...Politechnika Białostocka Cultural Diversity in Organisational Theory and Practice 1. Introduction Increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds than ever before. People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from nearly every continent. For this reason, organizations need diversity to become more creative and open to change. Therefore maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity has become an important issue for management today. Since managing diversity remains a significant organizational challenge, managers must learn the managerial skills needed in a multicultural work environment. Supervisors and managers must be prepared to teach themselves and others within their organizations to value multicultural differences in both associates and customers so that everyone is treated with dignity. Diversity issues are now considered important and are projected to become even more important in the future due to increasing differences in the population of many countries. Companies need to focus on diversity and look for ways to become totally inclusive organizations because diversity has the potential of yielding greater productivity and competitive advantages. Managing and valuing diversity is a key component of effective people management, which can improve workplace productivity. Unmanaged diversity in the workplace might become an obstacle...
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...SURFACE LEVEL DIVERSITY, DEEP LEVEL DIVERSITY, AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS ABSTRACT Surface level diversity is the mixture of people who differentiate by sex, race or ethnicity, and the observably physically disabled. These differences typically cannot be changed and are easy to measure because they are visual. Deep level diversity are differences such as personality and attitudes that can be communicated through verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Diversity can be affiliated with socio-economic factors such as education, profession, job function, and social class. These three components of diversity affect how individuals operate in the workplace. Diversity can channel a sense of competitiveness, which has pros and cons. The purpose of this study is to understand how surface level diversity, deep level diversity, and competitiveness effect employees in the workplace. We also would like to understand the effect management has on diversity and competitiveness. INTRODUCTION What began for many as an effort to meet governmental and legal requirements has evolved into a strategic priority aimed at positioning organizations more competitively in the marketplace (Hansen, 2003). At a time diversity was just a guideline for organizations to meet, not something that was used as an instrument to truly improve the efficiency of an organization. Companies now put more effort into improving the diversity within their organization. Organizations devote resources to a variety...
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...Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in the Workplace Organizational Behavior 12/11/2011 Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in organizations is increasingly gaining importance and attention by hiring and cooperate management. Nowadays, not only does diversity in the workplace mean being in compliance with the equal opportunity act, but culturally diverse employees are being valued as an asset to the company. Managers have started to appreciate new points of views and ideas from employees with a cultural diverse background rather than expecting them to adapt and assimilate to the current company’s “good old way” of conducting business. The purpose of this paper is to design a model and provided procedures for analyzing diversity, and show how the results would be implemented in a cultural diversity training program. The Diversity Framework The diversity of an individual is a complex framework that consists of different personal and social components. There are two different types of personal components; the first type is a personal component we cannot control or influence, such as our race, age, gender, physical condition, sexual orientation and ethnicity. On the other hand, the second type of personal component we are rather able to choose or impact, such as our marital status, job, religious belief, educational background and appearance. These personal diversity components critically determine our behavior, attitude and views at work. Finally, the social component...
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...WEEK ONE DISCUSSION What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. My initial response to the question “What are the dimensions of cultural diversity?” were religion, race, ethnicity and gender. However, upon reading a chapter in the book Understanding and managing diversity : readings, cases and exercises by Harvey and Allard, the chapter A World View of Cultural Diversity by Thomas Sowell (2009), changed my perspective. After reading this chapter, I understood the question much differently and changed my view of what are cultures. According to Sowell, cultures are non static, they are fluid meaning they evolve over centuries. An important dimension of cultures is geography, which is “an important long-run influence on the shaping of cultures as well as in narrow economic terms (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p. 75). Furthermore, Sowell states that “cultures exist to serve the vital, practical requirements of human life—to structure a society so as to perpetuate the species, to pass on the hard-earned knowledge and experience of generations past and centuries past to the young and inexperienced in order to spare the next generation the costly and dangerous process of learning everything all over again from scratch through trial and error—including fatal errors” (Harvey & Allard, 2009, p77). Therefore, the two main dimensions of cultural diversity identified are historical and geographical as these dimensions...
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...Diversity and Inclusion SOC315 May 6, 2013 Jami Imhof Diversity and Inclusion What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both text books. According to Understanding and Managing Diversity there are primary and secondary dimensions of cultural diversity. The primary dimensions are age, gender, mental and physical abilities, race, ethnic heritage, and sexual orientation. The secondary dimensions are geographical location, military and work experience, family status, income, religion, first language, education, organizational role and level, communication, and work style (Harvey & Allard, 2009). The dimensions of diversity can be broken into the following layers: Organizational, internal, external, and personality. Organizational dimension would include areas such as places of employment and the development and promotion opportunities. Internal dimensions are areas we have no control over, such as race or gender (although today people are able to make gender changes), typically gender is out of our control. External dimensions are controllable aspects of diversity. It would include areas like friendships or our career choices. Finally personality dimensions would include aspect such as religion, personal values as wells as an individual’s like and dislikes. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common. I am an African-American...
