“The world is a big stage in which everyday people are acting to facilitate the successful embrace of diversity and inclusiveness in a world that often struggles to understand cultural differences. Cultural differences are not hindrances to progress but rather a necessary exploration that must take place in leading a global impact in the quest for human equality. There is no way to escape or ignore that diversity exists in the world. Overall, the search for knowledge, truth and a heightened awareness of self must also include a willingness to understand what divides and unites everyday people who are trying to exist in harmony with one another.”
( Morgan, A.M, 2009)
According to the International Personnel Mangement Association’s Benchmarking Committee, “diversity efforts in the workplace facilitate the exchange of new perspectives, improve problem solving by inviting different ideas, and create a respectful, accepting work environment, all of which make good business sense.” (Reichenberg, N.E. IPMA, 2001)
In the book Beyond Race and Gender, R. Roosevelt Thomas defined managing diversity as “a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that works for all employees.” (Roosevelt, R. 1992)
Diversity refers to any perceived difference among people: age, race, religion, sexual orientation, profession, geographic origin and lifestyle, tenure with the organisation or position and any other perceived difference. Diversity is more than equal employment and affirmative action. ( Bandyopadhyay, P. 2007)
The Essay on Team Diversity Disciplined People
I feel value and attitude differences in our team will create a positive impact on our group's effectiveness. The diversity on our team brings to the group innovative thinkers from all types of educational and workplace backgrounds. The team created originates from all across the United States and groups together via the University Of Phoenix, an online University that promotes organizational team ...
Diversity management is ensuring that factors are in place to provide for and encourage the continued development of a diverse workforce by melding these actual and perceived differences among workers to achieve maximum productivity. ( Hazra, G. 2007) Diversity management involves creating a supportive culture where all employees can be effective. In creating this culture it is important that top management strongly support workplace diversity as a company goal and include diversity initiatives in their companies’ business strategies. It has grown out of the need for organization to recognize the changing workforce and other social pressures that often result. (Aswathappa, K. 2006)
“Diversity is more than being politically correct; it is about fostering a culture that values individuals and their wide array of needs and contributions.” (Mondy, R. & Noe, R. 2006)
Diversity management is the process intended to create a positive, functional environment in which diversity is valued and used as a tool in management to maximize and strengthen an organisations goals, in such a way that productivity, morale and profit is maximised. Individual’s differences and similarities combined in such a way that management can create a competitive advantage in areas such as marketing, problem solving and resource acquisitions. (Ocholla, D. 2002 p.59; Sadri, G. & Tran, H. 2002 p.228; Swanson, D. 2002 p.257).
Diversity management requires management to make an effort to facilitate the working relationships of its employees and build and organisational culture of tolerance, acceptance and embracing the diversity within the organisation.
‘Its hard to define what diversity is because everyone has an opinion’
(Working Woman Magazine, 2009)
Formally, diversity refers to the condition or quality of being different or unlike, a clear distinction; a variety, as defined within the Oxford Dictionary.
According to HR Focus ‘What is diversity? Not many workplaces know the answer’ (2008 p.8), effective outcomes of diversity management include; creating a work environment or culture that allows everyone to contribute all that they can to the organisation; leveraging differences and similarities in the workforce for the strategic advantage of the organisation; and enhancing the ability of the people from different backgrounds to work effectively together.
The Essay on Diversity Management
Changing times, company reputation and customer demands have led to business practices in companies that profit and benefit from being seen as diverse. Workforce diversity was first presented as an issue of equality by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). EEOC was established in 1963 and is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a ...
“They are tapping into skills not previously available in a company characterised by an homogenous workforce; enhancing company creativity and problem-solving; responding quickly and effectively to diverse markets and managing productive relationships with diverse customers, suppliers and distributors; promoting a culture of inclusivity and problem solving; critical to commitment to total quality; enhancing team performance; and attracting and retaining the best talent especially amongst those representing new customer markets.” (Ocholla, N 2002 p.67).
Why is diversity management important?
Historically, diversity in the workplace has been recognized as an employment equity issue. Now, however, diversity in the workplace is being recognized as a benefit that will contribute to an organization’s bottom line. It is a broader term, which refers to a variety of interventions aimed at overcoming the potential costs of workplace differences so that they become a source of growth for the organization and a means of reaching excellence.
Increased employee and customer satisfaction end up as increased productivity, all of which are measurable outcomes (Goff, 1998).
Diversity goes beyond employment equity to nurturing an environment that values the differences and maximizes the potential of all employees, one that stimulates employee creativity and innovativeness (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (U.S. MSPB), 1993).
Ideally, organisations must create and environment that respect mutual interests and maintain a culture of inclusion, expressed internally through workplace diversity and externally through partnerships.
Coming from a background of racial discrimination in Apartheid, South Africa has not felt the benefits of effective diversity management. In order to realize the benefits of diversity and provide equal employment opportunities for all, South African organisations need to make use of effective diversity management.
The Term Paper on Equal Opportunities Act People Employment
Introduction Equal opportunities are very important in the modern workplace. Providing equal opportunities involves providing the same opportunities to all the employees and prospective employees regardless of their sex, age, disabilities, ethnic origins, sexual orientations etc. Equal opportunities allow the employee to have rights therefore the employer is unable to take advantage, discriminate ...
South African organisation’s can be strengthened by leveraging differences that mirror the diversity of its citizens. Surveys have demonstrated a positive impact on high performance where senior management teams include a diversity of ages, ethnicity, and gender. A diverse workforce also can improve organisational productivity and creativity. Managing a diverse workforce can be a challenge. When people from different backgrounds come together in the workplace, there is potential for great accomplishment, but also for great conflict.
The key for employers is to make diversity an asset within the organization. Diversity is different from affirmative action since affirmative action is the framework for a diversity management program. Diversity management has been described as looking at: 1) the mind set of an organization; 2) the climate of an organization; and 3) the different perspectives people bring to an organization due to race, workplace styles, disabilities, and other differences. (Reichenberg, N.E. IPMA, 2001)
Factors where diversity mangement is important with regard to South Africa include:
• Affirmative Action
• Gender Equality
• Equal Emloyment Opportunity (EEO)
By addressing these above mentioned aspects, diversification among employee’s within South African organisations becomes much more simpler.
Affirmative Action is paying close attention to the flaws of the past and Apartheid and trying to remedy these effects by providing job opportunities to those who were previously disadvantaged, it ensures that qualified people from designated groups have equal opportunities in the workplace. (Based on Legislation in Section 15, of the Employment Equity Act-Department of labor, nd)
Females have proven that they can work just as well, if not better than their male counterparts if given the opportunity to do, gender equality is the principle of providing both males and females with equal job opportunities.
The Term Paper on Affricative Action Affirmative Discrimination Programs
... (web frame. htm) Affirmative Action Affirmative action has assisted many members of minority groups in creating equal opportunities in education and employment.Who ... the primary target of goal setting through affirmative action. For an organization to be effective with goals, they must ... in those places where affirmative action is still in place. Workplace should reflect the diversity of the community ...
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is when everyone has an equal chance at employment regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or other job specified attributes that are not job-related.
