3.

0 WORKPLACE DIVERSITY CHAPTER 3

WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
 Workplacediversity refers to the variety of differences
between people in an organization.
That sounds simple, but diversity involves race, gender,
ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure,
organizational function, education, background and more.
 Diversity not only comprises how people perceive themselves, but
how they perceive others.
BENEFIT OF WORKPLACE DIVERSITY
i. Increased adaptability
Organizations employing a diverse workforce can supply a greater
variety of solutions to problems in service, sourcing, and
allocation of resources. Employees from diverse backgrounds
bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that
are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer
demands.
ii. Broader service range
A diverse collection of skills and experiences for example
languages, and cultural understanding allows a company to
provide service to customers on a global basis.
iii. Variety of viewpoints
A diverse workforce that feels comfortable communicating
varying points of view provides a larger pool of ideas and
experiences. The organization can draw from that pool to meet
business strategy needs and the needs of customers more
effectively.
iv. More effective execution
Companies that encourage diversity in the workplace inspire all of
their employees to perform to their highest ability. Company-wide
strategies can then be executed resulting in higher productivity,
profit, and return on investment.
DIMENSION OF DIVERSITY
WORKFORCE
Workforce diversity consist of primary and secondary dimensions.
i. Primary Dimensions are the human differences that are inborn
and that exert a major impact upon us. Age, ethnicity, gender, race,
physical ability and sexual orientation are primary dimensions at
the core of individual identities. All of us view and experience the
world through the filter of these dimensions.
ii. Secondary Dimensions are more mutable and can be changed,
discarded, or modified throughout our lives. Secondary dimensions
add depth and individuality to our lives. Things such as education,
religion, believes, marital status, family background and work
culture are examples of secondary dimensions.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE
WORKPLACE
The characteristic of an inclusive workplace
An inclusive workplace is one where the human rights
principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and
autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation’s
everyday goals and behaviour.
In an inclusive workplace:

i. There is a welcoming workplace culture where everyone

is treated with respect and dignity and everyone feels
valued.
ii. Policies are in place concerning equality and human
rights, working conditions, dignity at work,
employee welfare and fair recruitment and
procurement practices.
iii. Members of staff at all levels are aware of the inclusive
values of the organisation and are actively consulted and
involved in policy development.
iv. The workforce is representative of the local community or
customers (or if not, under-represented groups are
encouraged to apply).
v. All employees are encouraged to develop and progress, and
any barriers faced by specific groups are identified and
action taken to address them.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN
INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE?
i. Attract new talent
Working teams that are diverse in their make-up are able to come
up with a wider range of solutions to business problems. Inclusive
workplaces that openly communicate their values and strategies on
equality, human rights and inclusion are capitalising on this as they
are able to attract a wider pool of applicants and talent. Candidates
from minority groups may be put off applying for positions in
organisations that do not make their commitment to inclusion
known.
ii. Retain productive and committed staff
Inclusive workplaces that understand the needs of their
employees and make staff feel valued and respected also
have greater success in retaining staff. Having a range of
policies and facilities in place to ensure that all employees
are able to balance work with other aspects of their lives
has a positive impact on job satisfaction, productivity and
commitment.
iii. Create wider customer appeal and access to untapped
markets

If your employees come from diverse backgrounds, and your

company values are based around inclusion and fairness, your
business has much greater potential to reach further into
different sections of the community, appealing to a wider
customer and supplier base. This can be done by recognising
and then embracing and utilising the diverse skills, experience
and knowledge that your staff have.
Create culture change that spreads to communities
Inequalities and stereotypes spread into the workplace
from the wider society outside its doors and societal
barriers to equality, human rights and inclusion can be
amplified in the workplace. But this process can also work
in reverse, with cultural change within the workplace
spreading outwards into the wider community, as
colleagues learn more about each other and pass on this
knowledge to others.
THERE ARE FIVE STAGES IN THIS PROCESS TO
CREATE AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE
1. Consider what you want to achieve and what the benefits will be.
2. Undertake an inclusion review of your workplace.
3. Decide where work is needed and create an action plan.
4. Communicate the plan with staff and put the plan into action.
5. Review, monitor and evaluate the plan's impact and use what you
find to plan future action.
Some of the action plan of effective managing diversity are:

Lead by example,
Communication and listen,
Train,
Recognize and reward
Intuit
i. Lead by Example.

