Diversity at Workplace- OB
Introduction
Diversity at workplace is becoming a business necessity as companies continue to embrace change. Diversity in the workplace occurs in different forms some of which include gender diversity, age diversity, expertise diversity, racial, and ethnic diversities. Organizations that embrace diversity of workforce promote creativity and innovation among employees, establish strong inter-personnel relationships, motivate employees, and improve productivity and performance (Wrench, 2016, p. 66). Where there is no diversity in the workplace; conflicts occur and productivity declines. The aim of this assignment is presenting an annotated bibliography about workplace diversity to understand different views and opinions of researchers about the topic.
Ruth, M., 2018. Why is Diversity in the Workplace Important to Employees?. [Online]
Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/diversity-workplace-important-employees-10812.html
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
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Why is Diversity in the Workplace Important to Employees?
According to Ruth, workforce diversity is becoming a business necessity in the global market place. As a result, most companies are showing commitment to embracing equality and diversity in the workplace since this provide tangible and intangible benefits to employees in the workplace (Ruth, 2018, p. 22). Diversity in workforce brings workplace benefits as employees get respect from their colleagues and other business gains. Workplace diversity foster mutual benefit among colleagues in the workplace regardless of their varied work styles, cultural background differences, and societal norms differences. Ruth Mayhew argues that diversity in the workplace contributes to conflict resolution, and this leads to improved productivity of employees. Another benefit of workplace diversity to employees is that it helps in building great business reputation of a company; this leads to improved profitability and workers opportunities within the firm (Ruth, 2018, p. 26). Further, a diverse workforce provides employees with more exposure of different cultures and backgrounds, and this contributes to formation of whole individual in them.
Patrick, H. A. & Kumar, V. R., 2012. Managing workplace diversity: Issues and Challneges. p.2158244012444615.:Sage Open.
Issues and Challenges of Managing Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity involves the understanding, embracing, and valuing of differences among employees in respect to gender, age, race, disabilities, and skills. According to Patrick and Kumar, the most common issues of managing workplace diversity include gender bias, sexual harassment, and negative attitudes on an employee, diversity issues, racial discrimination, and affirmative action issues (Patrick & Kumar, 2012, p. 16). Some organizations discriminate against the gender and race of some sexes and certain groups of people with some given skin color attributes. As a result of these workplace diversity management issues, conflicts arise within the organization. On the other hand, Patrick and Kumar explains lack of respect, increasing employees conflicts, personal differences, harassment, and poor communication patterns as the major challenges facing workplace diversity management (Patrick & Kumar, 2012, p. 22). The human resource management of companies finds it difficult to manage employees in such circumstances. In this regard, prejudice, discrimination, and personal differences should be avoided by human resource managers in the recruitment, hiring, and termination of employees’ duties.
Kearney, E., Diether, D. & Sven, C. V., 2009. When and how diversity benefits teams: The importance of team members’ need for cognition. Academy of Mangement Journal, 53(3), pp. 581-598.
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What are the Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace?
According to Kearney, et al., most people believe that workplace diversity entail factors such as gender, race, age, and cultural backgrounds. However, creating workplace diversity involves more than just hiring personnel who fit into different genders and age brackets. Workplace diversity entails hiring people of varied personalities and stages in their career; for this helps encourage creativity in which a wide range of ideas and perspectives emerge. In Kearney, et al., the top benefits of diversity in the workplace include growth in talents, skills, and employees experiences which establish a convenient environment for creativity and innovation (Kearney, et al., 2009, p. 589). Working alongside colleagues of different experiences, work styles, and professional backgrounds leads to the emergence of new creative ideas that boost workforce productivity. Also, workplace diversity grows a company’s talent pool of employees which promotes equality. Further, embracing diversity in the workplace improves performance of employees for they feel comfortable and happy in the workplace since inclusivity is prioritized.
Roberge, M. E. & Van Dick, R., 2010. Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance?. Human Resource Management, 20(4), pp. 295-308.
