Managing diversity in the workplace: progress and challenges

Communication

Human Resource Management

Human resource management is among the most important component of any business or organization. It is in this aspect where the elements that compose an organization must be properly balanced to maintain a harmonious relationship within a workplace. Human resource management involves different areas of concern that are important to achieve a well-balanced organization. This includes hiring and staffing, benefits and compensation, employee career development, safe work environment, and diversity at workplace among many others. Among these areas, I find the subject of managing diversity at workplace an important aspect in today's human resource management.

Managing Diversity at Workplace

There has been a dramatic change in the composition of today's workforce. Women and the minorities joining the workforce are among those that are continuously altering what we used to know in labor mainstreams. Following this trend is the representation of gays and disabled citizens in the process of economic improvement.

Diversity vs. Non-Diversity

Many argue on the effect of promoting diversity in a work place. There are some organizations that believe in the positive effects of diversity while there are also some who simply resist the idea. In general, both the condition of having a diverse or having non-diverse work environment has their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Josh Greenberg has the following lists of advantages that many human resource managements see regarding diversity at workplace.

Increased adaptability

Employees from different backgrounds allow the provision of more idea and solutions to a company.

Broader Service Range

Employees from diverse background can mean supply of diverse skills, thus allowing the company to provide more kinds of services.

Variety of Viewpoints

Employees from diverse background can mean individuals having diverse opinions and views. Thus, providing the company with a selection of outlook that can help in communicating with clients and customers.

More effective execution

Diversity in a workplace can serve as a motivation to employees to work at their best that can result in greater productivity in the workplace.

In contrast, aside from the advantages that diversity can promote, there are also disadvantages that can occur out of it. Richard White has the following list.

Differences between individuals may cause miscommunications.

Diversity can produce negative dynamics such as ethnocentrism, stereotyping and cultural clashes

Ignorance of cultural differences is a source of ineffectiveness in the work performance of diverse work groups.

The potential for intergroup conflict is greater in culturally diverse workgroups than in culturally homogeneous workgroups

These advantages and disadvantages that were mentioned all depend on the proper management of diversity. The concern to this must especially focus on the role of human resource managements because they are the area in an organization where the condition and needs of every employee, whether the employee belongs to a different group, must be attended to and taken care of. It should be remembered that conflicts may arise even between individuals who belong to the same background. What is important is the ability of a human resource management to control and properly manage the people that compose the organization.

Diversity in a broader sense does not just refer to differences in ethic background, race, culture, or religion. In general, it refers to the differences that each individual has in comparison to others. Diversity may include people belonging to the same group, such as race, and yet have differences in personality and individual qualities. According to UCSF Human Resources Online, having the similar view,

Diversity is much broader. Diversity is otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet present in other individuals and groups.

Of course, diversity also encompasses a wide variety of other differences, including work experience, parental status, educational background, geographic location, and much more.

In this sense, therefore, diversity always exist in any environment because every individual in reality is considered unique and one of a kind. This is one reason why many organizations welcome diversity in terms of race, ethnic background, culture, and religion. Since diversity among each individual already exist, whether they belong to the same race or not, diversity in further aspects of individuality (race, culture, etc.) will not make a difference from the differences that we already have. Rather, it can lead to a more improved organization because of the more amount of information and contributions that can be collected from the different kinds of individual where each member can learn.

Viewpoints in the Approach of Promoting Diversity as a Human Resource Management Strategy

Many human resource managements consider the participation of employees in an organization as an important factor in the success of diversity. According to UCSF Online, addressing diversity requires the following key roles to enable the demonstration of diversity's values.

A an understanding and acceptance of managing diversity concepts recognition that diversity is threaded through every aspect of management self-awareness, in terms of understanding your own culture, identity, biases, prejudices, and stereotypes willingness to challenge and change institutional practices that present barriers to different groups

The main and important approach to diversity is acceptance. Human resource management must promote motivating factors to every employee to encourage them and make them accept and believe in diversity. One of the effective strategies is the demonstration of the advantages, benefits, and values that diversity can bring. A healthy competition between individuals from diverse backgrounds who aim to show their best is an example of this. Richard White considers this as a key to maximizing the benefits of diversity, stating that the key to tapping the advantages of multiculturism and avoiding its pitfalls is to create an organization in which members of all sociocultural backgrounds contribute and achieve their full potential.

Members of the top management demonstrating a strong commitment to diversity is an important step towards achieving success in an organization that is composed of diverse members. The strategies being used in promoting diversity must be linked in the goals and objectives of a company.

Another important approach to diversity is the ability of an organization to provide different and open modes of communication where every individual can effectively share what he needs to communicate. Communication is a method that can bridge the gaps and barriers that may exist between diverse individuals.

Promotion of Diversity: Is it Really Effective?

The effectiveness of diversity in an organization can be seen in the ability of every employee to recognize the differences that others have from them, and the ability of each to consider such differences as a challenge that can build them with success. Many human resource managements promote diversity because they see the advantages that it can bring to their organization. That is, if they will be able to properly manage the uniqueness of every individual and give attention to their talents, skills, and needs. With the right promotion to diversity, an organization can have the potential of achieving success despite of diverse backgrounds of its employees.

In today's continuous advancements especially in the industry of technology, it can be deducted that diversity at workplace is effective. These days, it is very rare that we see a company composed of people that belong to the same race, culture, and religion. In fact, many successful companies show a great visibility of diversity in their organization. They have proven that diversity is not a barrier to success. One example of such company is the Microsoft. The human resource management of the Microsoft recognizes diversity. The company has employees that come from different races and culture; Caucasians, Asians, and Africans. Yet, despite of the different backgrounds of its people, the company was able to make the most out of its peoples' diversity.