Workplace diversity and management communication in multicultural organizations

Workplace Diversity, Communication With Management

Problem Identification and background

One of the most crucial factors for any firm is its human capital, because it is the engine or rather the force that drives any organization. As a firm seeks to realize its goals and objectives, it requires individuals to run or manage other production factors. It is therefore very important for a firm to have in the right place, the right individual with the proper academic, social and professional skills for the functions and responsibilities that have to be handled. To achieve this, it is important that an organization selects from a wide source pool, and not to limit themselves to a certain group of people. Firms can achieve this by scouting for people from a variety of sources-political, social, geographical, and cultural. Thus, a firm is very likely to hire individuals from different political and socio-cultural backgrounds who will definitely have differences in age, physical abilities, personalities, size, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity in addition to demographics. Upon hiring, it is crucial that the firm notes that the individuals might have their own set of varying qualities from the ones mentioned above. The popular misconception that diversity is only relevant in cases of ethnic differences is not correct, even though it is the greatest part of diversity in organizations whose human capital is multicultural (Wambui, Wangombe, Muthura, Kamau, & Jackson, 2013).

Diversity entails respect and acceptance. It implies the comprehension of that notion that every person is unique, and the awareness of individual differences. These differences can be along various lines such as gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, physical capabilities, religious beliefs, socio-economic status or other ideologies. Diversity is the exploration of the aforementioned differences in an environment that is positive, safe and fostering. It is about understanding people and going beyond the simple idea of tolerance to embrace and celebrate the rich aspects of every individual's diverse nature (Patrick & Kumar, 2012).

Other scholars have described diversity as a set of intentional practices that entail the comprehension and appreciation of the interdependence between humanity, natural environment and cultures. It is about the practice of mutual respect for experiences and qualities which are not similar to ours; the understanding that diversity entails both, the ways of knowing and the ways of belief; the recognition that cultural, institutionalized and personalized discrimination establishes and supports privileges for some groups of people while creating disadvantages for other groups of people simultaneously. Diversity is also about the creation of links across differences to enable people to work together for the purpose of eliminating all manners of discrimination. Workplace diversity, to be specific, refers to the variety of differences among the individuals in an organization. That sounds rather simple, however diversity includes ethnic grouping, race, age, personality, gender, tenure, cognitive style, education, organizational function, background and so much more, diversity entails not only the way individuals perceive themselves, it also involves the way they perceive others; how one perceives another impacts the interaction between them. For a diverse set of staff to function, in an effective manner, as an organization there is need for the HR department to deal with issues such as adaptability, communication and change. Diversity management is the process of establishing and sustaining a positive environment for work; a place whereby individuals' differences and similarities are appreciated and valued, so that these individuals can help towards the goals and objectives of an organization and also maximize their potential (Patrick & Kumar, 2012).

As workplaces and workforces increasingly become international and culturally diverse, individuals in organizations have a challenge to communicate effectively both interculturally and interpersonally and in groups. According to certain scholars (Lauring, 2011, & Devoe, 1999), due to the increasingly globalized business environment and the rise of global competitiveness, the task of managing human diversity has become daily routine for the majority of business communities. In their discussion of business communication, Bovee and Thill (2008) noted that effective group and interpersonal communication is necessary for success in today's organizations and corporations due to the rising trend of intercultural business links and workforce diversity. Studies have stressed on the effect of communication in diverse work environments and its impact on overall performance and productivity of the business (Ferraro, 2011; Gupta, 2008; Jandit, 2003). According to Mulkeen (2008), workplace diversity encompasses all the differences in education, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, culture and life experiences. Mulkeen further noted that the modern workforce doesn't exist isolated or in a vacuum away from the marketplace, instead it exists as a part of the emerging global business environment where sustainable growth can only be achieved via effective organizational communication. Indeed, Ober (2006) also supported this notion stating that effective communication both within and outside the organization is crucial, if the organization wishes to excel in the current competitive globalized corporate environment; competitive advantage and global business would be impossible without proper and effective corporate communication (Okoro & Washington, 2012).

