The Problem of Diversity Management - Assignment Example

MANAGING DIVERSITY Outline A) Caste system. B) alized bias. C) Culturalism, racism, ethni D) Uniformity. E) Conclusion. Foreword: This research paper considers the problem of the diversity management. Thesis: Despite the existing laws that protect a person from being discriminated the businesses make everything to diminish the diversity of a company. 1) What are “caste systems” and what are the implications this presents for business organizations? The title of the “caste system” in today’s business has originated from the Indian structure of society. This way of the society division has preserved till nowadays, though it seems to be fading away. In India the caste system is based on the principle of hereditary benefits that classifies a person as a member of the higher class or of the lower one. The Indian system consists of four caste classes and of the outcast class -the untouchables. As we know the history goes round the spiral and that is why the Indian caste system can be easily applied to the modern business world. The original Indian caste system was based on the lineage principle, while in business it is rather the principle of discrimination based on sex, religion, color, physical abilities, ethnicity, political affiliations etc. This system does not have any law system but it has been created for centuries. While the Indian system has five classes, the business world can extend the number of classes indefinitely. Another issue, which is a reasonable one, in my opinion, and which provides the reasons for employees to be classified in some groups, is education. Today the person’s family reputation and the belonging to the rich of the world is nothing compared to skills, experience and knowledge that a person possesses. European and western business world is based on the system that can be called “only the best and the most determined survive”. As a rule, an average European company is run by a white man in his mid fiftieth. The number of Afro-American men or women is rather low, though it has been increasing slowly for the last several decades. Therefore, the “caste system” exists in today’s European and American organizations as the result of tradition and of the fact that any company is striving to be more efficient. 2) What is an institutionalized bias? An institutionalized bias is the one that occurs in different kinds of institutions: state, governmental, business, private and others. The institutionalized biases vary depending on the institution they are in. A governmental institution will seek for men who have excellent permutation and the ability of taking decisions. The sport institution will look for physically healthy people, who can be the role-model for other participants of the institution. Therefore, they will discriminate and outcast those people who posses the opposite qualities to the desired candidate. The nature of any bias is that an institution is willing to be effective and to operate successfully in its sphere or the market. I can easily explain the bias against female-workers. The thing is that the majority of women have the maternity leave after delivering a baby. During these several years an employer has to preserve her workplace and moreover to pay some allowances to her. From the point of morale the situation is to be resolved into a woman’s favor, but from the employer’s point of view the situation is rather unprofitable for him. That is why it is so difficult for a woman to obtain a high post or just to be promoted. As for the physically disabled people, the majority of the organizations strive for not hiring them, since they can perform only strictly specific work without being given wide range of duties and responsibilities. Moreover, such people demand additional assistance on the workplace and some technical facilities. 3) How is diversity associated with culturalism, racism or ethnicity? “Some say sex, race, and ethnicity have commonly been upheld as the primary dimensions of difference among coworkers as they represent traditionally maligned groups”. (Spataro, 24). Culturalism is the act of giving preference to the employees from certain cultures. Sometimes scientists say that culturalism is the synonym to racism. Racism, in its turn, implies that some traits of character and appearance intrinsic to the race give the inherent benefit or the in-born disadvantage. And ethnicity means that the members of the same group try to keep together at the same time trying to eliminate people from other ethnical groups from their surrounding. The term of diversity is tightly connected with the three terms mentioned above. First, it goes about discrimination on the base of belonging to the definite culture, the race or the ethnicity group. According to statistics, the dominant indicator in the world business is racism, and then comes culturalism and ethnicity. Nevertheless, I must point out, that the dominant indicator varies from country to country. For instance, in European countries the dominant one is really racism, and in Muslim countries it is culturalism. The diversity of the multi-national organization is extended compared to the one operating in the local market. Since any organization is looking for the best ways to promote its services and goods into the market, and as a rule the best decision here is to appoint the aboriginal employee for the top-position. 4) The opposite of diversity is uniformity Why is this a bad thing? Don’t most organizations seek to achieve uniformity and consistency by establishing polices and codes-of conduct. I believe that diversity is the current attempt to follow the fashion. The more diverse an organization is, the more positive publicity it will gain. If a company helps those who are in need as the disabled people or does not have any discrimination on the sex, race or ethnicity, even the customers will prefer this company to the others one. Nevertheless, such result demands constant advertising of a company’s policy in order to make it public. Uniformity, in its turn brings more quality and order to the company’s operation. To have a competitive advantage from the diversity, a company is to be aware of the barriers that exist in its sphere of operation. When a company considers diversity to be a negative item, it will bring only tension and inefficiency into its operating process. Differently, when a company accepts cultural or other diversity, it enables it to monitor the market thoroughly in search of the advantages of the diversity appliance. Generally, the diverse labor force in any company can introduce creative ideas, and innovative ways of problem solving. In contrast to uniformity, diversity enhances a company to choose a creative and different way of operating. For example, a European-based company may need a Japanese-speaking manager, to communicate with the Japanese customers. It would be more efficient for a company to hire a native Japanese-speaker, than to find a person in Europe who has the knowledge of Japanese. 5) Do you agree that laws and policies actually exacerbate the informal dynamics of diversity? “Discrimination in employment practices toward employees with disabilities, as well as discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age and physical ability, was outlawed by Congress with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Title 7 of the 1964 Civil Rights Act”. ( Sparato, 23). Although this law has not eradicated discrimination - it just made it hidden or latent. People from the diversity groups have difficulties with getting the job, with getting adequate pay and with getting high positions in business. The level of poverty among the disabled in 50% higher than among people without disabilities. I agree with the author of the article that the fairness is neglected when it comes to the problem of diversity of a business. Another reason why the majority of businesses try to escape hiring a diverse employee is increasing costs. This usually demotivates the management of the company to make its staff more diverse. To summarize everything stated above, it is necessary to point out that despite the existing laws that protect a person from being discriminated the businesses make everything to diminish the diversity of a company. The management of the companies learned how to evade the law without consequences. But this will not bring fairness into the development of the world business. The companies are, in my opinion, to look for advantages that a diverse stuff provides. LITERATURE 1. Spataro, Sandra.”Diversity in Context: How Organizational Culture Shapes Reactions to Workers with Disabilities and Others Who are Demographically Different.” PS:Behavioral Science and the Law 23: 21-38 (2005) Read More