• Lead by example, which is Start by setting the tone –

without a commitment from you to an open and receptive work
place, any investment you make will be weakened. Diversity must
be perceived as a priority.
• Next, be accessible – This means maintaining an open door
policy for all employees.
• Finally, actively seek input from minority groups by
soliciting their opinions and involvement. This is because it is
beneficial not only due to its contributions that they can make, but
such approach confirms that they are valued by the company.
ii. Communicate & Listen.
• In the first place, broadcast your diversity message – company policies
that explicitly forbid prejudice and discriminatory behaviour should be
included in the employee manuals, mission statements, and other written
communications.
• Secondly, Call people by the name by which they prefer to be
addressed. Remember, do not shorten or modify names to fit the dominant
culture or to make them easier to remember or pronounce.
• Thirdly treat people as individuals, not members of a cultural group
with whom they might identify. Don't get worked up over what makes one
group of employees different from another. Instead, listen, be attentive, and
lead using what you learn.
iii. Train.
• First of all, management must invest in training programs
.Training programs designed to engender appreciation and knowledge
of the characteristics and benefits of multicultural work forces have
become common in recent years. Two most popular types of training
are: awareness and skill-building. The former introduces the topic of
managing diversity and generally includes information on work force
demographics, the meaning of diversity, and exercises to get
participants thinking about relevant issues and raising their own self-
awareness. The skill-building training provides more specific
information on cultural norms of different groups and how they may
affect communication and behaviour.
iv. Recognize and Reward.
• Firstly revamp reward systems. Your performance appraisal
and reward systems should reinforce the importance of effective
diversity management. This includes assuring that minorities are
provided with adequate opportunities for career development.
• Secondly avoid cultural bias in you promotion and pay
practices.
• Thirdly learn the reward and recognition preferences of each
team member, regardless of cultural identity. One size does not fit
all – one size fits one.
v. Intuit
• Firstly Intuit starts with Appreciate individual differences –
Be very careful to not make the mistake of assuming that
differences are always “cultural.” There are many sources of
difference. Some relate to personality, aptitude, or competence
Diversity Training

Diversity training is the process of educating managers and

employees to successfully function in diverse environments.
The goal of diversity training should be to:
i. Emphasize the similarities between individuals at all levels of
the organization.
ii. Explain how diversity contributes to an organization by having a
variety of views, approaches, and actions to strategic planning,
problem‐solving, and decision‐making.
The training focus should be on:

 Interpersonal skills‐ civility in the workplace.

 Acceptable behavior‐ outlines what is and is not acceptable.
 The work environment‐ how this relates to promoting the
over‐all vision of the organization.
 Explanation of workplace laws directly affected by diversity.
CULTURAL AWARENESS
Cultural awareness, or a lack thereof, is yet another problem that
may be encountered in workplace culture. A lack of cultural
awareness in a multicultural environment can create a sense of
division among workers. Workers can develop cliques that make it
hard to create a sense of teamwork and unity. Instead, the "us"
versus "them" mentality that can develop from a lack of cultural
awareness can divide workers. Having plans to educate workers on
cultural differences can heighten awareness and eliminate any fear
or suspicion that might arise from not knowing enough about
another person's differences.
TOP TIPS TO ENSURE EVERYONE FEELS
INCLUDED:

Establish consistent rules for all workers, regardless of

background. For instance, the places in the business where
only English is expected to be spoken.
 Communicate with clear language. Remember that not
everybody comprehends at the same level.
 Respect differences. Remember that what one culture finds
acceptable another may find offensive and gender issues may be
factor, particularly in the chain of command.
 Stay open to all viewpoints, cultures and customs. Encourage
workers to celebrate their culture, and be sensitive to the need
for time off at important holidays.
 Help with documentation requirements. If you have foreign
workers, point them to resources for assistance.