Addressing cultural diversity at work is imperative, if an organization as to thrive and win the respect it deserves in society. Workplace diversity is always essential, as it enables the business organization to take advantage of the diverse skill sets and talents that are offered by people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds and by people from different genders, that is male, female and also the third gender (Hofhuis et al., 2015). This report looks at two well known companies, namely, the Tesla Automobile Manufacturing Company and Amazon Service Delivery, and analyzes the approach adopted by both companies towards cultural diversity. The report does so by looking specifically at the actions undertaken by these companies in the areas of conflict resolution, gender issues, language and discrimination.
Tesla Automobiles is one of the largest manufacturing companies in the world that is well known for its production of electric cars. It is a UK based company and is known to employ people in millions, catering to customers not only in the UK but all over the world. Yet, when it comes to addressing matters such as cultural diversity, Tesla as a company is one that remains quite backward (“Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage | Tesla”, 2018). For instance, as far as gender based policies are concerned, Tesla has no specific mechanism in place that will look into the interests of female workers, or third gender employees who are recruited by the company to work for it in either the short term or the long term. Several female employees in the company, have in the past complained about instances of sexual harassment, something that is entirely unacceptable at a work place no matter how large or small the company is. Tesla Automobiles is a company that has not until date been well equipped to look into the interests of women workers and has not introduced the adequate policies and mechanisms that ought to be in place, such as a zero tolerance policy towards inappropriate behavior, that could sufficiently safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of women while they are at work (Hakim, 2016).
Language is another area where Tesla appears to be lagging behind as far as cultural diversity is concerned. In spite of catering to customers from different parts of the globe, even from East Asian countries such as China, and in spite of hiring people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, Tesla does not allow its workers to communicate with one another in any language apart from English, given that this is a UK based company (“Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage | Tesla”, 2018). Workers are compelled to learn English and to be entirely fluent in it if they want to work for the Tesla company over the long term. Apart from the engineers working at Tesla, the customer care executives who look into the needs and requirements of clients around the world are always expected to be fully adept at English speaking skills, even if such customer care authorities communicate with clients or customers from different cultural and lingual backgrounds. By insisting on only English being the chosen language of communication and by not allowing workers to communicate in languages other than English at the work place, diversity in terms of language and communication is not something that is well addressed at all by the Tesla Automobile Company. Only those fluent in English or those for who English is a native language can do a good job at Tesla (Lambert, 2016).
As far as conflict resolution is concerned, Tesla as a company is one that is lagging behind as well. The company founded by Elon Musk has got into repeated trouble and has been mentioned in the news due to the fact that it has not been able to resolve conflicts among its employees properly (“Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage | Tesla”, 2018). Conflicts at the work place are quite common if the organization is one that hires people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is often difficult for people from different cultural backgrounds to gel or to get along with one another, and this is something that is quite evident at the Tesla manufacturing centers, where people of varied ethnicities and religions come to work. There is no scope for conflict reddressal and those who suffer from conflict related issues have to be content with not being able to communicate about their problems to a higher authority. There is no significant administration in place that will deal specifically with the issue of conflict resolution amongst workers as and when this arises. In the event of a conflict, there is no efficient man or woman in place who can do a good job of fanning the flames, should a dispute or quarrel break out among workers from varied cultural backgrounds or ethnicities (Martin, 2014).
Discrimination is something that is quite prominent at Tesla automobiles as well. This is largely due to the fact that there are no adequate policies and practices in place that will protect the employees working at this company sufficiently from issues of discrimination (“Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage | Tesla”, 2018). There is every possibility of people not being employed by Tesla Automobiles on grounds of disability or gender, especially if the person looking to get employed belongs to the third gender. There are no suitable safeguards against discrimination as far as Tesla Automobiles is concerned, that can protect employees in the event of any rampant discriminatory behavior being carried out against them (Phillips, 2014).
When it comes to analyzing Amazon Service Delivery Company’s approach to cultural diversity, one cannot help but be heartened. Amazon is a US based company and it has 500,000 employees working for it all over the world. Hence it is able to adequately address a wide range of diversity related concerns for its business, first and foremost being gender parity. Amazon gives both men and women employees equal pay, in addition to a wide range of other financial and medical benefits. (“Build your business with Amazon Services – Amazon.com”, 2018). Paternity leave is provided to women, which can be taken either over a continuous period of time, or for two times over a period of twelve months. Pregnant women therefore do not have to worry about losing their jobs when working for a company like Amazon. A wide array of medical expenses that are gender specific in nature, such as the cost of gender re-assignment for instance, is something that is also borne by Amazon. Members of the third gender will definitely get the dignity and the protection that they deserve when working for a company like Amazon. Amazon ensures that gender related issues and concerns do not serve as obstacles for employees in their path to professional success (Sheade & Chandler, 2014).
Where language is concerned, Amazon allows its employees to communicate is a language that is comfortable for them though it is English that is the desired or preferred language of communication. Amazon believes in being flexible in this respect, and while customers always have to be spoken to in English, employees can communicate in languages apart from English if they so desire, especially if their native language is not English or if they do not hail from an English speaking background. There are also no rigid standards of speaking fluently in English that employees have to adhere to when working for a company like Amazon (“Build your business with Amazon Services – Amazon.com”, 2018). Those who are recruited to work for the company are expected to have a working knowledge of English and nothing more than that. One of the biggest benefits of working for a company like Amazon is that there is flexibility in terms of language and communication especially for employees working for the different branches or outlets of this company overseas, such as in the countries of Asia and Africa (Roberson et al., 2014).
Discrimination as it is understood in the workplace is something that is entirely absent where Amazon is concerned. There is no discrimination at all against workers, and every effort is made on the part of the company administration to hire people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds (“Build your business with Amazon Services – Amazon.com”, 2018). The problem of racism in particular is one that does not exist for Amazon as black people are recruited in large numbers by the company. Attempts are always made by the human resource professionals working at Amazon to recruit as many black men and women as possible so that they are at par with the number of white people that are recruited by the company both for its operations in America as well as overseas. In addition to racial discrimination, discrimination that is carried out on grounds of disability is also something that is strictly avoided by a company like Amazon. It is the belief of the company and its administrators that disabled people have a lot to contribute to the work place if they are given the right platform to do so, which is why handicapped individuals are hired in large numbers by the company. Disabled people can find a carefree environment in which to work at, at Amazon without the fear of being insulted or humiliated for being differently abled (Dobbin & Kalev, 2018).
Getting conflicts resolved for its employees is something that Amazon believes in doing in a smooth and hassle free manner. Conflicts as and when they arise, are addressed by the human resource professionals working at Amazon, who make sure that employees have the safe and secure environment in which to do their work without being bogged down by conflict and distress (“Build your business with Amazon Services – Amazon.com”, 2018). Efforts are made on the part of the HR professionals to ensure that conflicts do not arise in the work place at all, especially among people working at the company who belong to diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Employees are to communicate with each other as professionally as possible and not harp on sensitive topics and issues that can result in a conflict breaking out between them at a later stage. In the event that such a conflict does arise, initiatives are taken on the part of the Amazon administration to get these conflicts resolved in an amicable manner so that employees do not feel de-motivated or compelled to leave their jobs as a result of the conflict that has taken place (Sue et al., 2015).
When it comes to comparing the approach to cultural diversity as adopted by Tesla Automobiles with the approach that is adopted by Amazon service, it becomes very clear that Amazon follows a far better policy as far as respecting and appreciating diversity is concerned. Amazon has excellent policies in place for looking into gender based issues and concerns, hires large number of racial and religious minorities and gives its employees a safe haven in which to do their work (“Build your business with Amazon Services – Amazon.com”, 2018). While Tesla in one of the largest car companies in the world, its regressive and inadequate policies or approaches to cultural diversity makes it not as desirable a place to work in as at Amazon.
Conclusion
Thus, workplace diversity is an important area of professional life in today’s day and age and it is something that must be addressed or handled well enough if a business organization is to grow and thrive in the best way possible. It is only by recruiting people from different ethnic backgrounds, communities and religions, that a company can bring innovation, creativity and efficiency to the range of its products and services, and discrimination on religious and ethnic grounds that global companies can really ill afford. The approach that is taken by Tesla Automobiles to the matter of cultural diversity, shows that the company has a long way to go in this respect. There is a lot that the company can do in order to improve upon its diversity policies, especially as far as gender based issues are concerned. Amazon on the other hand is a company that is doing a stellar job in its attitude and outlook to cultural diversity by making employees from all communities and all religions feel safe and protected at the work place and offering medical and financial benefits for women and sexual minorities.
References and Bibliography
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Electric Cars, Solar Panels & Clean Energy Storage | Tesla. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/
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