Diversity in the Workplace

Improving Diversity
Introduction
Recognizing diversity is one of the most important factors that managers and businesses have to face today (Wong & Chin, 2016). Diversity is a part of the human experience in the global environment that persists virtually in every setting around the world. Diversity is not just a matter of culture, however; it is also a matter of generation. As more and more generations merge in today’s workplace, understanding the differences that set them apart and the ways in which they can most effectively be managed is crucial to successful leadership. This paper will describe the issues and challenges faced by generation X while managing Generation Y, explain how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory can be used to improve diversity, and highlight three large U.S. companies at the forefront of effecting change through diversity and inclusion.
Issues and Challenges Faced by Generation X While Managing Generation Y
Generation X has been defined as one of the most misunderstood and ignored generations of the past (Wong & Chin, 2016). They are generally skeptical and tend to look out for themselves. They will leave an organization if they feel it is in their best self-interest to do so, especially if they perceive that the organization is untrustworthy or potentially problematic.
Generation Y on the other hand has grown up “to be self-reliant, self-assured, goal-oriented” (Wong & Chin, 2016, p. 167). They are focused on getting ahead, using technology to achieve their objectives, and are used to having freedom and choice as a result of so much exposure to the Internet of Things. They are digital natives, unlike Generation Y. They also see far more opportunities for themselves than prior generations. Because of their confidence and the many opportunities afforded them, “they are often being misunderstood by the older generation and being labeled as unpatriotic, over-confident and capricious” (Wong & Chin, 2016, p. 167). Generation Y also wants to be heard and they tend to not understood when management does not take their ideas to heart. Generation Y feels educated, experienced and innovative: they understand the rapid pace of transition in today’s digital world and they believe it is necessary for organizations to keep up with the changes. Generation X does not always appreciate the need to keep up with these changes.
So it can be seen how there are many differences between Generation X and Generation Y. These differences can make it difficult for the former to manage effectively the latter. One of the main challenges that Generation X has when managing Generation Y is the problem of acknowledging the new ideas that Generation Y has regarding efficiency and usage of tools and technology in the workplace—but because of a lack of interest or connectivity with these concepts, Generation X can tend to dismiss them out of hand, which discourages Generation Y and leads them to believe that Generation X managers are incompetent and out of touch. This is particularly a challenge because Generation Y has a strong need to feel like they belong—and when a Gen X manager dismisses the idea or recommendation of a Gen Y employee, the Gen Y employee is unlikely to have his or her needs met, which can prevent motivation in the workplace from kicking in and driving performance (Wong & Chin, 2016).
Another challenge Gen X managers face with Gen Y workers is that Gen Y workers want more flexibility in their work schedules. They are used to the flexibility afforded them by using the Internet of Things—and they want that same flexibility when it comes to the workplace. They know that if they can get their work done on time from anywhere in the world, coming in to the office at a set time and leaving at a set time can be an archaic way of doing business. The Internet has made it so that Gen Y workers and anyone who is a digital native can work from long distances, take work with them on the go, and lead a more flexible lifestyle in general.
There is also the issue of how Gen Y wants to develop: they do not want to be boxed into one role but would rather be able to create multiple roles for themselves so that they can enhance their resumes and become more attractive as workers in general. They want opportunities to engage in systematic developmental procedures, as they are used to learning in systematized ways. They would prefer to work in organizations that provide them with these avenues.
Finally, the Gen X managers have to face the issue of how to lead Gen Y workers. They must choose an appropriate leadership style that is conducive to the needs and orientation of Gen Y workers. Autocratic leadership style is unlikely to be effective and Gen X is unlikely to provide a servant leadership style to ensure that Gen Y workers have their needs met in whatever way they require. Therefore, this issue serves a major challenge as well.
According to Kultalahitand and Viitala (2015), Gen X managers could overcome these challenges by offering to Gen Y workers more “flexible time structures, systematic and individual development procedures, and a coaching form of leadership” (p. 101). First, the flexible time structure would appeal to the Gen Y worker’s desire to do their work on their time rather than on someone else’s schedule. This would eliminate the need for an archaic, arbitrary 9 to 5 framework and provide Gen Y with the flexibility they desire. Second, the systematic and individual development procedures would enable Gen X managers to give Gen Y workers the avenues to personal and professional development they desire. Third, a coaching form of leadership would enable Gen X to use its autocratic skills in a way that is still oriented towards serving the Gen Y worker, which is what Gen Y desires. Gen Y workers do not want to be dictated to—they want to feel supported and encouraged, but they already feel like they understand a lot more than the older generation when it comes to how things work in today’s world. Therefore, if someone of the older generation has some useful advice or information, they want that information delivered in a way that is respectful and appreciative. They want to feel that they are being coached—not pushed or disrespected—but supported from behind so that they can go out and succeed on their own, using the talents and skills that they know they already possess.
Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory to Help Organizations Improve Diversity
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory places physiological and safety needs at the bottom of the needs pyramid, belonging and esteem needs in the middle, and self-actualization needs at the top. For Gen Y workers, this translates into three main needs: physiological needs, safety needs, and esteem needs (which include belonging and self-actualization). Gen Y workers, in other words, have a greater need for physiological security, safety, and esteem inputs than prior generations (Wong & Chin, 2016). Gen X managers can use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to help organizations improve diversity by applying the needs hierarchy to each subset of worker group and making sure that each one feels welcome and satisfied in the workplace.
The way this theory would work for improving diversity is to apply the needs hierarchy with the goal being to make every possible group feel safe, welcomed, like they belong and that they can receive the personal esteem and self-actualizing needs they require. This would require creating a detailed map of the needs hierarchy for the various groups that are there in the workplace. This could be based on the different generations, different genders, different ethnicities, and different cultures that are all part of the society in which the workplace exists.
One way to begin would be to promote the amplification of diverse voices within the community through a corporate social responsibility program that encourages, fosters, and rewards contributors to the advancement of social justice. Rewards could be provided to individuals who educate or hold seminars about mitigating micro-aggressions, reducing harassment in the environment, and promoting mental health and physical safety.
Within the workforce, there should be a policy of support to help diverse groups adapt to the workplace and training to help others who are already there adapt to new and diverse groups. Training and mentoring are two effective means of onboarding workers and promoting a policy of diversity (Kruskal et al., 2018). They help to create an atmosphere in which inclusivity is a main goal and respect for diverse persons is acceptable to all. Respect, inclusivity, and a sense of belonging are important qualities to foster and they can all be supported by applying Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to the workplace culture.
Incorporating new talented workers into the workforce will depend to some degree on the workplace culture becoming a place that people can call comfortable, inviting and hopeful. A comfortable culture is one that facilitates the ease and familiarity of individual workers and makes them feel safe no matter where they go within the company or whom they are around. An inviting culture is one that appeals to diverse people based on its openness to multiple perspectives and orientations. A hopeful culture is one that advocates and seeks to promote a better tomorrow through showing support for diversity.
Ways to promote a more inclusive workplace culture within an organization are to promote cultural awareness, which can be done among all types of workers. Managers can pair workers together to facilitate cultural awareness; they can coordinate teams that have a member from a different culture or generation within it. They can arrange work parties where training and fun can be combined to teach and provide workers the opportunity to socialize and get to know one another. The inclusive workplace is based on the idea that people are accepted—and in order to accept there has to be understanding. Training seminars and sessions can be organized to promote awareness of differences and to teach workers about how those differences can be seen as positives. Examples can be given that include the way different generations bring different talents and traits to the table that can be used to help others grow and develop more fully. As Gen Y workers, for example, are willing to engage in systematic development procedures (Kultalahti & Viitali, 2015) it makes sense that the manager of the organization should make an effort to use a mentor program that puts an older generation worker with a younger one so that the younger one can learn the ins and outs of the job and develop skills based on understanding the experiences of the older generation.
By implementing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, the manager can help organizations improve diversity based on the needs assessments of the various groups that work at the organization or that could potentially work at the organization. A needs assessment helps the manager and the organization identify the needs of the workers or potential talent and create a suitable platform for them in the workplace. From this platform, the vision of an inclusive culture can be communicated and implemented with the manager leading the way, applying the appropriate leadership skills that correspond with the requirements of the needs assessments of the various groups. The manager should focus on fostering security and self-actualization as well. Security would make the diverse population feel safe—and self-actualization would empower the diverse population to be motivated by personal desire for accomplishment. This would then translate into all workers getting along better and demonstrating respect and appreciation for diversity.
Three U.S. Companies at the Forefront of Effecting Change through Diversity and Inclusion
One company that has been at the forefront of effecting change through diversity and inclusion is AT&T, which emphasized “T-group-inspired culture change methods of using small-group dynamics to build bonds of trust, honesty, and teamwork” to promote organizational development of diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Katz & Miller, 2018, p. 17). For example, Marilyn Loden “led a seminal gender awareness training effort at AT&T, and hired Hal Kellner and Edith Whitfield Seashore to help facilitate training sessions with leaders in the corporation” (Katz & Miller, 2018, p. 17). AT&T also uses its Aspire program to help increase the graduation rates at underserved schools where there is a large achievement gap.
This focus on closing the achievement gap helps to promote inclusivity and diversity within the culture at large (Darling-Hammond, 2015). AT&T also uses the Aspire program to recruit freshmen in college and provide them with jobs as interns while pairing them with senior level workers in the organization so that the younger generation can receive mentoring in an inclusive and welcoming environment. This real world example of how AT&T creates change through diversity and inclusion is just one of several that the company has utilized to effect a new culture and tomorrow. By working to bridge the gap between the generations, the company has inspired leadership, advanced the aims of diversity, and brought workers closer together so that communication and mutual appreciation and respect can be achieved on all sides of the worker spectrum.
