Blog 2

Workplace diversity is an issue that affects many organizations in the modern day and age. Globalization has enabled corporations to operate in different parts of the globe and hire employees from diverse cultures, ethnic and racial groups, and other backgrounds. A diverse workforce benefits global companies since it spurs creativity and innovation. This is because these workers possess different perspectives, insights, and ideas on how to address the corporate challenges. However, when the staff shares different value systems and opinions, they may experience workplace conflict especially if their ideas and beliefs clash (Christian et al., 2006). It is therefore imperative that the management develops policies and regulations that harness the benefits of diversity while mitigating against the risks associated with the same.

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There are various ways that the management can address the issue of workplace diversity to reduce instances of prejudice and conflict. The first is through conducting workplace training for employees to understand the benefits of a diverse workforce and how to tolerate different cultures. Employers should train employees on issues such as dealing with conflict, effective communication across a multicultural environment, acceptable business practices and protocols, and the benefits of learning foreign culture among other goals. A global company such as Walmart has spent over $2 billion over the past two years in training, education, wages, and scheduling to accommodate its multicultural workforce of 1.5 million associates (Walmart, 2019). Training will instil the essential knowledge and skills that staff require when interacting within an ethically-diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial environment (Sharma, 2016).

Managers should also create an organizational culture that tolerates diversity and protects minority groups from marginalization. They should recruit employees who share values that are consistent with the culture, and enforce regulations and rules that promote diversity. Workers who openly discriminate others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or culture, should be punished and terminated from employment. It is essential for management to accommodate diversity since employees who are discriminated against can sue the organization and cause considerable damage in terms of financial implications and adverse publicity (Sharma, 2016).

Finally, management should promote cultural diversity by encouraging employees to showcase their cultures. Companies may set some specific days in a year where workers can share their cuisines, dressing, language, and other attributes. Managers should also encourage the staff to make conscious efforts towards learning foreign languages and other aspects of culture from their culturally-diverse colleagues (Christian et al., 2006). Promoting cultural differences will improve synergy between workers and strengthen their relationships within and outside the work environment. Companies that implement these initiatives are likely to experience benefits such as higher levels of employee motivation, increase in productivity, better innovation and creativity, and enhanced organizational loyalty. Consequently, these firms will attain higher output and profitability in the long run.

In conclusion, workplace diversity presents many advantages to organizations that employ a culturally-diverse workforce. When a company has staff with a diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural orientation, then employees have different perspectives and ideas which facilitate the growth of innovation and creativity. However, firms that do not effectively manage diversity can experience organizational conflict and low morale among employees. In certain situations, such companies may expose themselves to legal lawsuits if they condone employee discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or culture. It is imperative that managers conduct training to educate staff on the benefits of a multicultural workforce, while encouraging workers to showcase their cultures, to reap the numerous advantages of diversity.

References

Christian, J., Porter, L. W. & Moffitt, G. (2006). "Workplace Diversity and Group Relations:

An Overview". Group Processes and Intergroup Relations 9(4) pp 459-466. Retrieved from https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00571634/file/PEER_stage2_10.1177%252F1368430206068431.pdf

Sharma, A. (2016). "Managing Diversity and Equality in the Workplace". Cogent Business

and Management 3 (1). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.1080/23311975.2016.1212682?scroll=top

Walmart. (2019). Diversity and Inclusion. Retrieved from

https://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/opportunity/diversity-and-inclusion