Culture Diversity at Workplace: Analytical Essay

Abstract:

Culture diversity is an important aspect for every organisation and it is important for manager to increase diversity in organisation. Today many companies participated in diversity at work place for better performance and profitabilty. People from different cultures should be respected and accepted in each organisation. There are some legisalation rules for diversity which will discuss and some advantages and disadvantages of Culture diversity in organisations. Further rewards and challenges related to it. What is the role of HR manager to solve the conflicts which are taken palace due to culture diversity. Programs and initatives which can HR implement to manage culture diversity in the workplace. Also explain some ethical and legal dimensions for it.

Introduction

Culture diversity as “ the existence of a variety of cultural or ethics groups with in the society”(“Culture diversity,”n.d.). Race, age ethnicity, religion, or gender are characteristics on basis which discrmination can be done. There are some positive points of culture diversity like new ideas and skills join the organisation. The problem comes because employees do not want to left thier comfort zone. Some employees define a perfect team is where people belong to same culture, ethincity, eduction and social status. Human Resources management at the time of hiring and with in organisation dealing with diversity with the help of different ways, example trainig is given to all worker related to it. Oranigation and employees should accept the diversity because we live in a world where we have to respect other values and accept them to get success in business.

History

There are many phases of diversity because in earlier time discrmination was everywhere in organisations.

• In 1948, President Truman offically passed an Executive oreder 9981, which made discrmination based on age, color, religion or origin iilegal for all members of community.
• The Civil Act of 1964 law passed for all business, private or public. The rule was that at the time of hiring and firing if gender discrmination was stated as illegal.
• In 1987, Secretary of Labor founded the Workforce 2000 and the diversity industry was born at that time.
• In 1963 Equal pay Act was also passed. In this pays scale were same for mens and womens. According to eduction and skills of employees pay was decided.
• In 2008-2013 Investigation beigins related to diversity at the workplace. There are pros and cons of diversity results in front of many organisations.
• In present 74% of companies hiring different culture people and research shows companies with diversity has more profits as compare to others. 18.75% of women are enginers which also show discrimination reducing with time.

Advantages and disadvantages of diversity in the workplace

Advantages

• Higher Innovation and creativity: Diversity in organization is a path for innovation by new ideas from multicultural employees. There are different point of views which sometimes result into conflicts but when it comes together and give unique ideas which is helpful for both organisation as well as for their productivity. Many employees said they are not using creative but when they work in a group then automatically ideas are joinig discussion and it becames a way to increase thier creativity. As per survey by Forbes study, 85 percent agreed with that diversity is high-priority for innvoation at workplace.
• Variety of different Presecpectives: Different charactersitics and backgrounds will result into diversity at work place, it is benefical because with different presecpective their are more ways to solve the problem. Different skills and experiences are used in organisation for planning and make business strategy.
• Better Decision making: According to research diversity at workplace and decision making direct link. When diversity is in organisation and employees made decision than it is more accurate and give accurate results because team work is involved.
• Reputation: Workplace diversity directly build reputation of organization and show brand value to internal and external stakeholders. Social responsilbities and human values are reflecting by diversity environment itselfs and retain customers because provide global basis values and understand customers personally with different skills and expernience of employees.
• Reduced employees turnover: Workplace diversity also retain employees. Organisation with diversity accept values, different prespective of employees which gives happiness nad surity to stay at job for long time.
• Improved hiring results: Any person who applying for job, first look for diverse factor. Survey conducted and it shows 67% of job seekers give importance to workplace diversity when job offers.
• Faster problem solving: As their are different minds from different culture connecting then ideas to solve problem is also different from each indivduals side. It is helpful for organisations to get solution for problems faster. Acccording to Harvard business

Review diverse teams solve problems faster than other people.

Disadvantages

• Communication problems: Most common problem faced by employees to work in diversity environment is related to communication. Employees are belong to different culture so that is why language they used at their country is also different. Language become a barrier in communication and it result into conflicts. Employees are faced problems to share ideas due to lack of communication.
• Too many opinions: When manager at the hiring time focus on diversity than he/she trying to creating different point of views and creativity for organization but at the same point different point of view result into conflicts. Example here is if team is working on project work and there are different opinion. It result into delay of work and conflicts between the team members.
• Resistance to change: there are many employees who donot want changes in work place. They feel comfortable with thier position as well as members with whome they work. At the time of diversity they feel uncomfortable and not perform in the same manner. It result into negative way because it gives pressure to employee and they are not able to give their hardwork towards work.
• Complaint level often raise: There tends to be more difficult for employees when whole team is from one culture but one individual is belong to different enivronement. For example person in team has a habit to click a pen contantly while thinking but person sitting with you feel irritating and conflicts rises due to minor things. At end burden of complaints come on the desk of manager.

