Over the decades, diversity in the workplace has started to become a business necessity. But what does diversity actually mean? In broad terms, diversity encompasses a group of people with different biological characteristics such as age, race, gender, ethnicity disability and so on. However, the true definition of diversity in the workplace is about ensuring that every single person that goes to work everyday have the freedom to bring along their full self to work and it is not just about welcoming but it is about embracing and harnessing the diversity of thought, the diversity of background, the diversity of experience, the diversity in education, and not just the traditional aspects in diversity. Even so, one of the major challenges that
Diversity is vital in today's workplace. Having a diverse workforce opens up a wealth of possibilities and helps to encourage creativity and innovation.
Workplace diversity is when there is diverse culture of individuals in the workplace. It is when there is a value placed on the variety of ideas, race, ethnicities, religion, gender, sexuality and orientation, which is flourishing in an environment. Depending on your employer and workplace, workplace diversity can vary based off several different factors. Usually, there is a preferential standpoint taken on the matter and it can be either display a high or a low context culture of diversity. According to Mason (2013) Workforce diversity has been described as “a double-edged sword; it has the potential for positive and negative outcomes” (p.659). Workplace diversity is important in a business setting because it carries forward a combination of different types of people to work together in unity, encourages uniqueness, innovative, creative approaches, and supports interesting divergent ideas to accomplish tasks or goals.
Diversity in any organisation includes hiring and promoting a workforce of people with differences. These differences include race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical abilities and economic backgrounds. The premise of a diverse workplace is that employees are
Diversity allows us to understand the differing cultures throughout the world and gives us the ability to learn about the world around us. Without diversity, we are limiting ourselves to the cultural ideas and practices we’re involved in and aren’t understanding other ways of life around the world. My family from my mom and dad’s side come from many different backgrounds. My parents have taught me since I was a kid to respect everyone around me. I have members in my family who are European, African American, Native American, and likely other backgrounds that I haven’t been able to connect with yet. I also have family members who are part of the LGBT community. This diversity within my family has allowed me to learn about the different cultures
From my point of view, diversity means inclusion, which means our ability to include difference. Diversity does not mean race, nationality, gender or sexual orientation, it’s the way we interact and take those different from us. Diversity can also create curiosity. When I am exposed to different people and cultures, I like to learn more about the different groups that I have encountered. This helped me to understand how and why things work the way they do, it also led to the idea that we could find a way to make a difference.
Diversity, the nation’s unfinished business. Workplace diversity is defined as the similarities and differences among employees in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities and disabilities, race, and religion. A diverse workforce allows for learning and growth to take place, as well as an increase in activity, and a more creative workforce. Despite all of these positive aspects of a diverse workforce, workplace discrimination remains prevalent in many forms. Many businesses claim to aspire to a level playing field, but the people who they have hired in the past, and present tells a different story. Workplace diversity must be retained and expanded in the United States,
Diversity is a popular topic in today’s business world, but the definition of the word varies vastly between organizations. Some definitions are one sentence where others are a paragraph long. To add to the confusion, employees have their own ideas about diversity when entering the workforce that may collaborate with or contradict the organization’s explanation. This paper will compare and contrast four definitions concerning diversity to highlight the similarities and differences of the word according to national and international organizations. Also, the author will explore diversity categories in regard to her own experiences in life.
Although, cognitively diversity is necessary for a company’s success it is not often implemented as it is difficult to find, people tend to hire those individuals that are like them, and that people are often scared to voice their different perspectives. Therefore, focus on getting rid of these barriers as a means to help the organization
Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people in an organization. Workplace diversity is about acknowledging differences and adapting work practices to create an inclusive environment in which diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds are valued. It is about understanding the individual differences in the people we work with that arise from a broad range of backgrounds and lifestyles, and recognizing the value of using those different perspectives, ideas and ways of working to enhance the quality and outcomes of work. Our diversity is shaped by a variety of characteristics including age, ethnicity, gender, disability, language,
Globalization sets the perfect environment to develop diversity in the workplace. This new society, in which we are currently living, has created a new workforce that is based on its diversity that can greatly help with any business development and growth. In business, diversity brings opportunities to grow, expand and reach out to other markets by utilizing the values, ideas and the diverse skills that people from many different backgrounds have to offer. Diversity it is simply the basic foundation for any business’ development.
Diverse employees bring a wealth of creativity, insights, and skills to their jobs; it is up to employers to recognize, cultivate, and value these contributions (Walton, Sally, 1994). Diversity is about setting a mindset of valuing the differences in people and recognizing the similarities, it is not only about achieving results. Once this way of thinking is established, the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace tend to come naturally, (Goessl, Leigh 2008). Diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background and more, (Greenberg, Josh 2004)
Diversity in the workplace has become a priority for managers in many companies worldwide. This drive toward diversity has been stimulated by dramatic shifts from manufacturing jobs away from advance capitalism economies, a rise in service sector jobs, and, in some cases, a sincere business ethic. Diversity is generally defined as recognizing, understanding, and accepting an individual based on their differences and is typically classified into two categories. The primary category, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc., depicts the most noticeable differences between individuals. The secondary category, religion, education, geographical location, income, etc., are those that are not noticeable in the first encounter and can even change
Workforce diversity includes the obvious differences we see when we look around: race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion and ethnicity. But it’s also the less obvious traits, the subtle differences that often register with us unconsciously, such as socioeconomic status, marital status, educational background, language, accent and appearance. We all have something that makes us unique, some special talent or ability that we bring to the table that differentiates us from our colleagues. That’s diversity at its best.
Diversity is a practice of acknowledging, understanding, accepting, and valuing people’s differences. There is respect for people’s age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental abilities, race, sexual orientation, and spiritual practices. This definition goes alongside with Saint Leo’s core value of respect where the animated spirit of Jesus Christ should be valued by all individuals’ unique talents, while respecting the dignity and striving to commit to excellence in one’s work (Okoro & Washington, 2012). Unfortunately, diversity is not properly applied in most organizations. There are various issues that are considered important to manage the increasing differences in the population of organizations. Companies need to focus on diversity and look for the ways to help it to be more productive. If companies apply St. Leo’s core value, then the organization would be strengthened by the unity of their people and free exchange of ideas, learning, and working harmoniously. This paper aims to explain the current situation of the diversity in the workplace in the United States. The facts coming from the United States’ Department of Labor will be analyzed and appropriately explained to provide recommendations on how to properly enforce diversity in the workplace.
Diversity in the workplace means bringing together people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions and age groups into a cohesive and productive unit. Advances in communication technology, such as the Internet and cellular phones, have made the marketplace a more global concept. In order to survive, a company needs to be able to manage and utilize its diverse workplace effectively. Managing diversity in the workplace should be a part of the culture of the entire organization.