Diverse Workforce

The rise of multinational companies and increased global diversification by even small companies has resulted in people of diverse backgrounds and cultures working together in the same office or for the same organization. Conflict in such situations is predictable, but understanding the diversity issues can help companies implement programs designed to keep conflict at a minimum and to take full advantage of the many benefits which such diversity brings to an organization. Key to understanding how diversity is managed in multinational organizations is understanding the concept of corporate culture (which defines organizations), diversity programs and their use to minimize conflict among employees, and the unique problems that employees

1. What changes are occurring in our workforce today and are likely to continue into the future?

Diversity in the organization can affect the employees and their behavior in many ways. The effect can be positive and negative in the same time. The positive effect is, it will wider employee knowledge, skills, and attitude which will allow the organization to become more competitive globally. Higher diversity of employees mean higher diversity of knowledge, skills and abilities. Sharing experience inspires innovative thinking (Claudia Quaiser-Pohls, 2013, p. 41). Today in the modern workplace, most organizations will have

The United States of America has the highest ethnically diverse population in the world. Each ethic group brings an important part to our great country. We welcome differences and have placed laws to ensure that each and every American has an equal chance to become successful. Companies that embrace diversity have a greater chance of success. It shows the consumer that they are considered when making business choices.

The general line of reasoning is that if we learn to incorporate each other’s diverse traits and characteristics in the workplace, we can then use these differences to foster an innovative environment, which will give the company a competitive advantage over the competitors that do not accept workforce diversity. According to the Allied Academies International Conference, “Diversity is rapidly becoming a common practice among companies due to the increasing number of minorities entering the job market today. As these groups become more prevalent throughout companies, upper-level employees are facing numerous challenges when determining what changes must take place to create a positive working environment for everyone. Management is responsible for the development and implementation of effective policies directly relating to diversity to ensure the acceptance of minorities into the workplace and to aid in minorities’ success through equal opportunities and treatment.” (Marcia L. James, 2001, Academy for Studies in International Business Proceedings)

Diversity can include race, gender, culture, religion, age, physical disabilities, height, education level, income level, geographical location, technical abilities, socioeconomic background, personality characteristics, and values (Verma, 2015). With such a vast array of possible differences among the employees within an organization, it is important that there is care put into ensuring equal treatment for all. The employees in leadership roles must have the skillset necessary to build on the skills of their subordinates. Leadership must be able to focus more on the strengths employees possess and utilize those for growth opportunities for the company. There are many positive opportunities that can come from diversity, unfortunately it can also be the cause of many

Since the social unrest of the 1960s, the federal government has been actively involved in preventing racial discrimination in the workplace. The most important law covering racial discrimination on the job is the Civil Rights Act of 1964—specifically, Title VII of that act, which strictly prohibits all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in all aspects of employment. Written during a tumultuous period in American history when many people expected the federal government to right social wrongs, the law was a monumental piece of legislation that changed the American employment landscape.

Safeway invested in programs to attract, develop, and retain its best talent and to position the company as an employer of choice. Although 70 percent of Safeway’s customers are women, male leaders had been the norm in the retail grocery industry. Safeway took initiatives to help women, including women of color, advance into management. The CEO speaks regularly with employees about diversity issue, and employees have access to DVDs featuring interviews with successful employees who are women and people of color. The company ensures that all employees who qualify for its Retail Leadership Program, including those who work part-time and have flexible schedules to juggle work and family responsibilities, have the same opportunities for coaching, development, and advancement. A women’s leadership network sponsors development meetings between promising women and executives who suggest new job opportunities that can help the women advance to next level. With these and other efforts, the number of female store managers has risen a dramatic 42 percent, and financial analysts have concluded that the advancement of women and minorities has increased Safeway’s sales and earnings.” (Noe, el al. p.67)

iNOVA does not have a diverse workforce. Of the 103 employees, 78 of the employees are male.

The topic that I’m choosing is Chapter 17, “Managing a Diverse Workforce.” Although there is an improvement in the diversity in the workforce, there is still room for change. Businesses have made many changes to help enforce the laws that were passed regarding diversity in the workforce. Women have been integrated into the workforce and there also have been many immigrants from other countries that have been given a new start to the workforce in the United States. Laws of equal opportunity have been made to help increase the workforce diversity. The goal for full equality of women and persons of color in the workplace has not been fully met; however, the United States’ workforce has made a lot of progress.

Cultural diversity management programs aim to bring awareness and skill-based training. The purpose of this training is to show the diverse groups within an organization which can improve the productivity between employees. This training will also help management understand and value each one of their employees and differences they may have. Cultural diversity training is designed to show how diversity, we all are and bring awareness of the issues in the workplace and help them to recognize underlining issues. (Treven, 2015) Diversity may be a source of problem solving which is combined with experience and knowledge that plays a role in the transformation of the existing knowledge we have with the training program. This will help the organization and the employee’s needs to reflect the changes within the organization which will also protect them against any fines that can occur when ethical

Cultural diversity has become widespread within many organizations today. The work groups in these organizations are increasingly being staffed by culturally diverse employees. The cultural differences exhibited in the groups can enhance or weaken the function of the work group, especially in a predominantly homogenous environment. These multicultural work groups present challenges to the organization and to the managers that must reduce these challenges in order to achieve the desired success of the organization. The biggest obstacle with

A diverse workforce is required to be successful in today’s business market. People want to be a part of an organization which embraces diversity at all levels and tiers of a company not just at the entry or middle management. One of the ways to retain a diverse workforce is to ensure people can see that diversity at every level not just in the new location where they were just hired. Seeing this will allow a future vision of upward mobility unhindered by barriers commonly

In today’s world, human resource management is being reorganized in various organizations and is slowly strengthening its strategic role. A necessity for highly talented managers will rise as more organizations globalize their reach. Various highlights the need for management who are sensitive to the concerns of multicultural employees. The effects of cultural diversity on organizational behavior are complex and powerful. Within this perspective, the definition of diversity in the USA and the goals in achieving a more diverse workplace will be discussed. This paper will also examine the different facets involved in managing and developing a diverse human resource base. Organizations take into account their human resource base before hiring employees. One factor they look at is the possible advantages and disadvantages of a multicultural and diverse organization. This paper will examine ways by which managers and employees can learn about diversity, understand it, and respect it on a day‐to‐day basis when dealing with people from other diverse backgrounds.

The danger of diversity can be divided in three causes. First cause is the misperception; here people may have bad prejudices on other people. Accept that people can be different than you is very important for the good functioning of a company. Different doesn’t mean less good than you; everybody has his own good qualities. Miscommunication is the next cause, here failing to send and receive the message properly because of something that has a different meaning or because of a different language between employees. The third cause is assimilation; here the integration of new employees is discussed. Accepting new employees isn’t always easy for the existing workforce because they might see the new one as a threat. Afraid of losing their own job is the most common reason why accepting new people can be difficult.