Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
In today’s rapid changing global market many organization pays a greater attention to cultural diversity and it has also become an essential business concern too. Workforce diversity refers to the differences between individuals which include, national, origin, religion, language, age, color and even the skills and the attitudes people posses within themselves. As we know people are different in all kind of aspects, both visible and non visible. Therefore, cultural diversity is a complex phenomenon to manage and it is not that easy to control people within an organization. So, there are lots of challenges that organizations face because of cultural diversity. However, these cultural differences when utilized well contributes a large number of benefits to the organization leading to more productivity, increasing competitive position, improving customer service, valuing diversity within employees and broadening of commercial image of the company.
Having a diverse workforce in an organization open new ways for problem solving and can supply multiple solutions to problems in service and sourcing and allocating resources (Greenberg 2005). A diverse workforce has people from different background having different ideas, beliefs and thinking. In order to run a business successfully people are needed with those differences including skills and experiences since people are the most important assets of an Organization. Workers with diverse backgrounds also bring unique experiences and perceptions to the groups and work teams which strengthen team productivity and responsiveness to changing condition. According to Ingram, each employee in a diverse workplace also poses a unique strength and weakness derived from their culture in addition to their individuality. Therefore, when managed properly diversity in the workplace can leverage the strengths and balance the weakness of each worker improving the performance of each employee and
In today’s rapid changing global market many organization pays a greater attention to cultural diversity and it has also become an essential business concern too. Workforce diversity refers to the differences between individuals which include, national, origin, religion, language, age, color and even the skills and the attitudes people posses within themselves. As we know people are different in all kind of aspects, both visible and non visible. Therefore, cultural diversity is a complex phenomenon to manage and it is not that easy to control people within an organization. So, there are lots of challenges that organizations face because of cultural diversity. However, these cultural differences when utilized well contributes a large number of benefits to the organization leading to more productivity, increasing competitive position, improving customer service, valuing diversity within employees and broadening of commercial image of the company.
Having a diverse workforce in an organization open new ways for problem solving and can supply multiple solutions to problems in service and sourcing and allocating resources (Greenberg 2005). A diverse workforce has people from different background having different ideas, beliefs and thinking. In order to run a business successfully people are needed with those differences including skills and experiences since people are the most important assets of an Organization. Workers with diverse backgrounds also bring unique experiences and perceptions to the groups and work teams which strengthen team productivity and responsiveness to changing condition. According to Ingram, each employee in a diverse workplace also poses a unique strength and weakness derived from their culture in addition to their individuality. Therefore, when managed properly diversity in the workplace can leverage the strengths and balance the weakness of each worker improving the performance of each employee and
References: Greenberg, J 2005, ‘Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions’, http://ezinearticles.com/?Diversity-in-the-Workplace:-Benefits,-Challenges-and-Solutions&id=11053 Ingram, ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity in Workplace’, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-diversity-workplace-3041.html Goessl, L 2008, ‘The benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace’, http://www.helium.com/items/1184196-benefits-of-cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace