...What is diversity? Diversity is a perception that is based on individual acceptance and respect. It is an understanding that each and every individual are unique and different on many levels. In short, diversity refers to the physical differences in people and also the non-physical differences. Diversity is built on the principles of equal employment opportunity to include inherent differences such as gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural / linguistic background, sexual orientation and / or gender identity, intellectual and / or physical ability (Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2011). Diversity is becoming an integral part of life and more importantly at the workplace. Everyday diversity is increasing in organisations. Australia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world: One in two Australians is either born overseas or has a parent from another country (Diversity Council Australia, 2013). In the late 1960s, more than half of Australia’s immigrants came from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Today, these countries represent only 15% of immigrants whereas 25% are from various parts of Asia (McShane, et al., 2013). At a workplace everybody knows that there is no such thing as a homogeneous work team any more. In at least 70% of all international companies, the work force will be a mixture of diverse cultures, religions and races. In such a scenario, it becomes important to promote ethnic, social, cultural and gender-related diversity in the workplace...
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...Cultural Diversity Alicia Lue Devry University Course Number: SOCS350 July 2013 Cultural Diversity Collaborating for a culturally diverse workforce seems to be somewhat challenging for organizations today. However, as our nation becomes more diverse, according to Spratt (2012), over 50% of the United States population grew because of an increase in the Hispanic population, along with the Asian population growth rate being faster than any other racial group in the United States during 2000 and 2010. Given these facts, it can be clearly stated that our current workforce has indeed become more diverse than it was in the prior century (Bell, 2007). It is therefore, imperative for managers and professionals to become culturally competent in understanding and embracing cultural, ethnic and gender differences in the workforce. Diversity means real or perceived differences among a group of people and individuals based on their ethnicity, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, and geographical area (Bell, 2007). According to Cox & Blake there are six beneficial factors why organizations should embrace and mange diversity effectively, these factors are, “cost, resource acquisition, marketing, creativity, problem solving, and system flexibility” (as cited in Bell, 2007, p. 10). A brief explanation of why these six factors are beneficial would be, a decrease in cost in matters of rehiring which does affect the organizations budget, organizations...
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...The Workplace, Communication and Diversity Vanessa J. Bailey BUS 600 Prof. Sean O’Leary June 8, 2014 Diversity, by definition, has three meanings. According to Collins English Dictionary (website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diversity), diversity means: (1) the state of quality of being different or varied; (2) a point of difference: and (3) the relation that holds between two entities when and only when they are not identical; the property of being numerically distinct. For many of us, however, when we hear the word diversity we immediately associate it with our work environment and maybe even associate it directly with race and ethnicity in the work place. Multicultural diversity is no longer defined by race and ethnicity alone. In today’s workplace, it is important to also include age, gender, sexual orientation, education, religion and life experience (Okoro & Washington, 2012). With a better understanding of how inclusive workplace diversity has become, companies and corporations can now put greater emphasis in effective interpersonal and group communication as it is essential in today’s success (Okoro & Washington, 2012). As future managers and leaders, it is vital to understand communication and the foundation it provides for business, managerial and organizational communication. All three have a lot in common as well as overlap, in their intended functions (Reinsch, 1991). As Reinsch (1991) put it: “organizational communication is communication...
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...Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA Abstract Purpose – The use of teams in organizations given the current trend toward globalization, population changes, and an aging workforce, especially in high-income countries, makes the issue of diverse team building critical. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of team diversity and team performance through the examination of theory and empirical research. Specifically, the paper seeks to answer the question: “How might individuals with diverse characteristics such as culture, age, work experience, educational background, aptitude and values, become successful team members?”. Design/methodology/approach – A review of theories that are pertinent to individual differences and team formation, including social identity theory, mental models, inter contact theory, social comparison theory, and chaos theory, was conducted. Team formation and diversity literature were reviewed to identify ways of developing diverse and effective teams. Findings – It is a truism that working together in teams is a smart way of achieving organizational performance goals. This paper discusses the theories, research and practices that underlie the development of efficient and effective teams. It demonstrates that recognizing the underlying individual differences, mental models, and assumptions that team members bring...
