Paper Example. Diversity in a Workplace

An ideal society is a diverse society. Global developments have opened up places and created a situation whereby people from varied backgrounds interact. In other words, almost all towns in the world today are cosmopolitan encouraging workforce diversity. The diversity in this sense refers to the differences in age, race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual preferences and orientation, cultures, and physical structures, among others. The interaction of people in a diverse workplace is vital for organizational development.

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How does your town/community/state/employer view diversity in the workforce?

The employer and community, in general, view diversity as an opportunity for people to share ideas that enhance the growth and development of the organization. The employer invites people of different nationalities to work in the organization. These people live within the community sharing the same resources with the locals. The locals see the diversity of the workplace introduced by the organization in its employment mechanism as a way of fostering social, economic, and cultural growth of the people.

The first group of people of different nationalities to arrive in the town occurred during the early 2000s. These were the Asians, Africans, the Philippines, and the Mexican. Cases of intermarriages between the locals and the workers of other races have brought about cohesion in the community. The locals welcome workplace diversity; thus, claims of racism are minimal in comparison to the past. People have learned new languages, cultures, and religion, and how to coexist peacefully with one another. Additionally, the workplace benefits from a comprehensive skill set from a diverse group of employees.

Are there benchmarks and best practices put into place for culturally appropriate language and communication?

Language and communication is the central part of diversity in the workplace. People of different ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, and races speak different languages. One of the ways through which the organization addresses the challenge of language differences in the workplace is by producing manuals in different main languages. Although English is the primary language used in the organization, the company uses internationally recognized symbols in critical areas of the workplace. For instance, instead of translating "exit", "fire assembly point" and "toilet" directives to different languages, the company uses international symbols that a worker can interpret and understand regardless of the language that they speak. Additionally, the company encourages language education, where workers learn new foreign languages. Employees observe their cultural practices without interference from the organization or the local community. There are also annual cultural week events where employees share their diverse cultures in the organization.

Is it an important and relevant issue that is being proactively addressed?

Diversity in the workforce is an essential and relevant issue that the company monitors proactively. The organization takes seriously and strongly discourages cases of racism and any other forms of discrimination within the workplace. All the employees within the organization receive fair treatment. There is no segregation in the workplace based on culture, ethnicity, or religion. The only form of separation evident in the company is on the organizational hierarchy.

Do the leaders feel that this issue does not need to be addressed? Why/why not?

The management of the company feels that any form of discrimination in the organization would lead to fewer interactions and teamwork in the company, which would severely affect the performance of the company. Therefore, diversity in the workplace is amongst the core pillars of the organization. Its importance is evident in the peaceful environment of working with a diverse group and the extensive skillset and experience that the different groups of people bring to the organization.

Why is it important?

In a diverse workplace, employees exchange ideas that are vital for the development of the company. A company with diversity in terms of cultures, religion, ethnicity, and race in its top management benefits from a positive reputation from the community and global market. As a result, diversity is critically vital for the company as it increases the profitability index of the company due to positive reviews. The diverse management team acts as ambassadors of the company to their respective communities and people. For instance, a company with Africans, Asians, or Americans in the top management is in a better position to negotiate and appeal to Africans, Asians and Americans as these groups of people will identify with the people of their races, nationality or ethnicity. With this in mind, the organization considers job success as a factor for promotion as opposed to age or other factors. Currently, the management of the company comprises of a cocktail of diverse age, ethnicity, cultures, skin color, and religious practices. It is like a representation of the world on a small scale.

How is it being addressed?

There are several ways through which the company addresses the issue of diversity in the workplace and the community. First, the company defines its organizational cultures and stand on the subject of diversity. The company is open to working with all persons provided they adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization that propels it towards achieving its ultimate goal. The organization expects nothing less than this from its employees. It assumes that the workers will work as a team both within the company and pout of the company's premises. Secondly, as stated above, the organization strongly advocates against cases of discrimination at the workplace. There are no unique treatments levied on a distinct group of people in the organization. Therefore, the organization sees discrimination as a violation of the regulations of the company. Thirdly, the company addresses the issue of diversity through the organization's culture of celebrating diversity in the company. It does this through the annual culture week festivities where different cultural practices and variety of the organization are appreciated. Finally, the organization encourages light jokes in the workplace. However, it disregards discriminative jokes and tendencies of employees mocking others based on culture, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, religion, or sexual preferences and orientation.

What changes are being made in the workforce to address it?

The organization has, for many years, been focusing on the issue of diversity in the workplace. There are no significant changes in the workplace and community to institute diversity in the organization. However, the minor changes in the company include establishing and implementing stricter rules relating to discrimination. The Coronavirus pandemic has been the primary cause of racial discrimination in the organization, with some employees discriminating against people of Asian origin. The company has stepped up to implement rules such as suspensions and compulsory unpaid leaves to employees who, in any way, will discriminate against a fellow employee.

Are all members of your community represented within your place of business? Why or why not?

As stated earlier, social and commercial places in the community are open to all. Any member of the population is free to participate in trading activities so long as they adhere to the set regulations, which include tax compliance and observing public health. The places of business house approximately all members of the community. What determines the participation of people in commercial activities in the local market is their interests and capacity. There is no external influence that bans anyone in the community from conducting business in the local market. Therefore, the local market, just like any other place in society, constitutes diverse groups of people. The advantage of the diversity in the businesses is that the community has several different products to choose from.