Diversity and the Business Culture

Changing Diversity and the Workplace
Introduction
Changing diversity is a major trend affecting the U.S. workforce and the demographics of virtually every organization. Demographics are destiny, as the common saying goes (Wolfe, 2017), and in the U.S. the future is being determined right now: families are shrinking, the population is graying, and the U.S. workforce is becoming more diverse (Buckley & Bachman, 2017). This diversity includes increases in women in the workplace as well as changes in demographics “by gender, by ethnicity, by culture, by religion, by sexual preference and identification” (Buckley & Bachman, 2017). There is also likely to be multiple generations of workers in the same workplace which can lead to its own management and leadership challenges, for each generation will have its own needs, strengths and weaknesses as far as managers are concerned (Krahn & Galambos, 2014; Moore, Everly & Bauer, 2016; Schullery, 2013). This paper will discuss these challenges, identify issues of increasing complexity and change, examine how the demographic trends are being realized, how management can adapt to meet these challenges and provide recommendations for future applications of organizational development.
Increasing Complexity and Change
Increasing complexity and change is a reality of the modern day workplace. With the arrival of the Internet Age, globalization is now a staple, and workplaces are now more diverse than ever before. Not only is there more of a mixture of old and young than in previous eras but there is also a mixture of genders, ethnicities, and nationalities in one workplace. Even non-physical workers have to be considered as virtual teams are more and more prevalent among organizations today (Fang, Chen & Wang, 2014). Managing so much diversity depends upon finding the right mixture of motivators and supports, leadership styles and incentives to bring so many different people under one umbrella, oriented towards one vision, in which one set of values and principles is embraced by all. To effectively manage diversity, organizations have to be attuned to the complex changes that are occurring in the demographical make-up of their employee populations. This means that goals will have to be redefined to be meaningful and inclusive, and that the company’s vision will have to appeal to a wide segment of different people and (Daspit, Chrisman, Sharma, Pearson & Long, 2017). The more that everyone is united within an inclusive workplace culture, respectful towards all, the more likely employees are to feel engaged, be productive, and perform to the levels that are beneficial to the company (Schullery, 2013).
Changing Nature of Workforce Demographics
The changing nature of workforce demographics includes changes in education level, age level, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, and includes new categories of people, such as those called digital natives (Prensky, 2001)—i.e., individuals who have grown up wholly within a world where digital technology is part of their lives. Indeed, one aspect of the generational gap in the workplace relates to the problem of technology: younger generations tend to be more comfortable with it, while older ones tend to disdain it. Social changes in the U.S. have also led to alterations in workplace demographics with respect to gender and sexuality. Women now make up 47% of the U.S. workforce (U.S. Department of Labor, 2018). And in terms of sexuality, American culture is now more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community than ever before, which means workplace cultures are expected to be more tolerant of sexual expression (while at the same time making sure that unwelcome sexual advances are not tolerated).
In terms of generational diversity, Millennials make up the largest segment of the workforce, but they are accompanied also by Generation Z, Generation Y, Generation X and Baby Boomers (Buckley & Bachman, 2017). That means there are four different generations of workers all mixed together in one workplace. Each generation has its own issues, as well. Generation Y employees tend to lack organizational commitment, which means they are constantly looking for opportunities elsewhere—which means companies have to learn how to reduce turnover rates by appealing to the desires of this generational cohort (Stewart, Oliver, Cravens & Oishi, 2017). Younger workers are also more educated than older workers today, so there is diversity with regard to the level of education that people have in the workplace.
In terms of immigrants, 17.1% of the U.S. labor force consists of foreign born individuals—i.e., immigrants (BLS, 2018). Hispanics make up the majority—or half—of that population, with Asians making up roughly a quarter of that population (BLS, 2018). Most immigrants work in the services industry. In terms of ethnicity, “among the native born, the participation rate for Blacks rose to 60.7 percent and the rate for Whites declined to 62.2 percent. The participation rates for Asians (62.0 percent) and Hispanics (64.2 percent) showed little change from 2016 to 2017” (BLS, 2018). As a result of civil rights laws in the past, handicapped persons are also more likely to work in organizations today as well—which means many companies have had to update their structures to be more accommodating to all these changes. So there is definitely more diversity in the workforce today than in years past; and because of the change in workplace demographics, leaders and managers have to adapt as well to help address issues related to that change.