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...•The process of team building TEAM BUILDING There are a series of stages for the formation of a team, each stage different from others. At the early stage the social structure of the team is much more important. Each stage has different implication for members behaviour and team performance. An early analysis of the team development was provided by Tuckman (1965). According to Tuckman a team can be distinguish as a social entity and task entity. The three factors that influence team development in each of four phases are individual’s needs, team needs and task needs. These stages of team development are FORMING This is the first stage of a newly form team. At this stage members of the team first meet each other and predominating concerns are their own needs. People, who have never been together before, meet each other and introduce themselves. They reveal their characteristics and abilities to other team members, sometime slowly. STORMING It is also called the conflict stage. At this stage members are also concerned that on what grounds, rules and procedures the team will operate. What kind of structures the team will have. As long as discussion going on this concern usually expands. In a successful team these problems are largely resolved and mostly concern with team needs diminishes. NORMING It is also called the cohesion stage. At this stage the team defines its roles and relationship among roles. Appropriate behaviour of various members has been worked out...
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...HLTHIR403C. Work effectively with culturally diverse clients and co-workers Author John Bailey Copyright Text copyright © 2008 by John N. Bailey. Illustration, layout and design copyright © 2008 by John N. Bailey. Under Australia's Copyright Act 1968 (the Act), except for any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from John N. Bailey. All inquiries should be directed in the first instance to the publisher at the address below. Copying for Education Purposes The Act allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of this book, whichever is the greater, to be copied by an educational institution for its educational purposes provided that that educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to JNB Publications, Disclaimer All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of this publication. JNB Publications assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions and no warranties are made with regard to this publication. Neither JNB Publications nor any authorised distributors shall be held responsible for any direct, incidental or consequential damages resulting from the use of this publication. To Order this Publication This publication can be ordered in a wire bound...
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...Organizational Behaviour Kannan Departmental Store Trichy Road, Coimbatore Since 1985, started in Erode, TN Presently operates 22 Departmental Stores of Various sizes across TN SKDS Group Annual Turnover is around Rs. 370 Crores for the last financial year. It has strong and committed human resource of around 2500 People. Shri T. Thanushgaran is Chairman cum Managing Director of the Company. Main branch is in Gandhipuram, Coimbatore Branches in Coimbatore: 9 Findings: Physical findings: Trichy Road Branch Number of employees: 150 Main products: Groceries: monthly provisions, vegetables Secondary products: Home needs, cosmetics, decorative items, utility products, fast food, footwear, regular clothing requirements and so on Floors: 3 floors of goods Locations: Across Tamil Nadu Plans of Expansion: Yes, into other states. Target group: SEC A, B Predominantly middle class and upper middle class Family Income level: Rs. 20,000+ Company Hierarchy: (top to bottom) 1. Owner 2. President 3. Sr VP 4. VP 5. GM 6. Sr. DGM 7. DGM 8. AGM 9. Sr. Manager 10. Manager 11. Supervisor 12. Leader 13. Salesman Floor managers would be at Supervisor levels Organization Departments: 1. Marketing and Sales – Stores 2. Distribution, Supply chain 3. R&D, Product development 4. Administration 5. HR Employees: Facilities: Stay and food facilities Salary for service staff: 6000...
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...Workforce Diversity Workforce diversity is something that has become normal in most societies, regardless of peoples individual beliefs. With an increase in globalization, people are having no other choice then to accept different races, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations. No more is our country made up of only Caucasians and African Americans. Diversity is all around us and tolerance is what needs to be learnt by individuals, groups, and companies. The problem is that we all know that workforce diversity is something we can’t avoid, but many of us still try to. When someone doesn’t speak our dialect or eats different food in the lunchroom it can create uncertainty among people who are uncomfortable with “new.” It is people’s natural reactions and human instincts that make accepting new people who are different scary and unnerving. McDonalds, Dell and Boeing are three companies that have managed multicultural organizations well and continue to show other companies what a benefit it can be. Workforce diversity is a term that arose in the 1970’s and hasn’t stopped rearing its head to society. McDonalds was one of the first companies in the seventies that had a department devoted to affirmative action. Pat Harris is currently McDonald’s chief diversity officer overseeing an evolving diversity initiative. She existed with the company during the early stages of workforce diversity. Harris claims that she doesn’t use the word program to describe the company’s objective...
