Diversity, workplace, cultural mentoring, organisation. An introduction to culture and diversity in the workplace 2. Aluko, olabisi onabanjo university, nigeria abstract. Our department provides services to nearly every australian, whatever their age, cultural background or personal circumstances. Stephen butler, cochair of the businesshigher education forum, believes diversity is an invaluable competitive asset robinson 2002. Just think how boring a meal would be without chinese, mexican, japanese, italian, german, french or indian food.
Advertising agencies manage at times to put on a face of a culturally. Culture as problematic a number of authors bemoan the con fusion often made between managing diversity and managing culture. The globalization of economies and the migration has. Understanding the evolving role of cultural diversity in the workplace for an organization to get its arms around depending on ones culture, for. Researchers of cultural diversity in organizations must look to alternative theoretical perspectives, such as feminist theories.
Federal laws prohibit workplace discrimination in six areas. India is a land of unity in diversity where people of different sects, caste and religion live together. Cultural diversity in the workplace explores the issues surrounding workforce diversity, cultural differences, and management sensitivity. The modern workforce is made up of people of different genders, ages, ethnicity, religions, and.
Reinforcing homogeneity means to avoid or even reject a diverse workforce. Issues and challenges harold andrew patrick 1 and vincent raj kumar2 abstract diversity management is a process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued. One positive effect is that employees belonging to different cultures usually have different ways of thinking and can thus analyze a matter at hand from a variety of. Embracing cultural diversity in the workplace is an important first step for businesses that want to be competitive on an international scale. Cultural diversity within a workplace is increasingly becoming important as more organisations are embracing it within. For decades, the united states has seen an increasing number of immigrants, which has led to a significant increase in cultural diversity in the united states.
Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in multicultural organizations patrick a. Workplace diversity wpd is a holistic concept that denotes the differences that exist between people working within an organisation. Other authors, for example, skarzynski and gibson 2008, are convinced diversity is a blueprint to innovation, while pinto and pinto 2011 agree that diversity in the workforce directly contributes to and affects creativity. Cultural diversity within a workplace is increasingly becoming important as more organisations are embracing it within the global workforce. Economic globalization is one of the driving forces of cultural diversity in the workplace. By defining key cultural values, employers can better understand their workforce and.
The effects of cultural diversity in the workplace clute journals. People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace. Introduction culture is a word with many shades of meaning. Recognize the role of stereotypes, assumptions, and other barriers to diversity, and the effect that they can have in the workplace and in our personal lives. Pdf prospects and challenges of workplace diversity in. Managing a culturally diverse workforce diversity, equity and. Cross cultural communication 36 understanding culture and cultural diversity in australia 37. The way people live in india is reflected its culture. Just what is meant by cultural diversity presents its own set of theoretical complexities and prob lematic. Its illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their cultural diversity. Examine the causes of crosscultural miscommunication and discover effective strategies for more effec tive methods of communicating. The impact of workplace diversity on organisations core. Importance of cultural diversity in the workplace bizfluent. Culture refers to the 7 essentials of workplace cultural competence.
Benefits, challenges, and the required managerial tools 2 advantages. The impact of cultural diversity on organisational performance may be magnified relative to other sources of diversity. And cultural diversity in the workplace is as critical as religious, gender and language diversity. Managing diversity well provides a distinct advantage in an era when. Cultural diversity in the workplace is a result of practices, values, traditions, or beliefs of employees based on race, age, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Diversity in the workforce journal of education and human. Benefits, challenges, and the required managerial tools 3 where every member must listen and have the chance to speak, are good ways to create dialogues. The importance of diversity in the workplace there are clear signs in the latest leadership, employment and direction l. Workplace diversity workforce diversity refers to the composition of work units in terms of the cultural or demographic characteristics that are salient and symbolically meaningful in the relationships among group members ditomaso, post and parksyancy, 2007, p. Because the area of diversity and diversity management is so broad, there was a need to focus mainly on the areas of cultural diversityethnicity and disability. Click download or read online button to get cultural diversity in the workplace book now. Discrimination was the most frequently encountered barrier for accepting workplace diversity, followed by prejudice and ethnocentrism.
Cultural diversity makes our country richer by making it a more interesting place in which to live. Study the views of various companies regarding the choice and implementation of workplace diversity. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Diversity in the workplace by ba in human resource. Managing diversity is a key component of effective people management in the workplace black enterprise 2001. Survey results that organisations are slowly awakening to the positive benefits available through a diverse workforce. Managing diversity well provides a distinct advantage in an era when flexibility and creativity are keys to competitiveness. Managed well, diversity provides benefits that increase success. Importance of cultural diversity in the workplace deputy. Cultural diversity and organisational performance include. Top 10 diversity issues at work selection partners. The study will be useful for the companies under discussion nevertheless it shall also be helpful for people who want to know more about workplace diversity, and how to manage it. To manage effectively in a global or a domestic multicultural environment, we need to recognize the differences and learn to use them to our advantage, rather than either attempting to ignore. When organizations actively assess their handling of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits are reported such as.
