Workplace Diversity Strategy: Communication and Inclusion

Introduction: Diversity as Organizational Value

Organizational success depends on effective communication, as well as the ability to adapt organizational culture and environment to a changing workforce. The establishment of values that support diversity can be challenging in large organizations with entrenched cultures resistant to change. Research in communications and organizational psychology can help guide organizational leaders to create a more harmonious, supportive, and inclusive workplace. Organizations within heterogeneous and homogeneous societies alike may struggle to meet the diverse needs of employees, and can mitigate diversity-related challenges with commitment and a comprehensive, evidence-based plan of action.

Diversity is an all-encompassing term that refers to a heterogeneous workplace environment. Ideally, an organization's ethical principles include a commitment to diversity as a core value. Diversity may be pursued for purely business goals such as measurable performance or profit outcomes; but any organization interested in long-range success and brand stability will continually reflect on its culture to ensure that all employees thrive. It is important to remember that diversity does not refer only to racial, ethnic, religious, and gender diversity, but also to diversity of ability, communication style, learning style, and cognitive orientation.

Not all organizations are addressing diversity as a core value, instead opting for short-range goals that perpetuate stereotypes and therefore tacitly condone hostile work environments. In fact, few companies can afford to ignore diversity, since even in traditionally static societies, workplaces are becoming more diverse along parameters of age, gender, and disability. An increasingly interconnected global society and rapidly changing patterns of population migration necessitate a conscious and conscientious effort to embed communication and diversity ethics into a company's mission statement. Organizations need to develop programs and protocols that promote and sustain diversity consciousness, with an outcome goal of creating a supportive work environment. Diversity can be viewed not as an obstacle but as an added value to workplace culture, and an enhanced workplace culture creates net benefits within an organization and its broader environment. Because there is no single formula that works for every organization, a set of guiding principles can help with diversity planning and diversity management.

Literature Review

Decades of published studies, both qualitative and quantitative, reveal the importance of applying communications research to diversity. The three primary goals of communication in organizational environments include goals related to task performance or completion (instrumental goals), goals that negotiate conflict or maintain harmony (relational goals), and goals related to identity creation or identity management (Barak, 2013, p. 187). Ignoring the unique complexities of a diverse workplace can impede any one of these goals. Diversity competence, on the other hand, can greatly enhance communication in the workplace (Martin & Nakayama, 2015).

Discrimination leads to hostile cultures and hostile work environments. A comprehensive synthesis of prior literature by Okechukwu et al. (2013) "links workplace injustice to poor psychological and physical health, and a smaller body of evidence links workplace injustice to unhealthy behaviors" (p. 573). Okechukwu et al. (2013) also found that hostile work environments have spillover effects on the target employees' family and personal lives. Therefore, human resources managers need to remember that discrimination after hiring is as important as discrimination that occurs during the hiring process. In other words, it is important to create a supportive work environment rather than simply manufacturing a diverse workforce on paper. Retaining that diverse workforce is the key to an organization's ethical integrity and long-term success.

One of the most pervasive types of discrimination in the workplace — one that contributes significantly to a hostile work environment — is stereotyping. As Heilman (2012) points out, stereotypes can be descriptive (such as the belief that men or women are a certain way) and prescriptive (such as the belief that men or women should behave in a certain way). Both descriptive and prescriptive stereotypes can be harmful and contribute to a hostile work environment, leading to effects such as negative performance expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies related to poor performance outcomes (Heilman, 2012).

Literature specifically focusing on gender stereotypes shows that they "give rise to biased judgments and decisions, impeding women's advancement" (Heilman, 2012, p. 113). Specifically, there may be a negative "perception that there is a poor fit between what women are like and the attributes believed necessary for successful performance in male gender-typed positions and roles" (Heilman, 2012, p. 113). Those negative perceptions create and sustain glass ceilings and other structural impediments to empowering typically subordinate groups. Power structures in organizations are directly related to diversity consciousness; when those power structures become immutable and entrenched by a status quo, the organization as a whole suffers.

