Workforce Design in the US - Essay Example

The demographics of the population of the United States have changed. Hispanics have become the top minority group in the US with 16.3% of the population (Census, 2011).

To comply with the labor laws in the United States firms cannot discriminate against minorities. If a company has a composition of 4% Hispanics among the workers the managers should take immediate measures to remedy the situation. The company could face a discrimination lawsuit if a person makes a complaint against them of unfair hiring practices. Managers have to keep a balance among their workforce to have a balanced ethnic and gender composition within their staff. Managers should mandate the HR department to audit the ethnic and gender composition of its staff every six months.

Culture is another variable that managers must analyze, study, and monitor. Culture can be defined as a learned, shared, integrated way of life (NesSmith, 1995, pg. 33). Managers must learn about culture because different employees behave differently based on culture and due to the fact culture impacts the preferences of customers. For instance, a global manager working at Wendy’s should not recommend expansion into India because the cow is a sacred animal in that country. Culture can also affect the communication process. People from different cultures interpret hand gestures and other body movements differently.

An American manager might make a hand gesture to a Japanese to “come here” by palming the hand facing upwards, but the Japanese employee might not understand the hand gesture since in Japan the “come here” hand gesture is made by facing the palm backward while making a pulling motion towards themselves with the fingers (Lgpnet). A manager that wants to make a deal with a Japanese firm that has decided on whom to send to negotiate the deal should keep in mind that Japanese culture is male-dominated and women hold less power in the workplace than men. Based on this gender cultural fact it would be wise to send men to negotiate the deal.

The Japanese firm might feel disrespected if the firm sent a woman to negotiate an important business deal. In the United States women in the past did not have the equal opportunity employment environment it enjoys today. A lot of progress was made in the 1960s in terms of women's rights due to the civil rights and feminism movements. Sexual harassment in the workplace is prohibited in the United States. “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” (Eeoc, 2009).