Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace - Essay Example

Benefits of Diversity in the Workplace GENDER, GENERATION, CULTURE Introduction To critically understand the benefits that diversity brings into the workplace, one must completely understand the term ‘diversity’. The Chancellor's Committee on Diversity terms it as:"The variety of experiences and perspective which arise from differences in race, culture, religion, mental or physical abilities, heritage, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics"(UT 1). Diversity brings people from all walks of life into one single business environment with a common goal to pursue. Also, it enables the organization to bring in ideas and experience from people coming from differing backgrounds. Diversity also allows a company to pool in a larger variety of resources, which is essential in performing business tasks and resolving business related problems. 1. Greater share of the consumer market A diverse workforce is able to seize a larger segment of the consumer market. This is because it enables a company to bring in people from diverse backgrounds and as a result it allows the organization to better understand the various cultures, races or genders that make up the consumer market. Understanding the consumer market allows the organization to directly cater to the preferences of the consumer market, moreover it also lets the organization market their products or services more efficiently. In addition, understanding different languages, cultures and ethics allow an organization to operate on a global basis. 2. Recruiting from a diverse pool of candidates means a more qualified workforce Companies who do not bias their selection of employees will find that they are able to select employees from a bigger pool of candidates. This allows them to select only the best and also selection is strictly based on talent and their abilities instead of culture, generation or gender. 3. Fosters a more creative and innovative workforce Diversity promotes a more “creative and innovative” workplace (Dolly 1). Companies who incorporate a more diverse workplace are able to foster a more diverse range of ideas and viewpoints. As a result, employees are able to contribute more into the pool of ideas that a company uses to perform its business tasks. In a 2011 study by Forbes study, 85 percent out of 321 global companies that generate annual revenues of at least $500 million, agree “diversity is crucial to fostering innovation in the workplace” (Dolly 1). 4. Increased adaptability Companies who promote diversity within their employee population will find increased adaptability. Having the capability of diverse workforce means that companies are able to pool in a larger variety of solutions to business related problems that the company may encounter. Employees are able to bring in ideas or personal talents that come from different walks of life. 5. Increased Customer Relations Customers in an existing organization can come from extremely diverse backgrounds. Employees with akin natural diversity in any organization help significantly increase customer relationship and connection. This is boosted by sharing organization vision with the employees. In return, it allows employees reach out for customers and handle their needs in their desired manner. This makes the customers develop a feeling of assimilation to the organization thus becoming part of the organization (Laura 1). 6. Enhanced Reputation The promotion f diversity, talent and inclusion within a company create a favorable viewpoint from the customer, partners and media. This attracts talented individual for it is usually viewed as a good place to work. The positive environment creates successful breeding ground thus attracting the brighter and best employees from all spheres of the world. Gender: Organizations who actively promote gender diversity in the workplace will increase the company’s understanding on preferences for women and children. With a population of just slightly lower than men, women make up about 49.7% of the entire world population (). This just shows how equally important they are to the men. Companies who recruit women are able to bring experience not only from a woman’s point of view but also from a mother’s perspective as a result, companies are able to tailor their marketing techniques and produce their products in a manner that fits their customer preferences. Generational Since World War II, every generation has been known to possess specific set of traits either positive or negative. The greatest generation applied to those born before 1945. In the generation members tend to sacrifice abide to rules and think of others before thinking of themselves. The me generation, baby Boomer, which was born between 1965 and 1964, was thought to change the world via working and relating well with others. The X generation, born between 1965 and 1979 was skeptical, inquisitive and self reliant hence result driven and realistic. Millennial generation is an achievement and service oriented, reluctant to refrain from difficulties. (Bigelow 1. the diversification of this services enables them to educate people of all ages. Culture Companies who employ a culturally diverse workforce are able to perform business tasks from a global perspective. Employing people from different cultural backgrounds allows the organization to better understand different cultures that make-up a consumer market. Therefore, they are able to market their products or service better. Bringing in different cultures also allows a company to design or cater its products or services in a way that is preferential to the global consumer market. Employing a diverse workforce also means incorporating a diverse work ethic; companies will have more ways of making a profit and can have greater knowledge of how businesses from around the world perform their tasks. In addition, the ability of a company to employ a diverse workforce relates greatly on its reputation. In a very ethnically diverse nation companies who employ a culturally diverse workforce will bring in more talented candidates from a more culturally diverse pool of candidates. Globally, a company's reputation will also grow if they are able to employ people coming from different cultural backgrounds of the world. The negative side of diversity in workforce Conflicts of communication Integration of employees from different cultural background and countries in your work force increase internal and external communication barrier filters. Heterogeneous work culture makes communication easier for employees do not strain to overcome language barriers and cultural issues. This is one of the reasons why big organization employs interpreters and diverse trainers to help employees overcome communication challenges of diversity (Kokemuller 1). Cultural resistance Josh Greenberg the president of employee survey firm once pointed out that in the work place, resistance to change is general phenomena. The growth of organization and companies changes the nature of workplace and the kind f relationship exhibited there in. This change sometimes can be stressful among employees resulting to the development of negative working relationship poor morale in incidences of poor management and planning. Therefore, training employee about diversity is extremely important if it affects their work roles and processes. Discrimination The companies that hire internationally often have human resource department in place to manage the diversity that occurs. However, it takes time for companies to become diverse on many level. Incidences of discrimination may be found in companies that become slowly diverse without a strategic plan in place between managers and employees. Since diversity is based on distinguishing workers trains, the presence of a diverse workforce probes opportunity for discrimination. For example, if a male dominated workplace is going to hire females, it is going to increase the workplace tension and unwelcome changes. Nobody likes to break homeostasis, and it takes detailed planning to create a new productive culture. At the worst, it could also lead to high employee turnover rate. Increased Costs Greenberg in his recommendation to effective diversity management, he included its assessment, implementation and development of a diverse workforce plans and approach as the step for its effective management. These approaches have cost association directly or indirectly. Examples of indirect cost are incurred in training and participating time employed by the company employees as well as others aspects of implementing diversity. How to effectively manage the process to leverage diverse workforce? A Harvard business review writer, Peter Bregman, suggested that it is critical to train the employee to see others as individuals, instead of categories. (Bregman 3) Work Cited Acevedo Laura. The advantage of work place diversity. Demand media, 2012, 1. Print Bigelow Lisa. What are the benefits of generation difference in the work place? Demand media. 3013. 1 Bregman, Peter, Mr. "HBR Blog Network." Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business. Review, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. . Dooly Troy. Direct seller look forward to a prosperous holyday season minus traditional advertising. Word Press. 2013, 1. Print Kokemuller Neil. Negative effect of diversity in the workplace. Demand media, 2013, 1. The University of Tennessee (UT). What is diversity? Knoxville, The university of Tennessee. 2003, 1. Print. Read More