Diversity Managementat Work Place

Harshad Jain

What is Diversity?

Diversity is ubiquitous. We all are aware that no two persons are similar. The

world has been and is a stage of huge mix of people with different backgrounds, religion,

castes, race, culture, behaviour, age, marital status, nationality, educational

qualification, political affiliation, levels of ability, personality, gender and many more

which vary across the globe. Other sources of differences include socio - economic

background of individuals, membership and non membership of unions, forms and

quality/quantity of education, period and nature of employment, drives to work, and work

styles. Work place diversity therefore, intends to also consist of social, economic and

political visible and non visible differences which might not have a direct creational origin

from the work place, but certainly have direct impact on work attitude and performance at

the work place. Diversity itself relates to the fact that we are all unique individuals.

Introduction

Organizations are becoming increasingly multicultural. A typical

organization is emerging as a place of diverse workforce in terms of gender, race

and ethnicity. One can find a Shastri rubbing shoulders with a khan, both jostling

with a Reddy, and all shaking hands with a Singh. Then there are physically

handicapped, gays and lesbians, the elderly and even people who are significantly

overweight.

Though they work together, they maintain their distinct identities, diverse

culture and separate lifestyles. Managers of today must learn to live with these

diverse behaviours. Diversity, if properly managed, can increase creativity and

innovation in organizations as well as improve decision making by providing

different perspectives on problems.

Managing Diversity

Managing diversity means managing people in the best interest of

employee as well as employer. Managing diversity is an on-going

process that explore the various talents and capabilities which a diverse

population bring to an organization, community or society, so as to create a

wholesome, inclusive environment, that is “safe for differences,” celebrates

diversity, and maximizes the full potential of all, in a cultural context where

everyone benefits from Multiculturalism, as the art of managing diversity, is an

inclusive process where no one is left out.

Why Manage Diversity ?

A large number of women are joining the work-force.

Work-force mobility is increasing.

Young workers in the work-force are increasing

Ethnic minorities' proportion constantly in the total work-force

is increasing.

International careers are becoming common.

Diversity can be seen through these figures in

Indian context

Over 400 million women are employed in various streams

Around 30 per cent of the workforce in the IT sector is women

Old employees have grown in number because of improved

medical and health care.

IT Industries like Infosys, TCS and Wipro are actively

recruiting foreign nationals and women, both by choice and

design.

Challenges in Managing Employee Diversity

Individual versus Group Fairness: This issue is closely related

to the “difference in troublesome versus better” i.e. how far

management should go in adapting HR programs to diverse

employee groups.

Resistance to Change: Long established corporate culture is

very resistant to change and this resistance is a major

roadblock for women and minorities seeking to survive and

prosper in corporate setting.

Group Cohesiveness and Interpersonal Conflict: Although

employee diversity can lead to greater creativity and better

problem solving; it can also lead to open conflict and chaos if

there is mistrust and lack of respect among groups. This

means that as organizations become more diverse, they face

greater risks that employees will not work together effectively.

Interpersonal friction rather than cooperation may become

the norm

Segmented Communication Networks: It has been seen that

most communication in the organization occurs between

people with some similarities either by way of gender or by

way of same place.

Retention: The job satisfaction levels of women and

minorities are often lower than those of majorities. Therefore it

becomes difficult to retain such people in an organization.

Competition for Opportunities: Already, there are rising

tensions among the disadvantaged groups jockeying for

advancement. Employers are being put into the uncomfortable

position of having to decide which disadvantaged group is

most deserving.

Diversity as an Asset

1. New Products and Services: Diversity generates ideas in

geometric progression fuelling greater creativity and

innovation. This results in flurry of new products and services

to meet the customer's expectation and needs.

2. Better teamwork: Organizations are operating in such a

fashion that it is impossible to function without teamwork.

Interacting with diverse workforce is leading to better ideas

and enhancing the morale and motivation in the organization

3. Better Image: Companies that have diverse workforce are

having better image, reputation and patronage than those who

do not encourage diversity. This has huge impact on

expansion of business as it can reduce the talent crunch by

targeting the diverse groups.

4. Expansion of Markets: Globalization has brought together

heterogeneous teams to enhance the problem solving

capabilities and produce creative solutions leading to

expansion of business landscape.

How to Manage Diversity in an Organization?

Embrace Diversity: Successfully valuing diversity starts with

accepting the principle of multiculturalism. Accept the value of

diversity for its own sake not simply because you have to. The

acceptance must be reflected in actions and words.

Recruit Broadly: When you have job openings, work to get a

diverse applicant pool. Avoid relying on referrals from current

employees, since this tends to produce candidates similar to

existing work force. An exception is that if the present workforce is

fairly diversified then there is no harm in accepting referrals from

current employees.

Select Fairly: Make sure your selection process does not

discriminate. Particularly ensure that selection tests are job related.

Provide Orientation and Training: Making the transition from

outsider to insider can be particularly difficult for non-traditional

employees.

Sensitize all Employees: Encourage all employees to

embrace diversity. Provide diversity training to help all

employees see the value in diversity.

Strive to be Flexible: Part of valuing diversity is recognizing

that different groups have different needs and values. Be

flexible in accommodating employee requests.

Policies that support Diversity at HP

No Discriminating Policy Electronic job posting Harassment-free work environment Employee network groups Open Door Policy Education Assistance Program Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Open communications Management by objective (MBO) Share in company's success Provide development opportunities Flexible work hours Safe and pleasant work environment

Conclusion

• A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and

marketplace.

• Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations.

• Most workplaces are made up of diverse cultures, so

organizations need to learn how to adapt to be successful

practices.

• Diversity, if positively managed, can increase creativity and

innovation in organization as well as improve decision making

by providing different perspectives on problems. When

diversity is not managed properly, there is a potential for

higher turnover, more difficult-communication, and more

interpersonal conflicts.

Thank you.