Workplace Diversity - Literature review Example

Workplace Diversity Literature Review Your name Institution “The management of workplace diversity is a major concern in the modern UAE. The UAE has among the world’s highest migration rates with employees coming in from USA, India, the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia. While diversity has been shown to bring many benefits it has also been shown to result in dysfunctional adaptation and miscommunication. The UAE workforce is dominated by foreigners and hence the benefits and challenges of workplace diversity are very real. The research established that many of the respondents had favorable attitudes towards workplace diversity. However some people surveyed had reservations regarding immigrant employees especially with regard to intercultural communication.” (Al-Jenaibi, 2011) This article is significant for my study since it offers a way at analyzing the issue from the perspective of a nation which has a workforce highly dominated by expatriates. It is critical for my research study since it makes an analysis of diversity from the perspectives of employees of Middle Eastern origin. It is critical to determine these attitudes since harmony in the workplace determines how effective the organization is. The difference in culture is clearly very important given the huge differences between the South East Asian, Western and Middle Eastern cultures of the UAE. “It is important to study attitudes towards diversity in the workplace in the UAE particularly since it is an emerging economy that is likely to have even larger immigration rates in coming years. The economy of the UAE is dominated by expatriates and hence human resource managers are under immense pressure to ensure people from different cultures are accommodated in the workplace. It makes an analysis of employee attitudes in the UAE through an analysis of the banking sector. Nationals represent a minority in the sector with differences in language, nationality and religion”(Alserhan, Forstenlechner, & Al-Nakeeb, 2009). This article is important for my study since it makes an analysis of workforce diversity from the perspective in which the host culture is a minority in the workforce. This gives a very intriguing scenario. Determining attitudes of employers and employees in this instance is critical since it is hard for human resources to determine what values and culture ought to be exhibited by the workforce. The majority foreign dominated workforce is composed of many nationalities and hence is not homogenous while the minority host employees are few to fully influence the entire workforce. “The public sector is an important part in the analysis of attitudes and perspectives of culture in a given country or marketplace. A study of the public sector organization in the UAE established the relations between Arabs and expatriates in the gulf state. Through an ethnographic approach in research it has been established that differences between expatriates and Arabs are many. However differences are neutralized and a positive work environment fostered through the application of specific strategies by the human resource manager. These factors are interrelated and hence it is important that the human resource manager knows how to use them in order to enhance effective work outcomes” (Neal, 2010). This paper while written on a case study of the UAE marketplace is still relevant to my study. It takes into account the role of culture in how people treat each other at work. People from a different culture such as India or China will have different traditions and may find it hard to fit in. It is the responsibility of the HR manager to ensure that all people feel welcome and that they have value in the company even if they have different social, cultural or economic status. “The UAE has over the last three decades evolved into a society which is diverse in its culture and linguistics since many of the workers are drawn from backgrounds which are not Middle Eastern or Arab. Health care is one of the sectors in which language and cultural differences are very clear. Communication and understanding of cultural differences is thus very important in the sector which calls for one to one interaction. The article discusses different strategies for effective communication in order to provide competent care. Additional communication support and professional development is especially important for health care professionals.” This article is very important in my research since it analyzes the objective of how sociolinguistics and cultural practice impact workforce productivity. Health care professionals are an important Part in the analysis of diversity outcomes since they are in direct contact with the majority and minority groups. It is therefore an important aspect that determines attitudes between both the majority and minority groups in the UAE. I agree with the writer that training and attitude formation and change is a process which should occur on a daily basis. This is because health care professionals in a diverse society have to deal with persons of different cultures every day. In this article Keefe makes an analysis of the changing nature of workforce diversity by looking at gender. “Gender is an important part of workplace diversity that has been around for more time than the other types of diversity. More women are getting into the workforce as compared to the past and this is changing the way people behave in the workplace. The workplace which in the recent past was dominated by men has seen more women entering the workforce and challenging men for what was previously thought to be male jobs.” Managers have to contend with dealing with conflicts at work as a result of employees adjusting themselves to having to work with female employees as equals (Keefe, 2006). This article is relevant for my topic on the impact on how diversity in the workplace has an effect on productivity. I agree with this article in saying that the instance of gender relations in