Workplace Diversity

Similarly, the various ways to manage diversity in different diverse workplaces are also discussed. Furthermore, this paper illustrates some of the practices and policies used in the diverse workforce. Furthermore, the disadvantages of a diverse workforce are also discussed and possible solutions given for the challenges faced in implementing the process. The disadvantages are the negative implementations faced when employing different people at the same workplace. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to give an empirical assessment of the link between economic performance and workforce diversity in a business organization environment. For instance, apart from gender and race, it can also include more operations such as religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, language, working style, gender identity, physical capabilities, family status, and opinions.

It is vital to the diversity of the organization because each size of problem or challenge has a specific solution. That is, no-size-fits-all-solution. b) Be realistic According to Price, & Nelson (2018), it is more helpful to involve all people with a responsibility for the diversity at the goal-setting stage from the topmost stakeholders to other supportive members. This is called buy-in-is critical. com, 2018). Demonstrate CEO support The senior most executive should be in a position to properly articulate the case of the business to set the best example for the employees taking their cues from the top. Benefits of diversity in workplace Having a diverse workplace has many benefits to the organization and its employees in many ways. As mentioned by Roberson, Ryan & Ragins (2017), some of the benefits are as follows: i.

A diverse workplace creates a wide pool of applicants to select from, this makes it easy to find more qualified workforce. Diverse backgrounds of employees imbue organizations with their near and creative ideas as well as perspectives given by their experiences in culture. v. A diverse workplace aligns the culture of an organization with the American demographic make-up. vi. A diverse workplace increases satisfaction from customers through improved employees’ interactions with diverse public and clientele. ii) Treat each employee as an individual It is important to avoid making collective assumptions concerning employees from different backgrounds. Instead, each employee should be looked at individually and judge his or her failures or successes on individual merit but not relating actions to their ethnic background.

iii) Encourage employees to work in diverse groups Working with diverse teams allows employees to understand and value each other on individual basis. This breaks cultural misunderstanding and preconceived notions among the employees of the organization. iv) Standards should be based on objective criteria One standard of rules should be set for all employees groups without considering their background. For instance, off-limits questions concerning personal life of the applicant such as political beliefs, romantic life and the church they attend should be avoided during business-related interviews. iii. Creativity in recruitment is very vital. Interviewers should use relevant departments to get as many applicants as possible. For instance, if more women are to be recruited in an engineering department, it may be easier to get more women applicants by advertising through professional groups catering for women.

Also, all updates made to diversity policies must be shared with the current employees of the organization. Diversity sections in employee handbook i. Conditions for employment and termination ii. Code of conduct must outline the policy of the company towards diversity iii. Policy for benefits and compensation iv. Sensitivity training explains to workers on how to make apologies to co-workers in case they unknowingly offended them. ii. Employees can learn how to appreciate the views of others better. iii. Sensitivity training should include all employees. For multi-state or international business organization, it is vital to track regional changes to laws and regulations depending on the country or the state. This is because business laws vary from one country to another. Sources of diversity law Diversity law has two main sources.

These include: i. Bloomberg BNA (Bureau of National Affairs) ii. However, if all people were to think in the way, then business organizations would use the same old approaches to their products, sales, management, marketing and distribution of their products in the market. Many research shows that diversity usually increases innovation among different stakeholders hence improves growth in the market. v) Cross-cultural understanding Due to the increase in the diversity in the world, understanding cultures of other people in different regions creates a better environment to work as well as a better world. Furthermore, diverse work groups encourage and improve growth in the market than other organizations which rely on old world misconceptions and prejudices. Disadvantages of diversity in workplace i) Difficulty in transitioning There are many challenges faced by any organization in creating a more diverse workforce.

These effects include: i) Communication barriers The number of language barriers and communication filters increase when workforce is built with employees from many countries and cultures. These barriers impact external and internal processes of communication. Heterogeneous work cultures usually have easier communication because employees in such settings do not have to overcome any culture and language issues (Roberson, Ryan, & Ragins, 2017). Some of the larger businesses higher diverse trainers and interpreters to assist workers overcome challenges associated with diversity challenges at workplaces. ii) Cultural resistance The nature and relationships of workplaces changes when organizations become more diverse. In a market with global talent, businesses which manage workplace diversity have a significant competitive advantage over other organizations without such diversity. These differences are in terms of employer branding, innovation, and differentiation.

Even though the initial step to change from homogeneous to diverse workplace may be difficult, many employers countrywide and globally are making much effort towards a diverse workplace. They find the worthiness of diverse due to the financial and morally rewarding. References Al-Jenaibi, B. , & Bamel, N. Managing Workplace Diversity Through Organizational Climate. In Flexibility in Resource Management (pp. Springer, Singapore. Barak, M. Kogan Page Publishers. Harper, J. Webinar: First Steps—The Business Case for Diversity: Is This a Silver Bullet?. Inc. , W. A. How does agency workforce diversity influence Federal R&D funding of minority and women technology entrepreneurs? An analysis of the SBIR and STTR programs, 2001–2011.  Small Business Economics, 50(3), 499-519. Kirilova, M. , & Angouri, J. peoplescout. com/getting-right- understanding-managing-diversity-in-workplace/ [Accessed 2 Mar.