Tag: Diversity

What is Need? The Do and Don’t in Diversity Management

Really want? The Do and Don’t in Diversity Management

What is a Diversity Management? As we have discussed above, there are perceive advantages and disadvantages of embracing diversity in workplace. It seems that there are evidences and cases indicating that diversity are possible source of competitive advantage and superior performance for businesses. But, the implementation and the management of diversity is not an easy one. Apparently, the mismanagement of diversity or inability of the leader. Or, manager to outline and execute and effective diversity management program will cause troubles to the organization with diverse workforce. In fact, for inexperience mangers, diversity indeed looks more like a curse than a blessing.

If the presence of diversity is well-manage, it can create synergy and improve organizational performances. It is believe that diversity is a powerful strategy as managers can leverage on the strengths of some people in the team while making the weaknesses of some others irrelevant. The strengths in a person can compensate for the weaknesses of others. While his weaknesses are cover by others’ strengths, and this is essential for a high performing team. Consistent with such a view, this section will outline some do and don’t for practitioners to follow. It may serve as a general guideline for managers to refer to in applying the concept of diversity management to daily management tasks.

The first thing the manager should perform in managing diversity is that to ensure effectiveness of the diversity management program. The managers should communicate constantly to employees, managers, customers, shareholders, and other stakeholders at all stages of the program. It is vital to keep people inform as their support is necessary for the successful implementation of a diversity management program. The execution should involve everyone; as such a program is not an issue for only the personnel department or a responsibility of senior managers.

Besides, it is also critically important to apply a change management processes to implement the program. The leader driving the changes should aware that a long term perspective is require in implementation. A diversity management program (i.e., changes involves attitudes and don’t happen overnight. And leaders have to expect that the program will last for years rather than a few weeks or months). Last but not least, the leaders must also have the correct expectations that resources are require for the program. Leaders must prepare to invest money, time and resources to achieve successful diversity management program.

On the other hand, there are two general don’t rules to aware of by managers. Firstly, managers should not confuse equal opportunities with diversity management. The equal opportunity approach can be part of any diversity initiative. But a successful diversity management program should go far beyond traditional equal opportunity issues. Secondly, managers should not design the diversity goals and policies for “them” (i.e., referring to the minorities). But they should instead think of “us” (i.e., everyone involve in the organization).

The Do’s & Don’ts of Workplace Diversity Initiatives (Diversity Management)

Within the S&P 100, 96 companies now maintain some type of internal diversity initiative. And with diversity issues now grabbing national headlines, it’s never been more important for employers to take a stance.

If you’ve yet to develop diversity training, mentoring, recruiting, and other such programs, this post will help you learn from the lessons of companies before you.

Keep reading for the do’s and don’ts of workplace diversity initiatives.

Do emphasize inclusion

Though often used when discussing diversity, inclusion is not the same thing. The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) defines inclusion as, “The achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.” Make sure your organization is one where employees feel they can contribute to the success of your company, regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, or physical ability.

Do survey employees for feedback on diversity and inclusion

An annual engagement survey is the perfect time to ask your employees about diversity and inclusion. Surveying your employees will help you establish a baseline and allow you to gauge employees’ views on existing initiatives. This data can also be used when forming additional diversity and inclusions efforts. As Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly said in a Harvard Business Review article about workplace diversity, “metrics are key because, as we know, what gets measured gets done.”

Do use benchmarks

Speaking of engagement surveys, make sure yours includes industry benchmarks. Industry benchmarks can help shape your diversity and inclusion efforts because they provide an opportunity to know where you stand relative to other organizations in your industry, size category, or region. It’s like a built-in competitor analysis.

Don’t treat diversity as an internal, “HR issue”

Diversity is an issue that affects the entire company, and attitudes toward it start at the top and funnel down. Make sure your organization incorporates diversity into every aspect of its purpose and function.

Don’t neglect any employee group

Diversifying your workplace takes more than hiring a few people who aren’t the same race as the majority of your employees. Too often, diversity and inclusion efforts center around employees of color and neglect other aspects that make organizations diverse, like gender and sexual orientation, religious beliefs, physical ability, economic status, and creed. For example, the Center for American Progress reports that anywhere from 25 to 43 percent of gay people have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace, and 90 percent of trans-gender employees have experienced some form of harassment or mistreatment at work. Make sure your diversity and inclusion efforts encourage an attitude of openness toward all employees in your organization. Your employees should feel freedom to express their opinions and ideas with equal weight given to all.

Don’t overlook senior leadership and board representation as areas that need improvement

Even if your organization has some phenomenal diversity initiatives in play, they’re not going to matter if the board of directors is made up of a homogeneous group. The same goes for company leaders. A diverse board and leadership team helps manifest the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

In an article about diversity in the workplace, Paul Block, CEO of the U.S. sweetener manufacturer Merisant Company, had this to say about diversity: “People with different lifestyles and different backgrounds challenge each other more. Diversity creates dissent, and you need that. Without it, you’re not going to get any deep inquiry or breakthroughs.”

How are your organization’s diversity and inclusion initiatives working? Don’t put it off any longer. Survey your employees today to find out how your organization is fairing with workplace diversity and where it needs to improve.

November 28, 2017
Difference of Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity Management
What is Difference of Advantages and Disadvantages of Diversity Management?

What is a Diversity Management? In recent years, diversity is increasingly perceived as an important issue in the context of business management. This is due to the increasing differences in the population, globalization process, increasing of international business and cross borders business dealing activities. In the business community, companies have also tend to pay more focus on diversity and look for ways to reap the opportunities offered by diversity as they acknowledge that diversity has the potential of yielding greater productivity and competitive advantages. Apparently, managing and valuing diversity is a key component of effective people management, which not only can improve workplace productivity, but also contribute significantly to the strategic objectives of human resource management.