How to Increase Workplace Diversity
According to Roberge and Van Dick, embracing workplace diversity by companies comes with numerous benefits. However, some companies miss the essence of diversity especially during recruitment. Since employees’ recruitment is easier than employees’ retention, organizations need to approach recruitment processes in a holistic manner. Poor hiring policies lead to poor representation of minorities in the workplace workforce. Roberge and Van Dick notes that companies that do not promote diversity in the workplace experience problems of poor productivity, increased conflicts, and lack of creativity and innovation among the personnel (Roberge & Van Dick, 2010, p. 300). So how can companies improve workplace diversity? Roberge and Van Dick highlights that companies should modify their human resource management policies and ensure that hiring is done holistically in that all groups are considered. There is also need to ensure that all cultures, races, languages, and sexes are represented equitably in the workplace. Further, asking employees for referrals help in boosting workplace diversity.
Katherine, W. P., 2014. How Diversity Makes Us Smarter. Policy and Ethics, 10(1), pp. 1-22.
How diversity makes us smarter?
Katherine W. Phillips’ article “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter” explains that working in the presence of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds makes us more intelligent, creative, and hardworking. Her scientific research postulates that socially diverse workplaces that entail racial, ethnic, and sex diversity tend to be more creative and innovative that homogenous social groups. It is obvious for groups of people exemplifying diverse individual skills; knowledge and expertise turn to be better in performance and conflict resolution when compared to the homogenous groups (Katherine, 2014, p. 12). Although embracing equality and diversity in the workplace works differently, researchers ascertain that it enables the participants acquire new skills and attributes of or solving routine, non-routine, and other complex issues appropriately. Additionally, people of varied backgrounds, cultures, and competencies provide the team with new information about global business affairs which make them successful entrepreneurs. The interaction of people from difference group forces offers us with alternative viewpoints about a given subject.
Jennifer, L., 2018. Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Definition, Trends & Examples. [Online]
Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace-definition-trends-examples.html
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Current trends in workplace diversity
According to Jennifer, there are current cultural diversity trends in the workplace that greatly impact on organizational performance. She notes that there have been recent growths of minority workforce in most organizations. As a result, dynamic and multicultural organizations have been established for all groups and populations in the society get equal chances in employment opportunities. The other trend is growth of prejudice, discrimination and prejudice. Some countries have racial stereotypes on minority groups; and always discriminate against them in the workplace and also during recruitment and selection processes (Jennifer, 2018, p. 66). Another current workplace diversity trend is the increased rate at which companies are embracing is sensitivity to training and development of employees. Most companies train and develop employees to build their skills and communication etiquette in the workplace. Also, there is an increasing trend of females in the workplace especially in top managerial positions. Most governments have established labor labors that defend women’s rights in the workplace.
Neugebauer, J., 2014. Equality and diversity in the workplace. Strategic Human Resource Management: An International Perspective, 2(1), p. 306.
Equality and diversity in the workplace
According to Neugebauer, equality and diversity are two different but related concepts. Equality in the workplace entails the fair and equal treatment of all employees such that none is discriminated against. Diversity in the workplace ensures that the management actively engage all people from varying backgrounds and that this attitude is reflected in the company’s hiring practices and workplace culture (Neugebauer, 2014, p. 306). Treatment of employees in a fair and equitable manner motivates them to improve performance and boosts their work morale. Organizations using flexible employees’ equality and diversity policies excel in decision making; and this leads to proper use of resources. Also, it is the legal right of employees to receive fair treatment by the employer. Equality entails fair remuneration of employees, equal promotion opportunities, recognition of employees, and enhancing openness when rewarding employees. In this regard, diversity forms the foundation of equality in the workplace and thus all companies should promote diversity so as to enhance equity and fair treatment of workforce.
Linda, E., 2018. Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity in Workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace-definition-trends-examples.html
[Accessed 15 March 2018].
Disadvantages of diversity in workplace
Linda Emma explains the advantages and disadvantages that organizations have when they embrace diversity in workplace. Despite the fact that workplace diversity comes with endless benefits to organizations, the practice also has some disadvantages. Linda Emma explains the importance of understanding the disadvantage of diversity in workplace to an organization for this helps the management in proper planning and decision making (Linda, 2018, p. 50). The first disadvantage of workplace diversity is that there are difficulties faced by companies when transitioning to the practice. For companies that are new or are just beginning to embrace diversification in the workplace, there are likely challenges of creating a reliable and diverse work environment. The entrenched prejudices and old thinking ways hinder company’s efforts to creating conflict and tension in the workplace (Linda, 2018, p. 56). Short-term cost outlay is another disadvantage associated to embracing workplace diversity in the workplace. Diversification requires some flexibility, and most companies find it difficult to transition to unplanned budgets, hence making the exercise expensive.