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...Social Organization and Change Most people would agree that cultural diversity in the workplace utilizes our country's skills to its fullest, and contributes to our overall growth and prosperity (Ethnic Majority, 2004). In the 20th century, one’s workplace is very diverse. In today’s workplace a person may be considered more valuable than another person if they are bilingual. The workplace consists of several different types of individuals with different backgrounds. In one office one may work with a combination of individuals from many different ethnic backgrounds such as African-American, Hispanic, Caucasian, Japanese, Indian, and Chinese. You may find that some work environments have conflicts due to the diversity while others are very pleasant and exciting to work in because of the same reason. Through observation one collects that diversity in the workplace introduces new foods, cultures, values, morals, religious beliefs and ideas. A diverse workplace is very interesting because individuals can learn from another. An individual can learn how to improve tasks through techniques. One can also learn how to communicate in a foreign language and become bilingual in more than one language. Studies have shown that diverse teams view situations from a broad range of perspectives, producing more creative solutions to problems and greater product innovation (Executive Diversity Services, Inc., 2006). A diverse work place allows for a person to be exposed to a whole...
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...r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / h u m r e s Diversity in organizations: Where are we now and where are we going? Lynn M. Shore ⁎, Beth G. Chung-Herrera, Michelle A. Dean, Karen Holcombe Ehrhart, Don I. Jung, Amy E. Randel, Gangaram Singh Institute for Inclusiveness and Diversity in Organizations, Department of Management, College of Business Administration, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Diversity Inclusiveness a b s t r a c t A great deal of research has focused on workforce diversity. Despite an increasing number of studies, few consistent conclusions have yet to be reached about the antecedents and outcomes of diversity. Likewise, research on different dimensions of diversity (e.g., age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and culture) has mostly evolved independently. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine each of these dimensions of diversity to describe common themes across dimensions and to develop an integrative model of diversity. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. While the term “workforce diversity” is commonly used in scholarly articles as well as in the popular press, the focus and scope of the research is both varied and broad. Until recently, most studies have focused on a single dimension of diversity (e.g., age, sex, race) in a domestic, typically U.S. context. In a world of globalization...
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...Diversity and Inclusion SOC/315 November 09, 2011 Diversity and Inclusion Diversity refers the inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization. Many people with different backgrounds work together every day to accomplish tasks assigned on daily basis. Before working together the group should know the different dimensions of diversity. “Dimensions of diversity exert an important impact on our early socialization and a powerful sustained impact on our experiences, values, assumptions and expectations throughout every stage of history ” (Harvey, 2009). The different dimensions of diversity are race, gender, age, education, sexual orientation, and geographic origin, or employment. “Dimensions adds layers of complexity to individual identity, it is the dynamic interaction among all the dimensions that influences self-image, values, opportunities, and expectations” (Harvey, 2009). Dimensions of diversity apply an effect on each of us at home, work, and in society giving definition to our lives. “The United States is a very diverse nation and becoming more” (Schaefer, 2011). Concerning ethnic, cultural, or other groups I identify with all. My social circle is consistent with people from all groups. My social circle consists of individuals not a group. I think of all my associates as individuals with different personalities. My social circle member’s personalities are very different and the dimensions play a part from the way we dress, race, gender, and sexual...
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...Assignment: Learner information OCR Level 3 Health and Social Care Unit 2: Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care Assessor: Important Dates | |Assessment Criteria |Issue Date |Formative Assessment |Summative Assessment | |Task 1 |P1, M1 and D1 | | | | |Task 2 |P2 and P3 | | | | |Task 3 |P4, M2, D2 | | | | |Task 4 |P5 and M3 | | | | CANDIDATE NAME: General Information for Learners Q Do I have to pass this assignment? A Yes. You must pass this assignment to achieve the full qualification. Q What help will I get? A Your tutor will help you when completing the OCR assignment and will make sure that you know what resources/facilities you need and are allowed to use. Q What if I don’t understand something? A It is your responsibility to read the assignment carefully and make sure you understand what you...