AT&T has helped to bring the various generations together in its workplace by recognizing that the younger generation needs the older generation and the older generation can help the younger generation. This recognition has been supported by the company’s Aspire program, which was developed specifically to act on that recognition. The more the company could act to support the bridging of divides—whether racial or generational—the more it could bring about positive change in the real world with respect to inclusivity and diversity.
The Walt Disney Company is another leader in advancing diversity and inclusion not only in its organization but also in its communities (Gaijar & Okumus, 2018). Disney has long been an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community and recently partnered with Sodexo and Out & Equal to host a worldwide Equality Institute, which served as a global session to promote inclusivity in the workplace. The session was a real world example of how one company could advocate on behalf of a marginalized group and bring positive attention and support to that group. This in turn helped to create a more respectful and supportive workplace culture and community.
Disney has also gone out of its way to create products that are more inclusive and diverse than many other companies have done in the U.S. Disney offers shows and films that are full of characters from various generations, various ethnicities, various races, various genders, and various socio-economic backgrounds. This helps to create a positive image for its audiences so that they are more willing to embrace the differences that come with interacting in the real world and reduce the application of stereotypes. Disney is a major supporter of the Pride Movement, which helps to promote equality among all persons of all communities but particularly within the mainstream culture’s acceptance of the gay community. By supporting Pride, Disney has helped to introduce the concept of equality and change all over the world. Its products have helped to inculcate ideas about equality among its many young viewers—and its workplace culture has long been one that supports the cause of diversity.
The third major U.S. company that has played a big role in advancing diversity and inclusion is Starbucks. Starbucks suffered some negative press in recent years after a problem at one of its locations involving a race issue erupted into a national scandal. Starbucks had to rethink how it trains its employees about acknowledging race and differences. It thus started the #RaceTogether Initiative, “a multifaceted public relations campaign designed to spark a national dialogue on race” (Logan, 2016, p. 93). The Initiative was a major success in the public sphere and within the organization itself, as it brought concepts of inclusivity and diversity into the public consciousness in a more positive way and helped people to see how they could engender more inclusive approaches within their own workplace culture.
However, not everyone was responsive to it in a positive way: as Logan (2016) shows, “the campaign generated a great deal of discussion in the public sphere including some praise and much criticism” (p. 93). Logan (2016) shows that in order for diversity and inclusion to truly be promoted, the real world has to be interpreted from a theory like critical race theory, which may be applied to interpret the meaning of data collected by Starbucks’ Initiative, as well as all other initiatives launched by major corporations. How communal associations and self-groups are vital for economic and social life especially in areas where the businesses either fail or do not function properly with respect to issues of diversity and inclusivity is something that companies have to consider. Starbucks considered them by taking a clear and decisive step towards acknowledging that not everyone has the same idea or perspective on race as everyone else—and that talking about it can go a long way in bridging those gaps.
When a business authority is missing in action in terms of diversity and inclusivity, local self-groups and other institutions play a major role in maintaining social order and providing social services such as health and education (Logan, 2016). Starbucks’ effort to raise awareness about inclusivity and diversity through its #RaceTogether Initiative helped to highlight some of the challenges that still remain in the larger field. Because not all groups are open to spreading inclusivity and diversity, there are obstacles that companies like Starbucks, Disney and AT&T can still focus on overcoming. AT&T has focused on overcoming them by bridging gaps where they exist. They have focused on the achievement gap, which prevent underprivileged populations from being given a chance to succeed in the real world (Darling-Hammond, 2015).
One of the ways that the then CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz used to promote diversity and get more people engaged on the matter in the workplace was to adopt a new perspective on inclusivity. Critical race theory uses a race-conscious approach to the concept of change; political formation and activity is a necessary component according to this theory. Developing the story of oppression through creative story-telling and artistic endeavor is another component that is highlighted in critical race theory. Intersectional analysis of race, class, gender and ethnicity is also essential to this theory’s application. Companies like Starbucks have used this theory to create an Initiative that challenges the entrenched viewpoints of others in the community and within their own workplace culture to help bring about a more open and diverse workplace. The point of Starbucks’ race initiative was to support employees and encourage them to discuss race issues with customers if customers decided to engage them about it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the issues faced by Gen X managers in managing Gen Y workers mainly center on the desire of Gen Y workers to be respected as knowledgeable individuals: they want to be coached, not led or dictated to. Gen Y workers also have needs that can be identified using Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs. By identifying the needs of Gen Y, such as their need to belong and feel secure, managers can promote policies in the workplace that allow for a more welcoming and diverse culture. Companies that currently promote diversity and inclusivity in the U.S. are AT&T, Disney and Starbucks. All three of these companies are at the forefront of the movement to bring more diversity and inclusivity to the world and to the organizational culture.

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