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...PhD. Week 9 Final Assignment My experience in this Culture Diversity course has given me a new insight and thought provoking information that has helped me to relate and understand diversity in a new and different way than I had before. Diversity can be such an interesting topic. When one mentions the word “diversity” several things come to mind. An most often, the first thing that comes to mind is the diverse culture, right here in America. To gain a better understanding of all the different cultures around the World. A person could spend their lifetime traveling around the world, from one culture to another. Why do that? When all one has to do is sit back and take in the daily occurrences and experience everything around them. Right here in America. It is hard to find a country more culturally diverse than our very own, and yet we fail to see it. There are several reasons why one could fail to see all this diversity, whether it be a lack of understanding or just a lack of willingness to understand. For a country that is called “the melting pot” (Schaefer, 2012, p.24), we certainly still have a prevalent degree of prejudice and discrimination. Some would call it a lack of insight and willingness to grow, I prefer to call it ignorance and fear. Fear of differences and change. Diversity is the inclusion of different types of people from different races and culture in a group of organization. Diversity is valued because it allows all of us human being to be equal, as...
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...Policy Issues and Cultural Diversity Student’s Name University Policy Issues and Cultural Diversity A research gap is an aspect of research or a research question that has not been answered sufficiently in a study (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2013). A research gap arises when the researcher in his study has not adequately solved the research problem, as per the research methodology (Alvesson & Sandberg, 2013). In this paper, therefore, I further evaluate the research on intercultural maturity.To gain insights on how the researcher addressed the research problem, and ultimately discover areas I will suggest for further study on cultural diversity. Cultural diversity is influenced by a myriad of factors (Tierney, 2007).The factors affecting cultural diversity forms the first research gap; a study may be conducted with an aim of analyzing how these individual factors affect cultural diversity. These factors are both external and internal. Again from, the research on intercultural maturity, I feel that the study did not sufficiently indicate how the educational practices; models promote intercultural competence and effectiveness. This knowledge gap second suggests gap for further research on culture diversity. Also, the research on intercultural maturity has no sufficiently indicated how achievement of intercultural maturity promotes human development and positive interactions. This gap is an area that suggests further...
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...Abstract The following is a case study of Netflix, Inc. an American-based company that provides the streaming of online media to consumers in North America, South America, and parts of Europe. This case study will provide a brief overview of the company’s history along with four present-day challenges that the company will face as it tries to stay ahead of the competition. In its discussion of the present-day challenges that Netflix, Inc. faces the discussion will also relate the proposed challenges to the managerial challenges of globalization, diversity, and ethics. After each of the four anticipated challenges have been addressed then this paper will provide an analysis of the steps that Netflix, Inc. has already taken to keep the company on the frontline of online media streaming. This paper will also provide suggestions as to what can be done in order for Netflix, Inc. to become the number one competitor and innovator in the market. Keywords: Netflix, challenges, analysis Past to Present In 1997 Netflix, Inc. was founded in Scotts Valley, California by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph initially offering weekly DVD rentals online. Within two years Netflix, Inc. transitioned from offering weekly rentals to offering a subscription service that allowed consumers to rent movies as frequently as they pleased for a monthly fee. In a matter of ten years Netflix, Inc. began to offer the online streaming of media for a subscription fee and ended the year with 7...
