Managing diversity gender (HRM) - Essay Example

Managing Diversity-Gender Diversity is often perceived by people to be a hindrance in relating to others. It can be in the form of age, culture, gender, values, beliefs, etc. In the business industry, gender diversity is one of the common differences that managers and supervisors deals with their workers. It is because employees have the tendency to manifest their innate character, depending on their gender. For a classic example, women are more sensitive in other's emotion than men. But, this dispute and comparison between the male and female gender that continues up to the professional level, is not at all a concern to worry about.

Instead, it should be understood for the company's growth and development in terms of management and productivity. It is a common knowledge that every human being is born unique from one another. But sometimes, there are common attitude that people share. Most men projects authority over the other gender is an example. There are certain business organizations, such as technical and industrial companies, that men are the usual individual to have an executive position or even the job itself .

This group believes that it is odd to have women working in these fields. Because of this, said industries are having difficulties in keeping and hiring female workers (Weiss n.d.). In his article, Managing Gender Diversity: Five Secrets for a Manager's Toolkit, Weiss cited a research study by Louann Brizendine on how men and women faces the environment they are working on. According to Brizendine, men and women react accordingly based on how their brain processes information, what their intuition is saying, how they feel, their intention in communicating and anger management.

Women's brain works, first, by identifying the faces of the people around them while men are more on scanning their environment. This is the reason why women are more capable of sensing other people's emotion than men. Most women also trust in their gut feeling than men. Weiss cited Deborah Tannen, an expert in studying male and female interaction, that the male gender communicates to show their dominant attitude. Women, on the other hand, interacts with others to establish connection and relationship.

Because of this, women are more calm in managing anger than men since women are more afraid of losing that connection. Oftentimes, women are the victim of this gender diversity because of the common notion that they are weak and has limitations in performing work (Dickens, Mitchell and Creegan 2009). Sometimes, if men could only draw the line of restricting women to do the job of men, they would. Now, as managers and/or supervisors, it is expected that all employees, regardless of their genders, are treated fairly.

The word fair here is not equal to the word similar. Being fair means, not having biases. For example, managers should not base to whom he will designate the work from gender and capacity of the employee to do the job. Managers can also learn from the diversity of the employees from listening to their different point of views on various matters. Considering the distinct needs of the employees is also helpful in creating a healthy gender-diverse workplace. Assessment of performance should be done objectively.

And, of course, promote a working environment of respect in employee-to-employee and employee-to-manager relationship. Workers are not the only ones who have to develop a sense of recognizing both gender. Leaders should be the model of their members. Distinction of people in gender is normal. This diversity offers the chance for change and being open-minded to new things. Gender diversity only becomes a dilemma if the people in the workplace do not accept the reality that people do not have the same abilities and limitations.

References:Billings-Harris, L 2007, Managing diversity in the workplace, Blue Boulder Internet Publishing: The Sideroad, viewed 21 May 2009, http://www.sideroad.com/Diversity_in_the _Workplace/managing-diversity-in-the-workplace.htmlDickens, S, Mitchell, M, & Creegan, C 2009, Management handling of sexual orientation, religion and belif in the workplace, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, viewed 21 May 2009, http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/dvsequl/sexdiscGreenberg, J 2005, Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions, EzineArticles, viewed 21 May 2009, http://ezinearticles.

com/Diversity-in-the- Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053Weiss, K n.d., Managing gender diversity: five secrets for a manager's toolkit, Soft Skills Vol. 4 No. 3 pp.13-15, 17, viewed 21 May 2009, http://www.spe.org/spe-site/spe/spe/twa/vol4 /no3/7SoftSkills.pdf