Programs and intitiatives

• Diversity and inclusion training: With time everyone trying to adjust and change themselves according to environment of organization. There are some managers who are not bias and open minded but with that we never forget about opposite of it. People who are new in organization than manager provide them training in which he/she learn how value others culture, ethics and respect the point view of others. In other words it is a way through which one can learn, how they change their behaviour and attitude to work in a diversity culture. Harvard is also helping in it by presenting online implicit Association test.
• Mentoring: With in the organization managers provide a support to everyone, which menas supervisior or one member in a team is encourage others to accept diversity at work place. It is a way to promot and support given to grow every individual, no matter from where he/she came and their ethic values are different or matching with others.
• Code of conduct: It is managers duty to make some rules and regulations related to diversity which can be follow in organisation and at the time of hiring individual read all rules and he/she signed on it. It aware the employee to behave according to rules and it is another way to make everyone famaliar with each other. It is also helpful to respect others value and culture because it is madatory thing like each indivdual follow the rules and regulation to safe his/her job.
• Lets people learn by doing: If manager offer opprotunities to employees beyond their capability, it makes them strong and helps them to prove themselve by showing their skills in task. Manager here help others but their is individuals action who more important to show thier capability to do work.
• Talent pool through recruitment: HR department should trying to develop diversity by recruitment of different culture people. There are many companies who offer interenship programs to students which is a way to encourge diversity. Pearson is an example of company who offering summer intership and it is paid, so company trying to increasing diversity and new skills and talent is encourage to do their best to achieve targets.
• Personal Evaluation: Everyone in todays world connected with others with the help of social media. Personal evaluation is something internal, personal themselve check the network he/she made. After looking at their facebook, linkedin, intagram and other connects, who is connected like only mens or old age people or may be only woemens. It imply that you think womens are not leaders or mayb good in business.
• Make a diversity as a priority: There are many organization where not only training is given to increase diversity but they also give prioroty to diversity. In organization some rules are made which if not followed by anyone than maybe employees fired from job so priority reflect here. Example of Paypal, the online payment company won “Diversity Champion” 2016 because company shows prioroty to diversity.

Examples of workplace diversity

Many companies putting efforts to increase diversity at workplace by recruiting different culture and values related people.

Johnson And Johnson

In 2016, “Johnson as the number one most inclusive and diverse U.S organisation”. In organisation values, culture of others accepted and respected by all. All employees are welcome to give ideas and their ideas are heard by managers and supported team members. In 1998, organisation is the first who establish program that ensured diversity.

EY

In 2017, EY rank number one as a diversityinc top 50 companies for diversity list. Company pushing womens as a leaders into management positions. As compared to other top 50 companies senior level positions for women in their company was 11.1% more. It is the first company who take step for partenal leave and in company partenal leave policy is similar for both men and women. Organization gives value to diversity and try to make a place across the world.

Hayyat Hotels

This hotel was ranked the second best place fro workplace diversity. The company respects and lead the cultural diversity which show in data also. Company transparency and true commitment toward diversity reflect in thier environment and in their performance. They encourage different culture and it is aklso helpful for business.

Ethical and legal dimension

Safety and Security: Safety and security is a first concern for everyone at workplace. For example their are camers every where in the office and pictures taken at time of promotion. It is unethical if organisation used indiviuals pictures without his/her permission.

Psychological Safety: Psychological safety means team members are free to tell about thier ideas and co-members are hearing and implement it after discussion. Everyone in organization, free to speak about ideas and open discussion on it. It is a ethical way which organisations follow. It is helpful to increase productivity as well as co-operation among all team members.

Whistle blowing: When employees witness and face some violence and wrong activity then rising voice is dangerous many times in organisation. It is unethical if no one listen the voice of employees who telling issues. Welcome whisle belowing within organisation is away to provide safety or freedom to employees to speak on the wrong actions.

Role and task clarity: Another factor who influencing the ethical in cultural diversity is role and task clarity. It is the responsibility of manager to provide guidelines for each tasl and clear the role of each individual in a team. If later work is not done at time and blame game start. It is unethical if manager blame on employees at end but firstly he/she is not clear with role and task of indivduals.

Conclusion

A diversity at workplace is a way through which organizations are generating more revenues as well as maintaining reputation in the market. In organization different cultures people are accepted by all because of some rules and mature understanding. People also lear from each other and get new experiences. Diversity creates an environment where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges. Most of the organizations are made up of diversity and achieved their targets and goals easily.

References:

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