Examples of How Management/Leadership Have to Adapt
There are several ways in which leaders and managers can adapt to confront the challenges of a diverse workplace. One way is to use a more accommodative leadership style that both promotes the vision of the organization and provides support for the workers. Another way is to become familiar with the Hofstede (1980) model of cultural dimensions. Understanding how culture influences people’s expectations, needs, communication styles, and so on, is an important first step to creating a more inclusive and respectful workplace culture. However, other concepts that can help include leadership styles and motivation tactics.
Burns’ (1978) Transformational Leadership Theory
The transformational leadership style is very helpful in motivating workers of various backgrounds because it aims at providing them all with a unifying vision that will put them all on the same page and bind them with a set of core values and principles that they can all embrace. An example of a leader who has used transformational leadership to bridge diverse groups is Martin Luther King, Jr. King was hailed as a prominent leader of both African Americans and white Americans during the Civil Rights movement. He saw how diverse America was and he wanted to ensure that everyone was treated equally. He labored hard to attain not only civil rights for this African Americans but also to promote a unified voice, a community and a sense of pride and accomplishment among the various people throughout the nation. One of the primary ways that he sought to achieve all this was through the integration of African Americans with white communities—bringing the two groups together under one faith, one vision of hope, and one ideal of equality. By bringing blacks and whites together, King communicated a vision not only of a united black community but a united American community as well. He communicated a vision of a country that could set aside its racial differences and unite behind a common spiritual identity—a nation of Christians, a nation of spiritually-minded people, a nation of charitable neighbors, a nation of men and women of good will.
His method for achieving this integration was as an orator, a leader, a writer, an activist, a non-violent protestor, and as a preacher and minister. Through his activism and non-violent protests, he achieved renown and was targeted by police and others who resisted the change that he envisioned. Resistance to change is one of the things that transformational leaders have to be ready for—and they have to have a plan for overcoming resistance. King’s plan was to take stock of the resistance, address its concerns, and allow common sense and good will to shine through it all. Through his writing, he appealed to the intellectual community, and that is something a transformational leader has to do as well: he has to offer logical reasons for why the change has to occur. King thus managed to intertwine numerous groups of people via his singular personality and charismatic leadership. At the heart of his efforts as a leader was the idea that everyone in the community, regardless of race or creed, was equal. He himself felt like a modern day Moses sent to deliver the African Americans from the cruelty of Pharaoh, as he noted in his writings.
Servant Leadership Theory
Servant Leadership theory is based on the idea that by supporting one’s workers and empowering them to do their jobs by giving them the tools and room they need to operate managers can effectively lead without getting in the way or making their workers feel uncared for. Workers want to be able to do their jobs and their tend to chafe when it comes to micromanagement. They also want to feel supported, however—i.e., they want to know that their managers have their backs. For a diverse group of workers, a manager may find it difficult to lead using one broad, generalized strategy—the reason being that in a diverse organization, the variety of individuals will necessitate a more individualized approach to personnel. That is where servant leadership can come in and be effective in bringing diverse workers together towards accomplishing the aims of the organization or business.
One example of a servant leader is Richard Branson. Branson helped introduce the world to music groups like The Rolling Stones and The Sex Pistols by essentially putting himself at their service when no other record label would give them the time of day. Branson saw that many new music acts were offering something new and unique and all they needed was someone who was willing to help them get their music out to the public. Branson did just that, letting the acts he signed be themselves and deliver the new experience that music fans wanted. Branson took his style of leadership onward and used it when he started his airline company as well. He hired people he knew could do the job and then got out of the way while simultaneously ensuring they had everything they need to make the company work. Branson helped to grow his businesses all over the world and his ability to recognize diversity and using cultural understanding to unite his workers has helped him to make Virgin Group one of the most popular places to work in the world.
Motivation through Transparency
One thing that leaders have to be conscious of in a diverse workplace is the role that transparency plays in keeping everyone on the same page. If leaders are not open with their workers, they can make some groups feel uneasy and suspicious. Leaders have to be open, transparent, and communicative. They have to be visible and they have to embody the virtues and ethical principles they tout as managers. Leaders are the living example of how to show respect in a diverse workplace. Stewart et al. (2017) state that “by providing a more transparent workplace, employers can increase the employee’s drive and clearly demonstrate the reward that workers will receive” (p. 45). In other words, managers who represent the values of the company and are transparent help to motivate diverse workers to perform their jobs.
