Understanding Workforce Diversity: Implications For Organizational Behavior

Discussion

With the advent of globalization, there have been various changes in the work culture and workforce component. This is because the different countries as present in the globe have become comparatively closer in terms of technology and for this purpose, the different organizations now aim for a diverse culture which will assist them in having a diverse customer base as well (Cole and Salimath 2013, p. 155). As the different organizations tend to look out for expansion plan, the presence of a diverse workforce may be suitable for the long run. However, the different organizations often perceive the workforce diversity as a challenge. Hence, the primary aim of the essay is to understand the concept of workforce diversity and understand its implications for the organizational behavior. The method to improve diversity in the workplace will also be stated along with various practical examples.

Concept of workforce diversity

Workforce diversity can be rightfully defined as the prospect of bringing different types of people together in the workplace. If a workforce is diverse then this will assist in bringing about a wide range of experiences and characteristics to the workplace. The different aspects which make a workforce diverse comprise of factors like ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation and ability. According to Harvey and Allard (2015), companies which have been able to embrace diversity in the workplace have been successful in becoming more competitive. The workforce diversity is considered to be very important for the business because there are a large number of positive aspects which are associated with a diverse workforce. It is a proven fact that those organizations who have a diverse workforce have a large number of benefits such as innovation, positive reputation and creativity. Moreover, having a different perspective for a workplace may also assist an organization to successfully be able to innovate and create a positive public reputation in the eyes of the customers.

However, as stated by Janssens and Zanoni (2014, p. 320) workforce diversity is often considered to be a challenge which is faced by the different organizations. This is because although the phenomena of workplace diversity has a large number of benefits for the company, there are various shortcomings and problems having been associated with it. These problems which are associated with diversity management are problems like communication styles, lifestyle acceptance, conflicts in the workplace, generation gaps and a lack of consistency (Riccucci 2018). These problems often lead to a disruption in the daily working of an organization and often leads to a disruption in the productivity of a workplace. Moreover, there are various employees who are not willing to change with respect to the different organizational aspects and may harbor negative feelings towards the concept of diversity and this leads to various problems as well as challenges.

Concept of workforce diversity

Implications for organization behavior

Although as identified in the previous section that workforce diversity is often taken to be challenge in the organization, however there are certain positive implications as well with respect to the organizational behavior. Hence, this section of the essay will be highlighting the positive as well as negative implications of workforce diversity on the organizational behavior. The positive implications of workplace diversity on the organization behavior are as follows.

Firstly, workplace diversity assists a business to attain a broader client base. This is because a diverse workforce provides a business with a competitive edge. Hence, if the different clients exist around the globe, they will be able relate to the employees in the workforce easily and the staff will understand how to sell or market to different stakeholders.

Secondly, having a diverse workforce has positive implications on organizational behavior because it contributes to creating a better performing team. A team which is diverse in nature will perform better than the non-diverse teams in the sense that they will be able to create creative strategies and improve the potential of the organization (Podsiadlowski et al. 2013, p. 170). Moreover, an organization which has a better diverse workforce will be easily able to find different employees for the firm and not limit their hires.

However, having a diverse workforce has various negative implications on the organization as well. These implications are aspects like a sense of discomfort among the existing employees, lack of acceptance, cornering and bullying.

Firstly, having a diverse work culture can lead to a sense of discomfort among the existing employees (Sabharwal 2014, p. 198). This means that if certain section of employees are differently abled or are belonging to a different caste or type, the other existing employees in the system may feel uncomfortable which may have a direct impact on their performance.  Secondly, certain section of employees often fail to accept the different employees in an organization which may lead to the fostering of an uncomfortable environment in the long run of the organization. This is because, when the diverse employees are not made to feel a part of the organization then they may be affected mentally and this can even lead to consequences like them leaving the organization and spoilage of the good name of the firm.

Thirdly, according to Madera (2013, p. 129), a diverse workforce culture often leads to the bullying and the cornering of the employees as well. When a dominant group of employees tend to feel that they are large in majority then they may try to bully the minor employees which is against the organization culture and policies.

Implications for organization behavior

Therefore, from the analysis in the given section as undertaken on the implications of workplace diversity on organizational behavior, it can be stated that diversity in the workplace tends to have both a positive as well as a negative implication on the organizational behavior.