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...Assignment Title: Cultural Diversity Context The unit aims to introduce you to a range of beliefs held by individuals within our society. It will help you to understand and value the ways in which we are different. You will learn what is meant by cultural diversity and about the beliefs of individuals from a wide range of different religious and secular backgrounds. The unit covers the factors that influence the equality of opportunity within our society which will help you to promote the equality of opportunity for service users in health and social care environments if you move to a career in this area of work. Task Overview You are a Learning Disabilities Nurse at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham and as an additional responsibility you are responsible for the promotion of Equality and Diversity on the ward in which you work. This involves updating displays and leading staff training exercises related to equality, diversity and non-discriminatory practice. Date of issue: Date of submission: Learning outcomes On completion of this unit, you should: 1. Know diversity of individuals in society. 2. Understand beliefs and practices in different religious or secular groups. 3. Understand factors that influence the equality of opportunity for individuals in society. 4. Know the role of legislation, codes of practice and charters in promoting diversity. Refer to the assignment task sheet and the criteria...
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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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...Assignment: Learner information OCR Level 3 Health and Social Care Unit 2: Equality, Diversity and Rights in Health and Social Care Assessor: Important Dates | |Assessment Criteria |Issue Date |Formative Assessment |Summative Assessment | |Task 1 |P1, M1 and D1 | | | | |Task 2 |P2 and P3 | | | | |Task 3 |P4, M2, D2 | | | | |Task 4 |P5 and M3 | | | | CANDIDATE NAME: General Information for Learners Q Do I have to pass this assignment? A Yes. You must pass this assignment to achieve the full qualification. Q What help will I get? A Your tutor will help you when completing the OCR assignment and will make sure that you know what resources/facilities you need and are allowed to use. Q What if I don’t understand something? A It is your responsibility to read the assignment carefully and make sure you understand what you...
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...Explain corporate social responsibility and diversity in the modern workplace Identify how companies influence their ethics environment Valuing diversity means making decisions based on merit, encouraging different perspectives, and challenging behaviors that undermine other cultural or gender groups. Valuing diversity means developing attitudes, practices and procedures that provide genuine equality of treatment and opportunity for all employees, regardless of issues such as gender, religious belief, age, disability, sex or ethnic origin. Valuing diversity means: * Championing and progressing diversity, building a positive culture that harnesses diversity. Consistently challenging behavior/attitudes that undermine other cultural or gender groups. * Proactively supporting a meritocracy. * Being fair and objective. * Displaying sensitivity to the needs of individuals, using a broad range of interpersonal styles to suit the requirements of any situation, local environment or culture. * Encouraging a full range of perspectives and assimilating these into business decisions. When it comes to incorporating social responsibility or sustainability in the workplace, it’s not just about creating a green building or complying with green building code; it’s about creating healthy and productive workplaces for people while increasing social and shareholder value for the organization. The 100 Best Corporate Citizens list (from Corporate Responsibility...
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...perspective (the influence that is directed at changing the work behavior of an individual). This article suggests that managing diversity requires business leaders to adopt an approach to diversity management that is sensitive not only to race and ethnic differences, but also to the background and values of all individuals at work. Diversity on the other hand as defined by Thomas (1990, 10) stated that workplace diversity management ‘is a planned systematic and comprehensive managerial process for developing an organizational environment that works for all employees.’ The research conducted in this article is that empirical study was done and four hundred and forty (440) leadership styles were measured in eleven (11) organizations. The study used the Hall and Hawker (1988) inventory leadership styles and a diversity questionnaire to measure diversity management experience. The aim of this study in general is to determine the kind of leadership style organizations need to develop in order to establish a positive experience of diversity management, to continue to be successful, and to conclude with a leadership competency model inclusive of diversity management competence. In order to understand leadership as a component of diversity management, Leadership as the independent variable is firstly analyzed, where after diversity management as the dependant variable is examined. The questions in this research are how diversity management is experienced in the workplace,...
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...1. Introduction Equality and diversity in the workplace has become a central topic in the debate within the human resource management literature. Traditionally, society has been divided into different social classes, which arise from different aspects such as access to material resources, access to education and employment opportunity. These divisions in class differences have reflected and have fundamental influence over employment relationships (Williams and Adam-Smith, 2009). However, inequality nowadays is more complex. It has gone beyond the issue of class differences, thus the lack of equality and non-discrimination framework impedes the progress of equality and diversity in contemporary organisations (Fawcett Report, 2013). The presented paper builds on the existing literature on the topic of equality and diversity in the workplace, and aims to examine the role of trade unions, governments and human resource managers in promoting equality and diversity within organisations. Particular difficulties of advancing equality in practice are investigated and solutions to overcome these issues are discussed. Overall, the paper is structured into three main sections. To begin, a short outline of different approaches used in addressing equality and diversity will be considered. The first main section highlights the role of the stakeholders in promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. The second section evaluates numerous challenges preventing the promotion of equality...
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