Even though workplace diversity offers many benefits, it also brings about a couple of challenges for business managers and employees. To maximize the potential benefits of workplace diversity, both managers and employees must first understand the challenges and devise strategies to cope with the ones they cannot eliminate and to deal effectively with the others. Inclusion and diversity impacts both the internal operations and other organizational entities and the external stakeholders such as suppliers and customers. Challenges associated with workplace diversity include:

Population

There are several challenges involved in managing a diverse workforce. Managing workforce diversity entails much more than the simple acknowledgement of the differences between individuals. It entails the recognition of the value of the differences, efforts to eliminate or tackle discrimination and the promotion of inclusiveness. Business managers may also be faced with situations whereby there are losses in work productivity and personnel because of discrimination and prejudice and legal action or complaints against their organizations (Devoe, 1999).

Communication

Barriers in communication may result in problems in an organization that is trying to create a diverse work environment. When firms hire staffs of other nationalities, where English is not the native language, then both the managers and employees might have difficulties in communicating with each other. This can result in a decrease in productivity due to misunderstandings.

Globalization

The changing faces with regards to culture, religion and language of both clients and employees will signify a challenge in any corporation.

Opposition to change

Even though workplace diversity brings many benefits to corporations, some managers and employees may not be so positive to the transformations. Personnel who are against workforce diversity often are those in the trend of rejecting new ideas and may make the workplace even more difficult and frustrate the efforts of the management. If an organization doesn't handle employee opposition correctly, the potential and intended benefits of workplace diversity in the company may not be achieved.

Negative Attitude

Negative behaviors and attitudes can be obstacles to workplace diversity since they can damage working relationships, harm workforce morale and reduce overall productivity. Negative behaviors and attitudes in the organization encompass discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice, which must never be utilized by any management for termination, hiring and retention practices. This can eventually result in costly law suits (Wambui et al., 2013)

Literature Review

Definition of Diversity

Diversity, as noted by Dessler (2011) is multiplicity or variety of demographic characteristics that form an organization's workforce, especially with regards to sex, race, culture, age, nationality, religion and disability. Authors Jones and George (2011) noted that diversity is all about the differences among individuals' gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, physical capabilities, religious beliefs and socio-economic status. According Cole and Kelly (2011), two broad approaches seemingly dominate the definitions of workplace diversity: The first, which offers a narrow view, defines it only as a phrase or term that is equivalent to equal employment opportunity. This view basically adopts the categories of nationality, color, race, sex and religion. The second, which provides a broader view, encompasses all the manners and ways in which individuals can be different. This broader definition utilizes additional categories such as education, abilities, differences in values, sexual orientation, personality, tenure, and organizational function. Based on the broader view, diversity management projects are all about trying to maximize each employee's potential for the benefit of the organization; which implies, hiring only the best employees leading to greater productivity, profits and increased job security.

In other words managing diversity is all about the maximization of potential benefits of diversity, such as greater language skills and more cultural awareness while simultaneously minimizing the potential challenges such as bias and prejudices that can jeopardize or undermine the firm's performance (O'Leary and Weathington, 2006) cited in (Dessler, 2011).

Upon the realization that diversity is necessary to improve the performance of any firm, each individual should understand the essence. The word "diversity" itself means the awareness, comprehension, acceptance, appreciation and celebration of differences between individuals regarding their ethnicity, class, age, gender, sexual orientation, race, public assistance status, religion, and physical and mental ability (Esty, Griffin and Schorr-Hirsh, 1995).

Theoretical perspective of Diversity

According to Balogun (2000), diversity management is associated with both the actions taken in reviewing government structures, programs and policies in the society's perspective, and the steps adopted by decision makers and other careers officials in resolving attendant conflict. Contemporary organization theory doesn't offer a structure or framework that sufficiently captures the transactions that occur within this dynamic environment. Apart from the works that emphasize "multiple loyalties" and multiple cultures as challenges in the management of global corporations (Guetzkow, 1955; Jordan, 1971; Martin & Nakayama, 1992), there are only a handful of empirical studies that investigate diversity and its organizational impact in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, there is a need for a framework that incorporates the following diversity variables and parameters:-

a. Extent and pattern of diversity (population demographics, intergroup attitudes and relations, diversity patterns, disaggregation, tolerance levels and conflict threshold; conflict resolution approaches).