Ways to improve the workforce diversity management in an organization

As stated earlier, workforce diversity is being considered as major challenge for the organization because although there are larger number of benefits of the diversity, the management of it poses various implications on the behavior of the organization. Moreover, as stated by Martín Alcázar, Miguel Romero Fernández and Sánchez Gardey (2013, p. 38), if the workforce diversity is not managed well, it may lead to several consequences for the firm at large. Hence, in order to ensure that only the positive aspect of workplace diversity is experienced by an organization the following steps can be undertaken.

Firstly, a communication plan or a training program needs to be formulated which will then assist an organization and thereby ensure that all the employees of the organization are on the same page and have a similar level of understanding with respect to one another (Lauring 2013, p. 220). Secondly, the management can device a mentorship program which will assist the organization in ensuring that the different employees who are present in an organization can have a guide who helps them to settle well into the organization.

Thirdly, it is important for an organization to have an open door policy at the workplace. This shall ensure that the employees must possess the freedom to share their concerns with the higher management of the organization and that the employees are allowed to have a voice and the will to report to the management in case of any problem which they are going through (Saxena 2014,p. 78).  Lastly, the organization can ensure that they update their different cultural and diversity related policies in order to ensure that, the organization is a safe haven for all diverse people (Kulik 2014, p. 130). This may appear to be an investment in the beginning but may later on provide returns in a positive manner.

Example of companies

There are a large number of customers who have embraced diversity in the organization and this has led to a positive result for them. Sodexo ensures that the gender balance is existent in their operations and that they provide equal opportunities to both the genders. Moreover, there are other companies like Johnson and Johnson, MasterCard and Accenture who have successfully absorbed diversity as a part of their daily policy and ensured that different diverse backgrounds feel at home in the organization (Socialtalent.com. 2018). In addition to this, companies like Disney, Coca Cola and Marriot Hotels have also ensured that they provide diversity training to the employees and participate in various programs which promote diversity. These firms have set an example for the other organizations in the same domain.

Conclusion

Therefore from the analysis and examination as undertaken in the essay based on the workface diversity as a concept and as a challenge to the organization, it can be stated that diversity is often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Although often viewed as a challenge, it is a blessing for the long term sustainability of the firm as a diverse workforce contributes effectively towards the creation of a business environment which is positive in nature and tends to act as an instigation for better performance. The second part of the essay examined the positive as well as negative implications of workforce diversity in an organization and recommended certain ways to improve the development of diversity in an organization. Moreover, certain examples of the real companies have also been stated which will help in understanding how diversity needs to be embraced for a positive organizational behavior.

References

Cole, B. M., and Salimath, M. S., 2013. Diversity identity management: An organizational perspective. Journal of business ethics, 116(1), 151-161.

Harvey, C. P., and Allard, M., 2015. Understanding and managing diversity: Readings, cases, and exercises. Pearson.

Janssens, M., and Zanoni, P., 2014. Alternative diversity management: Organizational practices fostering ethnic equality at work. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 30(3), 317-331.

Kulik, C. T., 2014. Working below and above the line: the research–practice gap in diversity management. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(2), 129-144.

Lauring, J., 2013. International diversity management: Global ideals and local responses. British Journal of Management, 24(2), 211-224.

Madera, J. M., 2013. Best practices in diversity management in customer service organizations: an investigation of top companies cited by Diversity Inc. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(2), 124-135.

Martín Alcázar, F., Miguel Romero Fernández, P., and Sánchez Gardey, G., 2013. Workforce diversity in strategic human resource management models: A critical review of the literature and implications for future research. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 20(1), 39-49.

Podsiadlowski, A., Gröschke, D., Kogler, M., Springer, C., and Van Der Zee, K., 2013. Managing a culturally diverse workforce: Diversity perspectives in organizations. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 37(2), 159-175.

Riccucci, N., 2018. Managing Diversity in Public Sector Workforces: Essentials of Public Policy and Administration Series. Routledge.

Sabharwal, M., 2014. Is diversity management sufficient? Organizational inclusion to further performance. Public Personnel Management, 43(2), 197-217.

Saxena, A., 2014. Workforce diversity: A key to improve productivity. Procedia Economics and Finance, 11, pp.76-85.

Socialtalent.com., 2018. 10 Companies around the World That Are Embracing Diversity in a BIG Way [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www.socialtalent.com/blog/recruitment/10-companies-around-the-world-that-are-embracing-diversity (05 September. 2018)