The Importance of Diversity Training - Essay Example

?The Importance of Diversity Training In a research conducted by Frank Dobbin of Harvard, Alexandra Kalev of the of California, Berkeley, and Erin Kelly of University of Minnesota, which has a title of “Best Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of corporate affirmative Action and Diversity Policies,” they highlighted that employee diversity training does not work. Though they recognize that, in the past, these trainings were used to draw more attention to women and minorities; however, there were no or less positive results in this area of employment. The authors conclude that there have been no significant results or hard facts that employee diversity is effective. Furthermore, studying the article is necessary in order to acknowledge that there are companies that consider diversity training as one of the tools that led their companies into success. According to Dobbin, Kalev, and Kelly, diversity training is an expensive training tool. The researchers added that this process only has extremely few and even no effects on companies that practice diversity training. Also, diversity training is only present because it is mandated by law. Furthermore, this obligatory training cannot at all eliminate biases that are already engraved within employees (611). One of the points of the article is that diversity training does not work. Nonetheless, it is important to provide a concrete definition of diversity training that can easily be grasped by the audience. This may be a small part of the argument, but defining it in a simpler manner will bring light to the heavy issue being tackled. In this case, it is essential to define diversity training as a program that enables employees and future employees to give importance to diversity. This training also aims in lessening discrimination in the workplace (Ford and Fisher qtd. in Konrad, Prasad, and Pringle 63). Furthermore, in any business, it is essential to be constantly reminded that the employees are the most vital tool for the success of a company. Therefore, with this fact, it is inevitable that a company or a business will fund for the continuous training and learning of its employees, which also include diversity training. The article emphasizes, as supported by a research that there have been no positive implications of diversity training. It cited that there has been no increase of female or minority managers in companies. However, it is indispensable to acknowledge that diversity training does not only aim to increase the number of female or minority managers, but it aims to allow an efficient and productive working environment for every individual. Such as in Sodexo, a service company that manages food and facilities services which incorporates diversity learning materials to its business philosophies. The company had successfully incorporated diversity training in all aspect of the company which led the company to$14.8 billion revenue (Anand and Winters 363). In addition, diversity training aims to discuss the similarities and differences of every individual and to inform every employee of the legalities of prejudices in the working environment (Tropp 183). Also, diversity training is composed of different methods and approaches; therefore, holistically considering it with no positive implications to a company will be unfair. The different approaches and methods bring different results, and with a continuous improvement and usage of different approaches, a company will eventually find the right model for its industry and employees. Also, in the article, it cited that diversity training produces backlash and that it could also produce and ignite biases. Moreover, the result of the study also shows that there is the stereotypes and the biases that are already inculcated within the employees cannot be easily diminished in a one-day seminar or workshop in relation to diversity in the workplace (Dobbin, Kalev, and Kelly 591 and 611). In contrary, diversity training must be inculcated in every employee and must become a habit. It is vital to understand that, human as we are, holds biases individually. It is a matter of how an individual professionally tames these biases in order to take part in a fruitful and efficient working relationship. Therefore, there must be refreshers and reminders, from time to time that involve or relate to the essence of diversity trainings in a company. Diversity training does not aim to change an individual, but it aims to educate individuals on their liabilities and also their rights. They may have differences, but every individual will also have similarities which need to be exemplified. Furthermore, it is vital to understand that diversity training does not only aim to succumb to such results. It aims to empower every individual and allow them to focus on their skills and abilities to be efficient in their roles in the company. Also, it is not only an event that occurs in a span of four hours or one day. Nowadays, there are many topics that are involved in the process of diversity training. It has widened its views from the employees, to customers, and with the community. For this reason, many companies have decided to lengthen and individualize courses in order to have an in-depth analysis on the different aspects of diversity training (Anand and Winters 369-371). Diversity training has survived and has produced a positive outcome on many companies worldwide since it was established and mandated by the government. It has been used and has been considered useful since the 1960s; therefore, it is unjust to consider it holistically as an insignificant part of any industry or any business. In order to build a justifiable and acceptable notion that diversity training is not essential, all companies and its history and current status must be considered first. It is also necessary to include, in any study, which companies are willing and able to try and find the appropriate diversity training approach and theories. This is because these companies understand and know that this is an essential part for the most important aspect of their companies, the employees. There may be no concrete studies on the effectiveness of diversity trainings, but there are data and results from established companies that considered diversity training as one of tools for their success. Works Cited Anand, Rohini and Mary-Frances Winters. “A Retrospective View of Corporate Diversity Training from 1964 to the Present.” Academy of Management Learning & Education 7.3 (2008): 356-372. Print. Dobbin, Frank, Alexandra Kalev, and Erin Kelly. “Best Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of corporate affirmative Action and Diversity Policies.” American Sociological Review 71 (2006): 589-617. Print. Konrad, Alison M., Pushkala Prasad, and Judith K. Pringle. Handbook of Workplace Diversity. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2006. Print. Tropp, Linda, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Intergroup Conflict. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Read More