The book gives a detailed analysis of the many changes the world is facing. The changes witnessed are as a result of science and technology. According to the author, many people are moving to other countries in search of work. As a result of these migrations, there exist disputes, conflicts, and miscommunication in the workplace. This is to say that, some of these issues arise from the notion that, some individuals within the society perceive themselves as belonging to an advantaged social circle. Having this in mind, the essay will summarize some of the key points in the book “Managing Diversity, Towards a Globally Inclusive Workforce” by Michalle E. Mor Barak.
Challenge of Managing Diversity in a Global Context
The major challenge in managing diversity is the problem of discrimination in the workplace. Mostly, there are five groups of people who are discriminated in the workplace. They include older people, women, people of different races, people with disabilities, and finally people with different sexual orientation (gay, transgender, lesbians, and bisexuals). According to the author, this is the group of people most discriminated in the workplace. However, there are other groups within the workplace that face some form of discrimination not listed above, this rising cases of discrimination is what calls for an inclusive in the workplace.
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Tensions Posed by Global Workforce Trends
According to the author, the major tension that affects global workforce is the issue of inclusivity and exclusivity. In this case, organizations can either be inclusive or exclusive depending on the awareness level. In this case, an inclusive workplace is one which utilizes and values inter-group differences within the working environment. Such workplace contributes positively to the surrounding community in alleviating the needs of the disadvantaged groups in the society. Therefore, an inclusive workplace is one which collaborates with groups, individuals, and organizations across cultural lines.
Based on the above discussion, an inclusive workplace aims at upholding the norms and values which aim at accommodating all employees within the working environment. An exclusive workforce operates within cultural lines. Unlike an exclusionary workforce, an inclusive workplace will contribute positively to the local community while an exclusive workplace will miss this connection as it is solely concerned with the financial stakeholders.
Summary
In order for an organization to create an inclusive workplace, they need to change their mentality. In this case, companies should utilize ‘Equal Employment Opportunity’ models to protect their workforce from possible discrimination in the workplace. Similarly, organizations can adopt ‘Affirmative Action Programs’ to ensure employees benefit from promotion opportunities regardless of their cultural differences. Therefore, organizations must diversify in order to enjoy the benefits that come along inclusive and diversification. Further, the organization should encourage employees to work harmoniously in order to improve the performance of the organization.
In conclusion, diversity in the workplace will encourage the organization to adapt norms and values that accommodate all employees. In today’s world of business, companies that embrace diversity will generate competitive advantage against those that are not diversified. The benefits of diversity are numerous. Diversity encourages engagement and productivity improving the reputation of the organization. Further, diversity and inclusive promote employees loyalty to the company creating a strong connection between the economic performance and the social performance, hence, boosting the corporate image of the company.
Reference
Barak, M. E. M. (2013). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace . Sage Publications .
