Globalization has made people move from one place to another meaning that in any organization there are different groups of people who are working in different departments. Diversity has become something common in corporations today. Many businesses have seen the advantage of having a diverse work environment and often work hard to employ individuals who are from varying backgrounds to reflect their beliefs and policies. However, ensuring that diversity in a workplace is not easy because it is often affected by issues.
Causes of Diversity issues in Workplaces
Diversity in any work environment encourages teamwork, acceptance, and respect. However, for this to be achieved, entities need to overcome certain diversity issues. One of the commonest diversity issues is conflict among the employees. In cases where racism, lack of respect, prejudice, and discrimination enters the work environment then conflict among the workers become unavoidable. If it is not handled in good time then such animosity can lead to explosive or violent behaviors. Companies that encourage a diversified working environment and provide diversity training tend to reduce and even eliminate such issues.
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Another factor that causes diversity issues in workplaces is cultural and ethnic differences (Patrick, 2012) . It is unfortunate that some people in the work environment have an unfair prejudice against individuals of different ethnicity, cultures, religion, and colors. Such behavior should not be allowed in the work environment, and if seen it should be dealt with promptly. Appropriate training and developing company policies often helps in building respect and acceptance among a well-diversified workforce.
One of the oldest and commonest causes of diversity issues is gender differences. The differences between men and women have been an element in disputes over equal opportunity and pay. Another issue relates to transgender where some companies find it hard to deal with the fact that a man can wear women’s clothes or a man is undergoing the stages of becoming a woman. They often have trouble understanding that these individuals can perform the same job as people who are in the traditional gender roles.
Lack of communication is also a cause of diversity issues in organizations today because employees are not made aware of the importance of working in a diverse group (Knippenberg, 2004) . Employees need to be trained in accepting each other despite their differences. They also need to be made aware of the importance of working in a diverse environment. Understanding the factors that cause diversity issues is vital in preventing the impact of the problem.
Impact of Diversity Issues
Workplace diversity often provides companies with the opportunity to get a bigger perspective on the business situations and to improve its performance. However, the advantages that come with diversity are only possible in cases where issues relating to diversities have been dealt with. Dealing with the issues is vital because of the negative impact that they have on the organization.
Diversity issues often result in unresolved conflict among the employees. In a diverse work environment employees often come from a varying cultural background and have different perspectives on the way in which they handle concerns or issues that develop in the work environment. The inability to see where the other individual is coming from often prevents an effective resolution of conflict. If employees feel that they can not resolve the conflict, they can give up thus creating a negative tone.
Poor management of diversity issues in a work environment results in a high turnover. In many cases, employees who feel dissatisfied and who think that the work environment is not safe for them would leave. Losing top talent to competing companies in cases where the workplace does not provide a motivating and safe the environment for diverse employees is common because they feel that they are not treated fairly and are not welcomed.
The problem that results from diversity issues often affects companies in a negative manner which means that there is a need for companies to provide diversity training among the employees and to develop a cooperative culture which will make sure that every individual in the organization is accepted despite their differences. Thinking of the most appropriate solution for this issue will be beneficial to the company.
Ideal Solutions to the Issue
In dealing with the issue of diversity at the workplace, hiring a skilled and knowledgeable human resource team is vital. The process can be costly and time-consuming but it is worth the financial resources because it ensures the overall success of the business. Developing a professional human resource team is vital in ensuring that the business is a success. The department is often created to help in dealing with any possible issue that might result in lawsuits and legal matters. The advantage of having a professional human resource team is that it ensures the smooth running of the business and is able to deal with any diversity issue that may arise. The disadvantage of having such a team is that it is costly to the company.
The next solution includes defining the issue in the company. When the goal of the company is to ensure that there is acceptance and also equal opportunity for everyone, it is vital to examine the diversity issues that affect the company. Examining the issues will give the leaders the opportunity to determine if there is need to change the policy. Leaders also need to help the employees to appreciate diversity among the employees by celebrating diversity days. Defining the issue and addressing it has the advantage of helping the company avoid legal consequences. It also helps the employees highlight their personal uniqueness and helps in encouraging acceptance and teamwork in the work environment. However, such initiative can be costly and time consuming for the company.