the workplace is a critical component which may either positively or negatively influence an organization. However this article is not strictly in the line of my hypothesis though it is similar to the objective of finding out how changing circumstances influence the nature of workforce diversity. This was a research conducted with regard to race and gender issues in a public office in the UAE. “Persons both women and men who were coloured have a similar organizational life culture. All persons in the organization interpreted the happenings in their life according to how they understood their experience. According to this paper it is critical that HR move to classify race and gender as aspects which influence cultural diversity in the workplace. Coming up with theoretical frameworks which take race and gender as culture would serve to develop an understanding of how new issues of diversity in the working place can be dealt with” (Fine, Johnson & Ryan, 2010) I do believe that this article is of relevance to my research study and objectives. An analysis of race and gender as cultural issues is important since these are the differences which occur in very many instances in organizations. It analysis on how teams that are diversified and teams that are not diversified will offer valuable information. It provides an alternative perspective that may be used in questioning the other common perspective towards making them better. Different races and the genders will usually have a certain culture and hence I agree that it is prudent to take into account these cultures. “Diversity in the workplace is becoming an aspect that is so much recognized in the workplace of today. The globalization of labor, consumer markets, workforce, mergers and joint ventures all over the world bring people from different cultures together. Many firms are no0t prepared to deal with diversity that globalization brings. Many organizations still use policies from the past when the workforce was made of a single culture. Many changes in organization which we see do not happen in most organizations though they are good examples of what should be done to make workforces more effective” (Jackson, 2012) The book analyzes case studies from large international companies such as Emirate, Etihad Airlines, and Pacific Bell. This book is very important to my research in that it makes an analysis of how organizations have reacted to globalization of the workforce. It analyzes how different companies have adopted many strategies to deal with lifestyle, gender and ethnic differences that they are faced with. The book will offer valuable insights since it deals with diversity as it happens in the multinational companies. Multinational companies have real diversity since they are found all over the world and have to employ people from different countries. “All people who are responsible for the smooth running of the company such as training professionals, supervisors, managers and CEOS have to have a good understanding of how to deal with diversity in the workplace. Many of these people lack the training necessary to implement policies of diversity in order to make better outcomes for the organization. Inclusiveness, better understanding of communication differences and conflict resolution is important in making an organization effective” (Henderson, 2014). The book makes an analysis through several examples showing how training programs have been applied in different companies. It makes an analysis of the different theories including legislation governing diverse workplaces and how effectively they may be implemented. This book will be one of the most important in the study of my hypothesis. The studies are mainly based in the UAE and hence it offers perspectives which are very good since the UAE is a society that has many people coming from different cultures. I do agree with the writer that aspects of legislation and theories for dealing with diversity should be used in determining the effectiveness of whatever approaches that may be implemented. I also agree that many people that are managers or people that deal with diverse workforces lack the necessary knowledge to deal with these workforces and hence need training. “In order to be successful in managing a workforce that has become very diverse there is need for management consultants, corporate leaders and human resource managers to accept that a diverse workforce is a big challenge in doing business today. Today’s workforce is composed of people from different backgrounds and that these people not being fully included are a very important problem that faces the modern day manager” (Mor-Barak, 2011). The book makes use of a model that has not been used before in seeking to find a model which can promote inclusiveness in diverse workplaces by an analysis of different examples of companies. This is useful in my research study given that it offers a new model for the study of global workplaces. By offering a model which can be used all over the world it gives better perspectives on diversity in the workplace. However I do not believe a single model can be effectively used to analyze diversity in all global workplaces. The unique strategies offered in this book will be useful in analysis of the potential which lies in workforces that are multicultural and diversified. This book is thus useful in that it deals with the objective of workforce effectiveness in y hypothesis. “Manager and organizations have to deal with age, gender, and race differences in the workplace. It is critical for my research since it analyzes the aspect of discriminatory attitudes among managers and other members of the organization. Having insights on important aspects such as legislation and what can be expected due to campaigns for affirmative action. It is important for managers to be open minded in order to accept that diversity is likely to result in conflicts. Different ways of thinking which come from diversity can result in more effectiveness for the organization since it causes