Diversity Within The Workplace : What Is Diversity?

Workplace diversity is beneficial in many ways and on a variety of levels. When a workforce is comprised by people of different races, religions, genders, cultural origins, and sexual orientations, this allows a company to draw from the experience and knowledge that may be unique to each group, widening its frame of reference. Additionally, in terms of recruitment, this ‘widening of the net’ goes to insuring that the company appeals to more individuals and increases the likelihood that the company has opportunity to hire the most qualified individuals. For example, someone who may excel at a job but has a disability, may just need extra assistance. If a company does not provide this

The workplace is subject to a staggering array of governmental regulations governing many aspects of the composition, organization, and treatment of the workforce. Indeed, the workplace can better foster connectedness among individuals from different racial and ethnic groups precisely because it is subject to state regulation in the form of the employment discrimination laws.

Because it is essential for workforces to be on the same page for an establishment to operate efficiently, the undesirable characteristics of workplace diversity should be circumvented or manage when concerns assert themselves. Alternatively, an association should

1. 1 Legal and organizational requirements on equality, diversity, discrimination, rights , confidentiality and sharing of information in relation to managing and developing yourself and your workforce

Business environments today display diversity, a numerical composition that reflects different kinds of people, such as men and women of different ethnic origins, educational experiences, and professional backgrounds (Beamish, Morrison, Inkpen, & Rosenzweig, 2003). A vast amount of organizations are emulating a diverse workforce. Fair treatment of employees is the responsibility of the human resource management team within a firm. Footsteps of past generations are the facilitating mechanism allowing today’s generation to participate in a safe and fair workplace. Specific rules and regulations assist in equal employment opportunities for every employee. The Equal Employment

Many factors contribute to a diverse workforce this maximises the potential of all employees, which benefits the organisation reaching its goals both internally and externally.

Mentoring and on-the-job training of less skilled workers through courses, assistant programs, and continuing education programs may even the gap between different employees. However, it is important to recognize potential and use the skills already at hand to create a more efficient team environment where each member’s contribution carries some value and contributes to the organization’s goals. Economic status is as important an issue as is education. Various employees come from different economic background. Their views and manners may differ, along with their expectations and motivations in daily routine and overall purpose. Nevertheless, they have to work together. There are potential problems and differences of conduct, motivation, and initiative. Managers have to get to know their people and develop ways of using their differences for the benefit of the organization. The focus should be on the positive aspects of individuals, and on merging the best qualities people have to form effective teams. Managing conflict is also very important. One thing managers should recognize is that there will always be a potential for conflict and their job is to intervene and resolve diversity issues early and quickly. Statistics show the extent of diversity in the workplace. “Eighty-five percent of those currently entering the American workforce are minorities and

"Research generated from a variety of fields predicts that important benefits will accrue from demographic heterogeneity in organizations by increasing the variance in perspectives and approaches to work that members of different identity groups can bring" (e.g., Thomas and Ely, 1996).

While there were many quotes from The Prince that I thought about using, this is the one that stuck with me the most. “And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new” (Machiavelli 1532, Pg.42). The reason this quote stuck with me so much is because it can be applied in two scenarios, the first being when you are a newcomer to something and second is having to come in and take over, no matter what that may be and it may require some changes.

With both parents in the Navy, I was surrounded by a diverse, ever-changing populace for the majority of my life while we lived in Virginia Beach. My friends, classmates, and fellow city residents consisted of a myriad of different ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds. Being raised in such a diverse culture helped me foster an open mind and respect everyone. Additionally, growing up in a dual-military family I endured multiple moves and being separated from one of my parents for long periods of time. While troublesome, I feel this gave me a unique advantage. I have become self-reliant and I am more apt to take initiative than many of my peers. Furthermore, I learned to quickly adapt to my surroundings. My upbringing has overall led to me

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)

Organizations, especially agencies in the field of human services, need to support diversity in the workplace not only because it is a direct representation of the diverse population the organization serves but also because diversity provides the necessary elements to help gain a full understanding of the needs of the community. (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2012, p. 131). Furthermore, diversity in the workplace offers a way to accept people from all diverse backgrounds in a fair and impartial way. Therefore, federal and state legislation has put laws into effect that must be carried out by employers as a way of supporting fair workplace practices. These laws prohibiting job discrimination, date back to the Civil Rights era when the Civil Rights

Today’s workforce is a diverse mix in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, generational attitudes. It is important for an organization to adopt diversity management practices to bring this diverse mix together into a stable productive unit.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary can define diversity as: the condition or instance of being or having composed of differing elements or qualities. The importance of accommodating diversity has been persistently high for and supported by people all over America for decades. The United States is made up of different religions, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicities. Thus, making our nation one of the most diverse on this planet. An environment where diversity is respected individuals, and united members of teams can effectively apply all their talents, skills and experiences in pursuit of business objectives to their competitive advantage. In a constant changing world, diversity is all around us, and it is important to relate to others if they are different from us. Diversity itself is a controversial topic today whether it’s in the workplace, judicial system or education facilities.

60). However, it should be noted that “dimensions of workplace diversity include, but are not limited to: age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience, religious beliefs, parental status, and work experience” (Thomas 1992). This reality pervades all organizations regardless of their nature.