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Diversity In The Workplace. . Diversity In The Workplace

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Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in the workplace is imperative even though some commentators argue that too much diversity can be negative.
Diversity can lead to staff feeling ‘threatened or even annoyed by persons with views and backgrounds different from their own’ (Barsoux, Strebel and Manzoni, 2010). Instead of inclusivity, diversity can end up causing conflicts, as some staff are reluctant in changing their viewpoints and are less adaptable to change.
The discourse relating to diversity also applies to senior high-skilled professionals. As there has been various discussion over the years to introduce quotas at board level, to assist those from underrepresented backgrounds. If individuals are selected to become directors based
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Trying to exclude diverse people from the workforce will essentially exclude them from society, which is not only regressive and divisive but it would send the economy into turmoil as a result of how diverse the UK is.
Besides, a lack of diversity will lead to less innovative strategies as different individuals from different backgrounds wield different experiences and viewpoints. It is argued that ‘If an organization does not leverage the potent weapon of diversity, it risks limiting its creative potential and ultimately losing its competitive edge’ (Ey.com, 2017).
To ensure that diversity is not undermined in the workplace the Equality Act was enacted. The Equality Act, prohibits positive discrimination, but it does allow for positive action. Positive action ‘is when an employer takes steps to help or encourage certain groups of people with different needs, or who are disadvantaged in some way, access work of training’ (citizensadvice.org.uk, 2017). Positive action is quite beneficial as it enables marginalised groups access to employment, in which they historically did not have access too.
The Equality Act prohibits direct and indirect discrimination and harassment and victimisation to individuals with a protected characteristic. The protected characteristics are age, disability, sex, sexual orientation,
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