b. Diversity perception (whether diversity in the workplace is being viewed by key players as a strength or a threat; policies that reflect that diversity is "completely accepted," "perceived as a fait accompli," "just tolerated," "frowned upon," or taken with "benign neglect"; types of diversity outlawed, barely tolerated and accepted.

c. Institutional and policy measures that support or oppose diversity (e.g. laws and regulations that relate to equal opportunities, competitive bidding, set-asides, quotas, in addition to internal inconsistencies or mutual reinforcements of internal documents).

d. The effects of (a) -- (c) on group and interpersonal relations (survey of group and individual perceptions of management styles, policies, transparency and fairness in the application of rules, otherwise known as "diversity barometer" or "mood watch").

e. The consequences of (a) -- (d) for the existing "management culture" and for overall development or productivity growth (this shows the overall impact of diversity management practices on productivity and "management culture"; and

f. Remedial actions (diversity counseling and training, legislative actions and training, creation of transparent decision making mechanisms, establishment of "cultural exchange" forums (Wambui et al., 2013)

g. Cultural Perspective of Diversity

Since, the importance of workplace diversity has increased significantly; numerous organizations are researching on the cultural link between organizations and diversity, the impact of this link on diversity openness, and the effect of the link between diversity and performance at both the organizational and individual levels. According to Patrick (2010), diversity establishes not just the impact of diversity, in the organizational context but also on the level of openness, to the differences between the organization's individuals, work teams and culture. In spite of technological advances in modern communications, global relations still require the interaction between people at a personal face-to-face level. For this to be realized, one has to circumvent stereotype and language barriers. This may necessitate the eradication from the mind, words such as "alien" and the perception of people in terms of their different backgrounds. According to Simlin (2006) as one becomes older his or her perception of diversity openness narrows, and thus it is crucial to reorient older workers on why diversity openness is necessary in organizations through workshops, training, group discussions, and similar programs and initiatives. To generate links and opportunities for collaboration, international leaders must not only learn the courtesies, business protocols and customs of their counterparts in other countries but also understand the mindsets, national character and management philosophies of the people (Hofstede, 1994). Researchers, world over, have argued that diversity has improved performance via broadening an organization's perspectives. This is a strong empirical proof of a positive correlation between effective diversity management and the resulting increase in organizational productivity and performance (Ozbilgin and Tatli, 2008). However, there is also a growing amount of proof that the diversity or variety should be sought for in moderation or in a graded manner. The capability of group member's in terms of expounding diverse information can develop over time as the members familiarize with one another's perspectives and acquire a transitive memory. This implies that, it is crucial for diverse work groups to reach extended tenures and to be permitted a more extended start-up stage relative to less diverse (more homogenous) groups (Knippenberg, de Dreu, and Homan, 2004). Within multi-disciplinary groupings, particularly in the gas and oil business, expertise and skills levels in terms of performance diversity were strongly linked to the performance of the team especially at moderate diversity levels (Van Der Vegt & Bunderson, 2005).

Cultural diversity is nowadays commonplace in the corporate world; however, it is crucial to make sure that employees and managers are communicating effectively, in cases where there are cultural differences. Poor communication results in missed deadlines, personal conflicts, wrong goal assumptions and also impacts employee turnover. Real effective communication creates rapport and trust, that helps one to act on opportunities and risks, and promotes productivity and the alignment of employees to the objectives of the organization (Rana, 2013).

Language barriers should be effectively addressed since official messages may easily be misinterpreted. An employee may pretend to comprehend an official directive, yet in reality he or she may not fully understand it because of a language problem. There are quite a number of cultural differences that impact communication and there are also several ways to look at them. One way to do this is to consider the context. Cultures that rely more on non-verbal communication, settings and actions to infer meaning and less on verbal communication are referred to as high-context cultures. India, countries in the Middle East and Japan are a few examples of high context cultures. Cultures that use verbal communication more to find meaning are referred to as low context cultures. Low context cultures don't involve paying as much attention as high-context cultures do to contextual clues. Germany, the UK and the U.S. are examples of low-context cultures. One thing to note when engaging in or managing cross-cultural communications is to avoid stereotyping/generalization consciously. Although there may be a certain definition of a particular culture and its ways, that does not imply that such definitions are true of each person in that culture. Regional differences are also at play. An Asian worker from Japan, for example, has a significantly different background with one from Malaysia. Other cultural aspects that have an effect on communication in the work environment are; personal space, roles and status, and body language. In terms of roles and status between male and female employees, it affects the way a male worker relates to a female supervisor or how comfortable a female employee is when being addressed by a male senior manager (Rana, 2013).