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...Cultural Awareness Standing outside waiting for the bus to pick her up for school, Mary Mejie said she remembers the constant teasing of kids taunting her to play kung fu with them as they pulled and tugged on her long jet-black hair. “The kids would speak in some made up language and call me Chinese,” Mary said. Mary’s father is Japanese and her mother is Filipino. “I grew up in the Philippines, but my early schooling was in the city of Baltimore,” Mary noted. Reluctant to admit initially that the teasing came from kids of other cultural backgrounds, Mary later admitted it primarily came from African- American kids. According to an article on the Democrat and Chronicle website, a newspaper in Rochester, N.Y., studies show that children exposed to different cultures at a young age have enhanced social and emotional development. According to the study, children learn about differences and similarities and increase their sense of self. In addition, this understanding prevents aggressive and self-controlling behaviors in children, the study explained and helps them adapt better to a changing environment. Now an adult, Mary says she realizes that, as children in school, they were not taught to understand or care about the differences or similarities of other cultures. “We were just happy to have friends that looked like we did to play with,” Mary noted. As a young adult, Suzette Hampton, an African-American mother of four and...
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...Techniques that Improve Communications Diversity training is important in today’s workplace. The ability to effectively communicate with employees with different cultural backgrounds is essential to having a successful business. Business organizations integrate diversity training to ensure maximum productivity. In order for diversity training to be effective, different techniques are used. Companies understand the importance of effective communication. Without such communication, it can be a drain on the company and its resources. Researchers have developed several different techniques to assist with achieving the goal of effective communication. The following techniques are recommended: Seek Training: This technique is important especially if an organization is experiencing diversity issues. Diversity issues can be viewed as an opportunity, not a threat (Fine, p 485). Organizations should develop a training program to aid with their efforts. A lot can be learned during diversity training. Researchers suggest training should focus on team building effectiveness. This allows the team the opportunity to bond. The second phase of training should focus on conflict resolution. This will allow management and employees different options when a dispute arises. Learn about your cultural self: This technique is often overlooked in the workplace. One must understand that your culture is not the only culture. Your culture happens to be one of many cultures within the workplace. Co-workers...
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...industries are not individual orientated; they are team orientated. No one company is independent of its employees. Organizations need their teams to make collaborative efforts to impact a positive outcome. Teams are a combination of different talents coming together for a common goal. (According to Baack, 2012) Great teams consist of team members with the most highly developed skills wereadaptable, collaborative, committed, communicative, competent, dependable, enlarging, enthusiastic, intentional, mission conscious, prepared, relational, self-improving, selfless, solution oriented, and tenacious. The key is to make individualists into team players by cultivating the necessary traits. The dynamics of teams will be discussed through diversity, conflict and conflict resolutions within my organization. This paper will also describe three outcomes that could reasonably occur as a result of conflict resolution. Conflict is a necessary evil that is inevitable. Conflict can be either a strength or weakness to a company’s overall goal. When individuals come together for a common goal conflicts may arise. As research has shown, there is more positive values than negatives. Conflict Resolution Conflicts are inevitable whenever individuals with different personalities come together to work interdependently. Sometimes this dynamic helps to strengthen the team, and on the other hand some teams suffer which produces a poor outcome like according to Mary Parker Follett who stated...
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...Culture –everyone has it ? In most families one or both parents work. If they have kids they have to get up early to get the kids ready for school. Breakfast usually constitutes of cereals, bacon, eggs, pan cake or waffles with coffee and fruit juice. They pack light meals usually sandwiches for lunch. Those who don’t pack grab fast foods. Dinner is considered as family time where everyone including children sits at the table talk and eat. An average work day usually spans from 8am -5pm. Punctuality and productivity are valued in the work place. There is an expectation for each individual to have basic competency of what they are doing and project that confidence onto others (colleagues, customers etc. ) when performing the task they are hired to do. In the leisure People walk on a faster pace. Often they will be accompanied either by their significant others or their pets when walking. In main cities and in down town it is common to see people jog with earphones plugged to their ears and gadgets attached to their arms or their waist which keep track of the calories burnt. For the most part people don’t seem to pay attention to what is happening around them. Two people can sit next to each other for hours and not say a thing. People don’t expect others to say hello when they pass by unless they know the person well. People feel comfortable being on their own usually having interaction with their iPods or cell phones. They wear casual attires for the most part jeans...
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