Relationship between Diversity and Changing Demographics
As diversity becomes a larger factor, there are ways that companies have to transform and adapt. Often a company will have to literally change its appearances and structure to accommodate the new demographics. Three ways that organizations today are changing their physical structures to are to include 1) prayer rooms, 2) nursing rooms, and 3) handicap access, ingress and egress.
Prayer rooms are one example of how organizations have tried to provide greater accommodations for their diverse workers: with so many people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, it is likely that there will be specific cultural needs that have to be met throughout the course of the day—and one of those is prayer, especially among Muslims. Companies have started to provide prayer rooms for workers who want to set aside a few moments each day to pray. However, to prevent discrimination, a company has to provide room for all people of all faiths if they are going to provide it for one group. For that reason, as Gurchiek (2018) notes, “Gogo, an in-flight Internet service provider for airline passengers, sought employee input when designing prayer rooms for its offices. Today it has such rooms on each of the four floors in its Chicago headquarters. One room includes a foot-washing station that Muslim employees requested for ritual cleansing, and three rooms have a kneeling bench, according to Debbie Fangman, facilities manager.” By providing prayer rooms for workers, the company was able to promote inclusion and generate more positive morale among its diverse working population.
Another change has been the use of nursing rooms. Because women now make up nearly half of the labor force, it has been helpful to accommodate their needs—such as providing nursing rooms where mothers can pump or feed their babies. This is another example of how companies can devote themselves to promoting and celebrating diversity while simultaneously encouraging inclusivity. By making all workers feel welcome, even if they have special needs, companies can demonstrate greater good will and thus win more stakeholders who appreciate their positive approach.
Companies thus have also dedicated space for individuals with physical handicaps—such as elevators, walkways, and entryways that are handicap accessible. Thanks to civil rights laws, physically handicapped workers now have a legal right to work just like everyone else. Thus, they are part of the new demographic of workers who should be accommodated. By creating better access for them, organizations show that they are committed to addressing the relationship between diversity and changing demographics.
Importance of Organizational Change to Personal Development
Personal development is an essential part of growing as a professional and as an organization. Organizational change is predicated on the idea of personal development. The more empowered diverse workers are to develop themselves, the more likely they will be to accept changes in the organization where they work. Likewise, organizations have to be willing to change to accommodate so many different individuals who seek to develop themselves personally. It is thus a two-way street down which both workers and managers must merge.
A participative type of leader in an organization will be able to obtain inputs from various individuals of different backgrounds in the workplace to formulate an effective strategy for promoting personal development. Likewise, by implementing a leadership style like servant leadership, the organization will be in a position to help all workers embrace the vision the organization wishes to implement. There is also the transactional leadership style that organizations can implement: it shows that individuals want to improve when they are given something in return—i.e., there is a transaction that takes place between the company and the worker and each receives something in return.
Analysis
Leaders can implement the servant model by listening, hearing, helping and supporting their workers. Transformational leaders can implement their model by communicating a clear vision of what the worker should strive to be, show the worker how to get there, support the worker in his needs, and give the worker a rationale that is logical for why the change should take place. The transactional leader can implement his model by defining the behavior that is expected of the worker and then rewarding that behavior with a specific reward. The participative model of leadership, fits with these in the sense that the leader can invite workers to give their input on decisions, listen to their opinions and then formulate a decision or plan of action that takes their points of view into consideration. Each is useful in promoting diversity and meeting the needs of diverse workers. The vision of change is achieved by all workers coming together to give their perspectives and the vision emerges from that effort. As Tobias (2015) notes, leaders fail when they fail to motivate, and they fail to motivate when they fail to consider the needs of their diverse community of workers.
Recommendations/Future Applications of Organizational Development
By putting the worker first, the organization identifies exactly what it is that makes it successful—the people. A diverse group of people in turn will feel appreciated and supported and they will work to pass that respect and appreciation onto their clients. That is the lesson Branson taught. King taught that diverse people can come together when the right ideal is promoted. Transactional leadership can also help bring about change by rewarding good behavior. Each is effective, just in different ways. It is thus recommended that every organization implement the style that is right for itself. No style is one size fits all. Every workplace will have its own cultural needs. Nonetheless, each can be applied to assist in organizational development and help promote diversity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, changing diversity in the workplace has led to organizations having to make changes in themselves. That means new leadership styles are needed to help develop a workplace culture that is inclusive and that meets the needs of the diverse group. From prayer rooms to nursing rooms, from servant leadership to transparency, managers and leaders can take a variety of steps to help personnel develop and grow with the company.


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