These people from India did not only add to the diversity of the organization, they also gave a new dimension to our thinking.
For years, we had been used to working the same way. We never really thought that there could be other less costly and relatively economic ways of doing some of the common tasks. What we admired about these new employees was that they did not even brag about their "skills." It all came very naturally to them because of their lives in India. They were used to a life where wasting money is not an option, where buying expensive things in lieu of less expensive choices is not considered a wise choice and where saving money is important to survival.
We learned some valuable lessons from our new employees. We did not only learn to save money, we also learned how people live in other countries, how some things come so naturally to them and how are able to enjoy lives within their limited means. This also taught us why assimilation had been a bad idea all along. Instead of forcing people to adopt the ways of the majority, it makes more sense to allow them to be themselves and to learn from their unique backgrounds, mindsets and experiences. Griffin & Moorhead (2009) explain why melting pot is an old and rather dated concept: "Today, instead of a melting pot, the workplace...
Rather than trying to assimilate those who are different into a single organizational culture, the current view holds that organizations need to celebrate the differences and utilize the variety of talents, perspectives and backgrounds of all employees." (p. 38)
We learned at our organization that this was indeed true. Celebrating our differences is far more valuable for the organization than trying to force homogeneity. We now have greater respect for other perspectives and we have truly learned the value of diversity. Had our company not listened to the bright new ideas of our employees from India, we would have missed out on some great ways to save costs. By allowing them to be themselves, our company saved a great deal on producing new software and thus we were able to attract far greater number of new clients who were all looking for cheaper solutions that very few companies could offer as effortlessly as we did.
References
Griffin, R. Moorhead, G. (2009) Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations South-Western College Pub; Edition 9th
Hunt, J. (2007) Organizational behavior. Wiley, John & Sons. November