Recent literature has tended to focus increasingly on age-related discrimination and stereotyping in the workplace, because organizations around the world contend with a substantial number of aging employees. Posthuma and Guerrero (2013) point out that age discrimination can be found in organizations worldwide, as substantiated in international literature on organizational communication and gerontology. For example, research on Thai organizations reveals both negative and positive stereotypes about aging, with young Thai workers acknowledging "positive stereotype items that older workers are absent less, have a better attitude toward work, and have a higher level of commitment to the organization than younger workers" (McCann & Keaton, 2013, p. 326). The researchers also found that young Thai workers perceive older workers as more prone to mistakes, less willing to adapt to change or new technologies, and more avoidant in their communication style. Thus, research reveals that both positive and negative beliefs about a given cohort — whether related to gender, race, or age — create a hostile work environment, because these beliefs signal disrespect and, in some cases, dehumanization. Stereotypes, even those considered "positive," lead to discrimination and can create an uncomfortable, even hostile work environment that inhibits creativity, productivity, and retention.

Research consistently shows why diversity is important for organizational success. As Miller (2014) suggests, the "business case for diversity" or "value-in perspective" focuses on bottom-line benefits, but this viewpoint can be problematic because it ignores social justice and ethical issues. It is imperative for contemporary and future-oriented human resources professionals to shift their organizational culture and values rather than focusing solely on the bottom line. Nine cultural attributes identified in research as signaling diversity include performance orientation, assertiveness, future orientation, human orientation, institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism, gender egalitarianism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance (Barak, 2013, p. 185). Human resources personnel need to understand these various components to create a diversity policy that most closely aligns with organizational goals.

Furthermore, communications and organizational psychology research highlights the significance of psychological safety in the workplace. Psychological safety is a "principal motivator of employee performance behaviours in a racially diverse work setting" (Singh, Winkel, & Selvarajan, 2013, p. 242). One of the biggest known impediments to psychological safety is workplace bullying, which can be subtle, pervasive, and noticeable only to its direct victims. Much workplace bullying can be unconscious, which is why strong educational and training programs are essential in its prevention. Workplace bullying "affects nearly half of working adults and has devastating results on employee well-being and organizational productivity" (Lutgen-Sandvik & Tracy, 2011, p. 3).

Developing effective human resources policies that promote psychological safety and diversity can include evidence-based practices drawn from model companies. Organizations assessed by Diversity Inc. and cited for their admirable diversity policies shared several features, policies, or programs in common, including "corporate diversity council, diversity training programs, supplier diversity, employee networking and mentoring, cultural awareness, support for women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender network programs and same-sex benefits. The result of these policies is a highly diverse workforce and relatively diverse management in the sample firms" (Madera, 2013, p. 124). Consistently, research shows that creating a psychologically safe work environment — "where employees feel confident in expressing their true selves without fear of being judged as inferior or incompetent" — promotes success (Singh, Winkel, & Selvarajan, 2013, p. 242).

It is important to focus on overall context and organizational culture rather than on any single element when designing a diversity program, because of the different types of diversity that may be present in an individual organization; moreover, there are different situational and personal variables at stake (Singh, Winkel, & Selvarajan, 2013). A communications approach works best because its fundamental theories can most effectively explain "the toxic complexity of workplace bullying as it is condoned through societal discourses, sustained by receptive workplace cultures, and perpetuated through local interaction" (Lutgen-Sandvik & Tracy, 2011, p. 3). It may be most productive to examine different levels of communication — macro, meso, and micro (Lutgen-Sandvik & Tracy, 2011, p. 3). For example, Lutgen-Sandvik and Tracy (2011) find that it is important for diversity managers to understand "(a) how abuse manifests, (b) how employees respond, (c) why it is so harmful, (d) why resolution is so difficult, and (e) how it might be resolved" (p. 3).