Organizational perspective

Cadrain (2008) discusses in his book why firms are wholeheartedly embracing diversity and claims that promoting diversity is a positive motivational tool that can not only attract but also retain the best workers in addition to increasing a firm's level of competitiveness. According to Hansen (2003) companies in the United States alone spend about $8 billion dollars every year on diversity projects and associated issues. The majority of these corporations have become aware of the need and importance of maintaining a diverse workforce that reflects the multiplicity/diversity of the modern society of the 21st century. Both researchers and corporate people have pointed to communication and education as the main instruments of change in transforming the attitudes and behaviors of their staffs towards accepting and embracing diversity in the workplace. Moreover, a diverse workplace whereby employees are communicating effectively can leverage on the talents, strengths and differences in the work environment through the identification and elimination of communication barriers and maximizing the potential of the organization's employees (DeVeale & Manea, 2007). An effectively communicating diverse workforce can also play a role in; enhancing productivity, conflict or problem resolution, and facilitating innovations (Davis, 2000). It can also enable better service provision to diverse clients (Thomas & Ely, 1996). Additionally, it can help create opportunities for future competitive advantages and enhancement of growth (Roberson & Park, 2007)

Internal Communications Strategy

Within a firm, effective communication can help; secure the loyalty of an employee, create mutual respect, enhance of sustain employee morale, cut absenteeism, empower employees, enhance the trust levels between the management and the employees, reduce turnover, increase ability of employees to deal with transformations, increase productivity, improve the bottom line and get an organization through a crisis (Rana, 2013).

Some business scholars have described communication as the lifeblood of any corporation. In cases where there is a communication breakdown, the performance of the organization will also suffer. Poor communications is one of the main reasons why firms fail or do not realize their full potential. And while more firms have access to more communication gadgets than ever before, the issue of these firms having poor communication still remains. Good communication practices assist employees at all levels in the structure of the organization to enhance the comprehension of, and their responses to, each other's and the organization's needs. It assists individuals to make the right decisions-those which are properly aligned with the firm's goals and objectives. It also helps to encourage performance by linking team and individual efforts with the broader perspective and by the identification of the desired efforts and behaviors across all levels of the organization. When communication is ignored or employees are not properly informed, individuals become cynical and lose trust and respect for the firm and its managers. As a result they may subconsciously or intentionally undermine the efforts towards the success of the organization at worst. At best, such employees will simply have been prevented from realizing their full potential or performing to the organization's best interests (Rana, 2013).

How many times has one heard people say: "The issue was because of a communication breakdown," "The problem was caused by a communication mix up," "One hand did not known what the other was doing," or "It was a due to poor communication." How frequently have we heard managers and business leaders speak with frustrations of how the good projects they had initiated for their firms had failed due to employee skepticism and cynicism of the purpose or the likelihood of getting good results? Firms often state how their workers are their most valuable resources, however, workers are frequently bitter and often demoralized-this is an outcome of poor business communication (Rana, 2013).

Poor top-down; this type of communication breakdown occurs when employees fail to comprehend organizational directions, initiatives and/or expectations, resulting in a communication vacuum. Every time there is a communication void, it is most likely to be filled up with rumors and speculations, which can only negatively affect an organization's bottom line.

Poor bottom-up; this type of communication breakdown deprives managers and business leaders of data and information about clients, how effective their systems are, the effects of their programs and policies, in addition to the opportunities to get to know about simple and perhaps inexpensive changes that have the potential of improving performance (Rana, 2013).

Other solutions to improve communications due to workplace diversity

1. There is a need to learn the best ways in which different cultures receive information. Some cultures and communities do not trust information that comes directly form a business leader or a manager and would rather take directives or instructions from a team leader or a construction foreman. Employees also have different preferences, in that some of them would and others would not appreciate praise for the hard work in front of their team.