Van Laer, K. & Janssens, M., 2011. Ethnic minority professionals’ experiences with substle discrimination in the workplace. Human Relations, 64(9), pp. 1203-1227.
Forms of Diversity in the Workplace
According to Van Laer and Janssens, there are various forms of diversity in the workplace. For a company to be productive, embracing gender diversity is vital. During recruitment, the human resource management of a company needs to ensure that both sexes (male and female) are equitably represented. Another form of workplace diversity is racial diversity. Companies have the obligation to ensure equal and fair treatment of employees from different races and colors while in the workplace (Van Laer & Janssens, 2011, p. 1204). Racial stereotypes are discouraged during selection processes since all people deserve fair and equal right even if they come from the minority ethnic groups. Also, age diversity is emphasized within the workplace in that employees of different age groups, both the youth and aged get hired in the workplace (Van Laer & Janssens, 2011, p. 1210). Age diversity helps in talent retention while at the same time new experts are building. Further, cultural diversity in which employees from different cultures are recruited and treated equally in the workplace is another form of workplace diversity.
Tisa, J., 2011. The Future of Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity Journal, 1(1), pp. 1-30.
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The Future of Workplace Diversity
Tisa argues that diversity is the future of the world’s legal workplace (Tisa, 2011, p. 1). Today, there are still some companies that have not embraced workplace diversity despite many laws being launched and established under the Equality and Diversity Act by most governments globally. With the increased campaigns for workplace diversity and the incredible benefits of workplace diversity to modern workplace; it is projected that close to 95 percent of world companies will have embraced workplace diversity by 2030. Most companies will shift their dimensions and perceptions about diversity in the workplace. Prejudices, bias, and discrimination among racial and ethnic minorities, gender discrimination, and discrimination against the disabled, and racial and cultural stereotypes will have no place in the labor sector in the near future (Tisa, 2011, p. 20). In future, the productivity and success of all companies will be directly dependent to workplace diversity. There is a projected increased in workforce performance, creativity, innovation, skills development, and talent growth with the increased rate of workplace diversity.
Conclusion
Diversity in the workplace contributes to improved profitability of companies. Organizations embracing equality and diversity in the workplace are more valued and reputable in the labor sector since most people admire to work in such firms. The workforce reaps maximum benefits from workplace diversity; whose output benefits the organization and its interested parties at large. Therefore, the human resource management of companies should embrace workplace diversity so as to boost performance, productivity, and profitability in the market.
References
Jennifer, L., 2018. Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Definition, Trends & Examples. [Online]
Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace-definition-trends-examples.html
[Accessed 10 January 2018].
Katherine, W. P., 2014. How Diversity Makes Us Smarter. Policy and Ethics, 10(1), pp. 1-22.
Kearney, E., Diether, D. & Sven, C. V., 2009. When and how diversity benefits teams: The importance of team members’ need for cognition. Academy of Mangement Journal, 53(3), pp. 581-598.
Linda, E., 2018. Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity in Workplace. [Online]
Available at: https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace-definition-trends-examples.html
[Accessed 15 March 2018].
Neugebauer, J., 2014. Equality and diversity in the workplace. Strategic Human Resource Management: An International Perspective, 2(1), p. 306.
Patrick, H. A. & Kumar, V. R., 2012. Managing workplace diversity: Issues and Challneges. p.2158244012444615.:Sage Open.
Roberge, M. E. & Van Dick, R., 2010. Recognizing the benefits of diversity: When and how does diversity increase group performance?. Human Resource Management, 20(4), pp. 295-308.
Ruth, M., 2018. Why is Diversity in the Workplace Important to Employees?. [Online]
Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/diversity-workplace-important-employees-10812.html
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
Tisa, J., 2011. The Future of Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity Journal, 1(1), pp. 1-30.
Van Laer, K. & Janssens, M., 2011. Ethnic minority professionals’ experiences with substle discrimination in the workplace. Human Relations, 64(9), pp. 1203-1227.
Wrench, J., 2016. Diversity management and discrimination: Immigrants and ethnic minorities in EU. 5th ed. New York: Routledge.
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