Managing diversity in organizational settings

Workplace Diversity: Managing Diversity

Diversity is a seminal aspect of most modern organizations. As the world is diverse, organizations can benefit from internal diversity. When pitching a new campaign to Japan, for example, an advertising firm can benefit from the expertise of a Japanese-American employee's cultural insights, gained from growing up with first-generation immigrant parents. Women may have different and valuable approaches to leadership than their male counterparts, and the pluralistic insights gained from people who have lived in different regions of the United States and around the world can enable an organization to pool resources and skills that make an organization stronger and work against a homogenized ethic of groupthink. "Managing diversity well provides a distinct advantage in an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness. An organization needs to be flexible and adaptable to meet new customer needs....Heterogeneity promotes creativity and heterogeneous groups have been shown to produce better solutions to problems and a higher level of critical analysis" (Chapter 12, University of California at Berkley, 2007).

Thus a profit-oriented argument in favor of diversity is that by creating a workforce that mirrors its consumer market, "a firm can increase its customer base and appeal" and few firms today have the luxury of only targeting one segment of the marketplace, at least not in the case of all of the goods and services they provide (Marquis et al. 2006, p.1). Corporations can increase their market share and boost their bottom line by having a workforce similar to their target clientele because, for example, "minority employees might be better able to communicate with and understand the needs of minority consumers, thereby increasing the quality of customer service and relations," particularly for service-oriented industries, like banks and healthcare that have historically tension-laden relations with minority groups (Marquis et al. 2006, p.1).

There are also legal concerns that require companies to make managing diversity a priority. The challenge of creating a multicultural, diverse organization is becoming an increasingly prominent and openly articulated concern for the chief executive officers (CEOs) of companies in the United States, at least partially because of "the need to meet federally mandated Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) standards (Marquis et al. 2006, p.1). Yet diversity does not always translate into ethnic diversity alone. Diversity can also mean having diverse work teams made up of a variety of organizational departments. Pooling diverse personalities and skills can improve quality of output. When creating a plan to introduce a new computer system, for example, incorporating representatives that will address potential psychological resistance to the change as well as it professionals can create a more effective transition.

However, it is important to remember that managing diversity does not automatically mean treating everyone the same, as if difference does not exist. A workplace environment that expects workers to put family second to staying late, and does not offer comprehensive childcare policy is not managing diversity in a way that is helpful for female employees. A workplace without decent healthcare policies is engaging, even unintentionally in de facto discrimination against employees with health concerns like diabetes. Without teambuilding and bonding exercises, workers may be frustrated when they come into contact with people from different cultures, even different workplace cultures than themselves. An it manager may be taken aback by an HR employee's more gregarious manner; a representative from the Tokyo branch may not make what is deemed appropriate eye contact when visiting the headquarters of the company located in America. Understanding that 'difference' does not mean 'worse' must be clear in the organization's attitude and literature.

Managing diversity is a process that must be implanted consistently and throughout all company processes -- it begins even during the interviewing process. A good advertisement will demand candidates with a "demonstrated ability to work effectively in a diverse work environment," and there must be an effort to recruit a diverse applicant pool from a wide range of sources, universities, and regions of the country and world (Chapter 12, University of California at Berkley, 2007). Using a panel interview format with a diverse human resources team that is representative of the company creates a positive and representative face of the company. It is also essential that appropriate accommodations are made for disabled applicants.

Within the workplace, a real endorsement of diversity by the leadership is required. More than any other component, if employees do not feel that the leadership takes diversity seriously, they will not take diversity seriously in their endeavors. Clear mission statements reinforcing diverse values, sensitivity training, and creating mentoring and support groups are essential components of managing a diverse workforce (Marquis et al. 2006, pp.6-7). Retention is often the critical failure point for organizations, and groups that provide support for specific ethnicities, people with special needs, women and other demographics can improve both worker performance and comfort levels. Diversity training, though, must encompass all groups, not just the members of diverse populations. Awareness-raising efforts must take place on a constant basis through workshops, company bulletins, expressed company statements, and must be ongoing, not simply a course or two individuals take at the beginning of their tenure at the organization.

Just like all workplace skills, education in managing diversity must be part of the company schedule. Training for workers leaving the country to work abroad at different branches may be necessary, in terms of negotiating cultural differences and communication styles. Providing instruction in dealing with diverse suppliers and sources is another way to foster a truly inclusive atmosphere at the company, and gain valuable and creative exposure to new products and ways of doing business (Marquis et al. 2006, p.8). And simply having communication seminars in dealing with diverse personalities as well as peoples can improve communication as a whole between employees.