The incorporation of diversity in many organizations is often viewed as the inclusion of a set of rules that they have to abide by to ensure smooth running of activities at the work place. On the contrary, diversity is a way of life within the work environment, a way of encouraging new ideas and a positive perception among coworkers. The management team is responsible for acting as the leadership front for other employees to emulate. This therefore means that from a managerial stand point, how one chooses to approach diversity will largely affect the outcome of operations within the department. Diversity involves the fostering of respect among employees despite racial, political or religious affiliations, the acceptance of lifestyles of different individuals, gender equity, the tolerance of different cultural and ethnic differences and the acceptance of those with disabilities among other issues.
Legally speaking, it is important to take note of the fact that everybody has a right to fair treatment regardless of their nature. This therefore ensures every employee the right to fair hiring, demotion, retention, firing and training processes. According to laws.com, it is inappropriate for employers to get rid of employees or act in a manner likely to suggest retaliation for charges based on discrimination (2017). The understanding of the fact that legal systems encourage diversity in the work place and that there is robust legislation to back it is very important. Therefore, any organization’s human resource laws have to be in line with government set policies in regards to the procedures of hiring staff.
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Cultural awareness can be viewed as the understanding of the relationship between how an individual perceives things, their behavior and the values they hold on to (culturaldiversity.com, 2015). For human resource facilitators (managers), understanding how certain employees would react to certain circumstances based on their diversity and accommodating that thought process is very important way by which to attain cultural diversity. This means understanding that certain work scenarios may not be favorable for a particular group of employees. A workforce that is well aware of the diversity within itself is able to create an environment where mutual respect and dignity thrives, values that in the end earn a reputation for the organization as a good employer within the job market. Cultural awareness is achievable by ensuring the recognition of holiday celebrations of groups of employees such as Muslims or Hindus or any other group represented at the workplace aside from the usual National holidays hence allowing for the appreciation of other cultures. Another way is through ensuring diversity in promoting employees, this however does not mean overlooking better experience levels of employees from majority groups. Third is the incorporation of diversity training. According to Ingram, education on issues diversity will open employees’ eyes to paying more attention to assumptions they initially had on culture alongside creating an awareness of prejudices common to culture while at the same time teaching them to appreciate and understand other cultures (2017).
Cultural sensitivity refers to the quality of being able to understand the how other people perceive one’s own culture and the kind of emotional attachment to one’s (University, 2017). Being culturally sensitive allows employees to be more accommodative of those within them that they would otherwise dismiss in a negative manner. It is the task of the managerial team to identify areas where cultural sensitivity would come in handy such as during meetings where ideas of certain minority groups may be downplayed and create awareness against that kind of prejudice. For the daily success of the organization, it calls for parties across the board to recognize the diversity amongst themselves and understand that this diversity does not really portray an inability to perform within the work place. Cultural sensitivity can be accomplished though creating work teams that cut across the board in diversity to encourage tolerance, creating awareness to the tone of the value of embracing different perspectives that other employees and most importantly, managers leading by example and appreciating diversity among themselves. According to Vogt, an ability to create healthy work relationships, handle people of different cultures with respect and look beyond cultural boundaries in relations at the work place are great skills that should be cultivated (n.d).
References
culturaldiversity.com. (2015). Cultural Awareness . Retrieved from Centre for Cultural Diversity in Ageing: http://www.culturaldiversity.com.au/resources/practice-guides/cultural-awareness
Ingram, D. (2017). Promotion & Awareness of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace . Retrieved from Chron: http://www.smallbusiness.chron.com/promotion-awareness-cultural-diversity-workplace-11606.html
Laws.com. (2017). Diversity in the Workplace . Retrieved from Laws: http://employment.laws.com/diversity-in-the-workplace
University, C. (2017). Cultural Awareness or Sensitivity . Retrieved 2017, from Society, the Individual, and Medicine: http://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Cultural_Awareness_e.htm
Vogt, C. (n.d.). Cultural Sensitivity Skills in the Workplace . Retrieved 2017, from Chron: http:// smallbusiness.chron.com/cultural-sensitivity-skills-workplace-20375.html
