Increase in Workforce Diversity Is a Contemporary Challenge for Organizations
Increase in workforce diversity is a contemporary challenge for organizations
Introduction
Globalization has led to companies hiring employees from different countries, leading to more differences than similarities among members of the organisation (Asia-Pacific Business and Technology Report 2009). Champoux (2011: pp 28) describes workforce diversity is as ‘variations in workforce composition based on personal and background factors of employees’. Types of diversity among organization employees include age, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, education level, personality type, aptitude, and other demographic, socioeconomic and psychological characteristics. The above-mentioned type of diversities can be categorized into two main categories, which are surface level diversity and deep level diversity.
Levels of Diversity
Surface level diversity is essentially the ‘observable demographic and physiological difference in people’. (McShane et al. 2010:21). This would cover age, ethnicity, gender, race and physical disabilities, all of which are visible traits that differentiate each employee from the other. On the other hand deep level diversity would touch on the differences in people’s psychological characteristics. These would include individuals’ personality, beliefs, value, and attitude. Such traits would influence how an employee approaches a certain task or reacts conflict arises. Deep level traits are displayed most prominently in an employee’s decisions, statements, and actions.
Due to the innate differences in people, each individual employee presents different perspectives to an organization. The reason for this is because of the various unique characteristics mentioned above, every individual sees the world through different perceptual lenses. Organisations have to harness these differences as opportunities to pursue the organization’s mission. (Champoux 2011)
There mainly 3 aspects that
Introduction
Globalization has led to companies hiring employees from different countries, leading to more differences than similarities among members of the organisation (Asia-Pacific Business and Technology Report 2009). Champoux (2011: pp 28) describes workforce diversity is as ‘variations in workforce composition based on personal and background factors of employees’. Types of diversity among organization employees include age, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, education level, personality type, aptitude, and other demographic, socioeconomic and psychological characteristics. The above-mentioned type of diversities can be categorized into two main categories, which are surface level diversity and deep level diversity.
Levels of Diversity
Surface level diversity is essentially the ‘observable demographic and physiological difference in people’. (McShane et al. 2010:21). This would cover age, ethnicity, gender, race and physical disabilities, all of which are visible traits that differentiate each employee from the other. On the other hand deep level diversity would touch on the differences in people’s psychological characteristics. These would include individuals’ personality, beliefs, value, and attitude. Such traits would influence how an employee approaches a certain task or reacts conflict arises. Deep level traits are displayed most prominently in an employee’s decisions, statements, and actions.
Due to the innate differences in people, each individual employee presents different perspectives to an organization. The reason for this is because of the various unique characteristics mentioned above, every individual sees the world through different perceptual lenses. Organisations have to harness these differences as opportunities to pursue the organization’s mission. (Champoux 2011)
There mainly 3 aspects that