Explicit information about cultural differences and even international travel opportunities can enhance cross-cultural competence among employees who have a history of discriminatory behavior (Barak, 2013). Educational or diversity training programs should focus on verbal and nonverbal communication, including specific material demonstrating how verbal and nonverbal signals carry different meanings for different people and that no hierarchy of meaning exists. Miscommunications arise when shared understandings of symbols are assumed rather than cultivated (Barak, 2013). Furthermore, human resources managers ideally do more than merely "manage diversity" in order to increase profit and productivity. Human resources managers focus on the underlying organizational culture and "celebrate diversity" as part of an ethical philosophy (Miller, 2014). Diversity is not a means to an end; it is valued as a core ideal within the organization (Miller, 2014).

When developing a diversity program, it is important to recognize the different "spheres of activity" related to diversity, such as educational programs and travel opportunities, human resources systems and their philosophies, organizational culture, beliefs, attitudes, mindsets, programs to help employees achieve work-life-family balance, and specific methods of combatting problems as they arise (Miller, 2014). Human resources can focus their efforts not only on onboarding new employees, but also on working with existing employees and an entrenched organizational culture — the far more challenging task. Particularly in hierarchical and traditional organizations that lack diversity as a cultural norm, human resources personnel may encounter significant resistance to change.

Problem Analysis

A hostile work environment may go unnoticed or receive tacit approval in an organization that lacks a comprehensive strategy for promoting psychological safety. If stereotypes and workplace bullying have become tolerated or even expected behaviors, even the targets of discrimination might tacitly condone those behaviors by submitting to them or by believing that change is not possible. Developing a diversity strategy therefore presents real challenges for human resources managers. The size of the organization, its type, and its role in the community are all factors that may influence diversity policies and procedures. Projected changes to workplace demographics are also relevant. However, the specific demographics are less important than how an organization chooses to address and celebrate diversity. Even though age, gender, and racial discrimination manifest differently, all of these forms of discrimination lead to the same basic outcome: a hostile work environment. Eliminating that hostile work environment and replacing it with one grounded in psychological safety and social harmony should be the goal of any diversity policy.

Few organizations can afford to invest excessive time and resources in diversity training alone. Human resources departments in existing, entrenched, and traditional organizations need to "retrofit" their structures to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse workforce. Young organizations building their cultures from the ground up will have a much easier time developing a psychologically safe environment, since all new hires can be screened, trained, and coached to promote diversity and psychological safety from the outset. Older organizations more resistant to change will have significantly more work to do in addressing existing problems related to bullying and a hostile workplace. Diversity training does not, by itself, produce a psychologically safe workplace. Creating a normative culture in which stereotyping and bullying are not tolerated takes time, but it is the only genuine and long-term solution.

References

Barak, M. E. M. (2013). Managing diversity. SAGE.

Harris, C., & Valentine, G. (2016). Encountering difference in the workplace. Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie. Early view. DOI: 10.1111/tesg.12197

Heilman, M. E. (2012). Gender stereotypes and workplace bias. Research in Organizational Behavior, 32(2012): 113–135.

Lutgen-Sandvik, P., & Tracy, S. J. (2011). Answering five key questions about workplace bullying. Management Communication Quarterly, 26(1): 3–27.

Madera, J. M. (2013). Best practices in diversity management in customer service organizations. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(2): 124–135.

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2015). Reconsidering intercultural (communication) competence in the workplace: A dialectical approach. Language and Intercultural Communication, 15(1): 13–28.

McCann, R. M., & Keaton, S. A. (2013). A cross-cultural investigation of age stereotypes and communication perceptions of older and younger workers in the U.S.A. and Thailand. Educational Gerontology, 39(5): 326–341.

Miller, K. (2014). Organizational communication. Nelson Education.

Okechukwu, C. A. et al. (2014). Discrimination, harassment, abuse, and bullying in the workplace: Contribution of workplace injustice to occupational health disparities. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 57(5): 573–586.

Posthuma, R. A., & Guerrero, L. (2013). Age stereotypes in the workplace. In Field, J., Burke, R. J., & Cooper, C. L. (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Aging, Work, and Society. SAGE.

Singh, B., Winkel, D. E., & Selvarajan, T. T. (2013). Managing diversity at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(2): 242–263.