2. Preparations of all employees also need to be done using diversity programs and cultural awareness initiatives. Teaching of mutual respect and empathy need to be prioritized among employees. One should also provide continuous acculturation training to new workers to enable them to truly comprehend his or her firm's general culture: the objectives and the attitude one expects.

3. Assigning qualified mentors to new employees to facilitate integration is one of the other ways to improve communications. If this is done right employees will always have someone, who understands them, to turn to.

4. Avoiding the use of metaphors, common jargon and slang when addressing or giving directives to employees from different cultures. This is because they might not make any sense when directed towards an individual from a foreign culture.

5. Utilize graphics in all possible cases when explaining processes and objectives to a diverse workforce.

6. There should be an ongoing process where one regularly asks for feedback on the changes made, however one should always be ready and willing to use an intermediary if need be (Rana, 2013).

Strengths and weaknesses of solutions

Strengths of various internal communication strategies

They offer opportunities for ideas, questioning, feedback and discussion.

Have the potential of making communication relevant and personal to those being addressed.

Can assist in creating involvement, rapport and excellent understanding.

Good managers and supervisors can facilitate interactive and lively sessions.

Weaknesses

Typical weaknesses with regards to communication encompass the failure to sufficiently take into account the needs of audience. For instance, employees who are rushed in efforts to meet deadlines frequently overload their audience with a lot of information, thus, in the process, lose crucial details. Moreover, many communicators do not adequately assess their audience and fail to consider the possible impacts of important details such as education level or cultural background on the communication process. Ineffective communicators also do not take into account the impact of emotional interference and/or physical distractions on their audience. Audiences will often disregard a communicator's message if, for instance, he or she appears sloppy, uses bad grammar or lacks passion for the topic (Fritz, 2015). Others weaknesses include;

The fact that success is largely dependent on the leader's skill

There is need for time commitment for both the audience and the manager

There is need for awareness of the issue of content overload

Strength of utilizing video/graphics

It is entreating and creative

Involves real people discussing their experiences

It can show progress or proof

Message is controlled and in many cases consistent

It makes places and people relatively accessible to a mass audience

Weakness

Graphics/videos are not self-interactive

It is expensive

Can be perceived by some as an onscreen corporate propaganda.

Can be somewhat difficult for a mobile workforce

Talking heads cannot by themselves be engaging (Melcrum, 2015)

Recommendations and ways to incorporate the recommendations

Widen Your Recruiting Base

There is need for one to widen his or her recruiting base. If he or she restricts their recruiting to a certain geographic area, then he or she is missing out on an opportunity to develop a diverse workforce. Utilize other recruiting tools to broaden your base, such as online job boards, on which any individual who has an internet connection will have access to. Also, one can advertise his or her job openings/vacancies in print and online publications that have a minority readership.

Offer language training

The Workforce Diversity Network noted on their website that the Society for Human Resource Management recommended that paying for or providing training to learn English to employees for whom English is not their first language is one of the ways of enhancing diversity. Having this kind of initiative allows one to recruit from a broader base of applicants, as it eliminates language barrier as a criterion for not considering a properly qualified applicant for a position.

Create an Evaluation Form

According to Northeastern University's Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence program, creating a standardized form to assess applicants helps to eradicate discrimination in the hiring process. A form allows one to utilize the same assessment criteria for all the applicants, which significantly reduces the likelihood of introducing personal prejudices.

Making good use of Current employees

Utilizing existing employees, is one of the best ways one can use to hire new ones. For instance, if a firm already has among its employees, quality staff who are from minority communities, the firm can communicate to them about job vacancies to check whether these employees know other people from their communities who are qualified and might be interested. This assists in creating a pool of diverse applicants. It also has the potential of cutting an organization's recruiting expenses.

Clarify the Benefits

Emphasizing to your workers the ways in which diversity benefits the firm, and how that will eventually bring about benefits to all the employees is important. For instance, if one recruits a Latino Sales representative, he or she should point out to his employees that this will help the firm to expand into the Hispanic marketplace, thus creating growth and more opportunities for each of the companies stakeholders.