences being the acknowledgement of our values (Choi & Rainey, 2014). To ensure proper management of paradigm, Syed, (2014) argued that HRM has its own paradigm approach to ensure diversity management. These approaches used by the HRM include; first the diversity enlargement which involves the addition of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds within the organization or company. This approach aims at changing the demographic composition of the workforce by recruiting people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds which means different geographical regions. The approach is greatly influenced by the laws of the country as well as the public expectation of the political correctness rather than the business understanding. Secondly is the diversity sensitivity which understands the risk of bringing people from different backgrounds in the workplace. The approach takes keen interest on the differences backfiring through considering of the stereotypes hence the HRM introduces the intergroup differences than improving communication in understanding interests. Thirdly, the approach uses the cultural audit where the HRM identifies the problem that may limit the operation of a certain individual from performing in an organization especially in relation to the cultural background. The HRM ensures that the barriers are reduced in communication and operations of the employees of the organization. Lastly, the HRM approach uses the strategy for achieving the organizational outcomes in attaining the specific paradigm in an organization. In this approach, the recruitment approach takes place with the understanding of the understanding of the company’s goals and only bringing people with such abilities in getting the organization goals (Manoharan, Gross & Sardeshmukh, 2014). As a consultant, my goal for the organization will be to ensure there is inclusion of different groups of people within the organization to represent the diversity in the workplace. This role will be achieved through the application of the diversity enlargement strategy and the strategy for achieving the organization aims and objectives. These strategies will help me in guiding the organization management on different ways through which they can recruit and replace employees within the organization to ensure productive diversity in running the entire business or company. I tend to believe as a manger that proper application of the two named strategies will ensure the management achieves the best personal as well as good workplace diversity that will create a sustainable business. Attitudinal barriers Some of the attitudinal barriers that have resulted among members with disabilities in organizations include; the poor training background for people with disability which greatly affects the development of people into what they really aspire to be (Hemingway & Priestley, 2014). In some training institutions, the teachers or trainers create the worst attitude for those with disability creating the low self-esteem among the disabled to be fully fit for the work within different organizations. The low self-esteem is carried on to the workplace and those with disability always find themselves inferior in running the entire organization. Secondly is the attitude that those with disability show in relation to their culture of being disadvantaged in the society (Barnes, 2014). Once the individuals understand the sense that they are disabled and have the specific belonging to the society, they would probably have the best that the society needs in organizations. The society has appreciated the existence of the disadvantaged in the society and has given them space in running and controlling of the organizations. The barrier for their operation within the organization comes with their failure to accept their space in the community and strive to ensure that they fill their space within the society through different actions. Third barrier is the culture that disability provides to those disadvantaged as it provides the framework for the possibility or choice to the disadvantaged. The culture makes them embrace individuality identity making them remain introvert in their operations. The idea reduces their chances of operating as a group with the company resulting to isolations in making decisions and framing the programs of the organizations (Tausch, Saguy, & Bryson, 2015). Fourthly, the attitudinal barrier that the disadvantaged only have some specific areas upon which they can operate for specific works. This barrier creates the limitation in ensuring that the disadvantaged get opportunity in running the organizations as they are only given specific and limited spaces within the organization to manage. Lastly, stigma attitude greatly affects the success of the disadvantaged within the society as well as taking part in running of the organization systems. The stigma that people have towards different disabilities lowers the confidence among the disabled individuals resulting to the feeling of being inferior in running of the major post in an organization. When an individual has been stigmatized on the basis of any disability, the rest of the population will not be willing to work with such individuals, as they will believe the individual is not fit for some jobs (Tausch, Saguy, & Bryson, 2015). Steps for identifying the current situation Some of the steps that I would use to identify different problems within the business according to Coghlan & Brannick (2014) include; first, identifying and performing the gap analysis within the business organization. This process will involve checking the actual performance of the organization against the existing standards. This step involves looking at the people’s behavior as well as relationship to determine whatever is left out in realizing the objectives of the organization. In realizing the gap within people, I would organize meetings and interviews to realize the skills, abilities, and knowledge that are already existing and the new ones required in running the business. The step ensures that different training gaps, recruitment gaps and any other problem that is stopping the business from operating actively within the business is established. The second step would be to identify priorities and importance of the gaps to determine the gaps to be filled first. Within this step, I would determine the reality in the gaps as well as the worthiness