The gap between their clients and is often superficially bridged at the image level by advertising, sales teams and marketing. Barriers and benefits of diversity in the workplace. Diversity management is the active and conscious development of a future oriented, value driven strategic, communicative and managerial. The benefits of workplace diversity greatly outweigh the barriers you may have to cross to get there. Demonstrate an increased understanding of interrelationships among race, culture, and ethnicity. Cultural competence to develop cultural selfawareness and take the lead in establishing a twoway process of cultural learning that results in adapting professional interpretations and recommendations to the value system of students disability will be presented as an important component of cultural diversity in these trainings. The importance of cultural diversity in the workplace wednesday, september 21, 2016 11.
Cultural diversity, communication, learning, cultural stratifications 1. Inherent diversity is biological traits such as race, gender, and sexual orientation, while acquired diversity is things you gain from experience like religion, cultural experiences, and situations that make an impact on your thoughtprocess. The issue of managing cultural diversity is a primary concern for many international organisations. The manual includes all the materials needed to design and conduct training for. Thomas harvard university o 2001 by cornell university.
More importantly, it estimates that from 1998 to 2008 some 41 percent of the people entering the u. Business advantages of diversity in the workplace the united states office of employment predicts that 29 percent of the u. Cultural diversity also makes our country stronger. But with benefits necessarily come challenges of working. Examine ourselves as we relate to all forms of diversity. The modern workplace is a mosaic of different ideas, beliefs and opinions, which taken together create an atmosphere of cultural diversity. Managing cultural diversity at workplace diva portal. Companies that embrace and value these cultural differences can not only reduce conflict and increase regulatory compliance but also transform cultural diversity into a competitive advantage. Cultural diversity also makes our country stronger and better able to compete in the new global economy. The term is also sometimes used to refer to multiculturalism within an organization. The program was also developed to ensure that the message of the scanlon foundations taste of harmony campaign is translated into ongoing action at the enterprise level. The equal employment opportunity commission promotes equal opportunity and handles complaints about workplace discrimination. There are some very positive benefits that can be hard from having a more diverse workforce. The results demonstrate that cultural diversity does in fact add value and, within the proper context, contributes to firm competitive advantage.
Cultural diversity and information and communication impacts. Cultural diversity is a subject that has been getting growing attention not just internationally but also in sweden in the 21st century. Cultural diversity and information and communication. Diversity has become a trending topic in literature. New paradigm is emerging that places the focus of diversity on integration workplace diversity is important to organizations talent management and leadership development look for the qualities and talents focus on bringing those out rather than on the differences. Thus, in india there is unity amidst vast cultural diversity.
Choosing from the largest group of candidates will ensure youre hiring a diverse and qualified. This study provides background knowledge on cultural diversity among employees at the workplace and provides measures of organizational. Jan 25, 2020 embracing diversity also cuts down on legal costs. An inclusive work environment requires a clear understanding of both the inherent and acquired diversity within an organization. This strategy demonstrates our commitment to providing a positive work environment where our diversity is celebrated, and inclusion is a focus for everyone. A phenomenological study adam evans1 and harika suklun2,3 abstract.
It even affects perceptions of time, which can impact daytoday scheduling and deadlines. Beyond the products it sells, services it offers or profits it generates, any organization is defined by the people who work there. Here are ways to foster cultural diversity in the workplace and make sure employees feel accepted. Cultural diversity in the workplace download ebook pdf. Managers should implement policies such as mentoring programs to provide associates access to information and opportunities. We are live in an increasingly multicultural society. Cultural diversity is most likely to involve differences in perspectives, knowledge, and experience necessary for optimal information processing, decisionmaking, and innovation.
And cultural diversity in the workplace, while valuable, can sometimes lead to challenges if employers arent aware of the key aspects of the culture and how to address them. The acceptance and management of cultural diversity have been promoted and touted as a positive tool in social and organizational engineering aimed at solving and preventing group dynamics problems in both business organizations and society as well. Distinct cultures that are different from each other coexist together in a single country. Explore the required tools for managing workplace diversity. It describes the complex physical, sociological or. Cultural diversity is the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole. This essential guide brings you up to speed on the unwritten rules of communicating, interviewing, mentoring, and coaching within a culturally diverse workplace. The shared experiences, training and racialcultural diverse human capital contributes to innovation which has positive results on productivity within organizations. The study also focuses on barriers encountered by employees for accepting workplace diversity in it sectors in india.
Cultural diversity management, diversity at workplace, employee perception, human resource management abstract. The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes robin j. The globalization of economies and the migration has dramatically increased opportunities while also affecting organizations in a manner that it. From the virgin group to disney and pricewaterhousecoopers, organizations across industries are embracing the benefits of a diverse workforce. Pdf the acceptance and management of cultural diversity have been promoted and touted as a positive tool in social and organizational engineering. Introduce the topic of diversity increase awareness of the impact of culture in the workplace demonstrate skills for managing a culturally diverse workplace address the matter of gender in the workplace. The importance of cultural diversity in the workplace. Cultural diversity is most likely to involve differences in perspectives, knowledge, and experience necessary for optimal information processing, decisionmaking, and. Understand the value of diversity and how it relates to the workplace. Looking at how leaders, managers and nonmanagerial employees view diversity, it. Workplace diversity and intercultural communication. Managing cultural diversity the five cultural dimensions highlight the important cultural differences in organizations. The business case for managing cultural diversity 19 stages of diversity management 32 developing your own business case for managing cultural diversity 34 section 2.