Workplace Diversity Essay

According to Ozbilgin (2008), diversity is one of the top global issues and requires management attention. There are both benefits and challenges in managing diversity. However, Golnaz and Hoa (2002) stated that most organizations agree that diversity is a reality and while managing the same, it can be either an asset or a hindrance towards goals (Gleason 2004). Diversity helps the organization become proactive and flexible to new aspects and scenarios (Pwc 2011). To manage a successful diverse workforce, organisations need to promote self-awareness, openness, clear-headedness, adaptability, candour and egalitarianism. This can be a challenging task due to complex human behaviour and biases (Parkin 2009).

Many people assume that introverts are quiet individuals, and because of this characteristic it makes them less qualified to become leaders in the workplace. But contrary to popular belief, introverts are capable of being great leaders. In the workplace, introverts face the problem of being overlooked for leadership positions and those roles often go to “more qualified” extroverts. But if introverts were given a chance they would be able to prove that they can perform just as well, if not better than extroverts in leadership positions.

I think it’s pretty common for people to picture a Caucasian male with a suit and briefcase when picturing someone with some high end cooperate job. We used to be able to blame this on the fact that many different races weren’t getting the same level of education. In these days, with everyone getting equal opportunities in education and more diversity in higher educational institutes, there should be no reason that races aren’t represented more equally when it comes to white collar jobs. Many studies have shown that more diverse economies make for much stronger ones. When businesses can accept the nation’s ever changing demographics, they obtain a more diverse and inclusive workforce which benefits them economically.

Furthermore, the power of context is the things in the environment can change people’s behaviors. This will let them know what kinds of actions are properly doing at what time. Lofferda proposes that some higher level people in the society always do not have good behaviors and take advantages of gays, she states that “the Supreme Court upheld a Cincinnati ordinance that denied gays and lesbians legal protection from discrimination in housing, employment, and other public accommodations” (249). This quote shows that even in higher government, the gays cannot get the same treatment like the housing and employees as the other residents. The surroundings around them are really terrible. They cannot get really benefits and advantages from the society or the government.

Every work environment is full of different types of people. Every one person treats their job differently than the next. I have worked in plenty of places where I have seen people who are unique compared to one another. Some people really work hard and appreciate the opportunity they have been given. Others, however, take the job the received for granted, and abuse the privileges that have be given to them. I personally think hard work and dedication to the job I am currently working is important, but some would people disagree. Throughout my working experience, I have worked with many different types of people.

Diversity in a workplace refers to cultural, political, religion, language, social, and educational differences that each individual posses. It is a business necessity because diversity can bring great financial gains for the companies that embrace it. When employees come from diverse backgrounds it can provide great advantages if it is managed effectively. However, if it is not managed properly it can harm the business and provide financial loses. As a CEO of a shoe company, I would definitely embrace diversity and leverage that workforce to my advantage in order improve workplace quality, efficiency, increase market shares, and enhance relations with consumers from other cultures.

REFERENCE Elloedu, P. (2013). Managing Diversity at workplace. Available at; http://www.slideshare.net/pushpak888/managing-diversity-at-workplace A.Green,K, Lopez, M., Wyssocki. A, & Kapner. K (2002).Diversity in Workplace.

In my current profession, I work with individuals from many different foreign countries. The overall most respectful and jovial clients I encounter are all from Brazil. They genuinely enjoy life and spread that joy to anyone around them. The Brazilians that I have been fortunate enough to work with are honest and trustworthy. They stand by their promises and always keep their word. Their positive attitude and ethics set a high standard that I believe the majority of Americans could learn from. We tend to be less charismatic and all business when dealing with others. Standing by our word and honoring our promises are also becoming less prevalent with Americans in today’s business world.

I currently work for a financial institution located in Wilmington, Delaware. This organization has being around since 1988 with a history of innovation, from a small bank division to now a fortune 500 company, I must say that I absolutely love; working for this company. I am always in high spirit to go to work in the morning; because my employer cares about me. My supervisor has an open door policy; I can stop by his office anytime without a schedule meeting. Also, He values my opinion, believes in me, and always looking for ways to help me accomplish both my personal and team goals. My job is home away from home, I fit perfectly in this organization and adapt well to its changes, and I always had some of their culture instilled in me, because I think independently, especially when collaborating with others and never timid to share my creative ideas with senior managers.

For the final paper in this class I want to focus on diversity in the workplace and the added benefits and issues that can accompany a diverse workforce. The reason I choose to focus on diversity in the work environment, is because I feel like a diverse pool of employees in gender, race, age and ethnic backgrounds can lead to a more productive organization. It seems like a relatively easy organizational practice that can create an increase in motivation and quality production and innovation. By increasing the number of parties represented in an organization, a business can begin to have a wide variety of viewpoints on certain business plans. By having a number of employees with a variety of backgrounds, an organization can market to a variety

Managing diversity in the workplace can be somewhat challenging coming from an HR standpoint. They have to accommodate those that need time off when it comes to things that are dictated to their religious preference. Many don’t even include religion in the diversity training program. Though it is up to the employer whether to accommodate or not, it would be best to get an understanding for the accommodation request. Although accommodation of religious preferences is widespread in actual workplace practice, only 51% of organizations have a written policy on religious diversity, and only 56% offer paid or unpaid leave for holidays not included in the organization's holiday schedule. (Forbes)

As companies become more diverse in the work field employees are getting harder to manage and understand. One issue in the global market today is workplace diversity. Workplace diversity is defined as all characteristics and experiences that defined each employee as individuals, but it can also be misunderstood as discrimination against employees. Diversity can include race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability and sexual orientation discrimination. One reason why workplace diversity is important is because when you respect your employees productivity rate rises and many companies do not know that. A diverse workplace targets to create an inclusive culture that values and uses the talents of all employees.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. workforce in 2020 is expected to be 79% white, 12% African-American, 6% Asian, and 3% other minorities (Noe, 2014, p. 32). The increasing cultural diversity in the workplace has a lot of effects on U.S. organizations, especially on HRM practices. For this reason, managers and supervisors in companies have to adapt diversity policies as well as diversity strategies in order to manage and operate their companies effectively. In order to let American people have a broader understanding of workforce diversity, the following paragraphs will define cultural diversity in the workplace, discuss the benefits and challenges of managing diverse workplaces, and best practices

Diversity is no longer exclusive to recognizable differences such as race, gender, and culture; diversity now includes the viewpoints and methods of observable and unobservable variances a group offers to the workplace (Hewins-Maroney & Williams, 2013). Multicultural work environments add to the complexity of a diverse workforce because the units consist of three or more

Many outstanding articles, books, journals and papers have been written regarding the topic of workforce diversity. Some are relatively short papers such as Diversity in the Workplace published by the University of Florida, and seek to provide the reader with a basic understanding of what is meant by workplace diversity, as well as the potential benefits to both employers and employees alike. Other resources can be significantly more in-depth and explore subtopics of workplace diversity including the effects of marriage on work place attitudes, or how to effectively manage the cultural and demographic differences within a firm’s labor pool. Information regarding generalities in different cultures around the globe is also available as a resource for those seeking to understand customs in mannerisms and body language across varying cultures. In addition to the many websites and literature available to employers, there are also companies such as Big World Inc., whose does business under the name of Diversity Resources, offers training tools and services geared towards providing customized solutions for firms wishing to outsource training programs for employees including harassment, conflict resolution, international team building, gender bias or any one of a number of other topics related to diversity.