creativity in the making of solutions” (Esty, Griffin, & Hirsch, 2014) I agree with the views of the book in saying that great diversity will cause better creativity in coming up with solutions. However, I do believe that greater diversity will also result in greater conflict within the organization which would make the organization less effective. Insights into legislation and how companies may be impacted by campaigns of affirmative action would also serve to explain the changing nature of diversity in the workplace. I also do agree that open mindedness is critical in dealing with the challenges of diversity. “Humanity’s fundamental wealth is in its diverse nature according to Matsuura Koichiro the director general of UNESCO. The UAE is the best example of the development of cultural diversity and cultural identity that is drawn from multiple cultures. Cultures are interdependent rather than monolithic since there are many inter exchanges and borrowing which makes culture stronger and interrelated. Through a range of art and culture which has over 200,,000 expatriates and over 200 nationalities the UAE is one of the best case studies for how diverse workforces may be made effective” (UAE Interact, 2014). This web resource is important for my research since it offers a case study of how diversity in the workplace is applied in an organization. Since this is obtained from an organization’s website it has more information and is more reliable as compared to other sources such as books which are secondary sources. This is a more generalized analysis of diversity in the workplace and hence would offer general information for my research study. I do agree with its systems of management of diversity given that it gives statistic supporting its assertions on how to deal with diversity. “The workforce in the UAE is progressively changing. More than 80 percent of the workforce in the UAE is composed of minorities. Huge differences exist between the different expatriates who work in the UAE. There are also different sets of skills and educations which come together in the country. This makes it inevitable that a clash of cultures will occur in this diverse market place. However there are commonalities in all the expatriates working in the UAE. Most of them come to the UAE looking for better opportunities. The HR manager who channels this need while discouraging the exhibition of differences will have an effective workforce.” This article is useful in my research study since it offers insights on how diversity in the workplace is advantageous. It offers ways in which workforce diversity may be leveraged in order to enhance business outcomes. However since this article is based in the UAE some aspects of it may not be relevant all over the world. In the UAE ethnic minorities and majorities will not exist by 2050 which may not be relevant in other nations. Countries such as Australia and the UK will still have large ethnic minorities and majorities for years to come and hence some aspects of the article would not be useful. Conclusion This research problem was to determine the impact of workforce diversity on business outcomes. The research has established that workforce diversity is a critical component in enhancing business outcomes. However the literature review has established that differences are there in different globalized workforces. The literature review has determined that work performance is influenced by the backgrounds of people including their education and their upbringing. Manager attitudes have been found to be critically important in determining success of diverse workforces. However training is even more important in changing attitudes towards diversity. The changing nature of diversity due to increased globalization makes this very necessary. Lastly communication especially the aspect of sociolinguistics is deemed to be a critical component particularly with regard to attitudes in the workplace. The revised research problem is how effectively workplace diversity can be leveraged to respond to challenges of a competitive market place. The hypothesis is that workplace diversity is critical for the successful achievement of outcomes since it leverages different cultures enhancing innovation and creativity. References Al-Jenaibi, B. (2011). “The Scope and Impact of Workplace Diversity in the United Arab Emirates – An Initial Study.” Acta Universitatis Danubius. Communicatio, 5(1). Alserhan, B. A., Forstenlechner, I., & Al-Nakeeb, A. (2009). Employees' attitudes towards diversity in a non-western context. Employee Relations, 32(1), 42-55. Neal, M. (2010). When Arab-expatriate relations work well: Diversity and discourse in the Gulf Arab workplace. Team Performance Management, 16(5/6), 242-266. El-Amouri, S., & O'Neill, S. (2011). Supporting cross-cultural communication and culturally competent care in the linguistically and culturally diverse hospital settings of UAE. Contemporary nurse, 39(2), 240-255. Keefe, M. L. (2006). Diversity in the Workplace. to Tag?, 21(1), 14 Fine, M. G., Johnson, F. L., & Ryan, M. S. (2010). Cultural diversity in the workplace. Public Personnel Management. Jackson, S. E. (2012). Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resources Initiatives. New York, Guilford Press. Henderson, G. (2014). Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Issues and Strategies. Westport, Conn, Praeger. Mor-Barak, M. E. (2011). Managing Diversity: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace. Los Angeles, SAGE. Esty, K. C., Griffin, R., & Hirsch, M. S. (2014). Workplace Diversity. Holbrook, Mass, Adams Publ. UAE Interact. (2014). UAE Strives to be known for its Cultural Diversity. UAE Interact. Retrieved from http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/UAE_strives_to_be_known_for_its_cultural_diversity/35880.htm Weir, T. (2013). Cultures will collide in diverse UAE. The National. Retrieved from workplacehttp://www.thenational.ae/business/industry-insights/the-life/cultures-will-collide-in-diverse-uae-workplace Read More