of addressing the needs. Under this, I would look at the cultural and ethnical composition of the staffs to determine the balance in recruitment as well as replacement. I would not overlook at anybody with regard to any element of segregation or inferiority, but will provide the opportunity for everyone. After realizing and prioritizing the problems and gaps need in the organization, I would strive to identify the causes of the problems within the organizations. The problems or causes of prioritized issues are analyzed which may include the barriers that might have been in place causing the gaps. The problems realization will involve determining the organization performance requirement as well as determining if the appropriate solutions are to be applied in solving the problem. The process will require daily check on how employees are doing their jobs and if they really know how to do their job. Lastly, I would use the benchmark information and the experience that I find within the organization’s gaps to identify possible solutions and growth opportunities. The solution to the problem that is given in this context involves any possible challenge that may rise in replacement, recruitment, and showing the elements of diversity within the organization. To come up with the best solutions, I would include other experts who would help me in realizing and understanding the issues within the organization without fear of facing the stakeholders on the new implementations. I would not avoid the chances of benchmarking in other companies to ensure that I also copy their way of handling the diversity in the workplace rather than constraining myself to the individual thoughts (Cummings & Worley, 2014). Recommended strategies to implement to help assist in being disability confident organization The following recommendations will be considered good for the organization. First, I would recommend the disability workforce measurement which will ensure the organization has the required data that is used to evaluate the disparity in the recruitment and the type of people to recruit as from the data that good information and communication can be determined (Ince, Haddock & Tai, 2015). Secondly, I would recommend the setup of a disability employment targets as the target will bring the sense of commitment among the management. The target will create the need for the management to implement the needs of the organizations which will include the introduction of the disabled within the organization. Thirdly, I would recommend for the social procurement within the organizations which provides the organizations with the highest number of the disabled an opportunity to win more tenders. The practice will also aim at providing the required number of the disabled in an organization to take part in the tender discussion. Fourthly, I would recommend the organization to organize training on and about disabilities to ensure delivery of the appropriate training to people with disability. The training will involve educating the employers, staff and community members on the value that the disabled have to ensure that the myths that surround the disabled are dispelled from the culture. Lastly, I would recommend the management to lead in the employment of the disabled by incorporating the disabled among the management team. The process will ensure the juniors within the organization realize the potential of the organization by the management leading at the front with inclusion of the disabled (Mujanovic, 2015). Ways of monitoring and measuring the improvement The success of my recommendations for the organization will only be realized if I put in place different ways through which monitoring and measurement takes place. First I would measure the disability workforce through the observation of the rate of increase in the number of disabled within the organization. This will be through monitoring of the steady increase in the total number of working hours by the disabled. Secondly, I would demand the provision of the weakly public reports on the success towards attaining the set target in the number of employees within the business. The target set will be monitored through the involvement of different auditors who will also provide the public report on the rate of achieving the target. Thirdly, I would monitor the trend in the reduction of unemployment rate among the disabled within the society. A reduction in the unemployment rate among the disabled within the society will imply an increase in the implementation of the recommendations provided for the organizations. Lastly, I will study the trend in the diversity among the management team to evaluate the inclusion of the disabled in the management (Hazen, et. all, 2014). Conclusion From the discussion, the paper has looked at disability as a challenge but not a loose of hope for individuals. The disabled have different personalities which are important for the development of the organizations which only require an opportunity to ensure that development of the organization. The barriers for realizing the success of the disabled are self-caused and should be reduced with members of the society being trained to ensure equality. The big problem in realizing diversity at the workplace lies with the disabled and they need to come out to realize their position in the society. The strategies to ensure equality within the organizations that have been discussed in the paper are majorly effective on condition that both parties that are the disabled and the able are willing to accept the change. It also borrows greatly that the willingness of the disabled to be realized in the community is what bring to the success of the strategies. The strategies require instant but long lasting decisions to be made when recruiting and replacing the employees. References Anheier, H. K. (2014). Nonprofit organizations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge. Barnes, C. (2014). Independent living, politics, and policy in the United Kingdom: A social model account. Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal, 1(4). Choi, S., & Rainey, H. G. (2014). 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Managing Cultural Diversity in Collaborations: A focus on management tensions. Public Management Review, 16(5), 686-707. Wrench, J. (2016). Diversity management and discrimination: Immigrants and ethnic minorities in the EU. Routledge. Read More