Utilizing a Diversified Workforce in Business Organization - Essay Example

Diversity "The diversity debate has shifted from the moral obligation of affirmative action to a business imperative. CEOs, faced with intense competition in global markets, record numbers of mergers and acquisitions, and the global war for talent, are focusing on how to leverage diversity as their competitive differentiator. The challenge for many CEOs is to directly infuse their diversity belief systems into the organization. The test for diversity practitioners in many organizations is to overcome diversity resistors and to leverage the power of the CEO's vision to make diversity happen. " --Dr. Vanessa Weaver The emergence of diversity in the workplace has been brought about by the rapid changes and development in the domestic and global market. This current workforce strategy is seen as business organization's response in coming with the demands of the new business environment. Diversity hiring is the new trend in choosing the employees to work for an organization. As more and more companies are embracing this new system, more reports and empirical evidences are also reported which support direct hiring. This is their way of aligning their resources to take advantage of the present opportunities, generate revenues, increase market share, and squeeze more profits from their sales. Diversity in the workforce had also increased retention, recruitment, and promotion of employees as well as decreased litigation and complaints. This paper further look at how a business organization benefits from utilizing a diversified workforce. The rationale in favoring a human resource with different origins, backgrounds, interests, and status is fairly simple: diversity will is able to pool together various talents, ideas, skills, and knowledge which serves the highly diversified market served by a business institutions. The task then of an organization is to efficiently manage the different behavior of employees in a diversified workforce. Thus, to investigate further, this paper will look at different demographic factors which have a direct impact on the behavior of individual. This report will specifically look at gender, age, geographical locations, and religion. Gender Gender is a huge determining factor on the individuality and therefore, behavior of a person. Since childhood, we are taught that some things like colors, gestures, dress, and expressions are only attributable for a girl or for a boy. For example, pink is the color which is associated to a baby girl while blue is for a boy. The existence of double sexual standard in the community is also another huge factor shaping the behavior of both genders. It should be noted that double standards clearly delineate and dictate the actions which can be done by both genders. One of the most famous sexual double standard is the stud-slut dichotomy. Thus, the society has a definite expectation of how different members of both sexes. This, together with the environment of individual differentiates the behavior of male and female. Societies dictate that men are supposed to be more rational than women. Aggressive and dominant behavior is also strongly linked to being a man. Due to their physical structure, men are regarded for their strength and flexibility. These conceptions have largely influenced the behavior of men in our society. In business organizations, some jobs which require physical strength are only made available for men. Most executive level managerial positions are also being occupied by the male specie as women are regarded to have inferior ability. It had also become insulting for men to have women in high level management because they are more irrational. While men always behave as the stronger and more aggressive sex, women's behavior are more refined and nurturing. Women are expected to be nice-"never fights or argues, making negotiation and conflict-resolution (Vermuelen 2006)." Accordingly, these characteristics are still entrenched in the modern women. Females are less dominant, less aggressive, more assertive, and more in touch with their emotional sides. In business organization, women are expected to be creative, supportive, and less complaining. However, the existence of these distinctive sex-roles is strongly opposed as they are seen discriminatory. It is the women which complains more about discrimination and seeks to have equal opportunity with men. This new perspective on gender-roles facilitates the evolution of new behavior. As women strive to assert their right against men, we see them becoming more aggressive and dominant. The presence of equal opportunities in developed countries further heightens this transition. Age Behavior is also associated with age. It is irrefutable that how an individual acts is directly related to his or her experiences which are often correlated with the years lived. An individual's level of maturity is often dependent on his age. These are the popular qualities attributed to different age groups. Teens, being young are more carefree, outgoing, and immature. This age group is seen to enjoy their youth by indulging themselves into leisure and recreational activities. As this age group struggle with self-identity, they often associate themselves with their peers. Youth, regarded as a time in shaping individuality, is associated with immaturity. On the other hand, adults are considered more matured than teenagers. After going through life's tests and adversities, they have become more serious with their decisions. They are usually able to develop definite short-term and long-term plan based on their priorities. These differences in age behavior have been noted by industry giants. Fast food giant McDonalds is known for going beyond the trend of recruiting younger employees. The company actively seeks older workers for its management and employs thousands of older employees in its restaurant. McDonald noted that older workers are generally more disciplined, well motivated, and with better work habits than their younger counterparts (Benefits of Diversity n. d.). Geographical Differences People living in geographical areas will certainly develop different sets of behaviors. An individual living in rural areas is exposed to far different people and culture compared to someone living in the city. This significantly explains the variation of behavior in rural and urban dwellers. People living in the city are often exposed to new technology. Urban areas are also cradle of new ideologies and popular culture. Individuals raised in the city are more adept in using technologically advanced equipment. The proliferation of business companies in urban regions also facilitates the dispersion of developments to dwellers. People in the city are generally more open and adaptive to changes, less conservative, and have higher expectations. As these people have access to better universities, their skills and developments are more thoroughly developed. Meanwhile, people from rural areas are more conservative. As they strongly stick to community held values and traditions, they are less receptive to changes in the environment. Religion Religion plays a very important role in shaping the behavior of an individual by affecting their beliefs. Religion is strongly related to the lifestyle of an individual. As different religions advocate different doctrines, the behavior of members is modified based on the church's teachings. Because of the presence of various religions and their consequent effects on individuals, this section will only compare the behavior of individuals who are affiliated with a religious sect and those who doesn't. Individuals who uphold a religious doctrine are more likely to have a definite direction and focus. For Christians, it often boils down to living a godly life, striving to be Christ like. For Buddhists, the goal is to strike a balance with everything and living in moderation. The religious individual often brings his sect's code of conduct in the workplace. They strive to display virtues like honesty, sincerity, and patience. Thus, religion helps in instilling important values in its members affecting their overall behavior. Companies have long recognized religion as a determinant of employee behavior and performance in an organization. Thus, business organizations often favor hiring applicants who are affiliated with a certain denomination. This just prove companies' general acceptance that employees are highly loyal and shaped by their beliefs. Conclusion Different demographic factors bring out different behavior in individuals. As diversity hiring involves bringing various people with different personalities. It is the function of management to reap all benefits from diversification as well as manage these diverse employees. Works Cited Benefits of Diversity, nd. Retrieved 10 June 2006, from http://www.professionalpractice.asme.org/communications/diversity/2.htm Vermuelen, Stephanie, 2006. No More Ms. Nice Person, Retrieved 10 June 2006, from http://www.peterhorn.dk/ExecutiveMagazine/Stoppress/ 060608_no_more_ms_nice_person.asp What is Workplace Diversity, nd. Retrieved 10 June 2006, from http://www.professionalpractice.asme.org/communications/diversity/index.htm Read More