The next solution to the problem is developing policies that are in line with the goals of the company. When diversity issues have been identified in the company, it is vital to look at the mission of the business and develop a policy that is in line with the values and ethics of the business as defined in its mission statement. One of the diversity policies have been developed, they need to be communicated to every employee through the company’s website, employee handbooks, and onboarding documents (Oyler, 2009). Communication should not only be about the policies and the behavior that is expected from the employees, but also should be about the concerns to management in cases where people feel unsafe, attacked, or discriminated against. Developing such policies has the advantage of making sure that all diversity issues have been addressed. However, the solution has the disadvantage of being costly because the company will need to undertake diversity training sessions so that it can review the policies highlighted and explain the consequences of not following the policies.
Recommendation on the Best Way of Developing the Policies
While developing the policies that are aimed at addressing the issues that relate to diversity, the human resource department needs to consider the qualities of the policies. The qualities needed to include the fact that the policy identifies the diversity issues that affect the company (Kahn, 2011). The second factor is that it needs to have solutions to the issues. In addition, it needs to include every stakeholder of the company and need to hold people accountable. Policies need to include consequences which mean the disciplinary action as a result of not following the diversity policy. The best policy is providing the victims with the process of reporting cases of abuse and coming up with ways of addressing them. The guilty individual needs to be provided with a warning and if the inappropriate behavior continues the best action is suspension or dismissal.
It is also vital for the human resource department to consider the evolution of diversity issues. The human resources laws and rules and the legislation keep changing with time. It is vital for the human resource department to understand the changes as they develop the policy and adjust the policy according to the evolving laws. The department also needs to continue to work with the workers on new issues that are related to diversity and their resolutions.
Determining The Success of the Diversity policy
Determining the success of diversity efforts can be through the recruitment figures. It involves examining the number of new hires in the previous years while noting the number of minorities and other groups such as the disabled (Williams, 2017). An increase in the number will indicate that the company is attracting a diverse group of employees which means that the policy is working.
The next method of determining the success of the policy is by conducting a survey among the employees to determine their perception of diversity. They will provide an indication of whether there has been an improvement in diversity at the company. The analysis of the responses from the employees on the subsequent surveys will provide an indication of the workplace perceptions about the ability of the company to successfully promote diversity.
One of the best ways of analyzing the success of the diversity policy is by analyzing the turnover rate at the company. The HR department can analyze the number of minority employees who are leaving the business. If the figures are considered to be very high then it is a clear indication that the efforts to retain diversity at the company have failed. The comparison of turnover figures should also be measured from one year to the other to understand the progress.
How the Policy Might Promote Positive Social Change
Having a policy that encourages diversity in the workplace can also have a positive effect outside the organization. In many cases, such a policy helps people change their attitude towards other people who they consider to be different from them (Bush, 2016). They tend to understand their differences and appreciate the differences which translate to their social life. The behavior that they adopt in the work environment is often seen in their social life by respecting and appreciating the differences that people have.
Conclusion
Globalization has made diversity to be one of the commonest things in corporations today. Diversity in workplaces brings many advantages to the company such as encouraging new ideas and innovation. However, diversity can also bring issues at workplaces if it is not managed well. One of the commonest diversity issues is conflict among the employees. In cases where racism, lack of respect, prejudice, and discrimination enters the work environment then conflict among the workers become unavoidable. If it is not handled in good time then such animosity can lead to explosive or violent behaviors. From the analysis above, companies need to address such issues by developing policies that identify the issues and address them. Addressing the issue is vital in the ever-changing workforce and to eliminate discrimination while promoting real diversity.
References
Bush, M. (2016, 12 05). How the Best Companies Do Diversity Right . Retrieved from Fortune: http://fortune.com/2016/12/05/diversity-inclusion-workplaces/
Kahn, A. (2011). Diversity work in organizations: A narrative study of external diversity practitioners. Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture .
Knippenberg, D. V., de Dreu, C. K. W., &. Homan, A. C. (2004). Work group diversity and group performance: An integrative model and research agenda. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89 , Pp. 1008-1022.
Oyler, J. D. (2009). Workplace diversity in the United States: the perspective of Peter Drucker. Emerald Group Publishing Limited , pp.420-451.
Patrick, H. A. (2012). Managing Workplace Diversity; Issues and Challenges. Sage Journals , pp. 1-5.
Williams, B. A. (2017, 04 20). 8 Ways To Measure Diversity That Have Nothing To Do With Hiring . Retrieved from Fortune: http://fortune.com/2017/04/20/workplace-diversity/
