Diversity, personality development, and workplace management skills

Vocational Management, Personality, And Diversity

During the second half of the 20th century, American social culture underwent tremendous change in relation to tolerance of diversity, particularly with respect to race, ethnicity, and culture of origin. By the dawn of the 21st century, American social culture and formal legislation affecting civil rights and employment were virtually unrecognizable in comparison to what had been permissible only a generation or two earlier. Nevertheless, racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity continue to present significant issues in society in general and also in the vocational realm in particular. Diversity also plays a significant role in the development of the personality of the individual and that presents specific challenges to supervisors and managers in the workplace.

Vocational Diversity and Personality Development

Institutionalized racism and other forms of prejudice have been substantially eliminated from modern American society in general, as well as from the vocational environment. However, minority status is still associated with various challenges and with various hardships that non-minority members of society ordinarily do not experience (Macionis, 2007). Psychologists are very familiar with the degree to which negative experiences during the formative years can leave long-lasting damage to the individual (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). One of the most common manifestations of social pressures and prejudices that are often still consequences of minority status in the United States is a natural protective impulse to trust and prefer the company of other members of minority groups (Macionis, 2007; Schaefer, 2006). In the modern workplace, these tendencies have direct implications for personnel management, particularly in connection with the skills and sensibilities of effective supervisors and managers (George & Jones, 2008).

Management Skills and Tactics in Relation to Diversity and Individual Employees

Supervisors and managers in the vocational environment must develop the ability to recognize potential situations that can arise in connection with negative expectations in relation to diversity in the workplace. In that regard, supervisors and managers must be able to anticipate potential problem situations before they occur and they require effective conflict resolution skills to address conflicts immediately so as to minimize the potential for negative impact on individual employees and the organization (George & Jones, 2009). Ideally, supervisors and managers should also develop the necessary interpersonal skills to address individual employees on a personal level. By counseling employees individually, they may be able to help them overcome any negative expectations on their part in connection with their minority status, particularly in their relations with coworkers.

References:

George JM. And Jones GR. (2008). Understanding and Managing Organizational

Behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Gerrig RJ and Zimbardo PG. (2008). Psychology and Life. New York: Pearson.

Macionis JJ. (2007). Sociology. Hoboken, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Schaefer RT. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups. Hoboken, NJ: Prentice Hall.