Ethnic and Cultural Differences - Free Essay

The world is made up of people from diverse backgrounds. Due to this diversity, the perspectives of various individuals tend to differ. Members of the society could be different due to ethnic and cultural variations. From a global perspective, this difference could impact peaceful coexistence and overall growth of the society. In business, these variations could have a significant impact. Diverse ethnic groups in business could lead to new opportunities, improved company image, a better understanding of customers, and increased creativity. For these reasons, the differences in ethnicity and culture should be taken into account in the workplace. Based on my experiences, the paper talks about the importance of acknowledging ethnic and cultural differences from a global perspective and its relevance in business and management.

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Ethnic and cultural differences make the world go round. From a global viewpoint, acknowledging the differences in culture and ethnicity builds bridges to respect and understand others' perspectives (Lo Blanco, 2010). The world constitutes people from different ethnic groups. Cultural practices, behaviors, languages, and beliefs are unique to a given ethnic group. Appreciating this diversity enables individuals to accept each other regardless of their differences. In this way, members of society feel free and safe to express themselves even when their opinions differ from those of others. Respecting and understanding cultural differences is also essential in promoting peaceful coexistence as it eliminates negative stereotypes attributed to a given ethnic group. Ethnic and cultural differences should be acknowledged to make the world a better place to live in.

Appreciating different ethnic groups and cultures inspires worldwide growth. Different ideologies tend to make people work harder to come to a consensus (D'Almeida, 2007). The world is composed of various ethnic groups whose cultures and ideologies differ. By acknowledging that various ethnic groups have different ideas on how things should be done, worldwide growth is enhanced. For a world that is constantly changing, different approaches have to be embraced to facilitate growth. Before making significant decisions, society considers the alternatives present by basing on the ideas of different cultures. The choices made are those that are compatible with the practices of different ethnic groups. Members of the society tend to put in more effort to agree with each other on how to achieve a common goal, which is growth. To facilitate this agreement, there is a need for an appreciation of variations and beliefs and perspectives. For this reason, ethnic and cultural disparities make a difference in society as a whole.

Ethnic and cultural diversity promotes creativity in the workplace. Employees from diverse cultures can tap knowledge from various professional associates networks and use it to solve problems (Baumgartner, 2013). Working together, employees from different backgrounds can bring different ideas to the table and use them to solve problems or achieve a common goal. In this way, creativity is enhanced, leading to the achievement of better results by the organization. My multicultural experience happened during my undergraduate years in Sacred Heart, where I played basketball. I had teammates from diverse backgrounds, including Greece and Canada. Along with such teammates came different ideas on how we could work together to win a championship. Embracing ideas from various cultures enhances creativity as different minds come together. Diversity of cultures in the workplace also increases the chances of achieving the goals of a business. Thus, ethnic and cultural differences in the workplace promote creativity by enhancing exposure to new information.

Recruiting employees from diverse ethnic groups and cultures improves the image of an organization. Companies dedicated to recruiting individuals from diverse ethnic groups are considered ideal, more human, and socially responsible (Huang, 2019). By embracing cultural differences, a company is deemed impartial, and its reputation is positively impacted. Such companies can relate to clients personally and address their needs. Potential clients of such organizations feel valued and promote the business even more. Embracing ethnic and cultural differences also makes a company look interesting (Huang, 2019). Two summers ago, I had the opportunity to visit Argentina with my team. While in Argentina, I played basketball, went to a tango show, and tried different food. The experience was different but exciting as I broke the monotony of the culture I was used to. Exposure to different cultures eliminates boredom and provides a stimulating environment for employees to share their experiences. In this way, ethnic and cultural differences enhance the image of a business.

Ethnic and cultural differences could facilitate the creation of new opportunities. An organization that recruits employees from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds tend to have an expanded perspective (Martin, 2014). By recruiting employees from various backgrounds, such organizations comprise different aspects. Different employees tend to have different experiences, making them have diverse points of view. Thus, the strategies, products, marketing plan, and design of operation broadens, leading to the creation of new opportunities. By visiting Argentina with my team, we had a chance to expand our perspective by playing basketball against teams from different cultures. In this way, we could identify our weaknesses and emulate the positive attributes of the other groups. By obtaining ideas from employees with different cultural backgrounds, organizations are presented with a chance to broaden their perspectives and identify new opportunities.

Diversity in ethnic and cultural backgrounds also promotes a better understanding of customers. One way of understanding and knowing customers is by seeking culture-specific knowledge (Youngdahl et al., 2003). By recruiting employees from different ethnic backgrounds, a business becomes familiar with the practices of various cultures. This is because knowledge about a specific segment of customers' culture can be sought directly from employees. Acquiring this knowledge makes it easier for an organization to understand and adapt to the needs of customers. During my undergraduate years in Sacred Heart, my basketball teammates initially found it challenging to interact with one of the members who was from Greece due to the language barrier. With time, we were able to overcome this as we understood and embraced this diversity. By exercising patience, we were able to adapt and become more open to learning about others' cultures. In the same way, embracing cultural differences among employees makes it easier for the business to adapt to its customers' diversity and address their needs accordingly. For this reason, embracing different ethnic and cultural backgrounds in business enhances the understanding of customer needs.

Conclusively, ethnic and cultural differences play a significant role from a global perspective because the world comprises people from diverse backgrounds. Acknowledging these differences is important because it enhances respect and understanding of variations in ethnicity and the way people live. Through respecting and understanding different cultures, peaceful coexistence is enhanced in society as a whole. Embracing ethnic and cultural differences also promotes overall growth in a continually changing world. Basing on my experiences, ethnic and cultural variations could also play a significant role in business. These include creating new opportunities, enhancing a better understanding of customers, improving creativity and company image. These factors portray the relevance of embracing ethnic and cultural differences in the workplace.

References

Baumgartner, J. (2013). Why Diversity is the Mother of Creativity. Innovation management. se.

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