Advantages of Diversity Management in Workplace

Diversity can be a sort of strategy which enables organization to gain competitive advantage in the market competitive landscape. Managing cultural diversity is one of the key factors differentiating a particular company at factors such as (1) efficient work practices or procedures, (2) technological innovation or change, (3) product or services related innovation and lastly, (4) client or consumers related services. What is Need? The Do and Don’t in Diversity Management!

However, there are more contributions of managing diversity to the strategic objectives of a company.
- Improved and enhanced competencies in terms of customer services. As a matter of fact, diverse workforce will often means diverse expertise, talent, experience and capabilities in the employees. If a manager understands the intricacies and complexity of how to manage diversity effective, he will be able to put the right person into the correct position, by minimizing his weaknesses while enhancing the particular employee’s strength. From this perspective, a diverse workforce enables a manager to choose the correct candidate for a particular position in the organization.
- Able to compile and improve the strength of customer intelligence. As we employ diverse workforce, we can indirectly tap into the knowledge and experience of these workforce. In the era of information, we understand that marketing intelligence or customer intelligence has becoming more and more important. Diversity in workforce in this picture can help a company to compile and collect more relevant and effective data on the market place.
- Ability to operate effectively as well as efficiently in a global context. As a well known fact, the entire world is a colorful depiction of diversity. Thus, to go global, a diverse workforce is some sort a basis requirement. We simply need the local experts to assist us in managing business units at foreign countries or simply to expand market share in the other countries. Thus, it is not hard for us to understand that a diverse workforce will enable a company to operate more effectively and efficiently.
- Able to produce more satisfied workforce, and thus leading to more productive workforce. If a company can manage diversity in a proper way, then the individual employee will no longer need to clone or purposely changed himself to adaption of the corporate culture. This can often leads to a more satisfied workforce. A more satisfied workforce, will in turn, leads to more productive workforce.
- Effective managing of diversity enables reduction in industrial disputes. Of course, proper management of diversity can also ensure less industrial dispute or court case arises from employees’ issues.
- Diverse workforce can lead to increased creativity and innovation. Diversity can produce synergy and creativity and innovative as well. A group of different people is better than a results produced by a single person. The combined efforts are always much outstanding.
- Having better chance to attract higher quality employees from a larger pool of employees. As a company prepare or has already adopted the mindset of having diversity is beneficial. Then the company automatically access to a diverse pool of human talents. Which means that the company can choose the employees from a larger pool of workforce. As now the choices are enlarged, then we can have access to better talents around the world. Or in other words, we can access to the world class talents around the globe.
Disadvantages of Diversity Management in Workplace

Poorly integrated heterogeneous groups can be as damaging to the organization as overly integrated homogeneous groups. Apparently, managing diversity is an art. While although the contribution to a company strategic management picture is bright, the execution is nothing easy. Besides, unfortunately, there are also evidences that diversity can bring disadvantages to companies as well.

For example, it is found that teams with diverse employees usually take longer to perform effectively. Besides, diversity also brings numerous communication problems as well as “faultiness” in informal group dynamics. At some serious cases, diversity can also be a source of conflict. That can cause issues such as reluctant to share information among workforce. Employee morale deterioration problems, and higher turnover due to degradation of job satisfaction.

Not only that, it is also mention that there can be various drawbacks due to implementation of diversity management program in the short term. Case Study of “Starbucks Entry to China” with Marketing Strategy.

For example, if handled insensitively, a diversity management program may invade employee privacy. Also, implementation of the diversity management program may be expensive in the short term. Apart from that, during the implementation process, deep seated prejudices within employees may be brought into the open, causing short-term tension. Particularly for a poorly handled program, conflicts and ill-feeling may be the end results for managers to handle.
November 27, 2017
Diversity Management

What is a Diversity Management? Definition and Meaning!

“Diversity management is the strategy of using best practices with proven results to find and create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Successful strategies link diversity progress directly to business results. Best practices include effective use of executive diversity councils, mentoring and sponsorship programs and employee resource groups to achieve desired results in recruitment, retention and management of diverse talent.” How Do You Know Your Company Wants Help From The Outside?

What is Need? The Do and Don’t in Diversity Management! The world’s increasing globalization trend demands more interaction. Between people from a vast diverse of cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than the past. Today, people no longer live and work in an insulate marketplace. The reality is they are now part of a worldwide (or commonly mention as flatten) economy with competition coming from nearly every angle of the globe. For this reason, businesses need to open change. Accept the concept of diversity to become more creative.

In daily conversation, the word of “diversity” has the meaning of differences or variety. However, in the business world and in the business textbook. Diversity often refers to the many differences present among people. Today in workplace as well as marketplace. That were not aware of by most people in the past. Are Entrepreneurs Made or Born! Explanation Why? Diversity management is often referrer as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status for better workplace performance. The term diversity management indicates the implementation of strategies or policies to knit a network of varied individuals together into a dynamic work force.

What is a DM? By Wikipedia

Diversity management is the “recognition and valorization of individual differences”. “The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies.

It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Moreover, it is about understanding each other. And moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity in each individual”(Patrick and Kumar, 2012).

As seen from a US perspective, ‘Diversity management’ is supposed to represent. A break from legislated equality concepts. Such as equal opportunity and affirmative action (Thomas, 1990 ; Thomas and Ely, 1996).

Definitions of Diversity Management

The practice of addressing and supporting multiple lifestyles and personal characteristics within a define group. Management activities includes educating the group and providing support for the acceptance of and respect for various racial, cultural, societal, geographic, economic and political backgrounds. Definition of Organizational Climate.

November 27, 2017